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Nintendo has finally launched “Metroid Prime 4: Beyond” on Thursday, delivering the latest chapter in its acclaimed science-fiction franchise after an eight-year development period marked by delays and a major restart.
Since its debut in 1986, the Metroid series has followed space bounty hunter Samus Aran as she battles the alien Metroids, drawing inspiration from the “Alien” films. Over more than 15 titles, the series has evolved from 2D platformers to immersive first-person action-adventures, beginning with the original “Metroid Prime” on the GameCube in 2002.
The new instalment for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 allows players to explore a distant planet on foot or by motorbike while controlling Samus in her iconic powered suit. Equipped with an arm-mounted cannon and psychic abilities, players navigate jungles, deserts, and other environments while engaging in combat with extra-terrestrial foes.
For the first time in the franchise, Switch 2 owners can use the console’s detachable controllers as a PC-style mouse to look around the game world, offering a more familiar experience for gamers accustomed to desktop setups.
Critics have generally praised the release, which currently holds an aggregated Metacritic score of 81 out of 100 from 71 reviews. The acclaim will come as a relief to Nintendo after the company controversially decided in 2019 to restart the game’s development entirely, citing that the original version “had not reached the standards we seek,” according to development lead Shinya Takahashi.
Retro Studios, the US-based studio behind the first three Metroid Prime games, took over development following the reset, and has now delivered the long-awaited follow-up. Fans who have waited years for “Prime 4” can finally enjoy a highly anticipated title, joining other long-delayed franchises such as Valve’s “Half-Life 3” and Ubisoft’s “Beyond Good and Evil 2” among gaming’s most talked-about releases.
