Ahead of the game's full release, I recently attended Nintendo UK’s hands-on preview for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. There, I got to spend roughly 20–25 minutes playing through the opening part of the game and then diving into a portion of the “Fury Green” jungle area on Planet Viewros.
While I won’t go into any story specifics from the opening sequence, it immediately sets the stage for what’s to come and smoothly reintroduces players to the series’ blend of exploration, scanning, and combat. I thought it was pretty clear that Beyond aims to welcome returning fans while ensuring newcomers won’t feel lost.
Here are my thoughts on what I got to play.
Exploring the Jungle
The main playable segment of the preview took place in the lush “Fury Green” jungle of Planet Viewros. Here, Samus finds herself back to basics, with familiar abilities like her blaster and Morph Ball still intact, but several upgrades scattered throughout the environment waiting to be rediscovered.
The section had a satisfying balance of freedom and challenge, with plenty to scan, secrets tucked into corners, and a few environmental puzzles that took longer to figure out than I care to share, at times (embarrassing, having been surrounded by some veteran Metroid players...).
On a couple of occasions, I did get stuck for a moment, but I enjoyed the trickiness of it. I had to work out the logic of the world rather than just blasting through it, which made the pacing feel varied; chilled and exploratory one minute, then chaotic the next when combat kicked in.
One element that, unfortunately, soured the tone of the exploration was meeting Myles MacKenzie. His demeanor and general chattiness were annoying, and I was slightly concerned about him tagging along for the journey after finding him in the jungle. Fortunately, this wasn't the case, because it would have completely taken away from the one-person-on-a-mission feel Beyond had, though I am concerned about how much he will become a factor later in the story. Let's see how that plays out...
New Powers
One of the big additions in Metroid Prime 4 is the introduction of psychic powers. I won’t spoil exactly how they work, but they play a key role in both exploration and combat, particularly during certain sections on nearer the end of my time on Viewros.
At times, I forgot to use these powers, but once I realised I had them and they were probably key to passing certain stages, it became second-nature to try them out when stuck, just to see if they were the answer I needed. It’s a clever new mechanic that felt like it fit in quite nicely with the rest of the Metroid gameplay.
I also think they'll become a more important mechanic as the game progresses, based on how quickly using Samus' psychic powers developed in the short time I got to play the game. However, without getting to try anything beyond Viewros, I don't know for sure how these powers develop as the story unfolds.
Visuals, Performance, and Controls
Visually, the game looks fantastic, in my opinion. On the big screen, the jungle was vibrant and atmospheric, thanks in part to the graphical options available.
The game supports 4K resolution at 60 frames per second or 1080p at 120 frames per second. In both modes, I thought Beyond felt smooth and fluid, with no stutter or lag to speak of during any of the gameplay I got to play. It was also easy to switch between the quality and performance modes via the in-game settings.
It’s also worth noting that I primarily used the Pro Controller for my session when docked, or the Joy-Cons attached in brief periods where I opted to use the Switch 2 in handheld mode. However, Metroid Prime 4 also supports gyro aiming and even mouse controls for more precise tracking, capitalizing on one of the Switch 2’s new features over the original.
Though I’m not much of a keyboard-and-mouse player myself, I definitely think it’s a good addition to be able to use the Switch 2’s mouse functionality for players who are used to PC-style keyboard and mouse shooters. Others at the event definitely seemed to be incredibly accurate when using the mouse functionality, but for me, the Pro Controller reigned supreme.
A Classic Feel with Modern Polish
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels refreshingly old-school in spirit, thanks to some classic galactic shooter gameplay mechanics, yet it is very much suited to the modern gaming era with smooth, detailed graphics.
The rhythm of scanning, exploring, and solving puzzles was deeply satisfying, while the new psychic abilities gave something different to get accustomed to, which I’m sure becomes more important as the story progresses.
A more well-versed Metroid player at the event commented that they could see how the story seems to be progressing from where the series left off. Even from my short time with the game, I got that sense too.
Obviously, this was just a preview, and I can’t yet judge the full experience. But what I can say is that I walked away genuinely wanting to keep playing, to dig deeper, and to see how the story unfolds with these quite mysterious psychic powers.
For me, Beyond seems to be shaping up to be something special for both long-time fans and newcomers who might have only ever played on a Switch and are itching for a galactic shooter to join Nintendo’s lineup.
Unfortunately, we will all have to wait a little while longer before we get to play Metroid Prime 4 in its entirety. However, I, for one, am excited to experience the game in full.
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