Metroid Prime 4: Beyond finally arrived on the Nintendo Switch 2 in December 2025, ending an almost two-decade wait for the space hunter Samus Aran. After a troubled development that involved the project being taken over by Retro Studios, the game promised to recapture the magic of the 3D classics. The mission is clear: explore the planet Viewros, use new psychic abilities, and pilot the powerful Vi-O-La bike to face alien threats. However, the lingering question was whether the title would justify the long wait. The answer, after reviews like the one you’re reading now, is a mix of great celebration and small disappointments, revealing an excellent game that still falters in some crucial details.
The release is one of the most anticipated of the year for Brazilian Nintendo fans, thanks to the series’ legacy and the success of Metroid Prime Remastered in 2023. The plot places Samus once again on a hostile planet, but this time she has the occasional company of Federation soldiers, bringing a new dynamism to her solitary adventures. Thus, the experience balances between the classic isolated atmosphere and moments of more cinematic action. As a result, we have a game that shines in the essentials, but which, due to specific design problems, does not always achieve the perfection aimed for after so much time.
Between Ice and Frustration: The Gameplay of Beyond
The journey on Viewros is, for the most part, a delight. The combat is extremely satisfying and fluid, especially with motion controls and the mouse-like aiming option on the Switch 2. Additionally, the visuals are stunning and the addition of the Vi-O-La bike is an absolute hit, bringing a new layer of mobility and fun. However, some design decisions break the immersion. The psychic powers, for example, can be unnecessarily complicated, requiring a tedious sequence of steps for basic functions, such as using a telekinetic bomb. This unnecessary complexity contrasts with the primary gameplay, which is so polished.
This inconsistency becomes even clearer in certain combat challenges. In a section in the Ice Belt, for example, the player may face a swarm of lupine creatures without clear guidance on the solution, leading to trial, error, and frustration. Meanwhile, the narrative also seems indecisive. The villain Sylux ends up underutilized, and Samus’s own arc seems to hesitate between evolving the character and maintaining the traditional emblematic silence. Therefore, we have a product with a divided identity: a potential masterpiece that carries the weight of its own ambitions and the legacy it needs to honor.
Final Verdict: A Triumphant Return, but with Caveats
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is, without a doubt, a great game and a triumphant return for Samus on a next-generation console. The first-person exploration, intelligent level design, and the feeling of being the Bounty Hunter are all present and improved. Still, it’s impossible to ignore the moments of frustration caused by poorly calibrated encounters and unintuitive mechanics. For Brazilian fans who waited so long, the experience will be mostly rewarding. However, there remains a feeling that, with more rigorous final polish, this could have been not only a great game but a definitive title of the Switch 2 era. Thus, Samus proves she still has a lot of stamina, even if her latest journey is not completely immune to stumbles.
