After almost eight years of development (and a project restart), Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is set to release this week on December 4. However, initial impressions are not as positive as some Nintendo fans may have been hoping for.
According to Metacritic, Metroid Prime 4 is currently (as of this writing) sitting at a Metascore of 80, the lowest in series’ history. All of the other Metroid Prime titles, including the Metroid Prime Trilogy remaster for the Nintendo Wii, debuted to scores in the 90s on the site.
Many reviewers praise the game’s combat, art direction, and scale, but criticize the game’s outdated open world design and the A.I.-controlled companions. Several outlets are theorizing that the issues plaguing the game stem from its troubled development cycle and note that the game feels like it is stuck in a bygone video game era.
However, many reviewers praise the game’s total package and label its shortcomings as “minor annoyances” that pile up over time. Game Informer, for example, took issue with the game’s narrative, particularly with the game’s conclusion, but also wrote, “Metroid Prime 4: Beyond maintains the high standard set by previous games in the series with incredible atmosphere and subtle touches that make the planet of Viewros look and sound real.”
In what’s sure to be pleasing to some fans, reviewers have noted that the majority of the game is spent in an isolated silence, and not with the companion characters, which was cause for concern for some previewers back in November.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, based on these early reviews, will likely please fans of the series, but it may not be the exact game fans wished for, especially after 18 years of waiting for this sequel.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond releases on Thursday, December 4, for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch version is priced at $59.99 (with a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack available for another $10), while the Switch 2 version is priced at $69.99.
