Nintendo’s Metroid action-adventure game series began way back in the 1980s. And in the games since, one common denominator is the canon-armed heroine, Samus Aran—one of the first space, battle-geared, female protagonists to stride into the video gaming arena. It’s been 18 long years since Samus’ last Metroid Prime appearance in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. So fans are eager to see what she’s been up to.
In Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Samus is teleported during a space-pirate battle to the mysterious alien world of Viewros. There, she’s stranded and stripped of power. But she also encounters remnants from an extinct, psychic alien race called the Lamorn that long ago prophesied her arrival. They had determined that Samus would be the vessel to continue their forgotten civilization’s legacy.
Toward that pursuit, the Lamorn have also left behind advanced tech and a way for Samus to connect to latent psychic abilities. And since Samus and a handful of Galactic Federation personnel are stranded on this planet, the heroine decides to accept the Lamorn’s hologram-communicated quests. She’ll attempt to preserve their heritage while striving to find a way off Viewros.
Gameplay-wise, Samus’ new psychic abilities are the lynchpin to the puzzles and obstacles that players must overcome. These purple-hued powers allow gamers to telekinetically manipulate objects, shift platforms and control slow-moving, charged shots to hit multiple targets. They also add a new dimension to Samus’ standard arsenal of charged beams, power blasts, bombs and morph ball abilities. Generally, the heroine is required to scan everything she encounters—both during exploration and during battle—to discover what skill set or ability will best forge a pathway forward.
Of course, Metroid Prime is a battling adventure series, so regular combat is a part of play here as well. Gamers lock onto enemies and unleash energy shots, missiles and elemental beams while maneuvering around, strafing groups of foes and dodging attacks. Metroid Prime 4 is also something of a semi-open world game. It uses a large, sandy desert hub to connect exploration areas such as lush jungles, frozen labs, thunderstruck ruins and volcanic industrial zones.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is primarily a single-player experience that does not require an online connection unless you’re downloading a digital version of the game. At this point there are no multiplayer mode options offered.
Gamers play as a space bounty hunter who not only strives to overcome difficult perils, but also attempts to preserve the history of an extinct civilization and save stranded Galactic Federation personnel.
This title features striking visuals and dynamic atmospheres. And the gameplay is generally fun without ever becoming too repetitive or grinding.
Samus never speaks, but fellow human characters do. And while there’s nothing crude in their dialogue, one character does talk about his faith in a pacifistic god named Sollan.
The combat (that sometimes includes Galactic Federation allies) involves power beams, missiles and screen-shaking explosions and blaster effects. Foes spurt small amounts of green and blue blood, and allies can fall and require revival. (Failing to revive an NPC ally will result in battle loss.)
If Samus is defeated, the game ends with a classic “Game Over” screen—showing the hero’s visor cracking, life support failing and the screen going red. Then the game is reloaded at the last save spot.
[Spoiler Warning] Parents of younger players should note that the game’s conclusion offers an emotional choice of staying with the Galactic Federation allies Samus has gathered, and thereby dying in battle with them, or deserting them to survive.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond brings back Samus Aran and many of the old Metroid Prime standbys. And while there’s a lot here that fans will enjoy, there are also some unavoidable choices that make the game difficult.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
