Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is quite a statement. The “Beyond” that accompanies this new numerical edition of Nintendo’s great subsaga reveals the intentions of retro studios for this release, which took so long to reach the Nintendo Switch (and also the Nintendo Switch 2).
Metroid Prime 4 seeks to go further. Their intentions are ambitious, as they want to say goodbye to the Switch generation in style, put the capabilities of its successor on the map, reach the cryogenic fans of the saga (although a little more active thanks to Metroid Prime Remastered) and attract many other players after Metroid Dread.
However, the shadow of doubt fell over the game. Announced in 2017 and with reboots and development issues, many don’t have it all. Will the return of the franchise be worth it? Well, we have clarified some doubts, although not all.
At HobbyConsolas we were already able to play Metroid Prime 4 specifically in its spectacular beginning and now we are back to enjoying that level and a test with new content lasting more than an hour.
As a quick assessment, after eight years of waiting, I must say that What was tested made me very curious to continue learning where the game aspires to go.because I’ve only scratched the surface and there’s still a lot to check out.
And that’s it I couldn’t try the much talked about Vi-O-La motorcycleso we will have to wait and see how he spends them and if their application is appropriate within the game. That said, let’s develop these Final impressions of Metroid Prime 4 Beyond on Switch 2:
Samus’ new powers in Metroid Prime 4
After having suffered the impact of a mysterious anomaly caused by a strange artifact that Sylux (chief of the space pirates, main antagonist and old acquaintance from Metroid Prime Hunters) wanted to get his hands on him, Samus is transferred to a new planetViewros.
The fragment I played occurred some time after the famous bounty hunter had contacted the native race of this world (another stylistic and identity mark of the Metroid saga). Now, Samus has some strange psychic powers that will grant you different abilities.
I tried two of them, which combine old devices and weapons, such as the charged shot, the missiles or the morphosphere. The best thing is that these purple powers open up new gameplay options and They explore very well the mechanical possibilities that the Switch 2’s mouse mode adds..
The first is more focused on the puzzle-solving aspect and allowed you to control small orbs of energy and project them towards different objectives to unlock new routes or even follow paths to open locks that contained new items or ammunition.
The second is the coolest, as it can be used both to solve puzzles and to combat. It’s a shot loaded with energy, a kind of remote-controlled missile with three projectiles that freezes time while you control it with the mouse or with the joysticks themselves.
Of course, this power can be used multiple times, and in this test it was useful for take down one of the main strengths of the final boss of that section jungle. Although, as I said, Samus has always been characterized by having many aces hidden in her suit and the best-known cards were the ones that took these first steps.
As for the pure gameplay refers, Metroid Prime 4 is a faithful continuation of the style that so well suited samus at the time with the first game of GameCube. The fixed aim allows us to shoot enemies more easily, although we can always target the cannon later. samus “manually” to shoot at specific areas of the scene, projectiles that approach us from other angles or hit enemy weak points.
We also have dodging and jumping to avoid enemy attacks and although the pace and handling are not as fast as first person shooter modern like DOOM THE dark Agesthe control adapts perfectly. It has already been mentioned, but I insist: the transition from traditional control with Happiness-With mouse mode, aiming does not require a second and simply place the controller on a surface to change the control mode, without going through a menu.
And playing with mouse mode is great. With Metroid First 4 In addition This is the first time that I feel that the application of this control system is more than a simple extra. I really enjoyed playing this way, although it is true that due to the ergonomics of the Happiness-Con, it is not advisable to use this variant all the time, as it can tire your hand.
Although it’s not all point and shoot. The Prime series is characterized by its shooterbut also by the very essence Metroidwith a strong exploratory component. The scanner samus once again offers an immense amount of information about the scenarios and in this first area I have already detected some element that invites throwback or back (although less than I expected).
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond still has things to prove
That, yes, I have to say it This new Metroid Prime 4 test seemed very linear to mewith a very simple level design supported by constant “rooms” (another trademark) that did not encourage combat to be very different from each other.
There was a variation on having to escort an NPC who would act as a companion and occasional helper to samus (and this will serve as comic relief), but in this second contact I missed more variety of events and a little more breadth in scenarios to encourage organic firefights and search for secrets.
I attribute this to the fact that these were the first moments of the game. Let’s hope that as the plot progresses, the range of possibilities will increase (also encouraged by the Vi-O-la motorcycle and that vast desert setting). I trust that everything will grow little by little.
Stunning visuals on Switch 2
Where there were no doubts was in the visual section. Metroid Prime 4 stands out for its realistic graphics (the most powerful I’ve seen on a Nintendo console in many years) and to top it off, those detailed scenes were very well accompanied by some wonderful characteristic orchestral themes.
While it’s unknown what the game will be like on the original Switch, Playing on Switch 2 I was able to test its two graphical modes. The first one has already proven to be great, and is my recommended option as it offers resolution 4K and 60fpswhich were very rocky.
The second mode prioritizes frame rate with 120 fps and 1080p resolution (in docked mode) and it is an option that I don’t think is worth much, since there is a “downgrade” in graphics terms. And how does it work on a laptop? Well, the truth is that this is very good.
In case you didn’t know, in Switch 2’s handheld mode, Prime 4 switches to 1080p and 60fps oh 720p and 120fpsan unusual technical maneuver to see that made the game completely fun in his hands. As I said, this new test left me very satisfied in this aspect.
And all of this linked to a very cinematic presentation, with spectacular scenes (especially the beginning) and good taste in the detail of each section. For example, the morphosphere passages looked great on screen.
I left this Metroid Prime 4 Beyond test convinced that Retro Studios’ new release will be a solid continuation of the saga. It seems that the delays and development issues didn’t affect the quality of the game as much as I had hoped.
However, it is true that What has been tested so far has raised some doubts regarding level design, shootings and metroidvania component. I hope that the game possibilities increase considerably as the hours go by.
What’s certainly clear is that Samus is still as cool as you want and then some. After eight years of waiting, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is almost here and promises to give us a powerful return to one of Nintendo’s most special formulas.
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