# *[[Metroid Prime 4 - Beyond|Metroid Prime 4: Beyond]]* Notes *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond* sends Samus Aran to the far reaches of space against her "nemesis" Sylux and a chatty, ragtag team of Federation Troopers. Channel your inner Akira as you ride a slick motorcycle from corner to corner in this visually stunning, but mechanically linear adventure. Eight years from its announcement and 18 years from *Metroid Prime 3: Corruption*, *Prime 4* entered the world with both a sigh of relief and a groan of disappointment. > [!warning] > Spoilers below! ![[Metroid Prime 4 - Beyond Notes.pdf]] ### Stats - Started Playing: 12/4/2025 - Beat: 1/8/26 - Total Playtime: 12:21:00 ### Legacy - A game that definitely was stuck in development with a reboot already looming over its head. One can’t help but wonder what could have been if the cloud never materialized. But Retro Studios are masters of their craft and can polish like no other. You’d be hard pressed to find a game this technically sound, graphically impressive, and comforting on any console. ### Overall - Retro Studios really are masters of the craft. So much polish, sheen, and clean execution. But can they evolve, expand, or just reiterate? History shows us they can do those things. So far, this feels careful, safe. - It makes me wonder what is next for them. They spent years as the Prime studio, then the DKC studio, now Prime again. The tools and people are in place for *more* Prime games. Is this the start of a new trilogy? - Kensuke Tanabe wrote the scan lore? - Prime 4 captures the origins of Metroid’s B-Tier sci-fi horror inspiration. It’s immaculate actually in its execution of that. But it adheres more to the conventions established in Prime 3, Hunters, and Feddie. It crowds the comms, while vacating the world (Sol Valley). It is a comfortable game though. It’s crafted expertly. There’s untold baggage. A fascinating game. ### Story - Samus is called in to save Federation base again. Sylux shows up with trained Metroids and hits a purple glowy thing. This sends Samus (and others I assume) to a new planet. - Samus gets psychic powers. Oooooooo purple. - Myles is a meme and I love it. - The Lamorn and the Grievers are the same species, just altered DNA. Sick. I love the whole Ice Belt story line. I wish some were thawed though for an added horror element. - Sylux is hiding in a lava tower? Is he Darth Vader? - Armstrong and her fangirling are cute. And also sooooo not Metroid. - There is something about the B-Tier sci-fi writing, but I don’t think it is a good something. - Strange, because the world building and realization is so solid. - The mandatory cutscenes feel like they are there for those that so not scan lore entries everywhere. - Why does everyone go to the mines to “help?” Samus could do all of this on her own. - It does speak to her character to always help these Federation fools. - Sarge’s “sacrifice” in the mines is immediately moot since the Grievers CAN DIG THROUGH THE DIRT. - Feels like each companion should have just been turned into an ability. Robot is sonic beam. Mack is tech. Sniper is a scope or something. - Feel like there is this cool idea where Sylux and Samus are sent alone to a hostile planet racing to get teleporter keys to escape and kill each other. That would have been cool. - I do like the fervent push deeper in the mines, spurred by the pursuit of Grievers. Thematically. - Our only real touch point to previous Metroid titles is Sylux, the mention of Metroids in scans, and...the Federation. No space pirates. No Chozo. Hmmmmm - Why does Sylux’s presentation have to be so *sick*, but his motivation nonexistent? - I love, love the squad sacrifice to send Samus home alone. ### Gameplay - So far, the same old set up. That’s a good thing. - Man, there is such a satisfying response to basic actions. The polish is gleaming. - Myles may be a meme, but telling me exactly where to go is not funny or fun. - To be fair, it’s only in the desert. Atreus is worse in Ragnarök, for example with puzzle solutions, etc. - The motorcycle (Vi-O-La), conceptually, feels like a better execution of the ship in Prime 3. A vehicle as a tool/ upgrade, perk thing. Time will tell if that gut check is correct. - Pretty gosh darn linear, so far. At least it is owning it and not pretending to offer diverging paths. - I assumed with five keys, I’d be able to choose my approach to them and tackle them in any order. Maybe it opens up after I return to the desert with the bike? - Gosh, the Vi-O-La suit is slick. - A good tease of future abilities; spider ball, boost ball, grapple beam, electric beam, lava beam, etc. - But it does feel like the same old powers, some just with a splash of “psychic” power. - I really am struggling to remember that I can basically control morph ball bombs with my mind. The button rhythm/flow for that command chain is cumbersome. - First fight with “Sylux” is cool. Like how you can’t scan for intel. You have to solve it yourself, not that it is hard. - They give your the Akira slide as a combat move on the bike. Amazing. - So the opening 3 hours are all tutorial. Now I am free to go wherever. - Or not...ice area is blocked by a wall that needs extreme heat... - I wish this was almost a Link Between Worlds scenario. We could have a tool slot to explore one area. We power up to keep. But we could actually explore anywhere. - Interesting...I have to go to the volcano, just to get the Fire Shot and be locked out. This forces me from the volcano to the ice location... - Wish I knew I could put map markers down! Blagh. - Why do I have to go allllll they way back to “home base” to get the Fire Shot? - Okay. I respect it now. There’s that comforting structure. The charge shots are inside shrines in the desert. There’s a shrine near Mackenzie that uses each element for some other power up. It’s the between worlds satisfaction loop. Simple though. - Samus is becoming the Avatar. - Grapple beam without waggle controls is bliss. - There is something innate about 100%-ing an area - The Sol Valley radio interruptions about where to go next, green crystals, etc. are agonizing. ### Music/Sound Design - Dang. Retro knows when to hit the space choir button. - I really like the music so far. Evocative. - Ice Belt music *outside* is very good. - They should have just played it the whole time - The Great Mines has this very shrill enemy/Griever music. And since they are constantly attacking, the shrillness never stops. ### Graphics/Performance - Simply stunning 4K60 presentation. - The HDR is phenomenal. This kind of game is why we use OLED. ### World - Fury Green - Jungle realm/biome. Classic starting area for Metroid. - Volt Forge - Constant rain and lightning to power a massive 3D printing motorcycle facility. Peak vibes. - Sol Valley - Hyrule Field from Ocarina vibes. Love how each zone is huge against the horizon. - All that’s here though are mech parts, crystals, and some missile expansions. - Ice Belt - A frozen lab that seems to have been truing to cure an infection? Very horror sci-fin in its environmental storytelling. - What a sick level! Turn the generator on and the place comes alive and starts thawing. The music swells. Gosh, Retro know how to do it up right. - Lava Pool - Hot place be hot. Interesitng they make you come here and leave so quickly. - Great Mines - Natural caverns and manufactured mining with ground digging grievers. You go in with two characters and it gets “spooky.” - I like that missiles are too loud as they attract Grievers, but the power up is the super missile. Wish there was more dread about having to use missiles though.