We Played Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - First Hands-On Preview

For 7 years, Metroid Prime 4 was conscionable a logo. Fans obsessively tuned into each Nintendo presumption hoping for an update connected the crippled to nary avail until 2024 erstwhile a trailer was yet released and footage of the crippled successful question was really revealed. This year, not lone is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond getting released but it’s besides getting immoderate truly absorbing ocular and gameplay upgrades connected Nintendo Switch 2. We’ve played Retro Studio’s latest installment successful the classical sci-fi enactment escapade bid connected Switch 2 and we person tons to archer you about. Read connected to find retired more.

Beyond Beautiful

The archetypal happening we noticed with Metroid Prime 4 was however gorgeous it was. It’s got an incredibly cleanable and stylish aesthetic and Nintendo was advertizing it arsenic moving successful 120 frames per 2nd connected Switch 2. This won’t beryllium the lawsuit connected Switch 1 and it’s pugnacious to way however overmuch Nintendo volition beryllium capable to instrumentality to that fig connected the afloat game, but it’s an ambitious extremity either way. So far, Prime 4 has a truly large consciousness of scale. We fought a clump of grunt-like enemies, saw a massive, hulking mech strut into the battle, and past took down a ample brag that featured respective antithetic onslaught phases. The country we demoed was conscionable a tiny glimpse astatine what the afloat crippled mightiness connection truthful we’re hoping we spot immoderate grander setpieces and large, unfastened environments, immoderate of which person been teased already successful trailers.

But Metroid games are besides astir cramped tunnels and acheronian corridors and we got to spot a fewer of those, too. Like erstwhile Prime games, a speedy fastener property instantly pops Samus from first-person aiming into third-person morph shot mode, allowing her to traverse immoderate areas she can’t scope otherwise. We got to trial this retired a spot and it works large truthful we can’t hold to hunt astir each nook and cranny of this crippled looking for rocket upgrades, vigor tanks, shortcuts, and more. This is the astir elaborate Metroid crippled yet and these sections are nary different, giving america a glimpse of battles happening betwixt warring factions happening beneath you arsenic you rotation astir successful tunnels supra them. But wait, however does it each play?

Samouse Aran (Or, Of Mice and Metroids)

One of the astir fascinating additions to Metroid Prime 4 connected Switch 2 is the optional rodent controls. Looking back, the Prime bid has experimented a ton with unsocial power options crossed assorted games. The archetypal 2 Metroid Prime games were built astir the reasonably accepted Nintendo GameCube controller (although determination was thing accepted astir turning a historically 2D sidescrolling crippled into a archetypal idiosyncratic enactment escapade crippled with 3rd idiosyncratic shot rolling mechanics) but aft that, each bets were off. Metroid Prime: Hunters connected Nintendo DS had interaction surface controls. Metroid Prime 3 connected Nintendo Wii had pointer and question controls. Metroid Prime Pinball connected DS shipped with a Game Boy Advance cartridge shaped rumble pack. We don’t speech astir Metroid Prime: Blast Ball connected Nintendo 3DS.

And now, Metroid Prime 4 connected Switch 2 lets you crook your close Joy-Con 2 sideways, spot it connected a level surface, and power Samus’ aiming with a snappy and precise rodent pointer implicit with haptic feedback for each shot. Even neater, the crippled seamlessly allows you to power from accepted instrumentality controls to rodent controls connected a whim, with nary request to intermission to spell into the settings. We could spot plentifulness of radical deciding this is their preferred mode to play Metroid Prime 4, and the easiness of which you tin swap backmost and distant betwixt rodent and pointer controls makes it truthful you tin take to lone plop the Joy-Con 2 connected the array erstwhile it’s clip for a superior combat sequence, and usage accepted controls for the much chill exploration segments Prime 4 volition surely deliver. Or possibly you’ll privation to play the full crippled successful handheld mode oregon with a Pro Controller. Either way, you’ve got options.

The "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" Upgrade Path

One happening Nintendo isn’t being wholly wide connected conscionable yet is wherever Prime 4 sits successful their awkward transitional Switch 1 to Switch 2 titles list. While immoderate archetypal Switch games similar Echoes of Wisdom and Link’s Awakening are getting escaped upgrade patches for Switch 2, others similar Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are charging $10 for ocular upgrades (and a fewer bells and whistles) portion immoderate games similar Kirby and the Forgotten Land volition person $20 upgrades that amended visuals and adhd caller content. Which of these categories volition Metroid Prime 4’s rodent controls and 120FPS options beryllium successful erstwhile they travel to Switch 2?

Well, similar its merchandise day and basal crippled price, we conscionable don’t cognize yet. You’ll beryllium capable to bargain the basal crippled and the “Switch 2 variation upgrade pack” individually oregon arsenic a bundle successful a agleam reddish Switch 2 branded container but arsenic of now, we person nary thought however overmuch immoderate of those volition outgo you. Our champion conjecture is that it volition beryllium $10 much for the Switch 2 mentation fixed that it’s not coming with an enlargement similar Mario Party’s “+ Jamboree TV” and Kirby’s “+ Star-Crossed World”, but we’re not 100% definite yet. Samus has unlockable psychic powers successful Prime 4 truthful we mightiness conscionable person to inquire her. She’s usually not precise talkative, though.

Metroid Prime 4 doesn’t person a merchandise day conscionable yet but it’s coming to Switch 1 and Switch 2 successful 2025 truthful hey, astatine slightest we won’t person to hold 7 years again to find retired more. Keep it locked to IGN for each things Metroid, and beryllium definite to work up connected our hands-on sum of the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Mario Kart World.

Brian Altano and Logan Plant emotion Metroid and speech astir it often connected Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's play Nintendo podcast. Check it retired connected Fridays connected IGN.com, YouTube, and podcast services.