Nintendo has released a new gameplay trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, showcasing Samus’ new abilities and offering the first detailed look at the game since its announcement. Developed by Retro Studios, the game is set to release in 2025 for the Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2 as well.
The trailer reveals that, like countless times before, Samus has been transported to a mysterious planet, which in this case happens to be called Viewros, where she gains psychic abilities. These new powers allow her to manipulate the trajectory of her beams, operate mechanisms, and open doors, making it quite different from her usual weapons and gadgets. Adding psychic abilities introduces another layer of gameplay that, according to the developer, adds to the game’s exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving.
Unlike the side-scrolling gameplay of prior Metroid titles, the Metroid Prime series is known for its first-person perspective, auto-lock targeting system, and 3D environments. The last first-person Metroid game, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, was released in 2007 for the Nintendo Wii and was praised for its motion controls, which were pretty unique for the time. Since then, the series has been dormant, with the most recent Metroid game being Metroid Dread, a side-scrolling title developed by MercurySteam in 2021. Metroid Dread was well-received for its challenging gameplay and return to the series’ roots, but Metroid Prime 4 represents a continuation of the first-person format.
Metroid Prime 4 has had a long and tumultuous development history. Originally announced during Nintendo’s E3 Direct in 2017, the game was initially developed by an unnamed team, reportedly Bandai Namco. However, in 2019, Nintendo revealed that development had been restarted from scratch, with Retro Studios, the original developers of the Prime series, taking over the project, and it looks like that worked wonders.
The new trailer highlights Samus’s psychic abilities and teases a narrative that intertwines elements of space and time. Nintendo still hasn’t confirmed the release date of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in the gameplay trailer, but considering that the release of the Switch 2 is also planned for this year, it is more than likely going to be ready by the time the next-generation handheld is launched.
