I don’t think it’s a bit of an exaggeration to say that. Metroid Prime 4: Onward It is one of the most anticipated video games of the 21st century. It’s been almost twenty years since the last chapter of this beloved series, but soon fans will finally be able to continue the adventures of Samus Aran.
Fortunately, I was already able to put on the last gloves. Metroid Prime I play, at least for a few hours. I visited Nintendo’s UK headquarters in beautiful Windsor, where I spent about an hour discussing the upcoming release. During this time, I made sure to scan everything I saw, try out Samus’ exciting new psychic powers, and engage in an intense boss fight.
So what did I do when I played on the Nintendo Switch 2? Does it seem to meet all expectations? I did this based on my practical experience. Metroid Prime 4: Onward.
New but the same
Despite being released 18 years after its predecessor, I was impressed by its fidelity Metroid Prime 4: Onward heard compared to previous entries in the series.
I played the opening part of the game, as well as an area called Fury Green, and enjoyed a carefully balanced cocktail of atmospheric and hypnotic background music, stunning supernatural graphics, and terrifying enemy encounters. As someone who really liked the original. Metroid Prime On the GameCube, it was great to see this evocative, engaging and sometimes disturbing audiovisual experience truly intact.
And even in terms of gameplay, many things remain the same: Morph Ball, Rocket Launcher and Scan Visor are still important parts of your arsenal. But Nintendo and Retro Studios have updated things with new paranormal powers and they’re incredibly fun to use.
For example, these psychic abilities allow you to manipulate the location of certain objects and communicate with technology left behind by a race known as the Lamorn. But I did like a new ability that allows Samus to determine the direction of a psychic beam in slow motion, crucial for opening locked doors and defeating certain enemies.
As expected, there are many solutions to the problem. Bonus 4: additionaland mastering the understanding of new skills, such as controlling the aircraft’s trajectory, will be critical to overcoming various challenges. The puzzles seemed well-balanced and the first-person combat felt familiar but refined.
I won’t go into details about the boss fight: you deserve to experience it all for yourself. But I realized that in order to do so, I must combine careful evasion, relentless attacks, and judicious use of my new abilities.
The battle forced me to think creatively about Samus’ abilities and I had to use everything I learned during the battle to defeat her. And this kind of smart, thoughtful design is actually promising.
not so alone
There is a real sense of loneliness. Sometimes there is loneliness. Metroid Prime game. Fight alone against hordes of terrifying enemies in twisted, sprawling environments. There is little communication with others. Hardly anyone could help you. Just you.
This sense of isolation that was so central to us. metroid First The series was interrupted during my stay in Metroid Prime 4: OnwardWhile. I had to help another human character named Mackenzie in Fury Green, who was the exact opposite of Samus character-wise. He was full of energy, very talkative and quite silly, almost like a cartoon character from an early 2000s family movie.
I don’t expect this person to accompany Samus for most of the adventure, although I do feel that the strange, lonely feeling that has made this series so important to so many players has changed somewhat.
Of course Samus is joined in this entry by another companion, well, sort of. He’ll be using a motorcycle called Vi-0-La, and while my demo ended before I had a chance to test it, I’m very impressed with the look of our hero’s new bike. The recently released trailer for ‘Survive’ showed this in a bit more detail. It’s also worth mentioning that you can also buy a Samus & Vi-0 La amiibo, which I’ve been eyeing since day one; It is now for sale.
Samus rides Vi-0-La
Equipped for the modern age
As I said before, the fundamentals that make the series great seemed relatively intact. One moment you’re trudging through a large, vibrant green area, the next you’re standing in a dark, gloomy room being frightened by hideous creatures.
But what mattered was the modernization. For example, there’s an improved intuitive interface that lets you seamlessly navigate your inventory, logbook (which contains information about enemies you’ve encountered), settings, and more.
Of course you can experience it this time. Metroid Prime Play in 4K, provided you use quality mode, which also runs at 60 frames per second. Here the colors seemed strong and rich, especially in the forest area. However, I personally enjoyed using the Performance mode, which runs at 1080p and 120 frames per second. In practice, gameplay in both modes was smooth and load times were pleasantly short – just what you’d expect from a title that rivals the best Nintendo Switch 2 games.
There are also different ways to play, at least on the Nintendo Switch 2 edition I tried. I first tried tabletop mode with the mouse and it worked pretty well. With a Joy-Con 2 controller, you can easily scan your environment and move together – it’s completely natural.
However, I personally prefer using a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller during the TV mode portion of the demo. As a console player, I felt like I had a bit more control over tight movements; Either way, it’s nice to see a variety of control schemes, and even better to see Nintendo’s latest hardware being used to its full potential.
My first impressions
As a big fan of Metroid Prime and I’ve been a Nintendo fan for a long time, my expectations for it 4 best The demonstration was quite loud. And luckily, I feel they were moved. The fluid movement and gameplay, the creative and terrifying enemies, and the overall atmosphere of the game captivated me.
If I had to be more specific, the idea of ​​a part-time partner seemed a bit off-putting at times. But I still hope the game focuses heavily on a high-stakes single-player adventure and channels that sense of isolation.
I’ve deliberately kept the story details under wraps here; After all, I don’t want to give anything away! But the beginning fascinates me and I’d like to know more about the antagonist Sylux, who first appeared in the 2006 DS title. The first Metroid fighters..
Overall, I was impressed with things like the performance, the modernized controls, and the graphics and sound design, which stayed incredibly true to previous entries in the series. Yes, you always hear that unforgettable sound when you solve a puzzle. And Fury Green’s background music effortlessly immersed me in the world, just like titles in territories like Fury Green did. Fendrana moves I did this on the Tallon IV at the time.
In short, my time Metroid Prime 4: Onward I am very excited about the whole game. I can’t wait to explore the vast desert area, wander through Vi-0-La and discover more about the mysterious plot. But now we don’t have to wait long for… Metroid Prime 4: Onward will be released on December 4, 2025 for Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Nintendo Switch.
