Away From Keyboard – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Nintendo Switch 2)
Feature
I've spent several weekends isolated on the planet Viewros, and here is how the "Beyond" experience feels when you're actually holding the new Joy-Cons in your hands.
The Mission: Escaping Viewros
Your objective is classic Metroid - Samus is stranded and must collect five Teleporter Keys scattered across the planet to power her escape. Viewros is divided into five distinct biomes, and the visual jump on the Switch 2 is immediately apparent.
The first area, Fury Green, feels like stepping into James Cameron's Avatar. Reminiscent of Pandora, it is a lush, bioluminescent jungle featuring a massive sacred tree that serves as a central landmark. The level of detail in the foliage and lighting is a far cry from the original Switch. Conversely, the Flare Pool region shifts the mood entirely, leaning into a stark, Dune-esque desert aesthetic that looks absolutely gorgeous in HDR.
The "Mouse" in the Room: Controls and Ergonomics
The biggest talking point for the Switch 2 has been the "mouse-like" precision of the new controllers, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond leans into this heavily. Movement and aiming feel remarkably fluid; you use one thumbstick to navigate and the other to snap your aim to enemies with a level of accuracy we haven't seen in the series before.
However, the reality is a bit more complicated. When playing with the controller on its side—often the "go-to" for quick sessions—I found the button layout to be a bit of a squeeze. The buttons are positioned very closely together, leading to frequent "fat-finger" moments. I lost count of how many times I accidentally morphed into a ball when I meant to jump, and vice versa. If you have smaller hands, you'll likely find this layout perfect, but for those of us with larger grips, it takes some serious muscle memory to avoid accidental transformations mid-combat.
Scanning and Solving
As any veteran knows, a Metroid game is as much about the Scan Visor as it is about the Arm Cannon. In Beyond, scanning remains essential for lore and progression. You’ll spend half your time cataloging alien flora and the other half using the Morph Ball to solve environmental puzzles. These puzzles are a highlight, forcing you to navigate tight crevices and hidden tracks that Samus’s standard armored suit simply can’t reach.
Combat and the "Vi-O-La"
Combat is constant, but for the most part, the standard enemies act more like atmospheric obstacles than true threats — they-re easy enough to dispatch while you’re exploring. The real challenge (and fun) lies in the Boss battles. These encounters are marathon sessions that require genuine strategy and patience to navigate.
The most surprising addition to Samus's toolkit is the Vi-O-La, a Tron-like motorcycle. Much like the DigiRunner in Borderlands 4, you can summon the Vi-O-La at any time by simply hitting the + button. It turns the vast desert expanses of regions like Flare Pool into high-speed playgrounds, allowing for quick travel across the planet's massive map.
Final Thoughts
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a stunning technical achievement. While the button placement on the new hardware might cause some "Morph Ball mishaps" for certain players, the precision of the aiming and the sheer beauty of worlds like Fury Green make it a must-play. Samus is back, and while she's brought a motorcycle and some fancy new graphics, the core spirit of isolation and discovery remains intact.
Score: 8.0/10
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