Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Review: Nintendo Blends Classic Exploration with Zelda Structure
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Alex Donaldson's Eurogamer review of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond explores how Nintendo's long-awaited sequel takes inspiration from The Legend of Zelda with a hub-and-dungeon structure, offering a mix of classic exploration and bold new mechanics.
The long wait is finally over, but the return of everyone's favorite bounty hunter is taking some unexpected turns. In a recent review by Alex Donaldson over at Eurogamer, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond arrives as a fascinating composite of old-school reverence and bold structural changes. Following Samus Aran as she gets stranded on a strange, unexplored planet after a botched Galactic Federation artifact incident, the game drops the traditional multi-planet hopping of its predecessors. Instead, it anchors players to a single, massive world that feels surprisingly reminiscent of Hyrule Field from classic Zelda titles.
Rather than navigating interconnected star systems, players now cross a rolling desert to connect five distinct biomes, functioning much like traditional dungeons linked to an overworld hub. You even get a new rideable vehicle named Vi-O-La to speed across the sand, serving the exact same purpose as Epona. Inside these biome dungeons, however, the experience falls back into comfortable Metroid rhythms. You explore, fight enemies, solve clever puzzles, and secure game-changing abilities that open up new paths both locally and across previous areas through classic backtracking loops.
While the shift in structure brings some welcome freshness, critics note that the modular design can feel a bit stitched together at the seams. New mechanics like a steerable projectile weapon draw clear inspiration from Zelda's past, proving that Nintendo is willing to cross-pollinate its biggest franchises. For longtime fans and new players picking this up on current hardware, it is an enjoyable journey with brilliant moments of vintage atmosphere, even if it leaves you wondering how much further the concept could have been pushed.
Tags: Nintendo Switch, Metroid Prime 4, Reviews, Action Adventure, Gaming News
Original article: Eurogamer