Summary

• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hs been revealed after the game's 7-year absence since it was teased in 2017.
• The trailer features classic Metroid Prime gameplay, including lock-on combat, a Morph Ball segment, and Samus' scanner.
• Beyond takes Samus to a Galactic Federation Research Facility on an unknown planet, where a mysterious villain appears to be in control of Metroids.

At the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, development being entirely restarted in 2019 when the project returned to the original Prime series developer, Retro Studios. The wait appears to have been worth it, though, as the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond trailer is a promising first glimpse of Samus' next mission.

The Metroid Prime 4: Beyond announcement trailer premiered at the Nintendo Direct on June 18, 2024, almost exactly seven years after it was first teased at E3 2017, promising a release window of 2025. The trailer sees Samus landing her iconic ship at a Galactic Federation Research Facility that appears to be under attack from Space Pirates.

The trailer showcases a bit of Metroid Prime's signature first-person gameplay, with lock-on combat and Samus' trusty scanner to provide details on creatures and the environment. A Morph Ball track makes an appearance right before the game's mysterious villain is teased, seemingly in control of a couple of Metroids. The final shot of the trailer teases the as yet unknown planet Metroid Prime 4: Beyond takes place on, with massive trees growing out of a dense jungle.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's Trailer Looks Very Promising

Brief Overview Of Metroid Prime 4 Gameplay

Although the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond announcement trailer is brief, it runs the gamut of the series' gameplay, perhaps to assuage fans worried about the long development cycle. It begins with a shot familiar to the Prime series: Samus emerging from the top of her spaceship before jumping to the ground to begin this latest mission. The lock-on combat, Morph Ball segment, and scanner are all touchstones of Metroid Prime gameplay, creating a trailer that isn't necessarily astounding, but sincerely comforting after radio silence for so many years.

The Metroid series has begun making something of a comeback, and appears poised for Metroid Prime Remastered, however, which revamped the subseries' genesis, perhaps offering a glimpse into the two-stick controls that will be utilized in Beyond. Although unconfirmed, Beyond's 2025 release window could potentially see it launching on the Switch's successor console.

Beyond's announcement trailer ultimately leaves a lot of questions – there is no hint at new abilities, its villain is almost entirely an enigma, and the planet the game appears to take place on doesn't yet have a name. This trailer, more or less, confirms that Metroid Prime 4 is well along in development and is not any significant departure from its predecessors, including the ever-nefarious Space Pirates' return. Metroid appears to be well and truly back, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is set to be a return to form.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube