During today’s Nintendo Direct show, we finally got to see Metroid Prime 4 gameplay in all its glory, and not only that, but we got a new name and release window for the game as well.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, as it’s now called, will arrive on Nintendo Switch sometime in 2025, and the first gameplay footage sure makes the game look like it’s been worth the (admittedly very long) wait.
In the trailer from today’s Direct, we see Samus landing on a planet that appears to be besieged by the Space Pirates, some of whom she takes down in classic Metroid Prime first-person shooter style.
We also get to see Samus switching to the Morph Ball to navigate some narrow passageways and above-ground railings, so it’s all looking like the Metroid Prime we know and love.
At the conclusion of the trailer, we see what looks to be the bounty hunter Sylux, who’s appeared in Metroid Prime games before (albeit not in the main numbered series). He’s flanked not only by Space Pirates, but also by two Metroids.
Finally, we get to see Samus emerging into a verdant, beautiful alien landscape, in the background of which can be seen a massive Yggdrasil-style tree.
Of course, it’s not clear how all of this fits together just yet, but it looks like Metroid Prime 4 development is fully back on track, which is reassuring. You can check out today’s gameplay trailer right here.
Metroid Prime 4 has had a rather strange development cycle. It was first announced at E3 2017, but in January 2019, Nintendo revealed that development of the project had been rebooted under original Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios.
Following that announcement, the Metroid Prime series went dormant for a number of years, although the release of last year’s Metroid Prime Remastered appeared to herald a resurgence for the franchise.
Happily, it now appears that resurgence is well and truly here. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches for Nintendo Switch in 2025. Stay tuned for more info, and in the meantime, you can catch up on today’s Nintendo Direct right here.
