I recently got to go hands-on with the Switch 2 Edition of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and not just to play that opening section that everyone and their mum has played at this point. No, I got to play over an hour of one of the game’s earlier parts proper, once Samus has appropriately lost all her abilities because the plot demands it.
I can’t say I was sceptical of the whole psychic angle for the new abilities, but I wasn’t completely sold, either. More fool me, as Metroid Prime 4 leans into the psychic schtick more than I expected, and does so in a way that blends nicely into the gameplay you expect, but is also refreshingly different to classic Metroid Prime fare.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not breaking any major boundaries or anything, but it is fun.
For example, there are these little glowy orbs called Psychic Motes that you need to use your special psychic glove to attract and throw into appropriate receptacles in order to open certain doors. You do this using the scan visor (trust me), which is now also the psychic visor (told you to trust me).
You can also use your powers to move certain objects from a distance in a manner that somewhat resembles the motion control nonsense from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, but far less invasive and rhythm-breaking. Lovely stuff.
Not only did I manage to unlock all of this within about 40 minutes, but also another ability that allowed me to fire a charged shot which could then be controlled as it flew, slowing down time in the process to make it even marginally controllable. Honestly, it was a tiny bit too slow for my tastes, but I understand that not everyone is as great as I am.
And if you’ve even glanced at any of the trailers that have been released, you’ll already know that the game is absolutely stunning. The lighting engine doesn’t always hit the mark (as shown in the trailers within a desert area, which was sadly not a part of this preview), but when it does, it really does. The audio design is also stellar, especially the soundtrack. That mysterious, lonely vibe that is quintessential to the Prime series is here in full force, and I am unbelievably grateful for that.
What I’m not grateful for, however, is something that happened just under halfway through my playtime; Samus saves a marine from the snarling wildlife, and he decides to follow her like a worthless little worm, and brings his sub-Marvel humour along with him.
Mackenzie (presumably named after the least socially adept member of The Inbetweeners) is fully voice-acted, and reminds you of this fact constantly. I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but he really did tarnish my time with the game, as not only does he keep yammering away with such classic lines as “Watch out, if you go that way I won’t be able to protect you,” but I was also forced to protect him numerous times as I escorted him to a room he mercifully felt comfortable to stay in.
Thankfully, Samus barely engages with him. It would’ve been heartbreaking to hear one of my favourite video game characters break her stoic silence for this clown, so to have the maximum response she gives be a simple nod (even if said nod resulted in him hanging around even more) was a blessed relief. She didn’t even once say “the baby”.
My hope is that Mackenzie is saved and sent home nice and early and never spoken of again, or better yet, suffers a painful, embarrassing death offscreen. But we’re going to have to wait until we can play the full release to know for sure. I tried shooting him with a missile, but it didn’t do anything.
If anyone thinks I’m being a little unfair, one of the biggest and most important parts of the Prime series (and the Metroid series as a whole) is the feeling of isolation, loneliness, and that you’re being forced to fight against the environment that doesn’t want you there to begin with. That notion is entirely destroyed once you introduce a character that blathers away at you incessantly, and it’ll be a crying shame if this is something that is present throughout the full game’s runtime.
That being said, the rest of my time with the game was excellent, so I’m hopeful that it’ll all be enough to still make Metroid Prime 4 an absolute delight. I’m crossing two of my fingers, and you should too.
