Retro Studios showcased new gameplay footage of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, offering a glimpse into the highly anticipated title and revealing a 2025 release date. The game, which was first announced in 2017, has undergone a tumultuous development process, initially under Bandai Namco before shifting to Retro Studios in 2019 and subsequently being rebooted.
The trailer unveiled thrilling first-person gameplay, showcasing Samus Aran as she confronts a swarm of space pirates. Familiar tools, including her scan visor and morph ball, were prominently featured. The trailer also revealed that Sylux, a bounty hunter who appeared in the special endings of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Metroid Prime: Federation Force, will be a primary antagonist in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
The trailer’s conclusion presented Samus emerging from a cave into a breathtaking green environment characterized by waterfalls and soaring birds. The scene then fades to black, revealing the 2025 release window. However, the platform for the game’s release remains shrouded in mystery, with speculation swirling about whether it will launch on the current Nintendo Switch, its successor, or both. Given rumors of a successor launching sometime in 2025, the possibility of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond being a launch title for the new console is tantalizing. It could mirror the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which was simultaneously launched on the Switch and Wii U in 2017.
While fans eagerly await the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, they can indulge in the immersive world of Metroid with Metroid Prime Remastered and Metroid Dread, offering a satisfying taste of the franchise’s iconic gameplay until the game’s 2025 release.
