Nintendo Everything published its review of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on Nov. 8, 2026, calling the long-awaited sequel above-average but short of fan expectations after an extended development cycle.
IGN awarded the game 8 out of 10 and counted it among its top reviewed games of 2025, while Nintendo Life’s Dec. 4, 2025 guide gave it 9 out of 10. Gizmodo called the game a personal disappointment in its September 2026 coverage. Nintendo Everything’s reviewer said the highest score they would personally assign is 7 out of 10.
The Nintendo Everything piece is a first-person review with full game spoilers, written after the writer finished the game for the first time, and it weighs whether the sequel is worth playing at least once. The reviewer produced roughly 3,000 words of criticism after completing the game on normal and hard mode and said they do not plan to replay it soon, even while calling the game fascinating to think about and discuss.
Its reviewer described the game as more misguided than bad rather than straight-up bad, with Retro Studios’ signature production values still present and everything clean and polished. Still, the reviewer said many ideas are bad.
Metroid Prime 4 was revealed at E3 2017 at the start of the Switch era, though little was shown because development had not lasted a full year, and Metroid Prime: Federation Force had already arrived in 2016. Nintendo restarted development in 2019 after work with Bandai Namco, and the game arrived in December 2025. The review says long gaps between reveal and launch inflate fan expectations, and notes Nintendo now tends to announce games only months before release.
The reviewer praised the visuals as stunning and detailed for the eight-year-old Switch hardware, crediting Retro Studios’ artists with realistic human faces that avoid the uncanny valley, the effect in which near-human figures look eerie. They called the isolation of the five areas a critical flaw, saying players press a button and then stare at empty sand for long stretches in Sol Valley.
Missing one small cluster of green energy crystals forces backtracking that becomes frustrating after the 50th time, and the reviewer said Sol Valley exists to extend run time. They faulted guidance from non-player characters that was probably meant to keep newcomers from getting stuck because it clashes with the expectation that players farm crystals, and they said Samus’s silence carries impact when she is alone but a Metroid game with many extra characters forces her to speak, dulling the impact of her words.
Sylux’s backstory lacks substance despite a cool design, and the reviewer compared him to Infinite from Sonic Forces while noting his wormhole technology means he could return. The $40 amiibo is cool but expensive, and driving in complete silence drew ridicule.
IGN’s sale coverage pointed to Nintendo’s Customer Appreciation Sale on September 26, when the game dropped to $34.99 at select retailers with Amazon’s low at $29.99. Pairing the sale price with the $10 Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack brings the total to $45, below the $69.99 list price for a standard Switch 2 copy, and Logan Plant called the game “an excellent, if relatively uneven, revival that reaches heights worthy of the Metroid name in its best moments.”
Gizmodo’s September 2026 piece said the vampire vibes made the Metroid franchise feel back after starting in 1986, and the writer preordered immediately after watching the trailer. The site also looked ahead to Metroid Ravenous, set for January 28, 2027, on Nintendo Switch 2, where Samus gains a new ability that raises questions about how it works and whether she needs the energy to survive. Gizmodo also noted Metroid Dread’s horror inspiration.
Nintendo Life’s Dec. 4, 2025 guide covers every major location and boss, including Aberax, Carvex, Sylux, Xelios, Keratos, Phenoros, Varmis and the final boss. It also details play time, the secret ending, amiibo unlocks, who Sylux is and 100 percent completion, with heavy spoilers throughout.
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