"Metroid Prime 4: Beyond" (hereinafter referred to as Metroid Prime 4), the latest installment in the Metroid Prime series, which is responsible for a sector of the Metroidvania genre and has successfully transitioned to a 3D first-person adventure through the Prime series, has established a solid fan base that rivals any other game. It is finally set to release on December 4 after a long wait. As a numbered title, it is the sequel to the previous installment, "Metroid Prime 3", after a whopping 18 years. Even for a well-established IP, if this much time has passed, the direction of the game often changes under the influence of new trends.

However, fortunately, the core established through the trilogy from the first to the third installments of Metroid Prime is solid. Despite the 18 years that have passed, it has almost perfectly inherited the essence of the existing Prime series. With less than a month left until the official release, when the YouTube trailer alone was not enough, Nintendo Koreakindly provided an opportunity to preview the game. Now, let's discuss the first impressions of what Metroid Prime 4 has inherited, how it differentiates itself from its predecessors, and how much it has advanced.

Before we dive into the full-fledged gameplay, let's first discuss the gaming environment. There was one unique aspect of this demonstration, which was the use of Joy-Con controllers. Of course, being the default controllers for the Switch 2, they are not inherently unusual. However, what made it distinctive was that they were used in a separated form, with one Joy-Con in each hand. While I have experienced several such demonstrations before, most involved connecting to the Joy-Con grip or using the Switch 2 Pro controller, but this demonstration was different. It felt like it was intended to showcase the various ways to utilize multiple Joy-Con controllers supported by "Metroid Prime 4," particularly with the newly added mouse functionality on the Switch 2.

Although I tried the mouse function several times during the demonstration, to be honest, it felt awkward in many ways. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the basic grip method itself is quite difficult. Here, "difficult" does not simply refer to the shape of the Joy-Con. Let's briefly recall using a typical keyboard and mouse, commonly known as "keyma." Usually, when using a keyma, one places each component parallel and rests both hands on top of them. However, the Joy-Con is a bit different. For the right hand, it is positioned like a mouse, but for the left hand, even if placed on the desk, the Joy-Con remains held in an upright position. Since it is closer to the way of placing the controller on the desk, this leads to a moment of awkwardness.

However, it doesn't mean that the right Joy-Con in mouse mode boasts a perfect experience. Firstly, the sensitivity itself wasn't particularly bad, and using the R Shoulder button and ZR Trigger button as mouse left-click and right-click didn't cause much inconvenience, except for the narrowness of the Joy-Con itself. The real problem was the ABXY buttons. "Metroid Prime 4" differs from a typical first-person shooter. As mentioned earlier, it is closer to a first-person adventure, so there are many tasks to perform using the ABXY buttons besides shooting. When encountering new enemies or exploring areas, you often need to scan and sometimes transform into the Morph Ball. Additionally, almost all buttons are utilized for jumping and dodging, and trying to do all of this in mouse mode can be a somewhat awkward experience.

Of course, even though it is a method of using the standard controller, moving the R and ZR buttons with the index finger while using the thumb for the ABXY buttons and the R stick is the same; however, since the grip method itself is different, it felt doubly awkward. That said, it doesn’t mean you should avoid using the mouse function entirely. In a first-person game, switching perspectives is definitely more comfortable and intuitive with the mouse function. In summary, the awkwardness felt can largely be attributed to being unfamiliar with this grip method.

The graphics of "Metroid Prime 4" , which I started to focus on seriously, were astonishing to say the least. First-person games tend to pay closer attention to graphics, and thanks to the advanced performance of the Switch 2, it showcased exceptionally impressive visuals overall.

There is a significant 18-year gap between the previous installment, the third game, so it's only natural that there would be improvements. However, it has evolved while maintaining the essence of the Metroid Prime series, enhancing everything from the simple textures to the overall presentation, making it visually enjoyable in many ways. At the same time, I didn't feel a single frame drop throughout the entire demo, ensuring a level of comfort that is unparalleled. It truly showcases excellence in both visuals and optimization.

The highlight is the battle scene of the Galactic Federation Army against the massive invasion of space pirates in the UTO Research Center chapter, which can be considered a tutorial. It feels quite different from the previous experiences where Samus explored planets or ruins that were effectively devoid of civilization. In some ways, it's somewhat overwhelming, but it remains a tutorial nonetheless. It conveys a sense that the game has significantly advanced in terms of direction and that the overall scale of the game has notably increased.

▲ I could feel that it has made significant visual improvements in many ways

The same goes for the planet Viewros. While the Metroid Prime series has displayed quite impressive visuals during the release of each numbered title, this "Metroid Prime 4" boasts visuals that are undoubtedly among the finest. From the diverse flora to the enormous trees and the architecture of various civilizations, it's so enjoyable to simply look at that even during the short demo, which was limited to 1 hour and 30 minutes, I found myself standing on the edge taking in the scenery.

In this "Metroid Prime 4", Samus gains a new ability: psychic power. It's needless to say that you will frequently use this ability during the game, particularly in puzzle elements. In addition, a new mode of transportation, the Viola, has been added. However, since this demo only allowed us to play the early part of the game, we regrettably could not experience the Viola directly. Therefore, I would like to discuss the psychic abilities in more detail this time.

Although psychic abilities have been added, the basic direction of the gameplay itself is not much different from the previous game. In fact, it can be said that it is 99% the same as the previous game. The remaining 1% can be attributed to the psychic abilities and the Viola, so the play experience itself is essentially unchanged.

It is a familiar experience to scan the area while exploring, encountering enemies, firing guns, using charged shots, or launching missiles, and sometimes responding to attacks by jumping or dodging. The main difference is the addition of puzzle elements that utilize psychic abilities. There are three main ways to use these psychic abilities.

The first scan shows its usage. If there is a puzzle that can be solved by moving an object using psychic abilities during the scan, you can use the stick to manipulate the object to solve the puzzle. Additionally, I experienced a puzzle where I could use the Psychic Glove ability to pull an energy entity from location A and relocate it to location B.

▲ The directly controlled beams are used in both puzzles and combat

The second is the Control Beam. It has been introduced as a new ability in the game introduction video, and as the name suggests, it is the ability to control beams (treated as bullets in the game). This ability plays a significant role in both puzzles and combat.

First of all, regarding the puzzles, if there is a button that opens a door to an area where Samus cannot ordinarily go, you can use the beam to pass through the hole and activate the button behind the blocked door to access it. Additionally, when utilizing the control beam, time nearly comes to a halt, allowing for various applications, such as using it to clear the boss.

There's also the Psychic Bomb. Simply put, it is used to solve puzzles while in Morph Ball state without detonating it yourself. The basic method of use wasn't much different from utilizing the Psychic Glove ability to manipulate the energy entity. For instance, if there was a puzzle that required clearing a path with the explosion of the bomb, and the spot to detonate was positioned quite high above the ground, you would create a Psychic Bomb and then use the Psychic Glove ability to launch it.

Although new abilities were added, they were not considered particularly complicated. As is characteristic of the Metroid Prime series, which boasts a high level of completion in this regard, the new elements were added just enough to satisfy gamers' expectations while preserving the existing gameplay feel.

▲ Typical nerd-type colleague Miles Mackenzie

Amidst all this, the addition of a new companion alongside Samus personally caught my attention the most. As mentioned earlier, in the previous series, Samus mostly carried out missions alone. Occasionally, there were characters who offered assistance through AI or radio, but their overall presence was extremely minimal. However, the newly added companion, Miles Mackenzie, in "Metroid Prime 4" generally holds a significant role compared to those existing characters.

However, Mackenzie’s appearance is likely to be somewhat divisive. Although he is a member of the Galactic Federation Army, her characterization as an engineer reflects a typical nerd stereotype. Here, the term "nerd-type" does not merely refer to personality but to the character's design itself. For gamers who are familiar with the existing Metroid and Metroid Prime series, Mackenzie’s presence may come across as somewhat awkward. Known for being one of the few silent protagonists, Samus is famously quiet and rarely speaks even in moments of crisis, except in a few titles, while McKenzie frequently engages in conversation.

▲ He was somewhat talkative, but it didn't detract from the game's atmosphere

Personally, I had mixed feelings about him, but it wasn't purely a feeling of hatred. He didn't ruin the game's atmosphere by constantly talking, nor did he stick around from start to finish. He didn't make unreasonable demands of Samus, and of course, he didn't undermine her character. Meanwhile, when he talked about his impressions of the planet Viewros or various puzzles and ruins, it felt like he was representing the player's perspective.

He wasn't too bad as a colleague. First of all, it's clear that he is not helpful in combat. As you can infer from the fact that he is a nerd-type and an engineer, he is busy running away when he encounters enemies. However, as indicated by his role as an engineer, he excels at utilizing various technologies. After observing Samus operate an ancient computer from an unknown ruin, he claims that he can help with just a little bit of data and genuinely manages to process it effortlessly. Additionally, when you eliminate a specific area or boss, he asks you to return to Samus while naturally guiding you to the next section, serving just the right amount of assistance without being overly excessive, so in many ways, I didn't hate him.

▲ Wouldn't it be acceptable to have this much noise in a lonely world?

However, if there is a drawback, it would be the appearance. It was made too nerdy. If he had been designed to be a bit more attractive, or just ordinary, heit might have remained an acceptable Sub character. However, because he it is so nerdy, opinions on that aspect are likely to be divided.

Generally, a 1.5-hour demo is enough time to grasp the basics of a game, but "Metroid Prime 4" was different. The basic gameplay involves scanning almost everything you encounter, making it feel absurdly short. Nevertheless, I could sense the high level of completion in the game. "Metroid Prime 4" is undoubtedly regarded as the pinnacle of the series. It almost perfectly inherits the core of the series and the strengths of the previous installments, and it goes beyond that by adding its own unique elements to enhance the overall quality. The moment that will mark the end of 18 years of waiting is now just around the corner.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.