Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Revealed: Psychic Samus Takes Center Stage
The anticipation was an eternity. Nintendo finally drew back the curtain (a tad more) on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in their latest Direct presentation. Buckle up, because we saw a new look at Samus Aran back in her best battling shape. She has some unexpected new mental muscle.
Welcome to Planet Viewros (Don't Get Lost)
The trailer drops us on the seemingly green and potentially deadly Planet Viewros. We see standard first-person visor shots. The important scanning mechanism is back (gotta learn that alien botany and zoology). There are dark shots of super-intense action against some decidedly not-benign-looking local wildlife. It certainly feels like Metroid Prime. This is just what the fans have been clamoring for.
The Big Twist: Psychic Samus
Here is where it gets really interesting. The trailer unveiled brand new Psychic Powers for Samus. Forget just using the Arm Cannon. Now she can seemingly:
- Remote-control machinery.
- Bulldoze open stubborn alien doors with her mind.
- Manipulate the trajectory of her beams, possibly in slow-motion, for trick shots.
The video did not really suggest these skills directly. However, the possibilities for puzzles, exploration, and combat strategy seem huge. This has the potential to truly disrupt the established Prime formula in some pretty neat ways.
The Release News: 2025 Window Confirmed
Now, finally, the news everyone was waiting for and essentially got. Nintendo reaffirmed a 2025 release period. Frustratingly, there is no date as of yet. With the long period of development (remember that 2019 reboot with Retro Studios) and impending arrival of the Switch 2, speculation is rampant.
Will it be a cross-gen title? Will it be out on the new console? That it was shown off in a Direct focused on the original Switch confirms it is on the current hardware. This is fantastic considering how fantastic it looks. Enhancements for next-gen hardware would appear all but certain.
Worth the Wait
It has been a wait since that initial 2017 announcement. Seeing Beyond so polished, so engaging, and still getting the most out of the original Switch hardware is wonderful news. That new psychic power adds a sense of mystery. The basics of Prime gameplay look as solid as ever. We still do not have that final release date. But this latest sighting has definitely reignited the excitement. 2025 cannot come soon enough.
