Review: Metroid Prime 4' mostly sticks to a familiar formula

"Retro Studios broke conventions and reimagined the adventures of Samus Aran as a first-person shooter with the wildly successful Metroid Prime. The studio has followed that up with several sequels that build on elements that adapt the classic 2-D sci-fi side-scroller to a three-dimensional world. The team has tried to expand on the storytelling, adding more characters, and pushed new features such as a multiplayer mode, but the developer could never hit the same impressive bar of the 2002 original."

"The problem is that the Metroid Prime series is stuck within the same conventions of the genre. It's always following a rote path. After a clever adaptation, the sequels stayed within the trappings of a Metroid game while other franchises adopted similar formulas (look at the revamped Tomb Raider) and found more success. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an attempt to nudge the franchise forward."

"It follows Samus, who aids the Galactic Federation in the middle of a battle between the Space Pirates, who are after an artifact found on the planet Tanamaar. During the confrontation, the alien relic is activated, sending the bounty hunter, the villain Sylux and other troopers to the uncharted planet of Viewros. It's home to an extinct but technologically advanced species called the Lamorn, which has pinned its hopes of preserving a legacy on a foretold Chosen One, which happens to be Samus."

"They ask her to gather five keys and harvest a seed that carries their memories so it can be planted on a new planet. Players will gather these keys, which will open a way home, and in the process, they'll learn about the mysterious fate of these psychic-enhanced aliens. Samus Aran will need an ice beam to more easily defeat this enemy in the Flare Pools in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond."

Retro Studios translated Samus Aran into a first-person action-adventure with Metroid Prime, converting classic 2-D sci-fi platforming into three-dimensional exploration. Subsequent entries expanded characters, narrative, and features like multiplayer but largely remained bound to established Metroid conventions, limiting bold innovation. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond places Samus on the uncharted planet Viewros after an alien relic teleports her, Sylux, and troopers, and reveals the extinct, technologically advanced Lamorn. The Lamorn designate Samus as a foretold Chosen One and task her with collecting five keys and a memory-bearing seed to preserve their legacy across five biomes.

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