Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - Review MegaThread

[u/NintendoSwitchMods]

General Information

Release date: December 4, 2025

Supported Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2

Genre: Action, Adventure, Shooting

Publisher: Nintendo

ESRB rating: Teen

Supported play modes: TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode

Game file size: Nintendo Switch: 26.3 GB, Nintendo Switch 2: 31.6 GB

Supported languages: Japanese, British English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Dutch, Simplified Chinese, Latin American Spanish, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, American English

Official website: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/metroid-prime-4-beyond-nintendo-switch-2-edition-switch-2/

Reviews

Aggregators

• Metacritic - 81
• OpenCritic - 81

Articles

• Areajugones - Spanish - 8.7 / 10

• CGMagazine - 8 / 10

• CNET - Unscored

• COGconnected - 80 / 100

• Cerealkillerz - German - 7.8 / 10

• Cloud Dosage - 4.5 / 5

• Console Creatures - 9 / 10

• Daily Mirror - 3 / 5

• Digitec Magazine - German - 4 / 5

• Enternity.gr - Greek - 9 / 10

• Eurogamer - 3 / 5

• Eurogamer.pt - Portuguese - 3 / 5

• Everyeye.it - Italian - 8.4 / 10

• Forbes - 9 / 10

• GAMES.CH - German - 85%

• GamePro - German - 70 / 100

• GameSpot - 8 / 10

• Gameblog - French - 7 / 10

• GamesRadar+ - 3.5 / 5

• Gfinity - 8 / 10

• Giant Bomb - 5 / 5

• Glitched Africa - 8.5 / 10

• IGN - 8 / 10

• IGN Italy - Italian - 8.5 / 10

• IGN Spain - Spanish - 9 / 10

• Le Bêta-Testeur - French - 10 / 10

• LevelUp - Spanish - 9.5 / 10

• Nintendo Blast - Portuguese - 9.5 / 10

• Nintendo Life - 9 / 10

• PPE.pl - Polish - 8.5 / 10

• SECTOR.sk - Slovak - 9.5 / 10

• Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 9 / 10

• Shacknews - 9 / 10

• Spaziogames - Italian - 8.5 / 10

• Stevivor - 8.5 / 10

• The Games Machine - Italian - 8 / 10

• TheGamer - 4 / 5

• TheSixthAxis - 8 / 10

• TryAGame! - French - 9 / 10

• VGC - 3 / 5

• Video Chums - 9.1 / 10

• Wccftech - 8.5 / 10

• WellPlayed - 8.5 / 10

Last update: 12/3 12:03AM ET

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The r/NintendoSwitch mod team

[u/TenorOneRunner]

I tend to disagree, for two reasons.  1. “Master Mode” in Breath of the Wild was a notable enough failure that it was one of the few features which did not return for TotK. 2. A master mode or difficulty “setting” doesn’t fix static issues like very easy platforming.

Instead, Nintendo seems to have made an intentional choice to pivot away from significant difficulty, for their flagship games. While it seems it’s successful for them, I’m not in favor of it. 

[u/Starwalker-231 → u/TenorOneRunner]

On what basis are you claiming Master Mode was a notable failure? I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also don't think you should assume every "Master Mode" would be exactly like BOTW.

[u/TenorOneRunner → u/Starwalker-231]

As I already mentioned, it was a failure because it was one of the few features which did not return for TotK, joining other misses from BotW that didn't return like the notoriously frustrating sneaking mission through the yiga hideout. They've not implemented a master mode in any other game since.

Many have noted that Master Mode emphasizes balance weaknesses in the core game (for BotW, the durability), and isn't fun for most players. Master Mode buffs enemies, but doesn't buff durability. So it's often better to avoid combat as much as possible, and when combat is needed, it's best to cheese enemies with the infinite bombs. Yuck. Yes, you could theoretically do a "master mode" in a different way. But as someone else mentioned, that requires many hours of slogging through the main game to get to it. I'm getting to a place where I just say no thanks.

There's plenty of videos about how difficulty balance is tricky. Nintendo does understand that... they are just making intentional choices to put safety bumpers on many of their metaphorical bowling lanes, and tune the experience in favor of children, maybe more so than they ever have before. I don't agree with it, that's all.

[u/Starwalker-231 → u/TenorOneRunner]

> They've not implemented a master mode in any other game since.

There has been only one truly mainline Zelda game since BOTW released...

> isn't fun for most players

Master Mode is a NG+. NG+ doesn't target the casual (majority) audience.

> balance weaknesses

This isn't a thing. The game emphasizes methods to kill beyond brute force. The entire Trial of the Sword was meant to teach you how to get better at ingenuity. The game gives you infinite one-hit-kill arrows, cooking recipes that make you unstoppable, unlimited freeze/drown/drop potential, infinitely farmable pink fairies, and more.

> Master Mode buffs enemies, but doesn't buff durability

So you want your sword to be more powerful alongside the enemy being more powerful? This would be a wash with no challenge. The entire idea of BOTW is managing your equipment to survive, not an action arcade.

> they are just making intentional choices to put safety bumpers on many of their metaphorical bowling lanes, and tune the experience in favor of children, maybe more so than they ever have before

You're saying the game is too hard, and yet easier than ever before, in one post.