Metroid Prime 4: Beyond probably needs no introduction, given its long-awaited announcement and subsequent release, but here we are, with a build that was playable at PAX Aus 2025.
The 15-minute demo was packed with a few things that laid down the overall tone and gameplay for what’s to come, complete with mouse controls on the Switch 2. It’s definitely shaping up to be a great game, and another killer app on the Switch 2. Sure, we had Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, but I have a feeling this new Metroid entry is about to shake things up once again.
We didn’t really get much context for this mission, or an exact explanation on where within the game this takes place, but there’s every chance it could be the first mission in the game, unless the build offers some sort of specialised tutorial. The first half of the demo sees the return of Samus, where she takes on waves of alien enemies on a strange new planet, as we get the hang of general gunplay and Morph Ball mechanics.
My biggest surprise going into this demo was the implementation of the mouse controls. I’ve definitely messed around with them, but I was admittedly surprised that Nintendo would have us play this way, which certainly shows us they’re confident in how it works. Honestly, it’s great. The mouse controls are incredibly responsive, and while I found it hard to arch my thumb around to press the right Joy-Con’s face buttons, now located around the side of the controller, I could appreciate that certain controls like the jump button had been shifted to the shoulder buttons.
You’ll be able to lock onto enemies and aim within a target, which keeps things feeling snappy, and the mouse controls are intuitive. It’s very different, but it still reminds me of the Wii remote and moving a weapon around with the field of view, instead of shifting the entire camera itself. There were only certain sections where Samus could turn into her Morph Ball form, mainly to get in and out of air vents. But the latter half of the demo did a much better job at bringing everything together.
Approaching the end of the level, Samus runs into a giant alien creature, known as Aberax, that serves as the demo’s main boss battle. This battle felt relatively straightforward in that there were four weak spots on the enemy’s chest, which needed to be blasted when exposed. Blasting each of these four points would render the boss defenceless, leaving them open to a barrage of attacks. The Arm Cannon feels incredibly familiar to those who have played previous Metroid Prime games, with the ability to charge the weapon and draw in a bunch of consumables and upgrades when doing so.
After all that, no Vi-O-La motorcycle here, I’m afraid, but I guess that leaves more to be excited for. Either way, it was incredibly fast-paced, and really wasted no time in showing off not only how clean this looks and how well it runs, but just how satisfying it felt to be in the boots of Samus once again. We can’t wait.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will launch exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2 on the 4th of December, 2025.