Where Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Fits in the Timeline

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Nintendo has revealed where Metroid Prime 4: Beyond fits into the overall Metroid series timeline, clarifying its place in the franchise. The game marks a significant return for the Metroid Prime series, introducing several changes like new psychic abilities for Samus and a more open world to explore. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond features a large desert area that serves as a central hub, letting players explore, collect resources, and travel across the diverse landscapes of Viewros. The game also includes fresh storytelling elements to advance the plot.

The story of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond shares some familiar elements with previous Metroid games, but it also introduces some new ideas in how the game unfolds. A new character, Myles Mackenzie, joins Samus, and together they set up a base camp on the unexplored planet Viewros. Samus can now travel across Viewros’s large deserts using a motorcycle called the Vi-O-La. Nintendo has also officially revealed where Metroid Prime 4: Beyond fits within the series’ overall story timeline.

Metroid Franchise Timeline

  • Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission
  • Metroid Prime
  • Metroid Prime Hunters
  • Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
  • Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
  • Metroid Prime: Federation Force
  • Metroid 2: Return of Samus/Metroid: Samus Returns
  • Super Metroid
  • Metroid: Other M
  • Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
  • Metroid Fusion
  • Metroid Dread

Nintendo recently shared details with Famitsu about the story of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The game takes place after Super Metroid but before Metroid Fusion in the overall Metroid timeline. Nintendo clarified that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is set in a separate dimension and won’t affect the events of the 2D Metroid games. They also emphasized that this new installment is designed to be accessible for newcomers, meaning players don’t need to have played previous Metroid Prime games to enjoy it.

After a difficult development process, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally coming out. Originally revealed in 2017 shortly after the Switch launched, the game initially began development with Bandai Namco Studios. For the first two years, updates were scarce, but it was later announced that Retro Studios would take over. Retro Studios essentially started the game from scratch, and spent the next six years building Metroid Prime 4: Beyond before its planned release in December 2025.

Image via Nintendo

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Big Changes Have Not Seen Glowing Reception

Despite being highly anticipated, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hasn’t been the smash hit Nintendo was hoping for. Reviews from both fans and critics have been mixed, with many criticizing the new companion characters and the open-world areas. Specifically, the character Myles Mackenzie has drawn a lot of negative feedback, as players feel he doesn’t quite fit the tone of the Metroid Prime series. Despite the mixed reception, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond did become the best-selling game on the North American eShop during its first week, and it also performed well in other parts of the world.

Although it didn’t immediately win everyone over, Metroid Prime 4 introduced some exciting new ideas to the Metroid series. Players especially enjoyed the game’s psychic abilities and how Samus used them. The game’s environments were also praised for feeling isolated and atmospheric, even during fast-paced moments. While not flawless, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels like a revitalizing entry that takes the Metroid franchise in a bold new direction.

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2025-12-31 00:08