Metroid Prime 4 is an Underrated Masterpiece

Metroid Prime 4 has one of the best stories in the Metroid series, and I am going to tell you why. Since the recent release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in December 2025, many people have purchased and played through the game, but many players have claimed to be unable or unwilling to finish the game due to the game’s side characters and hub area, and some have claimed that it may be even worse than Metroid: Other M; which is one of the worst rated games in the series, but these side characters are the main reason why this game outshines many of the other Metroid games.

The main point of focus many players and reviewers speak of is the few side characters that assist Samus throughout the game. One character that is often talked about specifically is Galactic Federation Specialist Engineer Myles Mackenzie. Many players dislike Myles because of his personality and how often he chimes in to show Samus where her next objective is, along with how often he must be returned to to upgrade Samus‘s weapons by letting her use new beam types. Most players do not seem to understand that he really isn’t chiming in that much, and will only chime in after an extended period of time that may suggest the player has gotten lost or may be confused on where to go next, and liking his personality is purely a subjective thing. Samus also only needs to return to him about 3 times in the game, and you often need to return to the base camp he is located at anyway to drop off the green crystal collectibles of the game.

Many players dislike the other side characters as well. Throughout the game Samus will meet other members of the Galactic Federation that will assist Samus and many players dislike how prominent they seem to be in the game and believe the true Metroid is a solitary Samus only adventure, but Samus has had friends that have helped her in the past, and Metroid Prime 4 is still a primarily Samus only adventure. The side characters only accompany Samus through specific portions of the game such as the ending. All of the interactions Samus has with these characters are made to get the player attached to them for their eventual sacrifice at the end of the game. During the end of the game, Samus must start a teleporter so everybody can return home, but an enemy of Samus appears; Sylux, who has been attacking Samus occasionally throughout the game. Sylux damages the teleporter and Samus‘s friends must hold back Sylux while Samus uses the teleporter to escape the planet before the teleporter explodes. Many players don’t believe Samus would have left her new friends behind, but what these players fail to realize, is that Samus was the only one who could start the teleporter, and her duty was far more important than the lives of the Federation troopers; and the troopers knew that, so that’s why they held back Sylux so Samus could escape. Samus had a duty to the Lamorn people; who were the previous inhabitants of the ruins that Samus has been exploring throughout the game. The Lamorn were going extinct and had wished for the chosen one; who turned out to be Samus, to collect the green crystals and form them into a memory fruit so Samus could plant the fruit so the memories of the Lamorn could live on. Samus very clearly didn’t want to leave her new friends behind, but she had no choice as the teleporter was about to explode. I cite the backstory for Samus as seen in the game; Metroid: Other M. During Samus‘s backstory in Metroid: Other M, Samus is working as a member of the Galactic Federation under her superior Adam Malkovich before she became a bounty hunter. There was an emergency happening and Adam‘s brother Ian had to sacrifice himself to save the day, but Samus wanted to desperately go out and save Ian, but Adam forbade her from attempting to save his brother as she wouldn’t have made it in time. This event would leave a strong mark on Samus.

This is ultimately why I believe the story of Metroid Prime 4 is a masterpiece, as it builds upon Samus’s good character and her desire to save whoever she can. Metroid Prime 4 is only a single part of a larger story, and will be followed up on in Metroid Prime 5 whenever it releases.