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Hands-on impressions of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond have hit the internet, bringing stinging criticism of an early human sidekick. And now, a new trailer published by Nintendo shows Samus will also interact with a wider cast of human characters throughout the game.
In IGN’s just-published Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hands-on preview, we described Galactic Federation trooper Myles MacKenzie — who Samus gets lumbered with for a lengthy chunk of the game’s opening area — as “mildly annoying to downright infuriating” with “cringey” dialogue and contstant chattering through gameplay.
Alongside Myles, three other human troopers are highlighted in Nintendo’s new 7-minute Overview Trailer (which feels as close as we’re going to get to a dedicated Direct) seemingly from later sections in the game.
Beyond is structured with four major areas accessible via its desert hub (a forest area where you meet Myles, then an electrical power plant, frozen research center, and firey volcano area). The suggestion is that Samus will meet more of the main quartet in each.
“Like Samus, some Galactic Federation troopers were also transported to Viewros,” the trailer states. “Follow distress signals to help the troopers, and occasionally battle alongside them. They can provide useful upgrades. Teamwork is key if any of you hope to escape the planet alive.”
A montage then shows the other troopers in action, chatting away about getting back to their families, donning a mech suit to smash a wall for Samus, and even prising open a door. Huh — couldn’t Samus have just done that with a new suit upgrade?
Of course, Metroid games have featured other human characters before — even while Samus is typically a silent protagonist. But the real concern here, beyond it interrupting the core solitary exploration of most Metroid adventures, is that the human characters on offer in Beyond are simply too distracting, and too unlikable.
As we discovered in our hands-on preview, gameplay with Myles features escort-style sections and moments where you need to defend the hapless trooper while he hides behind the rock. Allow him to perish in a firefight and you’re given the chance to revive him using Samus’ psychic powers. Fail to do so (or try and refuse) and you get a Game Over screen.
“Of all the things Metroid Prime 4 could’ve been, I never would’ve guessed it would include outdated escort missions with a companion that never stops talking,” we wrote. For much more on the impact of playing alongside the game’s NPC characters, check out Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hands-on preview now.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
