During their Nintendo Direct 2025 showcase, Nintendo has released a new trailer for the highly anticipated Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, giving fans their first substantial look at gameplay since the project was announced in 2017.
The trailer highlights new psychic abilities that protagonist Samus Aran will wield alongside her traditional arsenal—but the game’s development journey has been notoriously rocky.
After announcing the title at E3 2017, Nintendo made the rare decision to publicly restart development in early 2019, bringing original developers Retro Studios back to helm the project. This trailer represents the first major reveal since that restart.
The footage showcases Samus using new psychic abilities to scan environments and solve puzzles. Players can scan rocks to unlock paths and operate doors with their mind.
This builds upon the series’ signature scanning mechanics, which have traditionally allowed players to gather information about the world and its inhabitants.
Visually, the game maintains the distinct art direction the Metroid Prime series is known for. However, some viewers noted the graphical fidelity appears limited by the Nintendo Switch hardware, prompting speculation about a potential Switch 2 release down the line.
