With the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond getting closer and closer, some gamers may need a quick refresher on the intricate lore of this subseries, whether they’re newcomers who have never touched one of these games before or veterans who forgot the most vital information since the last release. They certainly can’t be blamed, as the last mainline Metroid entry was released eighteen years ago, and the last spin-off came out nine years ago.
Why You Should Be Excited For Metroid Prime 4
Samus returns, finally, in first-person after decades.
As a quick refresher, the Metroid Prime games tell the story of Samus Aran, a fearless bounty hunter who stumbles upon a mysterious source of energy called Phazon that is being harvested and collected by other beings who can’t really control it, like the infamous Space Pirates. On her adventures, she’ll faced several powerful foes, including an evil clone of herself made out of Phazon known as Dark Samus. While the plots of these games are relatively self-contained, there still are some key pieces of lore that anybody who wants to enjoy Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in the near future needs to know before playing.
The Prime Series’ Place On The Metroid Timeline
Metroid Prime Technically Takes Place Between Metroid 1 And 2
Anybody who’s familiar with the Metroid franchise as a whole is aware of the fact that there are many games out there that have nothing to do with the Prime series, which can be distinguished by its first-person point-of-view. So, where exactly do the Prime games fit in the general Metroid timeline? That’s very simple: all the Prime games (from the original trilogy, to spin-offs like Hunters and Federation Force, and even the upcoming Beyond) take place between the original Metroid and its direct sequel, Metroid 2: Return of Samus.
Naturally, this leaves one giant question: Is it necessary to play other non-Metroid Prime games before jumping into Beyond? The answer is: Not really. While the Prime games do have their place in the timeline, they are barely mentioned in the titles that take place after them. This must be why the events of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond seem to take place after Federation Force, as newcomers don’t really need to play any other games outside this specific subseries in order to understand its story.
Phazon Is Extremely Important
Unveiling The Secrets Behind This Powerful Energy Source
The entire Metroid Prime series revolves around one thing: Phazon. That’s right, the plot of every single one of these games kicks off when someone (mainly the Space Pirates) finds a source of Phazon on a planet. This highly radioactive, blue-tinted substance can not only entirely corrupt living beings and create creatures who depend on it to live, but it has also powered up Samus herself on multiple occasions, to the point that it has even affected gameplay mechanics.
It’s important to note that Samus Aran technically got rid of all Phazon at the end of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, when she helped destroy its home planet, Phaaze. Furthermore, the absence of Phazon is even explicitly mentioned in Federation Force, which is the only currently-released title that takes place after Metroid Prime 3. However, seeing as Phazon is such a crucial part of this subseries’ lore, players should still keep its existence in mind, as it wouldn’t be surprising to see it reappear in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in some shape or form.
Dark Samus Is The Metroid Prime
The Main Antagonist Of The Trilogy May Return In Beyond
There’s a common misconception among outsiders who have never played these games that the entity called Metroid Prime only appears at the end of the first installment and has had no further relevance in subsequent entries, despite its name being in the title. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as the Metroid Prime was reincarnated into Dark Samus, the main antagonist of the other two mainline entries in the subseries.
Ways Metroid Prime Altered The Mythology Of The Franchise
Metroid Prime was a major step forward for the science fiction shooter series, introducing and refining several key elements of the mythology.
For those who don’t know, the Metroid Prime is a massive, super-intelligent Metroid that was mutated by a Phazon outbreak on the planet of Talon IV. After Samus defeated it, a post-credits scene shows that her DNA mixed with the Metroid Prime’s corpse to create a powerful new reincarnation called Dark Samus. This evil clone would hunt down and face the bounty hunter on her ensuing adventures, until Samus finally defeated it once and for all at the end of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. While Dark Samus/Metroid Prime is technically dead, it will likely play a direct or indirect role in Beyond, especially considering how massively popular this antagonist has become in recent years (it even appeared in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate).
Ridley Is Still Alive
Metroid Wouldn’t Be Metroid Without The Space Pirates (And Samus’ Nemesis)
The Space Pirates are the most commonly recurring antagonists in the entire Metroid series. While they did eventually take a backseat in most of the Metroid Prime games, in which they were overshadowed by Dark Samus, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s trailers have already confirmed that they’re going to return for the sequel, and that only means one thing: it’s highly likely that Ridley will return alongside them.
Ridley is basically Samus Aran’s arch-nemesis, and he was heavily featured as a challenging boss in both Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. After being defeated by Samus on multiple occasions, the Space Pirates kept upgrading him, first with cybernetic enhancements (which turned him into Meta Ridley) and later by infusing him with Phazon (which turned him into Omega Ridley). While Samus eventually took him down in Metroid Prime 3, Ridley is technically still alive in the Metroid timeline, seeing as he appears in subsequent games like Metroid: Samus Returns and Super Metroid. As a result, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond players should definitely keep his presence in mind, as this deadly space dragon can always reappear to confront Samus while boasting a powerful new transformation.
The Importance Of Aether And Dark Aether
These Parallel Worlds May Have A Part To Play In Future Titles
In a general sense, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is the least important entry in this subseries, as it doesn’t really focus on the ongoing conflict surrounding Phazon between the Galactic Federation and the Space Pirates. This sequel takes place entirely on a mysterious planet called Aether, and its dark counterpart from a parallel dimension, Dark Aether.
This sudden split was technically caused by a Leviathan from planet Phaaze, and it resulted in Dark Aether being inhabited by evil shapeshifting beings called the Ings, who can possess and control other creatures. While Samus did defeat their leader, the Emperor Ing, at the end of Metroid Prime 2 (not to mention that neither the Ing nor Dark Aether were really relevant in subsequent games), it’s always possible for any of these narrative elements to make an appearance in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, whether they play an important role or are just briefly mentioned in passing.
Samus Aran Is Not Always Alone
Metroid Prime 3 Introduced Many Other Bounty Hunters
Recent Metroid Prime 4: Beyond previews have caused some outrage due to the reveal of NPCs with voice-acted dialogue in the game, which contrasts with the preconceived notion that these titles are silent adventures where Samus herself is the only important character. This, however, won’t feel too strange to fans that have played Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, as the third mainline entry in the subseries did in fact feature several characters with voiced lines.
In tMetroid Prime 3, Samus meets various NPCs, including three other bounty hunters named Rundas, Gandrayda, and Ghor. Unfortunately, they all get possessed by Dark Samus, so the heroine is forced to hunt down her former allies one by one. Nevertheless, Metroid Prime 3 has set a precedent for voiced characters in the Prime subseries, so fans should expect other voiced bounty hunters to appear in Beyond. As a matter of fact, it has already been confirmed that one NPC will have a prominent role in the upcoming sequel…
Sylux First Appeared In Metroid Prime Hunters
The Main Antagonist Of Metroid Prime 4 Was Introduced In A Nintendo DS Spin-Off
Some people may have noticed that a character named Sylux has been heavily featured in promotional material for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as one of the game’s main antagonists. However, they should know that this isn’t the bounty hunter’s debut. Nintendo and Retro Studios have been hinting that he would play this role someday.
Games To Play If You Like Metroid Prime Remastered
Not all of them are first-person shooters nor do they utilize a science fiction setting, but there are still plenty of great games like Metroid Prime.
For starters, Sylux was one of many other bounty hunters introduced in the Nintendo DS spin-off, Metroid Prime Hunters, where he confronted Samus and was absorbed by a powerful monster named Gorea. However, he managed to escape the creature’s grasp and later reappeared in the post-credits of Metroid Prime 3, where he was seen following the main character in his own spaceship. Needless to say, fans have been waiting for the fateful encounter between Samus and Sylux to come to fruition for over a decade, and it will finally become a reality in Beyond.
Federation Force Is Much More Important Than It Seems
This Polarizing Spin-Off Ties Directly Into The Story Of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a spin-off with a big focus on its multiplayer component, and it ended up being extremely controversial among fans that had been waiting for a new release in the Metroid series for years, only to be met with a seemingly unimportant multiplayer experience. However, Metroid Prime fans — especially those who want to catch up on all the lore before Beyond comes out — should keep in mind that Federation Force is extremely relevant to the storyline of the entire subseries.
The plot of Federation Force is not all that important. Samus herself only makes an appearance at the very end, but its post-credits scene is incredibly ominous and ties directly with the plot of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. In it, a mysterious person, who is heavily implied (and later confirmed) to be Sylux, forces a Metroid egg to hatch before stealing it. Considering that Sylux was already seen in control of two baby Metroids in one of Beyond’s trailers, it’s safe to say that this post-credits scene will have major repercussions on the plot of the upcoming game, so it’s highly recommended that players either pick up Federation Force or watch said post-credits scene on YouTube before jumping into Beyond.
- Released
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December 4, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen / Animated Blood, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
