Hands-on impressions of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond have hit the internet, sparking hefty criticism of the early human sidekick. And now, a fresh trailer released by Nintendo shows that Samus will also interact with a wider group of human characters throughout the game.
IGN’s recently published Metroid Prime 4: Beyond the Practical Preview trailer described Galactic Federation soldier Myles MacKenzie – with whom Samus is left lumbering for much of the game’s opening – as “moderately irritating to downright irritating” with “pathetic” dialogue and constant chatter throughout gameplay.
In addition to Myles, three other human soldiers are featured in Nintendo’s fresh 7-minute preview trailer (which appears to be as close as we’ll get to a dedicated Direct), apparently from later sections of the game.
Beyond consists of four main areas, reached through the desert hub (the forest area where you meet Myles, then the power plant, the frozen research center, and the fiery volcano area). It is implied that in each of them, Samus will meet more members of the main quartet.
“Like Samus, some Galactic Federation soldiers were also transported to Viewros,” the trailer reads. “Follow distress signals to help soldiers, and sometimes fight 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 remaining soldiers in action, talking about returning to their families, putting on a mech suit to break down a wall for Samus, and even opening a door. Huh – couldn’t Samus just do it by upgrading a fresh suit?
Of course, Metroid games have featured other human characters before – even if Samus is usually a mute protagonist. But the real problem, beyond interrupting the solitary exploration of most Metroid adventures, is that the human characters offered in Beyond are simply too distracting and too unlikable.
As we discovered in our hands-on preview, Myles’ gameplay includes escort-style sections and moments where you have to defend a hapless soldier while he hides behind a rock. Let him die in the gunfight and you’ll have a chance to revive him using Samus’ psychic powers. If you don’t do this (or try to refuse), the Game Over screen will appear.
“Of all the things Metroid Prime 4 could be, I never would have guessed it would feature outdated escort missions with a companion who never stops talking,” we wrote. To learn more about the impact of playing alongside NPCs in the game, check out the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hands-on preview.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s news editor. You can contact Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
