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Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Ending Shakes Samus's Hero Status

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Ending Shakes Samus's Hero Status
Samus Aran makes a difficult choice in Metroid Prime 4 Beyond's ending, leaving her allies.

Gaming enthusiasts are reeling following the highly anticipated launch of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on December 5, 2025. While marking a monumental return for the long-dormant franchise, the game's finale has ignited a fierce debate, with critics like GameSpot's Steve Watts arguing it delivers a significant disservice to iconic protagonist Samus Aran, leaving her heroic legacy in question.

A Shocking Finale for the Galaxy's Foremost Bounty Hunter

The long-awaited return of the Metroid Prime series with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was intended as both a continuation and a fresh start, implicitly setting the stage for a new era of Prime games, potentially a second trilogy. However, the game's concluding moments have left players with an abrupt and unsettling impression. According to analysis, the ending's focus on future narrative threads comes at the cost of Samus Aran's character development, diminishing her role and creating a "listless quality" that fails to propel her story forward in a satisfying manner.

The Viewros Incident: A Selfless Stand

During her perilous journey through Viewros's Sol Valley, Samus Aran encounters and allies with a diverse group of five Federation characters: Engineer Myles MacKenzie, Sniper Reger Tokabi, Sergeant Ezra Duke, Private Nora Armstrong, and mech unit VUE-995. These companions, serving as Samus's de facto crew, assist her from a base camp, ultimately joining her in the crucial mission to reactivate the Master Teleporter for a return home.

The climax unfolds as Sylux attacks the teleporter. In a desperate final battle, Samus fights alongside her entire Federation squad. However, as the teleporter becomes damaged and critical for escape, a devastating choice emerges. With only Samus capable of operating the device, her companions make the ultimate sacrifice, heroically grappling with Sylux to buy Samus precious moments. Players are then faced with the stark directive to "press A to teleport," forcing Samus to leave her comrades behind as they selflessly ensure her escape.

Samus Aran: Hero or Survivor?

This dramatic narrative choice has sparked intense discussion within the gaming community. While the game mechanics dictate that abstaining from teleportation results in Samus's death, framing her action as a forced choice rather than a selfish one, the portrayal still clashes with her established "living legend" status. Samus Aran's reputation precedes her; she is renowned for achieving the impossible. For many, the idea that she could find no other solution than to abandon her allies strains credulity, raising questions about the narrative choices in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

The article highlights a bittersweet irony: the newly introduced Federation characters are afforded the heroic climax, while the series' protagonist is relegated to a role of survival rather than triumph. Private Nora Armstrong's poignant last words, "Finally, we get to go home," underscore the tragic turn of events, leaving players with a somber reflection on the cost of Samus's escape.

Uncharted Territory: The Future of the Metroid Prime Saga

The ending controversy of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond extends beyond Samus's immediate actions, casting a long shadow over the franchise future. The finale deliberately leaves numerous threads unresolved:

  • Sylux's Continued Threat: The antagonist remains at large, albeit marooned, still commanding Metroids and his legion of space pirates.
  • The Fate of the Companions: The five Federation comrades' ultimate destiny remains ambiguous—killed by Sylux or stranded without a functional teleporter.
  • Samus's Direction: With Viewros's location uncertain within the vastness of space, Samus's next objective or whether she will attempt a rescue remains completely unclear.

This deliberate ambiguity, while setting up future installments, has been criticized for providing "almost no clarity" on Samus's trajectory. Despite a "somber and genuinely affecting moment" where Samus honors her lost comrades, the overriding sentiment is that Samus Aran has been "pushed out of the spotlight in her own series," leaving players with an unflattering final impression and a lingering sense of narrative unfulfillment for this highly anticipated Nintendo Switch title.