Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been submitted for a classification rating in South Korea, raising hopes we’ll get a firm release date soon.
Published on the Korean Game Content Rating Board just yesterday, 25th July, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Nintendo Switch 2 Edition was awarded an “ages 12 and up” rating for its “mild violence”. It was submitted for review on 10th July.
“A first-person adventure game set on the planet Buros, where Samus Aran was transferred after an unexpected situation arose following her encounter with Silux at a Galactic Federation research facility,” the board writes (as translated by machine).
The rating submission offered very little additional information, sadly, but due to its “mild violence”, we at least know we’ll use weapons “attached to the suit to attack alien lifeforms”, which is why it was rated as suitable for players aged 12 and up.
While we’re technically no closer to a release date now than when a Metroid Prime 4: Beyond “out now” advertisement popped up prematurely on the London Underground, it’s better than nothing, and at least suggests the game is complete enough for for classification. As always, we’ll keep you posted.
We got our first gameplay trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond back in June last year. A deeper look at the game was shown during the March Nintendo Direct, where Samus’ psychic powers were revealed.
We thought Metroid Prime 4 was “the best example of Switch 2’s varied control capabilities” when we previewed it earlier this year. However, Ed admitted he wasn’t totally convinced by the mouse functionality.
“I played Metroid Prime 4 with each Joy-Con 2 placed on my thighs. This worked surprisingly well, with the controls still responsive despite being on an uneven surface. Nintendo told me the sensitivity can be tweaked too, allowing for smaller movements,” he wrote in Eurogamer’s Metroid Prime 4 demo preview. “Still, how usable this method is will likely depend on the size of your thighs: if you don’t have enough real estate to move the controller around, you’ll be moving based on quick adjustments rather than smooth, sweeping motions.”