Compare Death Stranding 2: On the Beach vs Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Dollman’s companion role is strongly praised for scouting, advice, and personality, making the journey feel less lonely.

Companion behavior was a repeat complaint when allies caused game overs, needed reviving, or disrupted the usual solo Metroid flow.

The open world is repeatedly praised as varied, beautiful, and more densely interesting, with Australia seen as a stronger setting than before.

Sol Valley was the most consistent criticism, described by many reviewers as empty, barren, padded, or less interesting than the dungeons.

Upgrade systems are praised for flexible perks and incentives that help tailor traversal, stealth, and combat approaches.

Upgrades were fun and familiar for some, but others felt certain powers were underused or too lock-and-key.

One reviewer found Sam especially well cast and suited to the game’s semi-silent protagonist role.

Samus's silence hurt protagonist appeal for some reviewers when cutscenes and direct questions made her seem oddly passive.

Grind level is rated positively by one reviewer who felt the game can be enjoyed at the player’s own pace without grinding.

The green-crystal requirement was one of the most repeated pain points, often described as filler, tedious, or poorly paced.

Reviewers praise the sequel’s inventive systems, unusual world, and a gameplay structure that few other games attempt.

Innovation was viewed as conservative: some refinements worked, but many reviewers felt the game did not push the genre forward.

Enemy variety is mostly praised for new forms and loadouts, but at least one review felt bandits and BTs were too familiar.

Enemy variety was criticized where repeated bugs, bots, or lightly modified foes made combat feel less dynamic.

Fast travel is useful and convenient through the Magellan and waypoint systems, though some restrictions and grading tradeoffs remain.

The lack of fast travel frustrated one reviewer who otherwise accepted revisiting environments as part of Metroid.

Platform-specific support is excellent in cited reviews, covering deep PC settings, controller support, and full DualSense implementation.

Switch 2 options, HDR, and mouse controls were notable, but mouse comfort and Switch 1 compromises made this mixed.

VR Training/tutorial support is praised as both useful and fun for refreshing mechanics.

Guidance split reviewers; some appreciated direction, but many disliked hand-holding, repeated hints, or tutorialization.

Supporting characters are often praised for nuance and memorable moments, though one review felt they were underused.

Side characters were divisive: some reviewers warmed to them, while others found them annoying, tropey, or poorly matched to Metroid.

The only clear aiming criticism was the absence of gyroscopic aiming, despite the game pushing ranged weapons more heavily.

Aiming earned praise when using Switch 2 mouse-style controls, though some reviewers found that setup awkward in normal couch play.

Pacing is mixed: many reviews praise improved mission or story momentum, while others call the narrative slow, muddled, or filler-heavy.

Pacing suffered whenever desert traversal, crystal collection, or upgrade trips slowed the stronger dungeon rhythm.

Polish is praised through refined systems, a smooth PC port, and an almost flawless technical presentation.

Polish was mostly solid, but one review noted rough spots and visible Switch 1 roots.

Writing quality is split sharply, ranging from career-best praise to criticisms that the script and finale do not land.

Writing was among the weaker elements, criticized for clichés, awkward jokes, and underdeveloped storytelling.

Voice acting is one of the strongest consensus positives, with performances frequently called excellent, memorable, or world-bringing.

Voice acting was mixed: some reviewers liked the performances, while others found the comedic or companion delivery uneven.

Narrative quality is highly divisive: many praise the story as memorable and emotional, while others find it muddled, messy, or unsatisfying.

Narrative reception was mixed-to-negative: Lamorn lore intrigued some reviewers, but the ending, Sylux, and character use often disappointed.

Dialogue quality is mixed, with one review praising clarity while others complain about long or nonsensical speeches.

Dialogue was a common weak spot, with several reviewers calling the chatter irritating, clichéd, or out of place for Metroid.

Immersion is strongly praised, with reviewers describing effortless absorption and deeply lingering experiences.

Immersion was strong when the game leaned into alien solitude, but hints, companions, and roadblocks could break that feeling.

Map and navigation design gets strong praise from the Route Simulator and more convenient route planning.

Navigation was approachable and sometimes praised, but aggressive guidance and logbook tracking issues split opinion.

Exploration is strongly praised for making Australia exciting, scenic, and rewarding to traverse, especially when routes and vistas click.

Exploration was strongest in the dungeon-like zones and weakest when the desert hub or heavy guidance interrupted discovery.

World-building is praised as bizarre, imaginative, and distinctive, though one review criticized gaps in cultural representation.

World-building was a strength in reviews that praised scanning, Lamorn history, and the way environments explained Viewros.

One reviewer praised the sequel for preserving the franchise’s heart and soul while expanding its systems.

Reviewers split on franchise faithfulness: many felt the fundamentals remained Prime, while others felt the hub, companions, or linearity diluted Metroid.

Character development is praised where reviewers saw Sam relying on others more and the sequel deepening characterization.

The Federation cast landed unevenly: some reviewers grew attached, while others felt characterization stayed broad or underdeveloped.

Reviewers generally describe the broader mechanics as substantially refined and more approachable, though one review found the gameplay disappointing despite the spectacle.

Moment-to-moment mechanics were often praised, but psychic powers, open-zone structure, and companion sections made the package uneven.

Fun factor trends positive, with many reviewers calling the sequel more fun, though some still did not personally connect with it.

Overall enjoyment ranged from enthusiastic recommendations to sharp disappointment, with most positive reactions tied to classic Prime sections.

Combat is widely seen as tighter and more viable than before, but several reviewers still found it basic, intrusive, or less compelling than traversal.

Combat was generally seen as satisfying and polished, but some reviewers criticized repeated waves, limited enemy interplay, or mixed encounter pacing.

Level and environment design is praised for being more thoughtful and confident in how it leverages traversal.

The main facilities drew praise for set-piece design and atmosphere, while linearity and the connective hub lowered scores for some critics.

Visual effects are praised as incredible, with weather, landscapes, and special effects repeatedly singled out.

Visual effects and spectacular sights were praised as part of the game's high-end presentation.

Facial animation evidence is uniformly positive, with reviewers highlighting detailed faces, capture, and rendered human contact.

Facial work earned praise in one review as an unexpectedly strong visual element for Nintendo.

Load times receive a perfect single-review score for near-seamless transitions between menu, cutscenes, and gameplay.

Load screens were rarely a major complaint, and one review praised the minimal loading between areas.

The delivery loop is often called addictive, satisfying, and more approachable, with dissent focused on repetition rather than the basic loop itself.

The core Prime loop still worked for supportive reviewers, but some felt it was familiar rather than transformative.

Emotional impact is usually strong, driven by sincerity, human stories, and moving payoffs, but not every reviewer felt affected.

One review found the companion relationships strengthened the closing moments, though emotional delivery was not a universal focus.

Progression is praised for faster unlock pacing and more forgiving advancement that keeps deliveries rewarding.

Progression was praised when upgrades opened new routes and improved movement, though some disliked overly linear or lock-and-key usage.

Lore support and depth are praised through the Corpus encyclopedia, which helps handle the dense terminology and proper nouns.

Lore through scanning and Lamorn history was a clear positive for reviewers who valued environmental storytelling.

Graphics quality receives near-universal acclaim, with reviewers repeatedly calling it gorgeous, stunning, or among the best-looking games on PS5/PC.

Graphics were one of the strongest consensus positives, frequently described as gorgeous, stunning, or among Nintendo's best-looking work.

Soundtrack quality is strongly praised, from licensed tracks to Ludvig Forssell/Woodkid scoring and emotionally timed music.

The soundtrack was a strong positive, often described as excellent, memorable, atmospheric, or among the best parts of the game.

Boss design earns frequent praise for spectacle and improvement, though some reviewers found bosses simple or out of place.

Bosses were widely praised as memorable, cinematic, puzzle-like, and challenging, though a few reviews found them too weak-point-driven or uneven.

Handheld play is viable but compromised, with Steam Deck running at low resolution while ROG handheld play was issue-free.

Handheld and docked play were generally viable, though Switch 1 presentation was less crisp and some preferred a full controller setup.

Controls are mostly praised as more refined, smoother, and less cumbersome, including PC input support, with only minor complexity caveats.

Controls were a major positive overall, with tight movement, responsive shooting, strong gyro support, and multiple schemes; mouse ergonomics were more divisive.

Vehicles are praised for handling better and arriving earlier, though several reviewers felt driving can trivialize the hiking-focused identity.

Vi-O-La itself often controlled well and could be fun, but its role was tied to the more divisive desert hub.

Performance optimization is praised across PS5 and PC, including smooth performance mode, strong PC scaling, and polished port work.

Technical performance was a standout strength, with reviewers praising stable modes, HDR, and smooth operation on Switch 2.

Difficulty balance is one of the more divisive areas: some praise fair harder settings, while others say combat, BTs, or traversal became too easy.

Difficulty was mixed: bosses and set pieces could be satisfyingly challenging, but spikes and hand-cramping moments frustrated some players.

Frame-rate stability is consistently positive, with reviewers citing smooth 60fps, high PC frame rates, and handheld stability.

Frame rate was consistently praised across Switch 2 coverage, including smooth 60fps and 120fps options.

Environmental detail is consistently praised for texture, variety, visual density, and natural effects.

Environmental detail was praised for making Viewros feel rich, alien, and visually meaningful.

Sound design is very highly rated for immersive environmental audio, rain, wind, footsteps, and overall atmosphere.

Sound design was praised for supporting atmosphere, alien spaces, and the Prime identity.

Art direction is strongly praised, especially the detailed vistas and rugged depiction of Australia.

Art direction was one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers repeatedly calling the environments, lighting, and visual identity gorgeous or striking.

Atmosphere is a major strength, ranging from meditative and haunting to warm, strange, and emotionally resonant.

Atmosphere drew broad praise, especially in the Prime-style facilities where reviewers felt loneliness, dread, and alien mood were strongest.

Vehicle roster evidence is limited but positive, with one reviewer praising the usefulness and variety of vehicles across missions.

Only Vi-O-La drew meaningful opinion, and the reviewer who scored it saw future potential for the bike.

Accessibility-adjacent options, especially boss skips and a more accessible sequel structure, are treated positively by reviewers who mentioned them.

Enemy AI is a repeated weak spot, with reviewers noting it is not especially sharp even when combat remains fun.

Animation quality is strongly praised through motion capture, character animation, and facial/body performance work.

The cast/character roster is widely praised as excellent, quirky, memorable, and performance-rich, with a few mixed views on newer characters.

Checkpointing drew criticism when boss retries or long optional stretches sent players farther back than expected.

Community features receive strong praise for likes, shared structures, monorails, roads, and the sense of helping unseen players.

Reviewers praise expanded tools, weapons, boots, and unlockable options, making the sequel feel broader than the first game.

Resource balance is mixed because plentiful building materials make construction smoother but also reduce challenge.

Haptic/DualSense integration is praised as highly immersive through controller feedback, speaker use, and adaptive triggers.

Horror tension is mixed to weak because BTs can still feel tense, but several reviewers say the sequel reduces their fear factor.

One review found scan-log clarity weakened by indistinct highlighting, making completion tracking more of a hassle than it needed to be.

The main noted learning curve is movement weight, which takes adjustment before it becomes satisfying.

Menu usability is improved overall, especially radial menus and reworked menus, though some still found systems fiddly or clunky.

Mission design is mixed: reviewers liked forward momentum and variety, but some criticized forced backtracking or insufficient challenge.

Mission variety is praised for fresher cargo conditions, hazards, and delivery setups, though some reviewers still noted simplification.

Movement and hiking retain a distinctive physical weight that many reviewers loved, even when vehicles reduce how often players need to walk.

Asynchronous multiplayer is one of the clearest strengths, making players feel connected through structures, roads, likes, and shared effort.

Onboarding is praised for clearer instructions, a stronger opening, and a better job of pulling players into the systems.

Originality remains high, with reviewers praising bold creativity, even as some say the sequel is safer than the first.

Puzzles were generally satisfying and boss-like, though psychic mechanics were sometimes called familiar or clunky.

Fetch-style questing remains a pain point for one reviewer, who found ferrying boxes back and forth exhausting.

Replay value is supported by one reviewer eager to return for more missions after finishing the story.

One reviewer praised the sequel for letting individual playstyles feel legitimate through its expanded systems.

Save design and autosaving drew criticism when point-of-no-return or optional cleanup setbacks undermined late-game play.

Skill-tree and APAS-style systems are praised for rewarding playstyle choices and allowing situational re-specs.

Social features are praised where likes and player feedback create a warm, positive network of encouragement.

Stealth is broadly praised as deeper, more flexible, and more fun, with many reviewers comparing the expanded toolkit favorably to Kojima’s stealth legacy.

User interface design is praised for thoughtful fictional UI and a radial menu that makes road management easier.

Value was mixed, with some reviewers satisfied and others warning about price, length, or waiting for a sale.

Weapon balance is mixed to weak, with several reviewers calling Sam overpowered or finding many weapons redundant, despite some praise for variety.

Dynamic weather, terrain hazards, and reactive routes add life and variety, though one critic felt some additions gesture at depth without enough substance.