The Influence of Breath of the Wild on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Open-World Elements

Nintendo has hinted that the astonishing success of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild played a significant role in shaping Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s design, particularly its expansive desert area. Departing from the more linear structures of previous Metroid Prime entries, this new title for Switch 2 introduces Samus in a vast desert landscape, complete with a fast sci-fi bike that allows for a freewheeling exploration. This desert acts as a bridge that connects to the game’s traditional, directed levels where players can control Samus through her bounty-hunting escapades—whether on foot or rolling into a ball, it’s your call.

In a conversation with Famitsu, translated by Nintendo Everything, a Nintendo representative shared that the development team frequently encountered fan requests for an open-world Metroid during the early stages of production. They speculated that this desire likely stemmed from the influence of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Nintendo ultimately opted against a fully open-world structure. After all, the essence of Metroid and its genre revolves around gaining access to previously locked areas through acquiring new abilities. The developers felt that this mechanic wouldn’t mesh well with a complete open-world design. “Thus we thought to design a limited area that could be freely explored, and have that be a hub that could connect to other areas. Then we thought that if one could move around on the bike in a satisfying way in that area, it could be a segment that mitigates the tension from exploration, and paces the whole game,” the spokesperson explained.

This year has already seen Mario Kart World shift gears into an open-world format, prompting speculation about whether other upcoming titles for Switch 2 will follow a similar path. For more insights, check out our picks of the best Switch 2 games so far.