Ahead of the game’s launch later this week, review aggregator Metacritic has published the Metascore for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

With 71 critic reviews at the time of this writing, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been given a Metascore of 81. Metacritic classifies this score as “Generally Favorable”. That said, it is the lowest rated Metroid Prime game on Metacritic, compared to its immediate predecessor Metroid Prime 3: Corruption sitting at 90 as well as Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch sitting at 97.

Check out what some of the reviews had to say below:

Nintendo Life ~ 90

After 18 years of waiting, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond manages to replicate that magical sense of discovery from the GameCube original while pushing the series in some incredible new directions. Separating the main biomes with a vast open world sounds ridiculous on paper, but the slick traversal provided by Vi-O-La makes exploration more satisfying than ever…Combine this with the stunning art direction, ferocious new boss characters, and a surprisingly endearing squad of Federation troopers, and Beyond is quite possibly the boldest, most well-realised Metroid game to date. Make no mistake, the long wait has been more than worth it. Welcome back, Samus.

Game Informer ~ 88

My annoyances with Beyond are vastly overshadowed by a pristine, rock-solid science-fiction exploration experience. Discovering all Viewros has to offer is incredibly rewarding and delivers an unmatched sense of alien ambiance. The wait for a new Metroid Prime has been long, but it only takes a few minutes in Beyond to remember why we have been so eager to re-enter this universe for the past 18 years.

Siliconera ~ 81

I love how Metroid Prime 4: Beyond looks and plays, but it doesn’t feel as narratively satisfying or mentally stimulating as the original trilogy.

IGN ~ 80

It doesn’t take psychic powers to see the ideal vision Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was aiming for: it tries to mix the excellent Prime formula with a character-focused story and a large hub world to explore. It doesn’t quite reach that ambitious goal, with an outdated open desert area that mostly feels like padding and a cast of characters that provide both a handful of memorable moments and too much chatter at times. But none of its issues come close to ruining Prime 4, which is still an excellent comeback thanks to incredible peaks that are almost entirely self-contained from its stumbles. It mostly knows when to leave Samus alone, and a significant chunk of this 15-hour adventure is spent in delightfully atmospheric solitude. It nails the essential elements of a Prime game that remain special decades later: tense exploration through haunting locations highlighted by amazing worldbuilding, breathtaking art direction, new twists on classic abilities, and flawless technical performance. Even though a few underdeveloped elements keep it from feeling as cohesive as its predecessors, Prime 4 reaches heights worthy of the Metroid name.

Destructoid ~ 75

First announced all the way back in 2017, Samus Aran’s latest FPS adventure is finally here, and it is, for the most part, worth the wait. And while several nagging issues prevent it from true greatness, it’s a fun and exciting new chapter in Metroid that no fan will want to miss.

VGC ~ 60

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels like a game stuck between two worlds. When it’s emulating previous entries, Beyond is a blast, with excellent boss battles, and some truly gorgeous environments to explore. But this is eventually bogged down by out-of-place additions, awkward storytelling, and overly aggressive hand-holding that spoils the discovery.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.