Metroid Fans FURIOUS! $30 For Music?! What Will Happen Next?!

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has finally landed, folks. After an excruciating 18-year wait since Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Samus Aran is back in action with a host of new abilities, including the sleek Vi-O-La bike. But here's where things get a little… interesting, and potentially frustrating for some players.

Metroid Fans FURIOUS! $30 For Music?! What Will Ha...

It seems a rather specific, optional feature – the ability to customize the ambient music while cruising the deserts of planet Viewros on your Vi-O-La – is locked behind a paywall. Specifically, a $30 paywall, or the equivalent cost of a Samus Aran Amiibo. Yep, you read that right.

Players have discovered that scanning the Samus Amiibo unlocks "Vi-O-La Radio," allowing you to swap out the default ambient sounds for music tracks from other areas of the game. Now, the default Sol Valley music isn't inherently bad. In fact, early reports suggest it's thematically appropriate and adds to the atmosphere. But the option to personalize your experience, to choose the soundtrack to your desert exploration, is being held hostage by a plastic figurine.

Look, I get it. Amiibos have offered in-game bonuses before. But this feels different. It’s not a cosmetic item, or a minor gameplay tweak. It’s controlling a pretty fundamental element of the game’s atmosphere for a specific section, and arguably something that should have been included as an option within the base game itself.

Finishing the game will unlock two additional tracks for the radio, so at least there's *some* in-game progression tied to it. But honestly, is that enough? While the Samus Amiibo unlocks the music, the Vi-O-La Amiibo unlocks skin options for your ride, and the Sylux Amiibo unlocks extended cutscenes after you beat the game (though these can also be unlocked by 100% scanning). It's like they chopped the game up and are selling bits and pieces back to us.

I can already hear the arguments: "It's optional, you don't *have* to buy it!" And that's true. But for players who appreciate a tailored gaming experience, who want to curate their sonic journey through the Sol Valley, this feels like a blatant cash grab. Are we really at the point where ambient music customization is considered premium DLC?

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is available now for Switch and Switch 2. Be sure to check out reviews for a more comprehensive look at the gameplay. But if you're hoping to blast your favorite Norion theme while tearing across the dunes of Viewros, prepare to open your wallet. Your Amiibo collection is about to get a little bigger (or your bank account a little smaller).