Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Ice Belt is one of the series’ best moments

Nearly 25 years ago, the original Metroid Prime set the modern standard for wintry video game biomes with Phendrana Drifts. The icy level plays a key part in Samus’ adventure, not just housing handy upgrades but also important story tidbits. It’s a bit of a graveyard for the dead alien race that once inhabited Tallon IV, the planet where Metroid Prime takes place. With its unforgettable vistas and some of the best music in video game history, Phendrana Drifts is a gold standard that even the Metroid series itself has struggled to live up to. That was, until Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.