UTO Research Center

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UTO Research Center
Planet	Tanamaar
Environment	Research facility
Bosses	Aberax

The UTO Research Center is a location on planet Tanamaar in the upcoming Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. It is attacked during the story by a legion of Space Pirates led by Sylux.

Rooms

Landing Pad

The Landing Pad is the area in which Samus arrives on Tanamaar. She disembarks from her Gunship and remotely commands it to fly off, before proceeding forward. The landing platform is directly outside the facility's front entrance. A fire burns to the left, with rubble surrounding it. A massive turret positioned on a cliff is seen being destroyed by a powerful laser from overhead.

After proceeding through the canyon, Samus reaches the exterior of the UTO Research Center, where she engages Space Pirates in combat in front of long barricades. The entrance to the facility is guarded by more of the same turrets, and two Federation Marines fire at other Pirates from behind cover. A massive Space Pirate destroyer is shown in the sky, firing upon and destroying the turrets.

Security

Security is a short entryway corridor that grants access to the rest of the research center. After Samus enters the building, a Federation Marine encounters her here and briefs her on the situation, wirelessly transmitting the necessary map data and relaying the coordinates of where the artifact is located so she can ensure it is off-world before the Space Pirates can steal it. Samus then scans a door which confirms her security registration and allows her to proceed deeper into the base.

"Large Federation Container:

Larger size of the standard container. Usually used for storing and transporting supplies. Frame is similar to standard."

Observation Deck

The Observation Deck is a room with an open window. Upon Samus arriving in the area, several Federation Troopers are attempting to fight off Space Pirates with one yelling that someone provide cover fire just before one of the Pirates skewers him with an energy blade while another yells for everyone to have guns up and eyes up. Two Dive Pods carrying a pair of Space Pirates each drop into this room, before the pods split open and the Pirates emerge. Samus, along with some Marines, defeats them, with the latter inferring upon the pods arrival that this was what they were trained for. After the Pirates were eliminated, one of the troopers reports to Alpha Squad informing them that they have suppressed a Pirate scouting party while reporting that several Federation troopers were wounded before being told to await further instructions. This room contains a short staircase, a hand terminal, a holographic screen on the wall, and a large force field serving as a window to the outside.

Hangar Access

Hangar Access is a collapsed hallway, where a jet of flame blocks Samus's passage. Using the Morph Ball, she is able to pass under the flames unharmed.

Courtyard

The Courtyard is a large open space, where a 565-PH Hellfire deploys several Space Pirates that Samus subsequently battles. As the Hellfire begins to fly off, a Galactic Federation Heavyweight-Class Golem emerges from the base and shoots down the ship; additionally, several Galactic Federation Troopers accompanying the mech assist Samus in repelling the Pirates.

Storage Depot

The Storage Depot is a room within the facility that has had its ceiling torn open, and its remnants are burning. The Nintendo Treehouse showing also reveals the burning wreckage belonged to a 565-PH Hellfire (presumably the same vehicle that was shot down by a Galactic Federation Heavyweight-Class Golem earlier). A Space Pirate corpse is slumped over to the left, on top of a fallen and bent grate. As Samus approaches the wreckage, a large pillar rolls off of a slope on the right and hits the wall. In the trailer, Samus is seen walking up the slope and scanning a Pirate. Its scan reads:

"Alien Morphology: Space Pirate >>>

Subject is heavily injured with reduced combat ability. Internal organ failure and biofluid hemorrhage confirmed. Vital signs weak and deteriorating rapidly."

In the Nintendo Treehouse showing, the pirate at the top slope is alive enough to try and shoot Samus. The scan is also slightly different:

"Alien Morphology: Space Pirate >>>

Numerous injuries detected. The resulting internal organ failure and biofluid hemorrhage has reduced combat ability by 70%. Vitals severely deteriorated."

Afterwards, she hops up a step and shoots a vent cover, then enters the vent with her Morph Ball.

The Space Pirate before being scanned

Scanning the Pirate casualty.

Vehicle Repair Bay

The Vehicle Repair Bay connects to the interior via the Morph Ball tunnel. The tunnel itself is situated over a corridor in which three Space Pirates, after breaching via Dive Spikes have laid a demolition charge on a door. A GF Trooper then radios Alpha Squad alerting them to the Pirates' intentions while attempting to fend them off. However, the GF soldiers are ultimately unable to stop them due to not getting clean shots at them. As Samus rolls into the next room, the charge explodes, and the Pirates move in.

Research Lab Zeta

Research Lab Zeta is a secure location within the facility, dedicated to studying an artifact via Universal Object Analyzer devices. Samus continues to roll through the upper tunnel as the Pirates invade the room after blowing up the door. Four Federation soldiers belonging to Alpha Squad (with armor resembling that of the 07th Platoon in Metroid: Other M) fire on the Pirates immediately after they enter, also ordering for other soldiers to move the artifact to the Hangar in order to have it leave the premises. In the center of the room are two buttresses, a center command console with cables running along the floor, a stasis tank on the wall, a mysterious sliding platform that approaches a door with a green light, which automatically opens, and another tunnel with an Energy Tank in it.

"Universal Object Analyzer:

Identifies and classifies unknown materials. Uses both radiation measurement and microfocus x-ray scans."

"Hologram of the Desolan System.

Artifact-detection location marked.

"FORCE 29-18 Cooling Device Terminal:

Regulates the cooling systems of the FORCE 29-18 quantum computer."

"Galactic Federation Trooper:

Standard Galactic Federation military personnel. Equipped with a powered armor suit and RT-6336 submachine gun."

"Federation Lock-On Gate:

Use the Lock-On ability on the central sensor to reveal four free-aim sensor targets. Shooting the free-aim sensors will then unlock the gate."

Hangar

The Hangar is the last room explored in the prologue. This room appears to be set in a geodesic dome. The presence of a spacecraft vessel in the room suggests it is an aircraft hangar. Shortly after Samus enters, so does the giant Space Pirate Aberax, who becomes possessed by a group of Metroids and proceeds to fight Samus. After Aberax's defeat, Samus rolls out of the way as the wall explodes and a piece of debris nearly hits her. From behind the wall a quartet of Space Pirates emerge, followed by Samus's old foe Sylux, and two docile Metroids behind him. Sylux and Samus then entered a gun duel with Samus staggering Sylux while dodging his blast. His shot nevertheless hits the artifact behind Samus, causing it to warp her to an unknown location as an energy wave engulfs the facility.

Samus evades the explosion.

Sylux enters.

Development notes

Zachariah Roane conceived the shot of Samus rolling to evade the explosion, and Taylor Rohrig made the shot of Samus's Helmet as she gazes upon Sylux.