It's weird to finally be playing a new 2D Metroid game in 2021, let alone one called Metroid Dread,
which many never expected to see after rumors first surfaced 15 years ago. Sure,
there were have been some new Metroids in the years since, like the controversial Other M,
the spin-off Federation Force, and the fantastic remake of Metroid 2 in Samus Returns,
but they don’t hold a candle to the excitement of a proper new 2D entry that finally continues
the story from Metroid Fusion. Metroid Dread is a sequel 19 years in the making, so needless to say,
fans are practically exploding with excitement. And now that it's here,
the question is: can it live up to the expectations built up over two decades?
Metroid Dread takes place within the depths of planet ZDR, and Samus’s goal is to get back to
her ship on the surface. In usual Metroid fashion, something happens to make her lose all of her
gear lost, which she’ll have to gradually recover throughout the mission, thereby allowing her to
solve puzzles and access new areas of the map, and find even more items. It’s the signature Metroid
formula we know and love. Finding a new item is always exciting because it opens up the map
even more, leading further to the discovery of other lost items. In Samus’s way however are a
new threat: the E.M.M.I. robots. They’re the main reason why the game is called Metroid Dread,
as they are unstoppable forces that fill the player with that feeling of Dread. Simply put,
they are enemies with no conscience and only one goal: to kill Samus.
And they play an important role in the game’s progression system.
Of course, every Metroid’s world structure and progression is a little different,
and Dread is no exception. It starts most similarly to Super Metroid, where the first
few hours are largely linear, taking you through the first few areas relatively quickly, with your
freedom limited by the gear you’ll collect along the path. But unlike Super Metroid, Dread actually
prevents you from full-on backtracking to previous areas until much later, by featuring one-way paths
that can’t be entered again until you find a new power-up, like the morph ball--which incidentally,
is held off for a record amount of time in Dread. It’s as if Super Metroid decided that you couldn’t
go back to Crateria when entering Brinstar. That isn’t to say there isn’t any backtracking,
as teleportals initially provide limited access to new areas in previous regions you’ve already
visited. I know this may sound concerning for a Metroid game, but it actually works here. Rather
than overwhelming the player by letting them immediately jumping back and forth between areas
after acquiring a new tool, the game puts them on a specific path for the first third of the game,
but still leaving plenty of exploration in each area on the way. Eventually,
the whole map opens up, allowing full exploration with the newly acquired tools,
with still more to collect, complete with Teleportals that now allow you to access
any of the others rather than just one, which will definitely help for 100% completion.. It’s
a better alternative than constantly backtracking after every single item.
To help with your journey, Samus is joined by her ship’s computer,
Adam returning from Metroid Fusion AND DEFINITELY NOT OTHER M. She can only speak
to him at specific points via communication rooms like in Fusion, but unlike that game,
he never tells you exactly where to go, and only provides a basic idea of what to do.
This is a much welcome change that leaves it up to the player to figure things out on their own,
restoring much of what made Super Metroid so rewarding to explore.
Samus’s mission will take her through 8 unique areas, such as the caverns of Artaria,
the scorching hot Cataris, and the underwater depths of Burenia. While some of these places have
elemental themes like fire and water, there are a couple set within Chozo structures, like a palace
or lab. Each area is visually striking thanks to the incredible background work that fills the
environments with life and foreshadowing of looming threats. Like the E.M.M.I.,
which might just be Samus’s greatest threat since the SA-X. They're tall, mean, and invincible….just
like me. Minus the invincible part. I’m very sensitive. Anyway, I make the SA-X comparison
because much like that antagonist from Fusion, or the Terminator, the E.M.M.I. can not be fought,
only avoided--at least until you find and destroy their Central Unit that’s located elsewhere,
then using the Omega Cannon you collect from it to blow apart the EMMI in a final showdown.
There are seven of themmi on the planet,
one for practically each region, but they’re limited to a designated zone within each one,
which is great because we wouldn’t want them following us everywhere now, do we? Especially
because they’re darn good at it, tracking Samus based on sound, forcing you to outrun them.
I was worried they might overstay their welcome, but the seven encounters are spread
far enough apart that facing them always felt fresh . Though these robots are tough,
they’re not unfair, and every mishap felt like my own fault and not the game’s.
Although I never found them to be scary, I did get an adrenaline rush when trying to sneak past them,
even if my impatience often caused me to grow reckless, and naturally, lead to my demise--often.
It’s important to move cautiously and stop to use Phantom Cloak if you have to.
It’ll affect your speed, but so will dying over and over again.
It is possible to counter their attacks for a second chance at life ….barely. They move
in such a way to where you THINK they’re about to grab you until they don’t and you just give them
a light slap or kick. It’s...humiliating. It’s quite clever how they were made and
I appreciated the extra challenge they offered. They made planet ZDR feel that much more hostile.
The environments on ZDR look great, but it took some time for me to appreciate their beauty. I
won’t lie, when I first looked at Metroid Dread’s art style, I didn’t think it was that impressive,
especially when compared to Metroid Prime. But as I kept seeing more of the game’s incredibly
detailed 3D backdrops filled with gorgeous lighting, all targeting 60fps, it started to grow
on me. Although the framerate isn’t rocksolid, it was hitting that 60fps target more often than not,
though there are noticeable dips at times, such as during loading screens, and some quicktime
events. Some environmental effects like water and flames also run at 30fps, but this hardly affects
the gameplay, if at all. The cutscenes also run at just 30fps, and while it obviously doesn’t affect
the gameplay, it’s certainly jarring compared to the usual 60. So while Metroid Dread isn’t the
BEST-looking game on the Switch, it still looks and runs beautifully. Sadly, I can not offer
quite the same praise for the soundtrack, which is good and atmospheric, but fails to stand out
in any significant way, and I barely noticed it. Although Kraid’s new battle them…..kind of slaps.
While exploring Metroid Dread’s new world, it was thrilling not knowing exactly where to go, what
to do, or which boss was around the next corner from countless playthroughs before. After all,
I’ve spent the past ten years playing the same Metroid games over and over, so playing a brand
new one was kind of bizarre-- in a good way! What was most exciting though was experiencing a new
story that continued the Metroid Timeline. Metroid Dread’s story may be simple on the surface, but it
delivers an epic conclusion that finally brings the story arc between Samus and the Metroids to
a close. There were moments where I reacted with audible gasps to a shocking revelation or squealed
with joy at some really awesome cutscenes. The story is undoubtedly going to be most impactful
for longtime Metroid fans like me, rewarding decades’ worth of investment, whereas newcomers
might find it a little underwhelming. My only criticism is that the ending is rather abrupt,
but the events in the final act leading up to that ending more than made up for it.
Still, in traditional Metroid fashion, the story isn't a major focus, acting as more of a backdrop
to the gameplay. Samus uses all kinds of special combat and movement abilities in Metroid Dread,
and they’re accompanied by the best controls to date out of all 2D Metroids. Samus handles like a
DREAM. It still takes a minute to adjust to her speed and height of her jumps, but once they’re
all figured out, it feels smooth and precise. It’s definitely an evolution of the developer’s
previous effort, Metroid: Samus Returns, which introduced 360 degree aiming, melee attacks,
and powers called Aieon Abilities. All of which return in Dread and are significantly improved.
The flow of this game is smoother than any Metroid preceding it, now that Samus is basically a
parkour star with virtually nothing in the way to stop her. Melee attacks are faster and can now be
performed WHILE moving and jumping. This makes it a proper attack as well, though it’s not too
powerful unless you use it as a counter-attack, which is more difficult now that some enemies
move a lot faster than before. They’re almost essential to perform in the later boss battles
which can be extremely tough. Running while melee attacking is great for keeping up speed, as is
another new ability: sliding. Samus can now slide under short crawlspaces instead of constantly
going into morph ball mode, which she can also go into if she slides under a longer crawlspace.
These changes make Samus faster than she’s ever been, without the Speed Booster, of course.
Then there are the Aieon Abilities. The Phantom Cloak turns Samus invisible,
allowing her to evade detection by the E.M.M.I. robots and move through doors that close when
they detect moving objects. The Phantom Cloak isn’t utilized much beyond these elements.
Flash Shift on the other hand is the best Aieon Ability,
allowing Samus to move quickly left or right up to three times. It’s great for traversal and combat.
Regrettably, the game doesn’t allow you to remap the controls. Which I would’ve appreciated as one
who kept mixing up free-aim on L with Slide on ZL, when I feel the inverse would be more
comfortable and appropriate. It’s made a touch more confusing when getting the Grapple Beam,
as it’s activated by holding ZR. Because holding R switches the arm cannon to missile mode,
this means I’ve accidentally fired missiles instead of the Grapple Beam.
I got used to it soon enough, but a button-remap option would still have been preferred.
All in all, Metroid Dread took me about 12 hours to beat, and that was after collecting 77% of
the items, but your mileage will likely vary widely based on your prior Metroid experience.
I’m currently trying to get 100% completion, and it is EXTREMELY hard. That is thanks to some Speed
Booster puzzles that felt IMPOSSIBLE for me to solve, but I know I’ll solve them eventually, and
I’ll feel like a king when I do so. As expected, there are a lot of Missile Tanks to collect,
but now there are two types: the average Missile Tank which increases the number of missiles by 2,
and the Missile Tank+, a streaming service where you can access any missile for just $7.99 a month.
Just kidding, it makes room for ten more missiles. I was initially afraid that I
would only be limited to collected regular missile tanks that would be spread out EVERYWHERE, so I
was happy to see the Missile+ Tank included. Also added to the game (from Other M, surprisingly)
are the Energy Parts. Collecting four of these will create one Energy Tank. I’m pleased that
these newer items were added to Metroid Dread because I thought previous games were filled with
too many missile expansions, so the addition of Missile+ Tanks and Energy Parts helped diversify
the lineup, even if there are still more Missile Tanks to collect out of all the other items.
Finding all of them is made easier thanks to the maps that highlight where an item has yet to be
found, and when they pop up on the screen, the item stays on the map
whether it’s collected or not, though it’s hard to tell the difference between the two
since the collected items aren’t faded that much more than the uncollected ones.
The map is quite cluttered as a result, but thankfully map markers from Samus Returns
come back, allowing up to 6 to be placed in each area. They come in quite handy, being displayed on
the mini-map with a compass-like indicator so you always know which direction to go
without pausing every few seconds to read the map. It makes searching for items less tedious.
The most important items though are Samus’s gear, like her Charge Beam, Morph Ball, etc. The Spider
Magnet is a new item, replacing the Spider Ball and limited to magnetic walls and ceilings.
It’s not that exciting of a tool since it’s only used for transport, but the Grapple
Beam can also attach to magnetic surfaces, thus making the traversal a bit more exciting. The
gear in Metroid Dread is mostly what’s been in previous Metroid games. That doesn’t take away
from exciting they are to get though, as they still open up more of the map and make Samus
a more powerful warrior. This is the case for all Metroid games, and it makes the task of collecting
all the items feel so rewarding. Especially when you collect them from beating a boss.
Most of the bosses in Dread are original, and some of them are behemoths. There is, of course,
Kraid, and then there’s Corpius among a few others. The giant bosses don’t have the most
interesting visual designs, but they all have unique attack patterns to memorize and you take
advantage of new gear to defeat them. As you might expect from a Metroid game, they all start
out tough until you learn their patterns. Once you have that figured out, it’s lights out for them!
To reiterate my earlier point, playing a new 2D Metroid is surreal. It could’ve easily been
made 10 or even 15 years ago for a handheld system like the DS or 3DS. That’s probably because it was
originally intended to be on those consoles. Still, I’m glad Nintendo and Yoshio Sakamoto
took the time they needed to make sure Metroid Dread turned out the best it could be. Sure it’s
not perfect. The music could’ve been better and the bosses could’ve looked more unique,
but the core Metroid experience is still here, with some new additions and improvements. Samus
is faster and more agile than she’s ever been, and she’s a WONDER play as thanks to
great controls and a mostly stable 60fps. What’s more, is that the art style is breathtaking-- even
if I didn’t fully appreciate it at first-- and the story is incredibly satisfying for longtime
Metroid fans. Given that the last three 2D Metroids have felt linear in their progression,
it’s refreshing to see Dread take inspiration from Super Metroid, a game that didn’t hold
the player’s hand at all. While Dread doesn’t do anything to revolutionize the Metroidvania genre,
after 19 years it doesn’t have to. It just needed to remind us of what made
Metroid great in the first place, and it passed with flying colors. Even though I’m not ready
to claim it’s the BEST 2D Metroid, it’s definitely up there as one of the best. I LOVE METROID DREAD.
I’m already looking forward to 100 percenting it and starting a new game right after. And with
that, I have one final thing to say….Buy Metroid Dread…..if you’re financially able to that is.
Anyway, thanks for watching our review of Metroid Dread here on GameXplain.
Be sure to subscribe to GameXplain for more reviews like this one, including our review
on the Nintendo Switch OLED model, which you can check out on the right. Until next time, bye!