Metroid Dread Review
“2D Metroid is back and better than ever.” Written by: Hunter (ReaperHunter23)
During Nintendo’s E3 2021 Direct, it was announced that Metroid Dread would be releasing in October of this year. This marked the first release of a brand new 2D Metroid game in two decades. Now, I wouldn’t describe myself as a hardcore Metroid fan, I’ve only played Super Metroid. However I had such a good time with it when I played it a couple years ago that I knew I was going to be keeping an eye out for what the series did next. I was also interested to see what a modern 2D Metroid game would look like when standing next to the plethora of great games in the genre to come out during its absence. Would Metroid Dread be able to feel like a modern game, without losing the feeling of what makes Metroid feel so special in the first place? Let’s take a look.
Image Credit: Nintendo
Metroid Dread is a non-linear 2D action platformer. The general loop of the game is exploring the alien planet of ZDR using Samus’s various power ups in order to aid your exploration of the planet. The game sets you up with the general goal of getting back to Samus’s ship on the surface of the planet. I liked this touch because it gave me a general direction to head towards without telling me how to do it.
I actually feel like this game is pretty good at giving you an idea of where to go, without ever having to resort to sticking a goal marker on the map, or a neon trail. Everytime I obtained a new power I had an idea of at least two or three spots to go and try to move forward at. More often than not, at least one of those couple of spots I would go and try would flow into the next upgrade, or boss, or switch to hit. I did get lost a couple of times, but I feel like they were on me for just failing to be observant. For example there was definitely a door in the third area that I just neglected to walk through, and lo and behold, it had the switch I had been running around trying to find for the past fifteen minutes.
There are a couple of modern quality of life touches to the exploration that are rather helpful. First of all, anytime you come across a door or path that is blocked. It gets marked on the map. The map will also tell you what you need to unlock the door if you have the corresponding upgrade with you. So for example if I need the charge beam to open the door it will say “Charge beam door” on the map. If you don’t have the required item, the map will just mark it as “????”
The map also keeps track of any upgrades such as missile tanks and energy packs that you might see in the room but can’t quite get at first. It also specifies when you’ve obtained any of these items. On top of that the minimap will also make part of the area blink if there is still a secret to be found. So it promotes looking around to the full extent of your abilities. And speaking of abilities, Samus controls impeccably in this game. The jumping feels less floaty than it did previously, the slide maneuver is great for dodging under projectiles while still getting shots in, if you stop to aim there’s full 360 degree motion, and the melee counter is quite satisfying to pull off. The game also generously starts you off with 15 missiles. And that’s just the core abilities that the game starts you off with, the game also contains most of the series hallmarks one would expect. Every power up feels like it opens up new options, not just with how to progress through the depths of ZDR, but also how you can handle the combat.
Something I really appreciated was how much more intuitive it was to access this ever expanding arsenal, compared to how I cycled through power ups in Super Metroid. I’ll give you an example: If Super Metroid had a room where I needed to grapple beam my way to a door that was blocked by a Super Missile cover, I would have to push the button to hotswap the equipment two or three times. In Dread, however, missile upgrades stack on themselves similar to how the beam upgrades do, and any upgrade that is more movement centric has its own dedicated input. To be fair, the game does make use of most of the controller’s real estate, so it can become a lot to remember later in the game, but once you have everything down anything you’ll ever need is only one button press away instead of several.
One major new addition to the flow of the game in Dread is the introduction of the E.M.M.I robots. They are pursuit enemies that patrol specific designated zones, detect Samus via echolocation, and if they manage to grab you, kill you in one shot. You do eventually obtain the means to defeat the E.M.M.I droids. Each Emmi zone has a miniboss somewhere in it that will reward you with the temporary use of what they call the Omega Beam, which is the only thing in the game capable of destroying them.
Image Credit: Nintendo
I think these sections are designed pretty solidly. Because the way to kill the Emmi’s is located somewhere in the zones they patrol, the game becomes a very tense round of cat and mouse where you have to cautiously navigate the area in order to permanently deal with the threat. If you do get killed by an Emmi, you are sent back just outside of the danger zone which I feel like does a good job at mitigating the frustrations that I may have been feeling if I had to run all the way back from a save station. The game gives you an upgrade to help avoid detection as well, but for me, the pendulum swung the other direction when I managed to consistently pull off the parry for when they grab you. The first time I managed to do it, I felt powerful. The twentieth time I managed to do it, I still felt powerful.
Learning how to counter the Emmis completely shifted the dynamic from a tense game of cat and mouse to something more akin to an adrenaline fueled joust. I almost welcomed being detected and I certainly became more brazzen about how I was navigating the areas. The tension didn’t completely evaporate though, even after I was able to consistently pull off the counter, there were still plenty of times that the EMMI managed to kill me. It was just much more exciting because my survival was more directly influenced by my own skill.
The boss fights in this game are pretty solid. With maybe the exception of one that I didn’t really care for. They all follow the classic approach of: Learn their pattern, probably die a couple of times while you are figuring out said pattern, and then once you’ve got their pattern down its smooth sailing. Similar to the E.M.M.I’s dying to a boss sets you outside of their room rather than back to a save station. Which again is really nice because it prevented me from being discouraged by any third phase deaths where I screwed up what was probably the final sequence of the battle.
One of my favorite aspects of these boss battles was the implementation of the melee counter. Countering specific moves from a boss will enter what they call a grab sequence, which is not quite a quick time event. The animation will play out regardless of your input, but what you do get to control is the frequency that Samus is shooting as well as her choice of projectile. Much like countering the EMMIs, these sequences made me feel powerful, and they were implemented in away that I was able to enjoy the presentation of the sequence, while also feeling like I still had a level of involvement in the fight.
Image Credit: Nintendo
The setup for Metroid Dread is that one of the X parasites from the previous game escaped destruction and made its way to planet ZDR. When the Galactic Federation got wind of the survival of the X they sent the Emmi robots to scout the planet but the droids never came back. After the Emmis don’t report back Samus is sent in to investigate since she has an immunity to the parasites.
For most of the game, much of the story is presented through the atmosphere and exploring the many different environments of Planet ZDR. One solid example of the environmental story telling on display is in the first couple zones. Much of the first two areas is centered around redirecting a series of thermal ducts to open passages forward. This serves not only as a diegetic way to proceed, but it also presents you with the notion that the planet must be pretty cold naturally, if the heat has to be harnessed and regulated to such an extent. There’s also plenty of instances of bosses being foreshadowed in the background of the levels before you encounter them.
That’s not to say that there aren’t beats that happen outside of gameplay but they are used sparingly and feel like pretty big moments when they do happen. The game is actually paced pretty spectacularly. The slow build up of intensity during the last couple of hours in particular led to some rather exciting moments. And that’s coming from someone who has only played one other entry. I can only imagine how hardcore fans of the series must have felt.
One of the best things that the game has going for it is how well animated it is. The detail in how the Emmi’s move or some of the bosses is remarkable. But the true star of the animation is Samus herself. In gameplay there are really cool details like her reaching her arm out to balance herself against a wall if you are hanging on one of the magnetic rails. The cinematics do a great job of conveying everything she might be feeling as well. Whether its seeing the arrival of one of the bosses and being completely unimpressed, relaxing for a moment to take a breather, or even moments of desperation towards the end, it is all conveyed in a manner that gets the point across perfectly.
Image Credit: Nintendo
Summary
Metroid Dread is a must play for fans of the genre. It manages to bring modern sensibilities to the controls and quality of life adjustments while still maintaining the lonely atmosphere and sense of exploration that the series is known for. The final act of the game felt like a great culmination of everything I’d been building towards from the start, and the conclusion made good on the payoff in spades.If you don’t like Metroidvania styled games, this probably won’t be the one to change your mind, but if you do then Metroid Dread is one of the best the genre has to offer.