Anyone who knows me, which isn’t too many people really, knows I’m a fan of Metroidvania titles. What first got me into the dungeon exploring genre was, I assume like many people, Metroid. More specifically Metroid Fusion on the GBA. This was an amazing time to be had and I was ready for a direct follow up! Then one didn’t come… sure we had the Prime games and Other M, but none of these scratched the 2D exploration itch I had, especially not Other M, so you can imagine my overwhelming joy when I learned that a true sequel was coming, 19 years of waiting and I finally got my hands on Metroid Dread!
To be upfront, this isn’t a review in the usual sense as I have only played about 3 hours of the game so far. This is more of a love letter to it, a chance for me to wax lyrically about how I feel towards what seems to be a perfect game for the Metroid franchise.
Fans of the series may already know that Dread has been an idea floating about in the ether for years. Various developer teams have pitched a direction for the game to Nintendo and some even had a good chance of making it, but something always seemed to happen and Dread languished in a development hell for years. Finally, Nintendo handed the reins to MercurySteam, hot off the completion of the 3DS remake of Samus Returns. MercurySteam seem to have a fantastic idea of what makes these games so special, and Dread is a perfect storm of action, intrigue and nail-biting fear.
Metroid Dread opens with power suited hero Samus Aran on a mission to investigate a video apparently showing a surviving X parasite. The X were the major threat of Metroid Fusion and were seemingly wiped out, so it’s clear Samus wants to be sure her genocide would take. After touching down on planet, Samus is attacked by a black and silver cloaked warrior who does…something? She is left battered and beaten at the bottom of the planets maze-like layout with all her abilities sapped, and she must make her way back to her ship. Progress is hindered however, by the vanguard sent ahead of her, the large robotic EMMI, 7 containment bots that are seemingly now hunting Samus and are impervious to all of her arms and can easily one shot her if given half a chance.
The EMMI areas are so far where this game really shines, heart racing terror as you do what you can to escape these mechanical menaces, desperate to find a hiding spot and if you’re lucky, a weapon that can finally end them! Luckily the EMMI are confined to certain areas, but this doesn’t mean you can avoid them, they hold some of your most important abilities, so you better believe you’ll need to get up close and personal with them now and then.
If you can draw your eyes away from the terror of combat you can enjoy the work that MercurySteam have put into the environments, with a pseudo 3D backdrop and creatures toing and froing, this world feels lived in and gigantic, even if the actual area you are in is claustrophobic. Sure I’m running for my life down a tight corridor with only one exit, but damn does that sky box behind me look amazing.
If you own a Nintendo Switch and don’t have a copy of Metroid Dread yet, it feels like you’re doing Switch ownership wrong. I’ve spent the last few hours since I stopped playing thinking about the next time I can grab the console and have another go at taking down that damn EMMI that keeps getting me, and I’m sure if you have a go yourself you will understand what I mean.