Metroid Dread
Well it took long enough
Metroid has a long history, while its first two games were well received, it was the third game in the series “Super Metroid” that set a standard going forward. So much, so that it even created a whole genre in video games as Castlevania took inspiration from it with Symphony of the Night. The director dubbed the game “Metroidvania” a combo of the two games, he was not wrong either, and for a while anyway. It seemed as though Castlevania had picked up on the open-world style gameplay Metroid inspired, just with a gothic fantasy setting instead of a horror-based science-fiction one.
The next game in the series did not appear until 2002, eight years after Super Metroid's release, we finally got only one but two games. One was a sequel, and one was a prequel to Super Metroid though the second was more because of where it dropped in story order. Metroid Fusion continued the traditional 2d gameplay style, while Metroid Prime entered the world of 3d with a first-person-based experience. As we have moved on we have gotten more Metroid games since, but today we are going to look at the next game in the timeline post Fusion: Metroid Dread.
The Stats:
Writers note: due to the game being picked up years ago I will be going by current pricing if you bought it today.
Bought at: A Gamestop
Paid: 59.99 (found on Gamestop’s website)
Played: Finished the game twice
TL:DR: A strong modern take on the formula, more open-ended in exploration, and just a solid game from start to finish
.Metroid Dread has a lot to live up to, all games in this series post Super Metroid are going to be compared to it. Is it fair, that is a little loaded in the sense that yes it can be if it is a later game, but also not especially if it is a remake of a game before it. Still, a standard was set and we as people will always measure anything against something.
I feel like every Metroid game since then has had a problem with the “Employee of the Month” syndrome, in that how can they even compare to it? That’s the way it is sometimes folks, anyway let’s start with what works on its own before we compare, shall we?
Gameplay:
The gameplay here is typical of the series, you move Samus around and shoot, jump, and angle your shots praying you get the position right. Though as of the remake of Metroid II (Samus Returns), Samus is now able to do a full 360 rotation with her arm cannon. Holding down a button and moving the joystick stops you in your tracks. However, it opens up precision aiming, so you can hit targets at odd angles or aim your grapple beam at something at just as odd of an angle.
Samus is also now much more agile than she was in the earlier games, as there is a button dedicated to sliding/parkour style movements, while it may seem simple I have to say movement you do pick up a lot of speed and kind of makes more sense then rolling 2 ft in a ball to just slide through the 2 feet and get back to blasting. It is a subtle but welcome change to the pace and speed of the game.
You also get some new abilities in the Aeon energy department, among them a spiffy little dash move that allows you to dodge around some things or get out of the way at the last minute of an attack. It is a small but useful tool that makes the combat take on much faster encounters once you get it and learn how to use it effectively. Another ability allows you to engage in a stealth mode that depletes your meter, moving during it depletes it faster, but staying still you’ll find no issues keeping the energy and not having to tap into your actual life force.
Among the new parts are E.M.M.I encounter, these are in areas that are isolated and become a game of cat and mouse. While they can be tense, as time moved on, I found the encounters to be more of a frustration than an actual scare. While they try to mix up some of the gameplay in these scenarios they do not do enough to change the dynamic too much. It is a shame cause it is clear they were trying to replicate/expand on the SA-X encounters from Fusion. The only problem is I think they went to the well a few times too many, and while the SA-X encounters could be annoying the tension was always felt. When you mess up in these it slowly becomes more and more of a chore on the list instead of an intense encounter.
There are items to pick up and while it is a core of the Metroid mechanics I felt like finding these times not nearly as revelatory as it was in other games, it felt once more like a checklist instead of finding that key to the puzzle you were looking for. I think another annoyance and this is more because of being a legacy Metroid player, was the morph ball and bombs took a while to get to, did it spice up some of the routine? Maybe a little but I felt more like a “I should have this by now” instead of a shaking of the formula. The last part is kind of a nitpick but I felt it needed addressed.
Also returning from the Metroid 2 remake is the counterattack move, a flash from an enemy will signal, timed to hit a button, and successfully hitting them will allow an easy kill and much more resourced being rewarded from the encounter. This can also be done while running adding to the speed of combat. Many boss encounters use these as openings to trigger cinematic scenes where you just mash the fire button and try and exploit the time as much as you can. Or you don’t you’re in control of the damage output of these which when you first play it, you may not realize it and waste opportunity. I don’t see this as a knock but more a learning curve that is cleverly hidden. Most people will just watch the scene play out not realizing they have to do something also.
Graphics:
Okay, it is on the Switch, not exactly a powerhouse but credit where credit is due. This game looks pretty damn good if nothing else whoever did the redo on Samus’s fusion suit post-Fusion needs a pay raise. It keeps the organic appearance but adds just enough tech we’re used to seeing in science fiction that it works. It also when you start looks more like a held by duct tape style suit than the sleek corvette a power suit is supposed to be. The planet of ZDR itself is also always teaming with life on its fringe areas in a way that makes it feel truly like a lived-on planet with various aliens. When you get into some ways the inner workings of the planet and find it is in some ways being minded from the inside out and sort of like an evil villain planet base. It works better than that description would have you think. You do see the care given to every area to have its unique style, they connect in some ways but not others.
The way the world is presented does have a sort of scope other games may of lacked (on the 2d end). Some very clever uses of perspective add to the scaling and show you just how big this planet is. It’s usually in parts where the game has no enemies, also they got clever and used the forefront and background to tease coming encounters as a target trails you or just sits around waiting. Does add some weight to those bits as you see them and know what is coming which does play to the world being against your type of vibe past Metroid games have come to be known for.
Story:
Metroid has always had a unique way of telling its tales, very rarely are they outright explained to you (perhaps with the exception of the Prime series thanks to its scanner visor). A lot of the story is told through visuals and actions done by the characters. Very, very rarely do you get a lot explained outside of an opening intro information drop. Though some games have been more narrative-heavy than others.
Where this game falls is somewhere between what I consider the most subtle (Super Metroid) and the most heavy-handed (Metroid Fusion). There is some exposition, though usually it is surprisingly quick and to the point. There are cut scenes but those I feel set a tone of ambiance rather than hold up anything. They are not long cut scenes but they do what they need to do to progress the game. There is lore drop plenty in this game so fans of the series will find nice things to connect the dots well. The ending sequence is as always cool and the changes give off a great bio-weapon vibe (that is all I will spoil but the visual is great). It does wrap things in a one-episode kind of way, but you know they will be making more as time moves on.
Final thoughts:
Metroid Dread has a lot going for it, it has picked up the habits of modern games when it comes to speed and alters them to its design, not the other way around, the world you explore is impressive as it is massive given the scope of visuals. The plot moves as it does and everything has a sense of finality to it but also just enough room to wiggle around for future plots should they want to pursue them. This is a game that carries itself on its gameplay with the story explained through minimal cut scenes and subtle visuals you see as you progress.
In many ways, it is a wonderful throwback to the old Metroid games as well as the Metroidvanias that have come afterward. Does it reach the heights of Super Metroid? No, and to its defense it is not trying to, it knows the high bar and it doesn’t have the hi-jump boots to reach it (just a double jump.) So, rather than try to hit it gets close and makes its own home accordingly. This is the best game in my mind since Super Metroid, but it will not beat it and is totally fine with hitting second place. However, it’s probably closer to the first place than most 2D Metroid games have come.
-The Chaos Director