Metroid Dread Review

 (Originally published to Glitchwave on 7/24/2024)

[Image from glitchwave.com]

Metroid Dread

Developer: MercurySteam

Publisher: Nintendo

Genre(s): Metroidvania

Platforms: Switch

Release Date: October 8, 2021

Ready for the second Metroid renaissance? I’m so excited that I can hardly contain myself. I never thought Nintendo’s seminal science-fiction IP would return again to grace the screens of modern gaming because the series received a serious beating for ten years up to the release of Metroid Dread in 2021. The third-person experiment that was Metroid: Other M resulted in the first dud of the Metroid franchise, embarrassing the fans enough to the point where they’ve concocted a series of loopholes to remove it from the series canon like its equivalent to the abhorrence of the Mario and Zelda titles on the CD-I. Metroid: Federation Force released soon after in 2016 was disjointed enough to the point where erasing it from the public consciousness was plausible, for a futuristic footy game where Samus wasn’t even present hardly resembled anything pertaining to Metroid in the slightest (damn you, Rocket League!). The widely anticipated fourth Metroid Prime game was unveiled at E3 in 2017, but the lack of tangible proof of production in what was essentially boiled down to a banner didn’t exactly inspire confidence that Metroid was undergoing a resurrection process. The deafening silence after this reveal (until only a month before writing this) dawned on fans that Nintendo had cruelly teased them and that Metroid was still lying in limbo with several of the company’s once prosperous, but now pruned and dormant IPs. The rocky recent history regarding Metroid is exactly why announcing Metroid Dread was a sonorous ring in the collective eardrums of every Metroid fan who had become accustomed to being fed disappointment for over a decade. We probably would’ve been content with any morsel of content to hold us over before our bated breath for the fourth Metroid Prime game totally turned sour, but Metroid Dread supersedes the initial novelty lark of a surprise comeback for the series.

So if we were to believe that a fourth Metroid Prime game was still a developing sunrise over yonder horizon, albeit peering over at a crushing snail’s pace, is Metroid Dread a prologue sampler? Does it establish the conflict of the fourth Prime game, taking the weight of the expositional load off to facilitate a smoother start for the main course? Despite Metroid Dread’s sudden existence in the midst of the Metroid Prime 4 enticement, it is not related to the Prime subseries in the slightest much less its understudy assistant. Longer deferred than a general Metroid title, on the whole, is an entry in the series from the 2D perspective, a distinction that was made when Metroid Fusion was released in tandem with the series’ 3D debut of Metroid Prime on the same exact day. Unlike the two sequels that stemmed from Metroid’s triumphant leap to polygons, Metroid Fusion was the last title to be rendered in the classic, claustrophobic X-axis, the two remakes of the first couple of Metroid games withstanding. Since the time in gaming when the third dimension was perceived as a binding feat of evolution during Metroid Fusion’s release date, 2D games became chic thanks to the burgeoning indie circle, and then this newfound admiration progressed to the point where they now share an equal billing as a legitimate way to develop a game in the modern landscape of the medium. 2D Metroid is back on the menu after getting the impression it was technically discontinued, and an original title with this classification is something the series desperately needed far more than another 3D Prime game.

Another 2D Metroid game connotes that Metroid Fusion is no longer as distinctive a Metroid title as it was for almost two decades, especially since the events of Metroid Dread take place in a sequential order to its immediate predecessors, unlike the Prime games that fractured the series order almost to the degree of Zelda’s asymmetrical timeline splicing. If one can recall from so long ago, Fusion introduced a terrifying new menace to Metroid’s galactic universe called the X: amorphous, floating jelly globs of varying colors that use their advantageous lack of a solid biological substratum to adulterate their prey’s biology and turn them into malevolent, zombified puppets. A distress signal conveys that X activity is rampant on the planet of ZDR, and a strange assailant duly bombards Samus upon arriving at the distant world’s surface. This hostile aggressor is particularly interesting because they seem to be a member of the ancient Chozo race, Samus’s surrogate parental guardians and teachers in the art of advanced physical dexterity to survive the harsh conditions of interplanetary traversal. This transgression is equally as puzzling as it is appalling for Samus, as the storied benevolence of these scientific space birds has lulled Samus into a profound trust that she never thought would be broken. As it is, the paralyzing light this rogue Chozo blasts Samus’s visor with incapacitates our hero, eventually stirring awake to find that this blinding beam is yet another casualty that strips her of her eclectic array of gizmos. The recovery plot catalyst is still a Metroid standby, but the mystery behind why this particular attacker chose to act uncharacteristically and slight Samus as they did adds a unique hint of intrigue that we are eager to unravel as she recovers her misplaced arsenal.

I think I’m going to stop dedicating a paragraph to the visuals of any triple-A game of the current console generation and most likely all future eras of gaming moving forward. It goes without saying that the medium has reached an impressive graphical proficiency that will at least ensure a standard of realistic competency expected in this comfortable day and age of gaming’s technical evolution. Yes, Metroid Dread looks as phenomenally clean as any of the games that share its release year, but I must dwell on the finer details of its visual sheen to compare it to all of its 2D predecessors. Actually, despite the 2D correlation Metroid Dread has with the earlier games of the franchise, this kinship only extends to the shared X-axis restriction. Metroid Dread’s graphics are just as rounded and polygonal as the ones seen from Samus’ first-person view in the 3D Metroid Prime titles, arguably even more so due to the superior, high-definition hardware compared to that of either the Gamecube or the Wii. Because pixels and the two-dimensional perspective are now interchangeable, Metroid Dread greatly surpasses the visuals of its spatially reserved peers on a purely objective scale. However, one can still debate whether or not Dread’s polish makes it definitively the most appealing, especially since we have the psychedelic-tinged blotchiness of Metroid Fusion as a direct comparison. I mentioned that Metroid Dread’s visuals had an efficient sense of cleanliness, but the extent of this hyper-modern gloss practically sterilizes the game like a surgeon washing his gloves before he makes his first incision on his patient lying unconscious on the operating table. This comparison isn’t an indictment of modern industry-standard graphics sucking the personality out of the graphics, for the sterility gives ZDR a cold uncanniness fitting for a series that thrives in uncomfortable settings. I still prefer the wild visual choices that Metroid Fusion made, however. Metroid Dread’s modernity also allows the game to be riddled with cutscenes, triggering to signify a significant moment occurring or to exposit long swathes of narrative information. I wish a cinematic scene didn’t commence at the rate of what feels like every other new door opening, but maybe the previous 2D Metroid games constantly stopped the gameplay at every slightly notable moment and the presentation was too primitive for me to notice.

For as eerily pristine as displayed by the graphics, ZDR is another Metroid world with a plethora of uncomfortably alien districts that are distinct from one another. In a twist of fate, the journey through ZDR is a reversal of the typical rabbit hole plunge that Samus always undergoes when exploring uncharted territory. The blackout she experienced has teleported her to the lowest trenches of ZDR’s crust, and another overarching objective intertwined in Metroid Dread’s narrative is reuniting with Samus’ trademark gunship that is idly sitting at the planet’s surface awaiting its pilot. As a result of flipping the progression, the most uninhabitable environments are ironically the most manageable from a difficulty standpoint. Whether it be the environments of the sunken laboratory submerged in the planet’s roaring, oceanic waters in Burenia or the molten, Norfair-esque lava currents of Cataris, the two polar areas could neither be found directly underneath the parking spot of Samus’ ship at the start of Super Metroid. As Samus ascends up ZDR’s crust, she’ll find herself in the lush, sunlit forest of Ghavoran, which is located adjacent to the now-vacant palace in the Ferenia district. The former area’s greenery connotes that surface light provides naturalistic nutrients to maintain its healthy glow, and the latter suggests that the geographical spot was ideal enough to support a living, breathing civilization. While these assumedly innocuous biomes should reasonably be the ones Samus begins her journey on, the developers realize the compromise of the natural difficulty curve and supplement it with a twist. On the compact wreckage of Elun, the X scourge is released onto the world, and the viral blobs are freed to drift around infecting the enemies near ZDR’s surface. Once an enemy's biology is adulterated by the parasite, it spontaneously evolves into something slightly more formidable. For example, the bulky reddish-pink enemy that resembles a quadrupedal crab enlarges and gains protective armor with the X’s biological enhancements. An enemy that can be subdued in a flash with proper timing suddenly transforms into the equivalent of fighting a hippopotamus coated in a shell. Remembering that the X is a relevant threat after jumping around the Metroid chronology like Dr. Who saves what could’ve been a sharp decline in the tension and danger achieved by descending a Metroid map in the normal, opposite direction.

Whether or not climbing to the surface of ZDR as opposed to digging deeper emulates the intended effect of…dare I say, “dread,” Metroid Dread intersperses some corridors detached from their surrounding areas that are sure to generate some seriously perturbing feelings relating to the titular sensation. In the majority of ZDR’s districts, Samus will encounter doors shrouded in a mess of gray, digital pixels that lead to the lair of the EMMI, aka the “Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifiers”. These cybernetic androids were designed by the Galactic Federation as X hunters whose artificial biological constructs give them a defensive advantage over their prey’s organic-life-altering properties. Because their robotic anatomy was initially perceived as a surefire victory against the X, it's quite distressing that the Federation hasn’t heard sight nor sound of them since they traveled to ZDR to enact their annihilation mission. It's especially a cause for alarm when one of the EMMI hunts Samus with the murderous viciousness that was intended to be reserved for the X. Samus’ allies are now another deadly hazard to overcome in surviving ZDR’s uncaring alien world, and stepping into their domains en route to somewhere else on the map will put Samus at high risk of meeting her demise. Before an EMMI crawls its way over to Samus’ location, the insular domicile each EMMI resides in will still resonate strongly agitated and fearful emotions within the player. I cannot confirm whether these shiny automatons prefer cold environments to warm ones, especially since we can discern the game’s definition of frigid when Artaria freezes over later in the game. Still, the wispy mist permeating off the bleach-white hallways seen through a flickering graphical lens that looks like an old film reel is off-putting enough that the chilled sensation likely stems from that internal, psychological feeling where the hairs on one's neck stand up like radio antennae. When an Emmi signifies its presence with its chirping radar, Samus better run like the fucking wind if she’s caught in the radius of the EMMI’s scanning line of sight. If it catches up to her, the needle protruding from its ocular unit will impale Samus right through her heart, and it’s game over for our favorite female bounty hunter…literally. The Federation ostensibly prioritized the production of the EMMI as their highest budgetary expense for this fiscal year because these robots have been crafted with the most durable materials in the galaxy and therefore cannot be penetrated by any of Samus’ regular firepower. The only means of disposing of the Federation’s latest mistakes is to find the central unit in the EMMI domain that houses a giant, gooey eyeball, whose laser and fire ring defenses are reminiscent of another enlarged part of anatomy from the Metroid archives. Extracting the essence from the eyeball’s remains at its defeat will grant Samus the “omega blaster,” a transitory superweapon that gives Samus’ arm cannon enough power to shoot the EMMI dead in their tracks, provided she measures a safe distance between her and the oncoming EMMI to charge the blast and melt its headplate off with the burning succession of the omega short bursts. The periodic chase sequences with the SA-X in Metroid Fusion escalated the horror factor of the series with a more overt, harrowing thrill, and I’m glad that the EMMI conceptually continues these occurrences. They may not immediately elicit fear unlike the uncanniness of the SA-X, but the unnatural way they contort their dexterous bodies mixed with their menacing determinism to execute Samus like a bloodthirsty chupacabra kills a goat will make every player’s pulse pump like a rhythmic club beat.

The EMMI may also induce anxiety in the player because of the strict penalty of an automatic “game over” that occurs if they fail to elude them. To their relief, Samus spawns outside the entrance of the portal door instead of reverting back to the last save station in what I’d consider to be a quality-of-life enhancement. This convenience also extends to being defeated by a boss as well, so Metroid Dread is aware of every sizable challenge it offers and provides some unparalleled clemency fit for the modern gaming landscape. While the incidental checkpoint comes greatly appreciated, does this safety net extend to every other aspect of the game? Fusion’s practically mission-based progression where Samus returned to ADAM to be assigned a new objective was worryingly regimented for what is supposed to be a freeform maze of hinted progression points. Will the ever-present accessibility of the modern gaming climate render Metroid Dread as resolutely controlled as a mother holding their child’s hand to escort them to their first day of kindergarten? No, but it’s still unlikely that they’ll stumble and fall finding the way to their goal either, even if they’re not a Metroid veteran such as myself who expects hidden cracks in the walls and other classic hindrances of the sort. Metroid Dread’s level design is more akin to the non-linear progression of Super Metroid, or at least it is on paper. I’ve always stated that common sense is essential to navigating through a Metroid game, and Metroid Dread generously rewards the player with every hint of observational insight no matter how meager. Besides revisiting ground that was unreachable before, a spot to use the newly acquired power-up will often be present immediately outside the initial place where it was discovered, and blowing open the once-blocked avenue will directly lead the player to the next significant milestone without any real obtrusive roadblocks. While this often one-way progression trajectory dilutes the explorative sense of getting lost that previous 2D Metroid games exuded, I still commend this streamlined effort because it still exemplifies the Metroidvania design philosophy at its core. The only instances where this ease of progression is bothersome is when the game doesn’t trust the player to continue down the “correct” path, even if the diversion is due to the player wishing to collect upgrades instead of cluelessness. In one instance of this, why would debris be magically obstructing the previous teleportation vessel if it wasn’t a not-so-subtle, shoehorned suggestion from the developers to keep moving forward? Need I remind them what game this is?

The smooth zigzagging around ZDR is likely to be a constant in Metroid Dread because there are several of Samus’ upgrades to reobtain and immediately use to further her expedition through the planet. One admirable technical advancement that Fusion implemented was organizing Samus’ inventory which only grew more congested as the series kept integrating new tools. If merely shuffling a couple of times through Samus’ inventory to land on the right weapon was revolutionary, imagine my surprise when Metroid Dread requires zero back trigger button presses to access any of these abilities. Each beam upgrade replaces the weaker one, and the types of missiles are separated by different methods of pressing the same button. The standard missile (which permanently becomes the super missile with ice properties attached after a certain point) is engaged by a quick tap while holding down the same button will launch the ”storm missiles:” a barrage of rockets with precision targeting. The same one-button method is conducted in ball form to plop three types of explosives out of Samus’ rolled-up suit: the piddly little morph ball bombs to crack open eroded slabs of earth, the cross bomb to destroy a line of these blocks and propel Samus in ball form, and then the ultra-massive, screen-clearing explosion of the powerbomb triggered the same way as the storm missiles. The classic hook line grapple beam is a comfortable alternate button combination, and magnetizing Samus to specific walls with the “spider magnet” while she’s in her standard bipedal form makes her far less vulnerable. Other controller buttons on the Switch are dedicated to the slew of items newly introduced in Metroid Dread. A meter located below Samus’ collective energy tanks fosters the exhaustible use of both the phantom cloak and the flash shift boost. One shadows Samus to total invisibility, which is absolutely essential in thwarting the suspicions of the EMMI, while the other is a lightning-fast dash needed to pass through the closing doors with sensor detection. The parry move that Metroid II’s 3DS remake introduced should constitute a mechanic as fresh as the two listed directly before, for reworking its mechanics to improve the awkward, stationary swipe it was has produced something a thousand times more fluid and agreeable. The player hardly needs the extra health incentive to execute this swift, timely maneuver because accurately hitting the oncoming enemy and dazing it feels like its own reward.

The parry, along with the flash shift, is also crucial for Metroid Dread’s various boss encounters. While a checkpoint will be instituted to alleviate some of the stress in fighting these gargantuan extraterrestrials, the crop of bosses here has so many unexpected tactics up their proverbial sleeves that the player will likely be rewound back to the entrance numerous times. The grotesque, slug scorpion Corpius will attempt to skewer Samus with his hooked tail, and the aquatic behemoth Drogyga will similarly try to smack Samus with its thorny tentacles. The indescribably hideous creature that is draining the warmth from Artaria, aptly just referred to as the indeterminate “Experiment No. Z-57,” unleashes such a vast array of attacks that it's quite challenging to anticipate and evade. I’m not going to question why the bloated space demon Kraid returns as a titanic foe for Samus to conquer or how he situated himself in a commodious pool of lava on this planet because this two-phased encounter is the finest among all of the duels between these two persisting rivals. In fact, the exemplary quality of Kraid’s newest encounter extends to every other boss in the game because they all follow the same engaging sequence. Each boss features two or three phases that jumble up the attack variation. Learning how to expertly dodge everything they dish out fills me with a sense of pride, whereas the previous 2D Metroid games felt as if I was channeling a higher damage output than their input like a tug-of-war match. Adding to this gratification are the parry opportunities present during every boss, and meeting the fleeting glimmer icon at the exact moment will grant the player an advantage they can use to pump ammunition into the beast with cinematic invulnerability. Never has a Metroid game instilled such flowing confidence in my abilities, for I mastered every boss once I became affiliated with every trick they pulled through trial and error.

But only one of these monsters has any relevance to Metroid Dread’s narrative, and that’s the initial instigator Raven Beak, the leader of the Mawkin Chozo Tribe native to ZDR. We learn the identity of this belligerent Chozo executive from his fellow tribesman Quiet Robe, who informs Samus of Raven Beak’s genocidal history and his fascination with harnessing the power of the Metroids to bring the galaxy to its knees. Unfortunately for him, any trace of the bulbous parasites has been wiped clean, except for one valuable source that Raven Beak is simply aroused at the notion of it in his vicinity: Samus herself. We all remember that Samus was imbibed with Metroid DNA in Fusion after her nearly fatal collision with the noxious X pest, which allows her to absorb the X to survive their plague. One can imagine that adulterating one’s DNA with that of a horrific creature from outer space could have seriously grizzly consequences, and the gradual presence of the Metroid’s genetic code flowing through her veins now sees Samus erupting in furious, animalistic anger when provoked by an enemy. This process was seemingly expedited by ADAM, the Federation commander who affectionately calls her “lady.” His communication AI is still secured to Samus’ ship, so whose voice is behind the one Samus has been transporting to the futuristic speakers? Once Samus gets the impression that it's Raven Beak, she blasts the AI to reveal the whereabouts of the game’s main antagonist. Instead of “lady,” Raven Beak calls Samus “daughter” to arrogantly imply that he’s the reason for her extraordinary abilities. Metroid or not, Samus destroys this foul tyrant and barely makes it back to her ship where the real ADAM rejects her upon recognizing that she’s not the same as she once was. It takes the reanimated Quiet Robe to martyr himself somehow for the sake of Samus leaving ZDR’s atmosphere. Samus has escaped, but the knowledge of her full Metroid metamorphosis suppresses the exaltation of victory and leaves an air of fretful uncertainty. Uh, is this supposed transformation strictly in the academic sense? Something isn’t adding up. Is Samus forever changed by this process, and is it going to be a concrete piece of continuity for future Metroid titles? It leaves us with some interesting possibilities, but protagonists with cloudy moral characters aren't exactly Nintendo's specialty.

If the eight-year span of time was advantageous for Fusion to flourish, then more than double that amount was particularly grand for Metroid Dread. The series has now lept a great distance into a gaming landscape so unmistakably advanced that all previous 2D Metroid titles are incomparable. Metroid Dread is exactly what a modern Metroid game should be, for all of the positive and negative aspects that come with modernity. For all of the positive aspects like the exceptional boss battles, button-based inventory, and an ambitious story (that doesn’t hit all the right notes, admittedly), I’ve been floored like no other game in the franchise has floored me before. I’m eager to see where the series will soon tread using this as an example, but I fear that the new wave of Metroid’s relevance has peaked here.