Metroid Dread impressions

A mysterious video sent to the Galactic Federation showed the seemingly extinct X parasite (see: Metroid Fusion -ed) alive and well on a distant and unexplored planet. The Galactic Federation sent seven heavily armored and adaptable drones to the planet to investigate the issue. All contact was lost. So Samus Aran, intergalactic bounty hunter and the only living being in the galaxy immune to the universe-threatening effects of the parasite (se also Metroid Fusion) is called in.

Almost immediately upon landing, Samus is overpowered by someone in a bigger, badder power suit, which either damages or removes her abilities (it might be made clear by the end of the game), and leaves her for dead at the bottom of a vast subterranean complex, with the missing E.M.M.I. drones now relentlessly stalking her.

Quite the mood, eh? Metroid Dread wants to take the tense bits of Fusion and crank them up to 11. And, in certain parts, it succeeds wildly.

One of my old wishes after playing Metroid Fusion was for a version of the game where the encounters with the SA-X weren’t scripted; I mean the first time you played the game it certainly surprised you, but subsequent playthroughs wer identical and rather broke the idea that the SA-X was stalking you through the station.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who desired more flexibility in their murderous player-hunters.

Making E.M.M.I., the horrifically contorting robotic stand-ins for the SA-X (functionally, not story-wise), completely free-roaming probably presented balance and technical issues (it very well may be this feature that stymied development for 19 years). But each one is given a large, complex territory that is much easier for them to navigate than you. They start off on a regular patrol, but will quickly arrive in your general vicinity shortly after you enter their zone. At this point, the game offers a brefi mercy by forcing them to meticulously verify your presence if you aren’t in their line of sight.

Samus has a few countermeasures. Her map includes a radar that shows E.M.M.I. territory and a flashing red dot to indicate the current location of any robots within a screen or so of Samus. Later on, a camouflage upgrade to the power suit can be used to temporarily conceal Samus from both visual and auditory sensors …but it can’t hide tactile contact. You’ll also encounter a separate miniboss room in each E.M.M.I’s territory that will award a single-use weapon capable of finally destroying them… but only after the game’s pathing has you sneak through the territory multiple times with no choice but to avoid confrontation.

And you’ll want to avoid it, for certain. Once the E.M.M.I. gives chase, not even a boatload of health will buy you a second chance. If the E.M.M.I. catches you, you’re dead. You can try to pull off a frame-perfect parry to escape (somehow, I have a 2-10 record with those so far). But you’re going to be one whiff on your platforming, or one unwitting use of the camo suit while standing in the E.M.M.I.’s patrol path away from death.

But enough about the new gameplay. Metroid Dread is the second game in the series developed by MercurySteam, so some comparisons to their work on Samus Returns is in order.

The first thing I noticed are that the controls are much improved over Samus Returns, though some might simply be attributed more to me using a Switch Pro Controller instead of a 3DS.

Map design has come a long way, introducing some thoughtful complexity rather than just stacking hallways Gordian knot-style. Though I do dislike how explicit the divisions between different areas of the game are. Everything is separated by a tram or an elevator rather than being able to burst through the edge of one area into the next. Despite not having to follow the Metroid II template, there are still parts where MercurySteam just gives up and drops in a teleporter.

The melee parry has more forgiving timing on many — but not all — enemies. Enemy behavior is also much more varied, so they all aren’t just making runs at you.

The game does pass the baseline requirement of a Metroid sequel in that it provides some new abilities for Samus and some new uses for old abilities. Once you’ve picked up a few — and you git gud — there is some really fluid and fun movement you can make all over the place. It’s really satisfying when you can get into the flow of it.

Boss fights are still waaaaaaay too long with too many phases. Successfully nailing scripted parrys to enter some QTE missile spamming is a bit more rewarding in mowing down bosses extreme amounts of health, but the aftermath of boss fights doesn’t make you feel like you accomplished something; it’s more like being worn out after puking for 5 minutes spending the last 4 wondering how many more times it’s going to happen before it’s over. What I’m trying to say is the bosses, like this paragraph, are less of a challenge and more like work.

One thing I am thankful for is that the game, like the Metroid II remake, pushes the lore forward. Which I won’t get into too much detail about to evade spoiling the fun of discovery. If there’s one thing I can rely on MercurySteam for, it’s not Other M-ing it.

From what I experienced so far, I can give Metroid Dread a strong recommendation, but it still doesn’t have the Super Metroid/Fusion/Zero Mission feel. Maybe it’s MercurySteam having a signature feel of their own, or maybe it’s just growth. Only time will tell, but I suspect MercurySteam has earned another mainline Metroid game or remake.