Metroid Dread (2021)

4.5/5

Metroid Dread is another fantastic entry in a legendary series. Taking place after Metroid Fusion, this is another in the classic 2d metroidvania style. With some aspects of the game being easier than prior entries, other are more difficult to really balance this game out. Even after some time sitting with this one to think, I think it pretty easily jumps into top 3 Metroid games all time for me.

I won't speak much on the story, but it's the classic Samus arrives on a planet and something happens to her which makes her lose all the items and abilities she has at the start. The story does have some nice twists and turns in it, and I'm curious to see where they take it with future entries.

The feel of the gameplay and controlling Samus may be the best of any of the Metroid games. Movement is a bit faster, with more options at your disposal. It runs incredibly smooth, not sure it ever dipped below 60 fps for the duration of my playthrough. The aspect that makes this game a bit easier than others is the exploration is a bit toned down and slightly more linear than in the past with a few zones you will travel between, sometimes needing to complete an area before you can go back to exploring. The other side of the coin is the increased difficulty in some spots. There are new enemies in this game called EMMI that are robot hunters that will track you down and can one shot kill you if they capture you and you miss the (incredibly precise) parry window. These enemies cannot be defeated until you defeat a mini boss and receive a temporary power up that can take out one of these each time. These EMMI are confined to specific areas each, but getting through these areas can be really tedious at times while you try to find the exact path you are supposed to take to advance.

If you are a fan of Metroid games, you've probably already played this. If you haven't, but are a fan of the metroidvania genre, this is a no brainer!

It's been awhile since I've played a Metroid game and, phew, this one kicked my butt.

Some good: Even amongst so many incredible indie Metroidvanias, Metroid's core design stands out. Samus rips across the screen. Even the average player will feel like they're speedrunning the game, it's great, and adds to the frantic, on edge sense felt throughout most of the game.

Speaking of, it's called Dread for a reason. This is a difficult, hostile game. Navigation feels smoother and more designed than previous entries, but everything on planet ZDR wants to eat, dissolve, spear, or otherwise kill you. The unique enemies, the EMMIs, are initially cool, though they eventually start to feel like weird puzzles that require dying over and over again until you figure out exactly where you should fight them. That is to say, they eventually bogged down the experience for me despite being interesting at first.

Meanwhile, art design and music are stellar. Each new area is freaky in its own way and monsters have a surprising amount of personality. This is probably as close to a AAA 2.5d experience as we'll ever get. Finally, the story is surprisingly good. There's not a lot, but everything there works in favor of the tone and gameplay.

It's a good time to be a Metroid fan, and if you're interested, I'd say pick this up.

finished playing this game earlier today because i have nothing else to do because i am deathly ill and will likely pass away soon. it was dece. I really liked most of the exploration and level design aspects, but the combat was kinda doodoo. a lot of the main bosses had some interesting aspects to their combat, but there were WAY too many reskins of the same boss imo. If i have to fight ONE MORE GODDAMN ROBOT BIRD WARRIOR DUO BOSS ISTFG. That being said, the best part of the game is definitely exploring the world and discovering items and finding shortcuts and all that. They definitely have the metroidvania formula down, so that was pretty fun. The EMMI robots that stalk you around the planet were definitely scary, but i wish the stakes were a bit higher with them. When you get killed by one of the EMMIs, it’s kinda stressful n scary but the player isn’t really punished that much for dying. Art direction was good; storyline wasn’t all that deep but i mean it’s not really a story driven game so who cares.

This game certainly earns a 75% on the Dieter Meter. I enjoyed it👍

After falling off Samus Returns, here I am actually liking a Metroid game. 🤯

I got 57% of items, and I didn't even need to "cheat" online to progress. And much of my time was spent compulsively trying to uncover every single inch of the map (does that even get you anything?).

Not much to say, except that this was some good Metroidvania'ing. Nothing was stupidly obtuse, and the gameplay was appropriately challenging. And the Shinespark & melee mechanics didn't make me outright hate the game like some previous Metroids I've played. I did get a little tired of the Robot Chozo fights after about the 10th iteration, though.

Currently trying to beat Kraid. I found out there's a handful more bosses waiting, which has me quite excited! I'm taking my time with this game and so far the scope and pacing have been wonderful.

I googled my way out of being stuck for two times so far. No shame. I really love it when games are cryptic and have you running around figuring out secrets in order to progress.

I've started playing this a few days ago. Absolutely in love with it.

I'm only a few hours in but everything from the visual style, to the combat, the boss fights, the atmosphere, it's all so darn good.

This title reminds me of Luigi's Mansion 3, it has a similar amount of dense atmosphere, there's a richness in the flow of the game, the gameplay and the world built around it. I'm really surprised by it. It's also done by a third-party studio, like Luigi's Mansion 3.

To me, Metroid Dread is Nintendo's version of RE2Remake. It's a modern take on a classic formula. And I like it. The pacing is perfect too. Curious to see where it ends up, I also love those EMMI's, tense!

Honestly, I'm happy I ignored the game and the hype surrounding its release. To indulge in it, after all the fuss and opinions and reviews, feels great. On that note, happy to limit or neglect my time spent with social media and gaming forums/news.

Giving this a second play-through, and I thoroughly enjoyed it more than my first one. Maybe because I’ve been diving into the older Metroids and understand the series better? But I had a blast, it’s definitely one of my faves.

They nailed quality of life improvements that the series needed. The map is the best example, one of the best designed maps in Metroidvania history. I loved how the ranged attacks felt and the 2.5d style works amazingly well. Also, the shine spark puzzles were actually doable this time!

Only thing I would’ve loved is a more creative art style - i.e. the way super Metroid just pops off the screen. They played it safe, but it still offers very warm and cozy sci-fi settings.

But ya, ended up getting 100% which I never do in Metroid games - without a guide! Speaks to the level of quality of the map. Loved my time with it and can’t wait to revisit again.

Absolutely DREADful for now. This is a game from 2005 with 2017 graphics, with little to none effort in innovation and game design. It's like the development team refused to acknowledge the existence of any other metroidvania title and built everything from scratch, nothing that was fun (Hollow Knight), engaging (Iconoclasts) or challenging (Momodora) for me in other titles can be found here. Here's everything I have a problem with:

• Every map is always abruptly cut in two by some bullshit closed thermal door, forcing you to go all around the map or don't go there at all (castrating the feeling of exploration), just to make fun of you a couple hours later with a shortcut opened with a new powerup that save you 20 seconds and nothing else (e.g. some grapple beam blocks)
• Combat design is really unbalanced, with the possibility to gain so much maximum health that after some hours of gameplay you just ignore enemies and damage boost through the map and half the bosses getting nullified by simply pressing A to dash over their heads.
• The powerups are so boring I could get asleep after two full cups of coffee, the dash was the only really good one. Everything is just a recycled movement upgrade from past titles or a simple firepower upgrade: "Uh wow now the lasers I shoot are green, what a fantastic game". Also, there's very little incentive to explore, since the ONLY reward you'll ever get for finding a secret is a missile tank upgrade.
• Lastly, probably the most irritating part: the so-called "Metroid Moments". After 35 fucking years, nobody has told Sakamoto that breakable blocks not distinguishable in-game or in the map from every other tile is the worst idea for a 2D game, especially if it's vital for story progression. I got stuck so many times and had to seek help because "Oh look, this single block below the missile tank can be broken with a morph bomb with absolutely no clue other than the proximity with another piece of map, which happens half the fucking time with no breakable blocks whatsoever because we needed to stretch the game to more than 10 hours so you have to go around 2 areas to make 10 meters."

Other that that, movement is really smooth and two bossfight were really neat, even if the design is always a bit uninspired. Only a very good ending/endgame can save this game and push it to a 3/5, otherwise it's a 2/5.

Very good, but in context of all the hype and massive unquestioned praise this game has been getting, I more-so just want to say: good. Like it's not groundbreaking in any regard. It's a very by-the-books Metroid game (which makes it naturally very good). I would argue that time has made that both a good thing and an underwhelming thing. It's good because it's been so long to the point where we've felt like this day would never come -- a new 2D Metroid game that is comparable to its predecessors??? But since it's been like 20 years since we've seen this, I'd argue we've been "spoiled" with so many great indie games that have more-or-less found perfection with this type of game. There's been so many good "Metroid" games, that the only BIG appeal that this game has for me is if I pretend I'm playing this as a 10yo on my Gamecube (which I did pretend, and that greatly helps).

But even if I compare it to its predecessors, there's still a couple glaring issues I have with it:

• uninspired music
• unmemorable map/art/graphical style
• the outer shell of this game is casualized, while the game still holds a philosophy of precision and intention (i.e. doing shinespark on an analog stick; the 3d can obscure grid-information)
• there's little weight to dying, considering there's a common auto-save before and after big events (this removes any tension of getting to save rooms, meaning I don't think I ever went out of my way to intentionally save, encouraging a more mindless experience)

It's weird actually. I feel like 2D Metroid was made for limitations -- a small resolution, only a few buttons, a crusty soundchip (so the main focus for the composer would have to be to make something memorable to outweigh the crustiness)

I feel like there's nothing that should've stopped Nintendo from making a new pixelart Metroid game, with faux-limitations. I think that would've helped make this actually feel like a real sequel, rather than just a ... idk what to call what this felt like. But I don't hold it in the same part of my mind where I hold Metroid, Metroid 2, Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, and Metroid Zero Mission.
Maybe that's inevitable with how much time has passed, and how much older I am. idk. But all of that time naturally raises overall expectations, even though I went into this with low expectations (because of my experiences with modern Nintendo). Yeah, it was a romp -- a rollercoaster. But now that it's over, there's not much I have to say about it other than it was good. Maybe that's all that Metroid needs to be, and I should stop making it sound like I want it to be more. :p

TL;DR: A game's soundtrack can heavily influence my overall feelings of it.

Metroid Dread on toinen läpipelaamani 2D-Metroid ja viides kosketus koko pelisarjaan. Pelin atmosfääri on hyvä ja toiminta messevää, mutta sarjalle tuttu melko minimalistinen tarinankerronta jätti toivomisen varaa.

Pelisuunnittelu on yksi parhaimmista 2D-peleissä ja se hienosti ohjaa hienovaraisesti eteenpäin pitämättä kuitenkaan kädestä kiinni. Itselläni ei ollut oikein koskaan sellaista tilannetta etten olisi tiennyt mihin seuraavaksi pitäisi mennä. Uusia kykyjä tulee hyvää tahtia ja peli etenee kokoajan junan lailla etiäpäin. Rytmitys toimikin hienosti ekat kaksi kolmasosaa, mutta pelin loppupuoliskolla rytmityksessä oli suuria ongelmia. Salareittien löytäminen on monelle varmasti tämän pelin suola, mutta itselläni suurimmat ongelmat etenemisen kannalta oli hölmöt kohdat, joissa piti löytää vain oikea palikka seinästä tai lattiasta, joka tuhoutuu oikealla välineellä. Oikean palikan löytymisestä ei suuria riemunkiljahduksia tullut. Tietyllä tavalla laiskaakin pelisuunnittelua vaikkakin, kaikissa näissä kohdissa eteneminen oli rajattu kohtuu pieneen alueeseen. Tämän vuoksi kyllä se oikea palikka sieltä aina löytyi ilman läpipeluuohjeita.

Itselleni bossit tuottivat hyvin suuria vaikeuksia vaikkei bossit ilmeisesti lopulta mitään kovin ihmeellisiä olleet yleisen mielipiteen perusteella. Pelkästään loppubossia hinkkasin 5 tuntia, jonka jälkeen olin vain totaalisen ärsyyntynyt koko peliin. Ehkä saan syyttää siitä vain omaa 2D-pelaamisen vähyyttä ja nakkisormia. Vaikka bossit olivat vaikeita, itseäni jäi ihmetyttämään se, miksei niiden läpipääsystä tullut samanlaisia onnistumisen fiiliksiä, kuin esimerkiksi Dark Soulsin vastaavista kokemuksista. Ehkä syynä oli bossien tietynlainen puzzlemaisuus ja kokemus siitä, että vaikka kuolema korjaa, käytännössä jokainen uudelleen yritys vei entistä pidemmälle bossitappelussa. Lopulta se voitto vaan tulee sieltä vaikka väkisin.

Maailma kaikkine eri kulkumuotoineen oli välillä todella sekava ja hieman ehkä irtaannutti maailmasta. Selkeät, korkeintaan muutamat siirtymiset seuraaville alueille olisivat riittäneet, ja pelissä mukana olevia teleportteja ei oltaisi tarvittu sekoittamaan pakkaa.

Peli on hyvin hiottu kokonaisuus ja monelle tämän genren ystävälle varmasti kokemisen arvoinen peli. Kuitenkaan tämä ei nouse ainakaan omalla listalla Switch-pelien parhaimmistoon Zelda Breath of the Wildin tai Super Mario Odysseyn rinnalle. Peli on hyvää peruskeskitasoa, ei huono, muttei mitenkään tajunnanräjäyttävä kokemus.

3/5 Hyvä

Edellisestä uudesta 2D Metroidista on aikaa lie kuinka paljon. Tänä vuonna Nintendo kuitenkin sadatti mannaa taivaalta Metroid-fanien laariin julkaisemalla viisitoista vuotta huhumyllyssä pyörineen Metroid Dreadin. Ja tämä manna oli ainakin itselle makoisaa.

Metroid Dread toimii muuten hyvin samalla tapaa kuin 2D-edeltäjänsä: pelaaja ohjaa Samusta läpi sokkeloisen kartan etsimässä uusia kykyjä uusille alueille pääsemiseen ja vihollisten kurmottamiseen. Tällä kertaa kuitenkin liikkuvuuteen ja pelattavuuteen on tuotu älyttömät määrät sulavuutta ja sutjakkuutta. Pelin loppupuolella mieleeni tuli jopa Doom Eternal pelin movesetin, tahdin ja haasteen puolesta. Samuun ohjaaminen ja pelin vastaan heittämien haasteiden selvittäminen on yksinkertaisesti hiton hauskaa. Ja haastetta on Nintendo-peliksi yllättävän paljon. Eikä pelin laatu rajoitu pelkästään pelattavuuteen, vaan muita plussia ovat pelin siisti ulkoasu ja sulava performanssi sekä huolellinen karttasuunnittelu, jossa uudet kyvyt ja eteneminen on sidottu hienosti yhteen.

Yleiseltä pelisuunnitelultaan Metroid Dread uskoo pelaajan aivotoimintaan – niin hyvässä kuin pahassa. Kättä ei pidellä oikeastaan lainkaan, suuntaa ei juuri anneta ja joskus etenemisen kannalta pakolliset jutut ovat hieman liian hyvin piilotettuja. Tämä on tietenkin varsin perinteinen metroidmainen lähestymistapa, mutta välillä sitä koki olevansa hieman liian hukassa. Lisäksi pelin lyhyenkin keston aikana on sorruttu kierrättämään samoja väliloppareita melko paljon. Tämä on valitettavaa, mutta ei loppujen lopuksi hirveän iso synti, sillä näin hyvä pelattavuus tekee toisteisistakin matseista hauskoja.

Kauhufanina olisin toivonut peliltä hieman painostavampaa tunnelmaa. Pelin trailerit ja previkat antoivat ymmärtää tälläistä olevan tulossa, mutta lopputulos on mielessäni enemmänkin nopeatempoinen toimintapeli kuin tunnelmallinen selviytymistaistelu vierasta ympäristöä vastaan. Paikkansa tietenkin kummallakin. Tässä pelissä tunnelmaa olisi kuitenkin voitu lisätä mieleenpainuvammalla äänisuunnittelulla, kiinnostavammilla perusvihujen designeilla sekä etenkin peliympäristöä hyödyntävällä tarinankerronnalla. Muutamissa kohdissa tätä tapahtuukin, esim. kun alueiden taustalla näkyy liikkuvan myöhemmin vastaan tulevia vihollisia, mutta enempikin olisi kelvannut.

Kokonaisuutena Metroid Dread on hyvin vahva ja hauska kokonaisuus, joka vahvistaa Switchin klassikkokattausta entisestään. Toivottavasti tämä ei ole viimeinen kerta, kun näemme 2D-Metroidia, sillä tämäntapaista paluuta on odotettu.

PROS

• Speedy movement and satisfying controls
• Highly rewarding exploration due to a plethora of upgrades and secrets to uncover
• Fun and challenging boss fights
• Organic structure and lack of hand-holding make progression feel meaningful

CONS

• Thematically nonsensical mechanics hurt immersion, seriously what is the difference between a Missile Block and a Power Bomb Block in the context of the game world?
• Lacks the lonely atmosphere that makes the best Metroid games so special
• Disappointingly forgettable music
• Some of the speed booster puzzles are a total pain in the ass