Fans of Nintendo’s prolific Metroid series have had a lot to be happy about with the latest release in the franchise, Metroid Dread. Metroid has been an important part of Nintendo’s legacy for more than 35 years. There have been prolonged periods of silence when it comes to Metroid, but it’s encouraging to see that Nintendo is far from finished with this classic property.
The Nintendo Switch’s Metroid Dread was one of the stand-out video games from 2021 and it’s continuing to dominate into the new year. There’s a natural compulsion to compare a new entry in a franchise to the series’ past heights and Metroid Dread is especially fortunate in this area. Not only is it one of the best games on the Switch, but there’s a strong case to be made for why it’s the greatest game in the Metroid series.
10 The Impressive Graphics And Sound Design
Metroid Dread benefits from the luxury of being the most recent title in the Metroid series. This isn’t a guarantee that it will be the most attractive and aesthetically impressive of the games in the series, but the level of artistry that’s possible with the Nintendo Switch’s hardware truly helps Metroid Dread excel. Metroid Dread both looks and sounds incredible, with the eerie and isolating sound design playing a major factor in the game’s successful level of immersion. Metroid Dread isn’t the best looking Switch game, but it finds the right balance between presentation and performance where it’s able to emphasize how gorgeous a next-gen Metroid game can be.
9 The Level Of Scale And Difficulty With Its Boss Battles
The boss battles from the Metroid series are one of the most celebrated features of the franchise. Metroid doesn’t just create tense and challenging boss fights, but these antagonists have gained a huge following outside of the Metroid series, some of which are just as popular as Samus herself. Metroid Dread truly goes for broke with its boss fights, which are more cinematic and grandiose than ever before. Each fight is a work of art and the sense of scope that’s felt when taking on bosses like Corpius, Drogyga, Escue, and Golzuna is incredible. Even classic foes like Kraid receive impressive makeovers.
8 The Expansion Of The Chozo Lore And Backstory
A lot of audiences are drawn to the Metroid series because of its fast-paced action and an emphasis on exploration, but there’s also a very deep story that’s slowly unfolded across the various games in the series. Samus’ tragic childhood where she’s taken in by the Chozo and set on the path of bounty hunter stardom has been hinted at in past Metroid games and side stories.
Metroid Dread digs especially deep into this lore and provides major revelations regarding the Chozo and their connection to Samus. These revelations will likely play a large role in whatever comes next for Metroid.
7 There Are Extremely Satisfying Upgrades And Power-Ups
Samus Aran is a highly capable and resilient bounty hunter. Samus’ abilities and arsenal are at their most sparse at the start of any Metroid game, but even then she packs a tremendous punch. The increasingly powerful upgrades and power-ups that Samus discovers on her journey is a vital part of the Metroid experience. Old abilities could return in new contexts, but Metroid Dread rewards the player with serious firepower. Samus’ Grapple Beam, Spider Magnet, Phantom Cloak, Flash Shift, and Omega Cannon are all excellent new skills, as is the addition of free aiming, melee, and parry counters. Samus has never felt more prepared.
6 It’s The Apex Of 2D Sidescrolling Exploration
A difficult question that many long-running video game series need to answer as they move into the next generation of gaming is whether they’ll keep their traditional 2D sidescrolling approach, or transition into a 3D world. Metroid has gone back and forth in this department since the original games are 2D sidescrollers, the Metroid Prime trilogy are first-person 3D shooters, and Metroid: Other M falls somewhere in between. Metroid Dread confidently embraces the series’ 2D roots, which allows it to become the most impressive version of a traditional Metroid sidescroller. Metroid could easily survive as a 2D series if it had to.
5 Samus’ Relationship With Her Metroid Powers
The parasitic extraterrestrial namesakes of the Metroid series always play an important role in the games. Samus’ relationship with the Metroids continues to evolve as she fulfills the role of both exterminator and protector at different points in time.
Samus has become a host for Metroid DNA, yet a complex genetic cocktail inside of Samus allows her biology to survive. The end of Metroid Dread finally lets Samus’ mature Metroid powers loose and it’s both exciting and terrifying. These powers are neutralized by the game’s conclusion, but it’s a fascinating glimpse of what could consume Samus in the next Metroid.
4 The Feeling Of Tension And Claustrophobia Through The E.M.M.I. Encounters
A brand new threat that’s introduced in Metroid Dread are the E.M.M.I.--Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifier–that ostensibly operate like Terminators. They are focused on Samus Aran’s extermination and the Metroid DNA that she possesses. There are nearly ten unique E.M.M.I. that challenge Samus, each with their own special abilities and quirks, that put a priority on stealth maneuvers rather than brute force. These E.M.M.I. sequences are masterclasses in tension and some of the most stressful moments from the entire Metroid franchise.
3 Its Tight, Intuitive, And Evolving Controls
A Metroid game can look gorgeous, have a compelling story, and push Samus to unprecedented places, but none of that matters if the title is a chore to get through and has unresponsive controls. There’s such a level of precision that’s necessary in Samus’ combat–especially when it comes to E.M.M.I. parry encounters–that tight and fluid gameplay is paramount. Samus can sometimes feel sluggish in previous Metroid games, but she’s a sublime burst of energy here. It’s extremely satisfying to run around, attack enemies, and show off Samus’ skills. It feels incredibly natural and like Samus is in complete control.
2 The Game’s Fast, Addictive Pace
The Metroid series usually strands Samus Aran on a strange, foreign planet where she’s left to her own devices. Past Metroid games ease the audience into these new worlds and have early areas that resemble training zones to help the player master the necessary skills. Metroid Dread instead hits the ground running and operates as if the player has some level of familiarity with the Metroid series. The urgency that pushes Samus forward only compounds throughout this adventure. It’s an effective way to begin the game and it establishes the level of danger that Samus needs to consistently handle.
1 How It Incentivizes Replays
The labyrinthine nature of the Metroid series has even launched its own gaming subgenre with “Metroidvania” games that reward exploration and alternate paths to success. For decades, Metroid fans have rewritten the rules through clever “sequence breaks” that allow them to move through Metroid titles how they see fit, rather than what’s suggested as the norm. Metroid Dread initially appears to be more linear than past Metroid games, but its hidden secrets and shortcuts become apparent during additional playthroughs. Past Metroid games can give their audience everything at once, but Dread’s unique structure puts an emphasis on repeated playthroughs.