We got the opportunity to play the upcoming Metroid Dread on a Nintendo Switch OLED. Is this the game fans have been waiting for? Let’s lift a corner of the veil.
Samus Aran
It’s been years since we saw a new and original entry in Nintendo’s long-running Metroid franchise but next month, it’s finally happening! Metroid Dread takes the franchise back to its 2D roots but brings it to the standards of modern gaming. You’ll play as Samus Aran, as she faces a nefarious robotic enemy on the planet ZDR. It’s a direct sequel to the events of Metroid Fusion (2002) but if you’re new to the franchise, you’ll have no trouble at all starting this game. For my hands-on experience, I played the first hour and a half of the game and I must say, I’m very impressed with what Samus Aran is capable of doing in this one.
Where she remained a rather silent character in the first couple of games, she really has a lot of personality in this one. Throughout the adventure, you’ll be rewarded with plenty of cutscenes, explaining the story and its narrative. During these scenes, you’ll get to see a lot of Samus’s personality and without spoiling the experience, she never was this badass before. The way she maneuvres through the levels and takes down some of the bosses is just extremely epic and intense. Compared to the other 2D Metroid games, this is a huge leap forwards and after a couple of hours with Metroid Dread, I was already fully invested in Samus and her quest. It’s a shame I couldn’t continue my story since I’m sure the game will feature some truly iconic moments.
They named a genre after her
If you never played a Metroid game before but are aware of the Metroidvania genre, you’ll probably have an idea what this game is all about. Like modern Metroidvania games such as Ori and the Blind Forest or Hollow Kight, exploration is key in Metroid Dread. Since they named a genre after the franchise, you could say Samus Aran is the queen of Metroidvania so she has rather big shoes to fill. From what I’ve played, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed at all, this is a Metroid game pur sang.
Right from the start, you’ll be thrown directly into the action. The moment you landed on the hostile planet, the classic Metroid action kicks in. Running through the environment, blasting from door to door, unlocking new skills, and discovering hidden secrets, it’s all there, right from the start. Just like other 2D Metroid games, the base gameplay can best be considered as a 2D platformer where you’ll use your blaster and rockets to move past obstacles and enemies. The interesting thing here is the fact that you can freely aim your arm cannon in order to take down distant enemies or unlock new secrets. This is all pretty basic and straightforward, but the pacing and overall flow of the game really improved for the better compared to older entries.
Samus never moved this smoothly before and is a true master of Parcours in Metroid Dread. I adored how fast-paced the platform segments are and how well you need to time your jump, slides, and grabs in order to advance. Samus is extremely agile and as you can see in our handheld video, this has a huge impact on the actual gameplay. Although Samus is a lot more skilled, she’ll need every advantage she can get in order to survive. Metroid Dread isn’t an easy game and the E.M.M.I. will hunt you down until you die.
A different type of danger
The E.M.M.I. is a new type of robotic enemy that was first revealed in the E3 trailer of Metroid Dread. When I saw that trailer, I thought the game would focus on the E.M.M.I. a bit too much and it could easily feel like a gimmick that won’t leave a lasting impression. After playing the game for a couple of hours, I can confirm I was completely wrong. Facing off with an E.M.M.I. never got boring and offered some of the more intense and memorable moments of the entire franchise. The game doesn’t overkill the presence of these deadly robots, although they are constantly roaming the mysterious planet. Important to know is that they aren’t everywhere but by running through a certain portal-like door, you’ll enter a segment of an area where an E.M.M.I. is looking for you.
The E.M.M.I. is an apex predator designed to take down hostiles as effectively as possible. To locate its target, it uses bat-like soundwaves to find your location. Once it found you, you better run for your life if you want to survive. Since you can’t kill them with your standard weapons, you won’t survive a direct confrontation. Running away and using all your platforming skills to stay out of trouble is key for your survival. This will happen quite a lot until you find a new type of deadly weapon, which you’ll be able to use once in order to take down one of the E.M.M.I.
This type of gameplay is entirely new in the franchise and I loved every second of it. Since you’ll feel powerless against them, the adrenaline will rush through your veins while you’re trying to escape. Thinking on your feet and making the right decision in mere seconds is crucial for your survival but it’s never easy. It happened more than once that a confrontation with an E.M.M.I. resulted in my death. Although they are very deadly and dangerous, they aren’t the only enemy on the planet.
Traditional Metroid bosses
Although the E.M.M.I. certainly play a crucial role in the game, they are not the only type of enemy you’ll need to face. Like the other 2D Metroid games, Samus will run into deadly creatures living on the planet itself. These creatures are extremely strong and will take time to defeat. During my hands-on, I faced off with a mid-boss and boss after I took down a couple of E.M.M.I. first. Unlike your robotic enemies, you can defeat the bosses using your standard equipment but it won’t be an easy task. If you want to defeat a boss, you’ll need to study and understand its pattern. Once you did that, it’s time to look for a weak spot and make sure you give it all of your firepower. To make things even more complicated, the bigger bosses attack in several phases, so if you want to take them down you’ll need to quickly adapt and overcome. It took me a couple of tries before I defeated the first real boss and I loved every minute of it. Boss battles are intense, fast-paced, and difficult, just as they should be!
Defeating a boss will often come with a reward, most of the time it’s an upgrade for your suit. Like in other Metroid or Metroidvania games, these upgrades will allow you to go to places you couldn’t visit before. While exploring the world, it’s important to keep on the lookout for closed doors, you might have to return to those once you unlocked the right power-up. One I unlocked for example was a cloaking device that enabled me to get past certain doors and enemies without being seen. Since this is already a rather powerful and fun power-up, I can’t wait to see what kind of power Samus will wield later on in her adventure.
The power of the Nintendo Switch OLED
I loved my time with Metroid Dread especially since I was able to play it on the upcoming Nintendo Switch OLED. I already gave you my first impressions and those didn’t change after spending a couple of more hours with the premium console. The Switch OLED really elevates the overall experience thanks to its impressive screen. During my first hands-on I was able to test it with a couple of older Switch games, which both looked stellar, but Metroid Dread is the one that really sold me and made me an OLED-believer. The new screen really delivers some stellar visuals and especially the darker areas are perfectly visible. The bigger screen and the level of quality immediately sucked me in and it was hard to let go at the end of my session. This only got elevated thanks to the newly improved audio which clearly made a difference. If you want to see it for yourselves, be sure to check out our special handheld video here:
Early conclusion:
Metroid Dread exceeded all my expectations and could easily become my favorite Metroid game if it can keep up with the solid first couple of hours. The game really found the right balance between narrative and action and I simply haven’t played a Metroid game that felt so complete. It still is the same game we all love from the past but has multiple innovations to make it one of the best Metroidvania games of today’s standards. I’m extremely hyped and can’t wait to play the game next week!
