I have been hopelessly addicted to playing Metroid Dread over the past 2 weeks and wanted to share my thoughts on this game on the Nintendo Switch by developers Mercury Steam. I am a huge fan of the Metroid series and Metroid Dread was a pleasant surprise (when it was announced) that is well worth checking out. Spoilers are ahead if you are hoping to avoid them.
Metroid Dread Story Synopsis
Let’s dive into things with a simple, then complicated synopsis of the Metroid Dread story. You are a hired bounty hunter that has been sent to investigate strange happenings on a planet and after being attacked on arrival you have to fight for survival then eventually seek vengeance.
The complicated synopsis is – you are a veteran, battled hardened bounty hunter who readily takes on a mission to investigate a strange planet with a parasitic organism you thought you wiped out after it almost killed you. You get your ass kicked as soon as you land, and get your equipment stripped away. You are also creepily stalked by robots who were supposed to be allies then find yourself being the key component in the plan of a mad tyrant. Everything gets mixed up further when some paternal revelations are made and you start getting Star Wars vibes but your dad is in shiny armor with an arm cannon instead of a black coffin with a laser sword.
Samus the lab mice
You are really just a lab mice in an elaborate puzzle with the antagonist waiting to attack you if you make it to the end. He stealthily sprinkles curated prizes at certain points in the maze to keep you going and like every bad guy in the history of fiction, his flaw is that he underestimates you in the end AFTER rattling off his plan.
Metroid Dread Gameplay
Gameplay-wise it’s all about action, adventure, and exploration with those creepy EMMI murderbots providing just enough horror that is quite different from how you would feel from running from zombies for example. I am not sure how to explain it but they are terrifying in just the right way with just enough of them to keep you on your toes without being stale or basing the entire game around that gameplay loop. The bosses are where this game really shines through with a great sense of achievement when you finally manage to overcome the challenge after multiple tries.
Metroid x Sekiro
I have compared Super Metroid to Sekiro before and Metroid Dread gives even more credit to comparing the two games. Many of my points such as punishing bosses that teach game mechanics, defeat, and struggles at the beginning and overcoming them in the end, and wondering if you really are the hero in the story stay true in this game.
Conclusion
Metroid Dread is truly an amazing game that even players unfamiliar with the Metroid series can pick up and enjoy. It’s not an easy game however but with high replay value, you will find yourself slapping bosses around that bullied you in a previous playthrough. Have you played or want to play Metroid Dread? Tell me in a comment below or tweet me @jamaipanese.
