‘Metroid Dread’ Brings Samus, Killer Robots, And Killer-er Graphics To The Nintendo Switch
Metroid Dread is hitting shelves and Switch consoles next Wednesday; here’s what you can expect from the next chapter in the Metroid story.
Metroid is one of those genre creating, history making gams. Helping inspire and lending a name to the Metroidvania genre with fifteen releases since 1986 Metroid combines platforming adventures with alien adventure and exploration for a product that’s fun and continues to be wildly popular more than thirty years later. The next addition to the Metroid family, Metroid Dread, is being released for Nintendo Switch next Friday, October 8th and we’re more excited than ever to hit the download button on our Switches.
While other games utilize and even invent new kinds of gameplay, Metroid sticks to what works and what people like about the series. A non-linear labyrinth lets players take the story in whatever order they want while unlocking a steady stream of power-ups and new areas to explore. Like its predecessors, Metroid Dread is still a side-scroller at its core, and modern game and art design and 3D cut scenes make side-scrolling look good.
The game also introduces a stealth element, allowing players to attempt to avoid enemies by hiding, staying silent, and using camouflage. The gameplay also allows players to acknowledge the story or mostly disregard it. Side-scroller plots don’t always have to be the most complex for the game to be enjoyable and Metroid capitalizes on this very successfully. There is lore, but not enough to be confusing to newcomers to the series, and the narrative doesn’t try to be the main focus like in other more story-driven games.
The plot fits directly after the events of 2002’s Metroid Fusion, following Samus Aran as she investigates a transmission from Planet ZDR and becomes trapped on a planet overrun by aliens and E.M.M.I robots, both of which are hunting her through the labyrinth she’s attempting to find her way out of. The official Nintendo site describes these foes as “vicious” and “murderous,” driving home the overall namesake tone of dread and setting the stage nicely for what fans of the franchise can expect to dive into next week.
And fans have been receptive to this stage setting. Since it’s announcement, Metroid Dread has been the most pre-ordered game on Amazon and GameStop while first impressions have produced overwhelming positive reviews. And it’s well worth noting that Metroid Dread has been in the works since the mid 2000s and originally slated to be a Nitendo DS game, only to be canceled and back-burnered for years. Now it’s finally making it’s debut as a long awaited and hotly anticipated game.
Overall, this is a game that I’m personally excited to download and dive into. The pretty graphics, mostly familiar gameplay, and plot that isn’t demanding sounds like the perfect way to unwind. And that’s exactly what we all need in a game sometimes.
Are you excited for Metroid Dread? Which Metroid title is your favorite? Do you enjoy side-scrollers, or do you prefer another style of gameplay? Let us know in he comments!
Happy Adventuring!
