Metroid Dread

Did You Know?

• The special edition included a 190-page art book, holographic art cards, and a steelbook case.
• Two Amiibo figurines of Samus and E.M.M.I. were released alongside the game.

Gameplay

Metroid Dread is an action-adventure game in which players control bounty hunter Samus Aran as she explores the planet ZDR. It retains side-scrolling gameplay alongside free-aim and melee attacks from Samus Returns. Stealth mechanics require Samus to avoid E.M.M.I. robots by hiding, reducing noise, or using the Phantom Cloak. If caught, the player has two narrow windows to perform melee counters; failure results in death. E.M.M.I.s can only be destroyed with a temporary Omega Blaster, which grants a permanent upgrade upon destruction. Upgrades are also obtained from Chozo statues or Core-X enemies. Completion time, difficulty, and item percentage unlock gallery images.

Plot

The Galactic Federation receives evidence that the X parasite survives on planet ZDR and sends seven E.M.M.I. robots to investigate, but loses contact. Samus Aran is dispatched to ZDR. Underground, she encounters a Chozo warrior who destroys the exit, defeats her, and strips her suit of most abilities. Her ship computer Adam instructs her to find another path. Samus is attacked by reprogrammed E.M.M.I.s, absorbs energy from a central unit, and gains the Omega Blaster to destroy one. She kills Kraid, who survived the destruction of Zebes. In Ferenia, a Chozo named Quiet Robe saves her from an E.M.M.I. and explains that two Chozo tribes—the Thoha and the Mawkin—trapped Metroids on SR388. Mawkin leader Raven Beak slaughtered the Thoha, spared Quiet Robe to control Metroids, and lured Samus to ZDR to extract her Metroid DNA. Quiet Robe opens a barrier before being assassinated. Samus inadvertently releases X parasites in Elun; one infects Quiet Robe's corpse and reactivates remaining E.M.M.I.s. On the surface, Samus destroys the last E.M.M.I. by sapping its energy with her hand, a power from her Metroid DNA, which is slowly transforming her into a Metroid.

Development

He aimed to expand on Fusion's stealth sequences and explore 'fear-based gameplay' without making a horror game. Development for DS began around 2005; the title appeared on an internal Nintendo list of key DS games, triggering expectation at E3 2005. A plot summary was shown to select press, but no public announcement followed. Rumors of cancellation or development hell spread. A release date of November 2006 was listed in Official Nintendo Magazine, but the game did not appear. According to an IGN podcast, Nintendo 'pulled the plug at the last minute'. A message in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007) referencing a 'Metroid project Dread' was denied as connected by the director and producer, though some expressed skepticism. A second attempt around 2008 produced a playable prototype shown at E3 2009, but it did not meet Sakamoto's expectations and was halted, partly because the DS hardware could not deliver the intimidating antagonist he wanted.

Reception

Metroid Dread received a score of 88 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating generally favorable reviews. IGN praised the boss fights, describing them as ranging from traditional pattern-based encounters to those mimicking the player's move set. Destructoid said the game masterfully executed the Metroidvania formula. Nintendo Life appreciated the returning mechanics and new additions, noting the sense of choice in exploration. CGMagazine called it a wonderful modern take on a classic game. Pre-orders topped Amazon's Video Game Best Sellers list in the US, UK, and Japan, and it was the most pre-ordered game after E3 2021 at GameStop. It had the highest-grossing physical launch of the franchise in the UK, debuting at number three on weekly sales charts, and became the fastest-selling Metroid game in the UK. In the US, it sold 854,000 copies in its first month, making it the fastest-selling Metroid according to Nintendo of America's president. In Japan, it debuted at number one with 86,798 retail copies in its first week, outselling the life-to-date sales of nearly every Metroid game in Japan. As of December 2022, it had sold 3.07 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling Metroid game. At the Game Awards 2021, it won Best Action/Adventure Game and was nominated for Game of the Year. It also won Nintendo Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards and was named Game of the Year by Time and Digital Trends.