Gaming Metroid Dread is hard to like

[eyeliner]

Well, I am at the battle with that underwater... Thing. So a few hours in, playing on rookie level. Can't pass it because the queues are hardly explained and I just keep shooting at the target until the electronic plates move and get to the other side to do everything again.

The game is a SLOG. Yes, you read that right. Every encounter with an E.M.M.I. after the first is nothing more than a time wasting mechanism and there are times where, conveniently, you want to go somewhere and the E.M.M.I. just lurks around, making things slow.

Metroid was always a game about exploration, but the amount of backtracking is severely heightened by the fact that you just have to go to a specific place in the depths of the map to another. It's fine, but this game takes it way too long to do so (loading times on a cart game is boss) and the way that despite the E.M.M.I. areas are gigantic and it mostly is near you is damned frustrating. Sometimes I opened a door and was immediately jumped by one.

The best part is when they are gone (Omega cannon that gets immediately disabled after you smack an E.M.M.I. but can use it before without restrictions is dumb) and have all the area to traverse at your leisure.

Samus moves way too fast. And the controls are poorly mapped and can't remap.

The game is graphically beautiful, I'll give you that. Samus' animations are amazing, with the little details of looking to a shaft, resetting feet position after entering a combat stance.

But yeah, gotta throw that one out there.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

The emmi shit is definitely just there to pad the games run time. The very last one where Samus just fucking kills it outright in the cutscenes I physically cheered at my TV.

 

[hippy dave]

And yet so many people like it. A lot.

 

[M7L7NK7]

Never got what all the hype was for any Metroid

 

[l7777]

Well, I am at the battle with that underwater... Thing. So a few hours in, playing on rookie level. Can't pass it because the queues are hardly explained and I just keep shooting at the target until the electronic plates move and get to the other side to do everything again.

The game is a SLOG. Yes, you read that right. Every encounter with an E.M.M.I. after the first is nothing more than a time wasting mechanism and there are times where, conveniently, you want to go somewhere and the E.M.M.I. just lurks around, making things slow.

Metroid was always a game about exploration, but the amount of backtracking is severely heightened by the fact that you just have to go to a specific place in the depths of the map to another. It's fine, but this game takes it way too long to do so (loading times on a cart game is boss) and the way that despite the E.M.M.I. areas are gigantic and it mostly is near you is damned frustrating. Sometimes I opened a door and was immediately jumped by one.

The best part is when they are gone (Omega cannon that gets immediately disabled after you smack an E.M.M.I. but can use it before without restrictions is dumb) and have all the area to traverse at your leisure.

Samus moves way too fast. And the controls are poorly mapped and can't remap.

The game is graphically beautiful, I'll give you that. Samus' animations are amazing, with the little details of looking to a shaft, resetting feet position after entering a combat stance.

But yeah, gotta throw that one out there.

Is this just a rant or is there a question in here? I see a few things you could address but understand if you're just venting.

Plenty of people would disagree with you. I found it entertaining. Felt like an upgraded Super Metroid. I did play Prime Remastered shortly thereafter and enjoyed it even more. I played Prime on the GC but never liked the controls and never finished it. With the modern controls on Prime Remastered it was brilliant.

 

[eyeliner]

Is this just a rant or is there a question in here? I see a few things you could address but understand if you're just venting.

Plenty of people would disagree with you. I found it entertaining. Felt like an upgraded Super Metroid. I did play Prime Remastered shortly thereafter and enjoyed it even more. I played Prime on the GC but never liked the controls and never finished it. With the modern controls on Prime Remastered it was brilliant.

Venting, I guess. I mean, for all intents and purposes it is a nice game, but the controls and EMMIs made this game frustrating for me.

I won't try to change anyone's opinion, but in my view, the game is way overrated.

I would put it under the 'Beautiful Mess' category. With the two contention points being the controls and EMMIs.

Those who complain about the map and feeling lost at times just aren't used to Metroid games.

Never got what all the hype was for any Metroid.

Either it is your kind of game or it isn't. Give Zero Mission, Super Metroid or Metroid Fusion a chance. They are great entries. Super might feel a bit dated but it still is worthy of playing.

 

[Ryab]

Well, I am at the battle with that underwater... Thing. So a few hours in, playing on rookie level. Can't pass it because the queues are hardly explained and I just keep shooting at the target until the electronic plates move and get to the other side to do everything again.

The game is a SLOG. Yes, you read that right. Every encounter with an E.M.M.I. after the first is nothing more than a time wasting mechanism and there are times where, conveniently, you want to go somewhere and the E.M.M.I. just lurks around, making things slow.

Metroid was always a game about exploration, but the amount of backtracking is severely heightened by the fact that you just have to go to a specific place in the depths of the map to another. It's fine, but this game takes it way too long to do so (loading times on a cart game is boss) and the way that despite the E.M.M.I. areas are gigantic and it mostly is near you is damned frustrating. Sometimes I opened a door and was immediately jumped by one.

The best part is when they are gone (Omega cannon that gets immediately disabled after you smack an E.M.M.I. but can use it before without restrictions is dumb) and have all the area to traverse at your leisure.

Samus moves way too fast. And the controls are poorly mapped and can't remap.

The game is graphically beautiful, I'll give you that. Samus' animations are amazing, with the little details of looking to a shaft, resetting feet position after entering a combat stance.

But yeah, gotta throw that one out there.

See for me, the game was rather self-explanatory. I never really struggled much with it. There were for sure some bosses that kicked my ass for awhile, but it truly felt like every death was my fault.

 

[NyaakoXD]

Well, I am at the battle with that underwater... Thing. So a few hours in, playing on rookie level. Can't pass it because the queues are hardly explained and I just keep shooting at the target until the electronic plates move and get to the other side to do everything again.

I don't know about "hardly explained". The beginning of the boss fight, the game literally zooms in on its tentacle at the top and then moves over to the button to show you what to do. Which was to hit the tentacle and then activate the machine with the button to drain the water and use the plate to move over to the other side and activate the second drain. And with the water gone will make it reveal its weak point.

The game is a SLOG. Yes, you read that right. Every encounter with an E.M.M.I. after the first is nothing more than a time wasting mechanism and there are times where, conveniently, you want to go somewhere and the E.M.M.I. just lurks around, making things slow.

I guess the EMMI were annoying after a couple of encounters for some, but personally I found the adrenaline rush pretty neat and it never felt like a slog to play at all. You can move fast to reach the next area before it could get you. Could easily beat the game in like a few hours once you memorize routes, like any other Metroid.

Metroid was always a game about exploration, but the amount of backtracking is severely heightened by the fact that you just have to go to a specific place in the depths of the map to another. It's fine, but this game takes it way too long to do so (loading times on a cart game is boss) and the way that despite the E.M.M.I. areas are gigantic and it mostly is near you is damned frustrating. Sometimes I opened a door and was immediately jumped by one.

I think the backtracking is a fine amount, the game is a lot more expansive in scale and scope compared to past Metroid games, especially to accommodate for Samus' faster and precise movements, so perhaps that's what's affecting you. And I don't know how you could immediately get jumped by an EMMI as they're usually spawned a good amount distance away from the entrance. Plus, there are easy indicators of where they are (from the minimap or just seeing their line of sight).

Samus moves way too fast. And the controls are poorly mapped and can't remap.

Samus feels great to control and very sharp and precise. It gets a lot of praise for that and some saying it's the best Samus has ever felt controlling in 2D. The buttons could be an issue depending on the person, but personally I didn't feel that they weren't poorly mapped. There's just a lot more you have in your inventory, so muscle memory is your friend. You can remap controls in the Switch settings and just change the buttons per game.

This is arguably the hardest Metroid game due to how aggressive enemies are and Samus' faster movement and precise controls, making the pace of the game faster overall. The game is really a lot about mastering the controls and movement. And once you get all that down, it's a hell of a fun ride.