Entertainment

‘Metroid Dread’: Great fear or apprehension

Metroid:Dread was 2021 Game Awards best action/adventure game

Technical advancements allow “Metroid” producer Yoshio Sakamoto’s vision to become a reality after nearly 20 years of development.

“Metroid Dread” was released for Nintendo Switch on Oct. 8, 2021, and fulfills all its awaited desires.

“Dread” is a 2-D side scrolling game that is a sequel to “Metroid Fusion” from 2002.

In previous “Metroid” games, Samus Aran is a bounty hunter, but this time she is hunted by the fast and powerful Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifier robots trying to capture her DNA.

“Dread” was originally created for Nintendo DS, but Sakamoto had to pump the brakes on the project due to technical limitations which couldn’t create his idea of an EMMI robot at that time. With today’s technical advancements, his EMMI’s were able to be created with newer software.

When entering an EMMI zone, the lighting and sound changes giving you an eerie feeling. In this moment, Samus becomes the hunted and must evade the EMMI at all costs.

An EMMI scans the area, trying to find Samus.

If an EMMI spots Samus, the zone doors will shut, trapping you in the area and you must escape from it for the doors to unlock.

“Dread” will have you searching through its labyrinths for power-ups to Samus’s suit and weapons in order to gain the power to defeat the seven EMMIs.

Anytime Samus gains the power to destroy an EMMI, do it immediately so you can explore the EMMI zone for new doors without being chased by the EMMI.

The game will push you forward many times with an incomplete feeling from the previous area. Just follow the flow of the game and focus on finding as many power-ups as possible to make Samus stronger.

Players will have to return to multiple areas after gaining new abilities that will allow them to unlock areas that they couldn’t access previously.

As you venture through the twisted caverns of planet ZDR, you will also find many boss battles. These battles will test a gamer’s hand eye coordination. Exact timing to counter attacks must be achieved in order to beat some of the game’s strongest bosses.

An EMMI prepares to attack Samus.

Players that have played other “Metroid” games will greatly enjoy the story line and the return of the 2-D style. However, newcomers to this series can jump right into it and enjoy the game as well.

“Metroid Dread” has received great reviews while also selling nearly 3 million copies. It won the NME award for best game of the year and Time magazine awarded it game of the year. It also won an award for best action/adventure game.

Some may be surprised by how challenging this game is.