On Wednesday, Nintendo took to Twitter to show off more of Metroid Dread, this time revealing some of the mechanical details behind the E.M.M.I. stalking Samus in the latest trailer. Metroid Dread received an announcement trailer at Nintendo’s E3 presentation, shocking fans of the series who were expecting more info on Metroid Prime 4.
Metroid Dread, nonetheless, managed to spark plenty of excitement following its reveal. Nintendo showed off gameplay in the initial trailer during the Nintendo Direct and followed it up with a more comprehensive look at the game during its Nintendo Treehouse event shortly after. The title has already garnered plenty of attention, due in part to the fact that it’s coming so soon. While Metroid Dread managed to surprise people, Nintendo delivered tenfold by giving it an October 8 release date. It’s already topped preorder charts in the weeks since E3, and as more Metroid Dread info is revealed, the excitement mounts.
The latest bit of information is an explanation by Nintendo of what to expect from the Samus stalker everyone saw in the announcement trailer. Nintendo posted a thread on Twitter with the details on what is arguably Metroid Dread’s most interesting enemy. The Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifier, or E.M.M.I., is said to “relentlessly chase after [Samus]” in Metroid Dread. Its design and AI add a stealthy layer to the game. Based on the color of its eye, players can decipher which of the “few programmed course of actions” E.M.M.I. will take and choose how to respond with Samus’s new abilities.
The indicators should feel very intuitive and natural to most seasoned gamers: the E.M.M.I.’s eye flashes blue, yellow, or red for “Patrol Mode,” “Search Mode,” or “Pursuit Mode,” respectively. Patrol Mode is the default for E.M.M.I., during which they simply “[roam] the area free of suspicion…”; once they are triggered by sight or sound, they enter Search Mode and investigate whatever triggered them. When they know Samus’s whereabouts, they will enter Pursuit Mode. Nintendo recommends a hasty retreat once the red lights start flashing, as gameplay shows how speedy E.M.M.I. can be. Nintendo also states that once caught by an E.M.M.I., Samus has an opportunity to escape via “a well-timed Melee Counter. However, the window of success is narrow…”
It has been a very long time since the last new Metroid game, and Nintendo is clearly returning to the franchise in style. The grim tone of the game and the menacing nature of the robotic enemies should make for a very distinct revival for Nintendo's beloved bounty hunter.
As Nintendo continues to release new information about Metroid Dread, the game looks promising, despite starting as a canceled DS game many years ago. Now that it’s finally been revealed and given a release date, it seems that reviving the game will pay off in tremendous ways. Metroid Dread will release on October 8, 2021, and fans of the franchise are eager to get their hands on it.
Source: Nintendo