The Grapple Beam upgrade in Metroid Dread can help players increase their mobility, which is especially important for players running through the game attempting to unlock Metroid Dread clear time achievements. Many of the upgrades in Metroid Dread allow players to access areas and shortcuts that they couldn't before or move through the map faster, and some typically add damage or enemy interactions as well. As a result, getting these upgrades early is desirable.
The Grapple Beam upgrade in Metroid Dread can be picked up early, or, at least, earlier than the game makes obvious. In order to get the Grapple Beam early, players must take a specific path and backtrack a little, navigating intense heat and lava.
The path to grab the Grapple Beam early starts after getting Metroid Dread's Varia Suit, which implies that Samus also has Metroid Dread's charge beam, morph ball, and wide beam. Apart from the useful upgrades, the Varia suit helps Samus traverse the high-temperature rooms along the path to the Grapple Beam. With these upgrades set, players can take the red teleportal to Cataris, then head to the top-right section of the map to take the train to Dairon.
How to Get the Grapple Beam Early in Metroid Dread
After arriving in Dairon, players should move down and to the left until Samus is at a dead end with a purple teleportal. Rather than taking the teleportal, Samus should stand between it and the wall and shoot the floor. This will cause a fall, after which Samus can move to the right toward the high-temperature rooms.
Players should continue through the heated rooms until they reach one with a large energy tank over a pool of lava. They'll need to shoot out the right side of the floor to expose the path to a secret door. Through this door, there will be a very tricky corridor full of lava, which will take some crafty slide-jumping to navigate.
In the first room, Samus can slide through the small opening by the main door and jump to the left immediately after exiting the secret pathway. Then, players can wall-jump to the right to get onto a platform over the pool of lava. They will need to continue along the path, then slide-jump over to the wall on the right side. Finally, Samus can climb over the wall and walk through the door to access an elevator that leads to Artaria, the zone in which Samus will fight Corpious. Once players reach a power beam door on that path, they should keep going right to loot the Grapple Beam upgrade.
Metroid Dread is available on Nintendo Switch.