Fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of Metroid Dread and it seems the game has been worth the wait. Surprise-announced by Nintendo earlier this summer, the new 2D addition to the beloved franchise has been a resounding hit with reviewers, scoring incredibly highly and cementing itself as one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2021.
Metroid Dread marks the return of the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter, Samus Aran, in her first 2D adventure in close to 20 years. The X parasite, believed to have been wiped out by Samus, has reportedly returned and the Galactic Federation sends Samus on a journey to seek the truth and save the galaxy. Players must explore the planet ZDR and battle formidable foes, discover new abilities and power-ups to help them navigate the world, and find out what happened to the missing Metroid Dread E.M.M.I robots.
Ahead of the game's October 8 launch, early reviews for Nintendo Switch's Metroid Dread are now live with impressively high scores from a range of outlets. Multiple reviewers have described the release as unmissable, praising its slick gameplay, intuitive level design, and immersive story. The release has seemingly found the perfect balance between nostalgic and familiar gameplay while still feeling new and exciting. Metroid Dread has already become one of the highest-rated titles of the year, boasting an impressive score of 88 on review aggregator site, Metacritic. Here's what the critics are saying:
Cody Gravelle - 5/5 - Screen Rant
"Metroid Dread is an instant classic. Its seamless blend of exploration, combat, puzzle-solving, and light touches of story creates one of the most engaging experiences on Nintendo Switch. Samus Aran's journey has been through its ups and downs, but the mesospheric high of Metroid Dread is evidence there is so, so much more left for the bounty hunter to accomplish, and another adventure can't come soon enough."
PJ O'Reilly - 10/10 - NintendoLife
"Metroid Dread is a triumphant return for both Samus Aran and developer MercurySteam. This is a super-slick, hugely entertaining and exquisitely designed entry in the Metroid franchise that plays better than anything we've seen from the series so far. With a bunch of fantastic new abilities, super tense and enjoyable stealth sections, plenty of great big boss fights and a story that fans will definitely enjoy, we can't really see how this one could have been any better. Best Metroid game ever? This could be the one."
Samuel Claiborn - 9/10 - IGN
"Even though it’s the latest in a decades old series, Dread has just enough clever innovation to balance its familiarity. The universally recognizable mix of tough puzzles, tougher boss fights, ever-evolving exploration options, and intricate level design that recent games like Hollow Knight and Ori get so right has an origin point: It’s Metroid. I love those games, but the Metroid team, a mix of old and new developers now, have shown that they know how to do it best."
Cian Maher - 4.5/5 - TheGamer
"Metroid Dread suffers from some minor grievances, but overall it is a remarkable achievement in not just resurrecting a dormant and beloved series, proving its authority in the genre it inhabits, or exhibiting the kind of airtight design we’d expect from a title of this calibre. It is a remarkable achievement because it is one of those few rare games that sets itself an atmospheric goal and launches it towards and through the stratosphere. This, here, is one of 2021’s very best games - we’re always in for a treat when Samus returns."
Sam Machkovech - Approved - Arstechnica
"If "classic 2D adventure on Switch" puts the same tingle in your spine as it does mine, MercurySteam will not lead you astray with this impressive sequel. Buy."
Reviewers seem to be in agreement that Metroid Dread is more than worthy of the Metroid name, honoring the series' roots with a deep and meaningful story combined with classic yet modernized gameplay. One particular element players should look forward to is boss battles, which are set to require the perfect combination of skill and strategy for satisfying kills. Multiple reviewers believe the game to be one of the strongest - if not the strongest Metroid game to date, though with so many iconic games in the series, fan opinion may differ when the game releases later this week.
The high critical praise is particularly noteworthy as Metroid Dread's reveal left many gamers asking if a 2D release from a long-dormant series could be a success in 2021. While fans will have to wait to see how much of a commercial success the game is, Metroid Dread has seemingly already proven itself, which paves the way for Nintendo to consider reviving other franchises in a similar way. Metroid Dread is primed and ready to become a new Nintendo Switch staple and, according to the reviews, shouldn't be missed.