Samus Aran's mission in the upcoming Metroid Dread will pit her against enemies both new and familiar, with a Nintendo Switch trailer recapping the most important story and gameplay elements. After a hiatus more than a decade long, the newest entry in the 2D Metroid series looks ambitious based on its cinematic cutscenes, story beats involving the E.M.M.I.s and Chozo species, and the variety of abilities and weapons at Samus's disposal.
The history of Metroid Dread's development stretches back to 2005, when series producer Yoshio Sakamoto conceptualized the E.M.M.I. threat - an unstoppable force Samus has no choice but to evade. Confirmed as the long-cancelled DS game, Metroid Dread has periodically dropped new information during its buildup to release. Samus will arrive on planet ZDR to investigate the sudden disappearance of the E.M.M.I. robots, which were originally sent by the Galactic Federation to search for X parasites. As is tradition, Samus will find weapon and power upgrades over the course of the adventure. Some of these are familiar, like the missiles that have become 2D Metroid mainstays. Other abilities and weapons make their debut in Dread, like heat-seeking Storm Missiles and the Aeion-powered Phantom Cloak. The recent Gamescom 2021 trailer for Metroid Dread explained how Samus loses her fully-upgraded suit from Metroid Fusion, with a menacing Chozo general taking it from her.
A new overview trailer on Nintendo's channel has unveiled considerable information on Metroid Dread a month ahead of release. The trailer's narrator shares an "unprecedented threat" closing in on Samus. Vanquishing this threat will require the bounty hunter to trek through a variety of climates: icy caves, magma chambers, ancient forests, and underwater environments. She will battle a host of new and familiar foes, such as the Space Pirate Kraid, who's chained up for unknown reasons. Much of the trailer recaps Samus' abilities and Metroid Dread's Chozo villain, while revealing new elements. Notably, Samus can fire Storm Missiles and use the Phase Shift ability in quick succession, and players can use her Phase Shift to move harmlessly through enemies. Among other new details, a purple E.M.M.I. has joined the mix of killer robots. The trailer also reveals a large portion of the game's massive map, and the bounty hunter may have a new fast-travel mechanic, as one segment shows Samus boarding a trammel.
Most of the new story elements clock in towards the trailer's end. Samus approaches a large door before the scene cuts to the bounty hunter on the ground, prone in front of an inactive purple E.M.M.I. Meanwhile, a wrinkle to the plot is introduced, as it's unclear if the "mysterious bird-like Chozo figure" is a friend or an enemy to Samus. This seemingly refers to the gold-clad Chozo, who bowed to Samus in an earlier ominous teaser for Metroid Dread's story from August. The overview trailer ends with Samus firing her missiles at Kraid and the Space Pirate responding by breaking his restraints.
Metroid has been perceived as sitting on the backburner of Nintendo's IP catalog for some time, but the most recent Metroid Dread trailer and all of its other pre-release marketing has shown the company is placing full confidence in the franchise once more. A return of the classic Metroid formula of exploration and feeling isolated on an alien world has been widely requested by the fan community, and Metroid Dread doesn't seem to lack in either department.
Metroid Dread releases for the Nintendo Switch on October 8, 2021.
Source: Nintendo/YouTube