Metroid has never been a series about its stories. The franchise has instead been better at building lore rather than core narratives. That is one of Nintendo’s strengths as a company and a brand manager for its wide array of gaming icons. Metroid Dread has more of a narrative than what some fans of the franchise may expect, and it’s a direct sequel to Metroid Fusion, a 2002 Game Boy Advance release.

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This is a positive and a negative as some of the writing might leave you scratching your head by the end. From story elements to gameplay mechanics, there are some things that don’t add up about the experience. However, that doesn’t make the game any less good. These are just some things to joke about and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. There are no spoilers for the story in Metroid Dread as all of these pertain to gameplay elements instead.

6 Samus’ Silence

Samus from Metroid Dread

Samus has spoken in the series before. Most Metroid games keep her speech to a minimal amount but it is still there. The biggest outlier is Metroid: Other M which has Samus talk a lot. That was one of the things some reviewers and fans didn’t like about it as the story could get in the way of the gameplay.

While Metroid Dread also has many cutscenes, they feel better balanced as compared to the gameplay. The only issue is that Samus doesn’t speak which can make it hard for you to sympathize with her cause. It’s hard to imagine a situation where someone isn’t constantly screaming about monsters attacking them.

5 EMMI Overpowering Samus

An EMMI unit from Metroid Dread

The EMMI units are a new addition to the series which also introduces stealth into a majority of Metroid Dread. Technically there were stealth elements before this with Metroid Zero Mission, but that was only in a small ending portion. Unlike every other enemy in the game, EMMI units can “kill” Samus in a single hit.

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The game says they are only capturing her but if that was the case then shouldn’t there be a way for Samus to escape from a cell or something? There is a small window of opportunity for Samus to counter getting captured but it takes a lot of practice. It’s hard to believe that Samus would have such a hard time with a robot and manage to destroy a giant beast like Kraid with ease.

4 Samus’ Blaster Power-ups Disappearing

Samus in Metroid Dread

Besides evading EMMI units with stealth via the invisibility cloak, or countering them, there is a way to destroy these killer robots. Eventually, each EMMI section will end with a mini-boss that can bestow Samus with a power-up. This will upgrade her blaster in unique ways which are designed to take down the EMMI guardian of that same area.

The weird thing is that the blaster disappears after the EMMI unit is destroyed. You can infinitely use the cannon in practice but once the robot is killed, the power-up suddenly becomes obsolete. Metroid Dread does this to better balance the gameplay but it doesn’t add up from a lore perspective.

3 Save Points And Recharge Stations Being Separate

Metroid Dread-4

There is a logical reason why save points are separate from recharging stations. This was probably also done to better balance the game so that you could not heal and save as regularly together. The reason why you can’t warp around between save points might also stem from the developers wishing to create a more challenging experience.

This isn’t the only entry in the series to separate the first two elements either. While it is understandable. it also isn’t perfect. How can a save station seemingly save Samus’ data and rebuild her but not also heal and recharge her weaponry? The weaponry being separate would make more sense but not the healing. It would be nice if future games in the series combined some of these features together.

2 Shooting Energy To Get Missiles

Fighting a boss in Metroid Dread

One of the best tips to learn right away is that some energy blasts from enemies can be converted into healing energy or missiles. This is most prevalent during boss battles and is a carryover from other games in the series. Being able to heal or get more missiles during boss battles is a way for the developers to give players a helping hand. Some boss battles can feel like marathons so not giving you any way to heal or stock up on missiles would be a bit unfair.

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This is great for players but it also doesn’t make sense. How can energy blasts be shot with Samus’ weapons to then create healing energy? You could say that the two negate each other and thus create a new form of energy. one that heals rather than harms. Creating missiles absolutely doesn’t make any sense though.

1 Exploring The World Underwater

Exploring the world underwater in Metroid Dread

A few things about exploring the world in Metroid Dread don't make sense. It’s odd that Samus’ suit can take her underwater. The fact she can breathe is no problem since her suit seemingly has a ventilator as she can do the same in space too. The problem is that she can move and shoot underwater. A suit like hers should make her almost immovable in the water.

It’s a video game so you could just shrug your shoulders and say whatever which is fine. However, the game plays fast and loose with its own rules. For example, there is a section in the game where a wall is underwater so Samus can’t jump off if it like normal to then reach a ledge. Draining the water allows her to then get to the ledge. If she can shoot and jump almost normally in every other situation underwater then why should it matter if a wall is underwater or not? She should be able to dash off of it like normal.

Metroid Dread was released on October 8, 2021 and is available on Switch.

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