All these people in the comments talking about their reasoning behind Samus screaming and I'd just like to point out how Metroids screech before/when attacking. Y'know, like she does... when she *becomes one.*
Regarding your point on the counter animations: I would argue that Samus is SUPPOSED to look and feel more animalistic in this game; remember that after her first encounter with Raven Beak, her Metroid DNA began to awaken much more quickly. Those quicktime events are essentially her letting the beast out, probably without necessarily realizing it. Consider the first time she absorbs an enemy in a quicktime finisher; she was just acting on her new Metroid instincts, and her body was moving on its own. To me, that's a substantial part of the subtext throughout the entire game - that something is just a BIT off about her, about how animated and - sometimes - feral she seems compared to her composure in the Prime games. It IS a bit jarring, but it's supposed to be, and it makes me appreciate Dread even more. EDIT: as for Samus screaming when she transformed and killed Raven Beak, I'd guess that it was partly fury and raw instinct, since her Metroid DNA was reacting to a Mawkin threatening her like in the intro, but MOSTLY because it FUCKING HURT. Like, seriously, I can't imagine what was happening to her skeleton and innards when her suit turned into that - for all practical purposes, the suit probably WAS her body at that point, what with how organic it looked, and honestly I found that whole sequence really scary and unsettling as a result, like, "holy shit, what if she's stuck like this forever now?" In short, that WAS NOT a dime-a-dozen "screaming willpower" moment. Rather, it was a DECONSTRUCTION of those types of moments. She wasn't screaming due to her willpower. She was screaming because she LOST her will to the Metroid DNA inside her, which - due to her life being in mortal danger - went into absolute overdrive and she likely couldn't control it, or herself, AT ALL. As with the quicktime stuff, something is SUPPOSED to feel off and unsettling about it, because it's literally Samus losing to the invasive DNA of an apex predator species that's slowly - and then very suddenly - taking over her body. TL;DR - as with every good Metroid game, a lot of the story is told through subtext. And in the case of this specific game, you don't need elevator monologues explaining Samus' thoughts when the Switch's hardware allows the conveyance of her gradual descent into ferality without a single word, unlike the GBA.
I understand your point, but given how she uses the same ninja moves in Samus Returns, which was made by the same developers and is at an earlier point in the franchise, I think it’s more of a problem stemming from how Mercury Steam portrays Samus than a fully deliberate choice. The brutality works for Samus’ new Metroid draining attack (and I agree that those animations are an effective narrative device), but Samus executes bosses with extravagant acrobatic techniques even early in the game when her powers haven’t awakened yet. The bored way in which she approaches Kraid and the edgy “cool guys don’t look at explosions” way she finishes bosses also feel at odds with both the way she was portrayed until Other M and the fact that she’s supposedly turning feral. Samus LITERALLY morphing into a Metroid was also a bit much for me, but that’s another point entirely.
I think there's a lot of merit to this take on Samus' character, but what Brit was getting at was that it's less in line with Samus as she has been portrayed before Other M. I like the quick gameplay of this game a lot but to me Metroid has always been about inquisitiveness and resourcefulness- not excessive brutality. Not a bad thing per se but making Samus less like Metroid has always been and more like Doom Guy can feel out of place for longtime fans who aren't used to this.
I always assumed that the screaming was more because she was sick of this shit with everyone goin after the Metroids one way or another. And now a Chozo who is a part of her is decided to do the same thing on top of killing many other of their kind all for his own world conquest with her as his ultimate weapon. It's now changed from preventing the Metroid from falling into the wrong hands, but now she has to watch her own back for the galaxies sake.
@@nicoloenricorimoldi7425ercury Steam has the burden of trying to regulate the appeal of Samus to an audience that is constantly looking at their phones while coming off the critically acclaimed Prime series (which took a very different approach to convention) In addition to that, if I'm not mistaken, these are the guys that handled the 3DS Castlevania games. Of course they are going to want to integrate what they know If you have any complaints, I think they would be better place at making these movements the standard in a world of very centralized enemy designs She moves like a smash character while the monsters which populate the world exhibit the same behavior as Metroid 1 creatures. Again, if you've played any prime game, their patterns are very nuanced to the environment They should have leaned _more_ into that feral component as it would usher in more replayability. Get Killer Instinct's guys on the job. They would make quicktime events melodic and intuitive Point being there's more *game* to a system where timing and nuance plays a role. Isn't that what they were going for with the whole Mawkin Crush claw deal? Raiden characteristics? The deeper you delve into the world, obviously you are going to encounter more radical indigenous creatures. And an increasingly vast array of movement patterns. But even with Metroid's new jagged look, it kind of seems like they had to play it safe in their approach, less to debug (But worth the $60 price tag if they managed to pull it off?)
In defense of her screaming her lungs out in the ending, I interpreted it as a combination of her Metroid nature going absolutely apeshit (her movements on the next cutscenes are even more animalistic and agressive, like she wants to rip everything she encounters), and Raven Beak being the absolute bastard that killed almost all of the pacifist Chozos she considers her second family and then he daring to call her his daughter. So yeah, amped up agression due to her becoming a monster and Raven Beak being a personal foe of hers justifies screaming for bloody murder in my eyes
Absolutely agree. Also right before that, the scene shows Samus remembering the fallen Chozo. I also think the way Samus acts in this game (especially in the finale) is a result of Samus letting out her suppressed rage that was accumulated throughout her adventures.
Also let’s not forget Raven Beak didn’t exterminate the Metroids on SR388 when he had the chance, instead opting to try using them as bio weapons to conquer the galaxy. Which then led to the Space Pirates discovering them and using them as bio weapons to conquer the galaxy. If the Mawkin didn’t genocide the Thoha and helped them destroy the Metroids, this entire franchise would’ve never happened. Raven Beak is responsible for like 70% of all the terrible things that have ever happened to Samus, whether directly or indirectly.
I felt like having Quiet Robe the Chozo be able to remanifest himself even as an X copy actually offered some cool recontextualization of some of the moments from Fusion. Like why that X human scientist tried to blow up the station or why the SA-X returned and did what it did at the end of the game. It's something to think about, that may be we didn't understand the parasites as much as we thought.
I had a theory to why the X acted that way. Before when the X only existed on their planet the parasites never took over the planet even before the Chozo came and created the Metroids. In Fusions ending the AI Adam theorizes that the only reason the X didn't take over the friendly animals was because they were weak. It seems reasonable to assume that before the X came into contact with intelligent life they were more animal-like and would only take over dominant predators, thus keeping the ecosystem stable and feeding off the old predators natural prey. Once they did come into contact with self aware creatures like Humans and Chozo, the X also became self aware and as they absorbed their memories, the idea of where they stand in the universe, their potential and the risk of being crushed by this new galactic competition all became apparent to them. They all acted in unison to ensure their survival and security by aiming to spread beyond their planet and become the dominant lifeforms. However the X are extremely young in terms of gaining self awareness and as they continue to develop their hivemind mentality would eventually falter as they may reach different conclusions and may even go against the interests of the X as a whole. When that X absorbed Quiet Rope it could at first have acted as an enemy however it also inherited its memories and there may be a possibility that specific X could have eventually adopted the strong will that Chozo possessed. Just a theory I have, I'm glad they didn't explain too many details as I enjoy speculation.
Eh...I always thought the x-copy scientist tried to blow up the station because it was what the X-Parasite that possessed him wanted him to do, to spread the x-parasites across the entire universe. The station exploding would kill Samus, but the bigger threat would be that it wouldn't kill the x-parasites. It would just propel them into the space. And the reason why SA-X returned to fight the Omega Metroid was because the X parasites are the natural enemy of the Metroid species. Metroids were literally created to fight off and kill all the x-parasites. The SA-X didn't help Samus because it had a change of heart, it simply saw the Omega Metroid as a bigger threat to it's own survival. Because of this, I'd like to think that the x-parasite Chozo overcame it simply through willpower and mental acumen. Up to that point, the only things the x-parasites were shown to possess and copy were lower lifeform "mindless" animals. We never saw the X try to take over an enlightened highly intelligent being like the Chozo before. Before you say "it copied Samus!", no. The X only copied and possessed Samus' discarded armor suit.
@@gamephreak5 I think you missed my point. I wasn't saying it. Definitively recons what we thought happened in Fusion, simply that it makes one think twice about each scenario. We never had definitive proof as to their motivations, it was mainly ADAM hypothesizing.
@@gamephreak5 From what Adam said in Fusion, the scientist attempted to blow up the station because losing all the X on the station was an acceptable loss in exchange for eliminating the sole risk to the rest of the X on SR-388. In the case of Dread, the X reactivated the EMMI to destroy Samus because of her Metroid DNA posing its greatest threat. When it comes to the ending, ZDR's destruction meant the extinction of the X. Maybe that last X saw it as better to survive as part of something else. Maybe it meant that there's more to the X. Difficult to say for sure, but it's definitely an intriguing moment.
There also is a possibility that that X did not want her to be Metroid, so knowing that Chozo DNA is able to control them it feeds itself to Samus, which makes it kinda more rational, but a lot more grim. When I finished Dread for the first time I was like "that's it? no talk with Adam after escape to explain all that like in Fusion?", but now I'm glad the game does not try to explain itself too much. Hope they never mention that in the future too.
For all the talk about Samus’ Metroid Powered Uncontrolled Angry Time Scream, I think the scene right after is one worth mentioning that wasn’t mentioned here. Samus gets up, sees the giant X-Raven Beak amalgam, and wordlessly destroys it. When the X parasite appears on its own as it does after defeating any X-infected creature, rather than absorb it as one usually would for some extra power, she destroys it too. Immediately after her fit of rage, she’s in control to the point that the instinctive Metroid desire to consume is no longer even in play, and Metroid instinct is something she struggled with in previous cutscenes. Just so we’re clear on what those cutscenes were, one was her entering a room with what looked to be pods for suspending enemies. One of the creatures apparently broke free and as Samus turned to it her hand glowed with the purple Metroid energy and she formed it into a claw-esque shape. She then regained her bearings and shot the creature instead. The other instance was from her seeing the wall carving of Raven Beak. She wasn’t even in any danger but the innate antagonism to Mawkin Chozo caused her hand to claw up and the energy to appear.
The absolute scariest moment in the game was immediately after the X Parasite was released and you begin to backtrack to the previous area. If you played through _Fusion_ then you'd know what the X Parasite is capable of, but in your mind you may believe that the smaller creatures just might have been able to escape them. You then fire upon a small swarm of flying creatures, only to see them become miniature X Parasites and you realize that the planet is doomed.
I think Samus knew the planet was doomed the moment she saw the parasites escaping the quarantine zone. She's fearless but was visibly shocked - she knew the world was doomed from that very moment and it weighed on her.
This is the first Metroid review of yours that I pretty strongly disagreed with. I loved every second of this game, except for how generous the counter window is, there were several times I thought "that counter definitely should've failed". Oh and hard agree on the music, it's far too subdued and atmospheric. I personally really enjoyed Samus' character in this game, but that is really subjective I guess. For Quiet Robe returning, iirc it's been established that spiritually-inclined Chozo can "spiritbend" for want of a better word, so that's my head-canon for how he helps Samus at the end. But I agree that should've been shown in-game.
I this game absolutely nailed the best aspects of Samus's character, I think the story is kind of a weird continuation of Fusion, buuuuuut that said, I really like everything it does for the lore. The fact that Samus literally becomes a metroid is such a damn conclusion to this section of the story, it just works so well thematically.
I personally see your critiques of her being more animalistic as not fully understanding the point of Dread's story. With Samus becoming more and more a Metroid, that instinctual hunter inside of her is screaming to get out. Hence her screaming as it fully takes over and she stabs Raven Beak in the face. Her more aggressive stance in this game is her succombing more and more to the animal inside of her, it's only in the final X-Raven fight that she has regained her control and composure since she's no longer suppressing this new side of herself.
A good reason why you aim with the left stick is because having the right thumb aim would affect the amount of inputs you could comfortably do at any point. The ABXY buttons are very important inputs with high frequency of use, and most of the time the player has to aim ahead of Samus, not behind her Would be cool if the right stick did more than just activate Phantom Cloak, but I agree with the decision to let the left stick aim
@@psykomancer4420 That's not much of a solution imo. It's true that you'd then be able to do basic things like shoot, jump, flash shift, etc. as quickly as before, but imagine how awkward shooting a missile or use grapple beam would be now, just for the ability to aim behind while moving forwards the controls we have now allow you to do whatever you want instantly, with the exception of Phantom Cloak in which the thumb has to travel from the buttons to the right stick, and scan pulse which isn't necessary to use in motion due to the loss of speediness, most people would probably revert to the standard options after trying out a dual stick one, so I don't feel like anything was lost in that regard. After all, it's better to have the right thumb rest on 4 important inputs than just 2, with one being used sparingly
6:59 sorry but this is a lie. The discovery of getting over the moat without the grapple was only discovered by speed runners in the mid-2000s. And it’s STILL an extremely difficult trick, it would takes hours upon hours to successfully do trick. There’s no way you discovered this trick.
Y'know what, as someone who considers Dread his new favorite game in the series, I can't actually disagree with any of your criticisms. I definitely think it would be a stronger game if they were fixed. I just think the speed, movement, and bosses are more than enough to make up for the game's shortcomings. Honestly, I really want to see where they go from here. At this point, I'm just really happy to be getting GOOD Metroid games again, after a literal decade without anything especially worthwhile coming out of the series
I'm honestly right there with you. I completely get it has problems, but some of the stuff that it does just makes it almost hands down the most replayable 2d game in the series. I will fully admit that the music is out right bad/ boring most of the time, and that the visuals are some times inconsistent. But as a person who's replayed it several times at this point, what I love so much about it is that the most important aspects of the game are executed flawlessly. The controls in Fusion and Zero Mission were fantastic, and then Samus Returns again improved on them. Dread some how took that, and refined it to the point of being basically perfect. Some of the movement to get some of the items was straight up my favorite puzzles in the entire series. But then, you combine this with the fact that the major boss fights in this game are leagues ahead of boss fights in previous titles, and also take into account that this is probably the most challenging 2d entry, and it just clicks so damn hard for me. I love feeling like I actually have to learn the bosses and try my hardest instead of just continually tank damage and pump missiles into the bosses like the other titles. Not a popular opinion I know, but the polish of this game straight up makes it difficult for me to replay Super. It just feels clunky by comparison.
Agreed, as a new favorite Switch title I totally see what he means by - the camera moving - save rooms being copy pasted - the right stick just as a face button, etc. It definitely could have used a bit more tweaking but like you said, the game's speed and bosses make up for it
Agreed. As much as I love this game and how it did many things right for me, there are an few that could've benefit alot better; like the music for example. But there's so many great things about the game that the highest point are so high than the lowest points. It's not perfect. No games are. But this is definitely the step in the right direction and hopefully continues that path with Prime 4 or the next installment after Dread. Let's just be happy that we finally have an great Metroid game that we've been waiting for an long time and continues that way.
I really don't get the rant about Samus yelling. Just got done talking about how there's a bit too much hesitation in giving Samus much much personal thoughts, and yet the literal ONE time she breaks from her stoicism before going right back to it is too much? I can see if yoy don't like it jyst because it's too anime or over-the-top, just say that. I think it's perfectly fine to have this one huge release of emotion right at the end of the journey, especially since she's back to cool and calm right after.
Raven Beak was able to single-handedly wrangle all the X parasites without getting infected. He’s clearly the strongest opponent Samus has ever faced in any of the games. It’s fine that she screamed when she powered up and beat his ass finally
Not rain on this parade but its more likely that the X outbreak started (likely by him on purpose) and he just locked up the facility from the outside to trap all X and left behind Chozo inside. All he had to do was just book it.
@@DarkSpyro707 The problem with that assumption is that it then means the X outbreak on ZDR was contained almost immediately. Which then brings up the question, if he got the X under control so fast, why did Beak never bother returning to SR388 to get his precious Metroid samples before Samus did her extermination mission in Samus Returns? The only way to square away that plot point is that Beaky-boy must have been spent a considerable amount of time eliminating the X infestation on ZDR until he finally got them all contained in Elun.
@@AICW that's less a problem with his assumption and more with msr's/dread's story in general. Why leave with nothing to begin with? Why not take a metroid during the 1st trip? Why leave for so long? Dread's version of the events make it look like he killed the chozo a couple days before Samus arrived on sr388.
It's kind of a shame Raven Beak basically only has presence in this single game (and kinda-sorta in the Metroid 2 remake flashbacks but those didn't have much context in that game). For a baddie this important to the overall lore, it feels like he should've been present in multiple games before his death. E.g. his name could've been mentioned in Fusion and Zero Mission, then he could've made an appearance in Dread and then he would've been dealt with in Metroid 6.
@@AICW we dont really have a solid timeline as far as events go other than just in the order they happened. we dont know if Raven Beak took forever to contained the x or if he did it real fast. We dont know how long it was between him eliminating the chozo on sr388 and samus going there to exterminate the metroids. considering that an entire species went extinct within Samus' life time, the very same species that raised her and joining the federation not long after, im under the assumption that all of this happened very fast.
I seriously don't understand how TGB of all people is so in need to bash Nintendo hardware in every video he makes of their games. When he's the one who seems to be against most modern gaming trends anyway like graphics over gameplay
Honestly his takes on the art style and graphics are bad. He didn't give a compelling argument as to why the 2.5D presentation and 3D models are a bad thing. He talks about "cutting corners", but ... aside from the expository intro with art work instead of cinematics, he doesn't give any other example. The animations are amazing, the frame rate is great, the illumination is really good. He talked about the graphic quality going down when the camera moved in the 3D space, but how? He doesn't explain how is bad or why. I don't know. Aside from a few good criticism here and there, this review is full of nitpicks. Take the "I'm tired of the biomes who provide no original spins on them." Opinion and the claim of "there's no imaginative, alien like areas." First, usually Metroid games start with the green area, in Dread the game starts at the very bottom of the map inside a cave system where both an invisible creature and killed robots are hunting prey. Then, later in this area, by agency of the X parasites the area freezes providing tougher enemies, and making you traverse the area differently. I'll admit Cataris doesn't have much going for it. Dairon is the central hub, it's an experimentation lab, full of background and environmental details, with arguably the most difficult E.M.M.I., and this is the perfect area to make backtracking and travel to the rest of the areas. Back in Super Metroid there wasn't a central area, you had to travel all the way around the map to get where you needed or wanted to go (not that it is a bad thing, just, Super Metroid's world is smaller than Dread's), also, there's the labs energy to be activated again, and if you're exploring you'll likely get the bombs early. Bureia is a research area that is being over taken over by the ocean, you make changes to the environment, and there are secret passages to get upgrades or advance the plot faster. Ghavoran is the definition of Alien world, this guy's argument to not like it is just... that there are too many colors... . Talking about exploration, this area is the difficulty spike of the game, there are a lot of secret rooms, you can sequence break a few times here, you must know how to navigate here, because you open paths by closing others. Then we got Ferenia which is mined with tough enemies, has a great art direction, the music is great, there's challenge evading the EMMI if you didn't sequence break, and there's many secret paths here as well.
I disagree about the screaming being arbitrary. Yes, she's been in life-threatening situations before but she's never literally turned into a Metroid. I thought that the screaming was appropriate, and added gravity to the moment since Samus rarely emotes (Other M Samus notwithstanding).
Dread had me revitalized as a Metroid fan like a man finding water in a hot desert. Most of the improvements I requested for Samus' Return has been addressed, and I love the storytelling this game has not only to the lore, but with the main character herself. Samus has never felt this cool and badass before, and despite not uttering a word, she still has layers of depth to her character that even most modern female protagonists with highly-talented voice actresses and triple A cinematic presentations don't have.
Probably overall my second favorite Metroid behind Fusion. The controls were super nice, the bosses were really solid, and there was a lot of fun puzzles. If not for the awful loading times and a few too many paths closing in behind you, it would probably be my favorite. One thing I interpreted differently was the title. I felt like the Emmi were a bait and switch for the Dread concept. They show up as the freaky enemy early on and can be a pain, but by the halfway point, they become routine. Instead, the titular dread for me came from Samus becoming more Metroid like as the game went on. She wasn’t just getting the powers, she was starting to instinctively consume other things more and more as the game went on. By the end, she was more animalistic and more consuming, not the usual collected warrior. Heck, in the ending, I almost thought they might keep the new Metroid-y form.
They really did nail the characterization of Samus. She communicates a lot of her perosnality physically rather than verbally. Even in the shitty loading screens, she’s got her free hand on her blaster cannon, ready to take aim if anything tries to jump her.
18:10 Fully with you on having an abandoned colony as a setting. The character of the Metroid universe mainly comes from the locales that Samus explores. In that respect much of what we see of the Metroid universe is, consequently, the backwater of the galaxy. We see a lot of what she's fighting to protect people from, but never what exactly she's fighting to protect. It's a pretty easy pitch too, the GF loses contact with a densely populated planet closer to the frontier, Samus investigates only to find it completely abandoned. The more urban domestic environments would certainly be a nice departure from the usual caves Samus trudges around in.
@@rofflesvanwagonI found it dissapointing and quirky for the sake of it. Nmh 1 actually had a coherent narrative and 3 drops that about a third of the way in. Gameplay was also more boring as well.
I think this game is fan-fucking-tastic. I agree that it didn't innovate much but I think with 20 years of downtime it was fine to just feel like old times again
No offense but... Saying the final fight is against two metroids shows a huge lack of knowledge in your part Metroid comes from metro+ android as samus was gonna be apparently one originally It was then changed to metroids are the green jellyfish Metroids being articial chozo creations before samus returns was in a lot of places Metroid backstory manga The super metroid manual in japanese mentions they were created... Very vaguely Metroid fusion' manual says metroid means ultimate Warrior in Chozo + x hates metroid tissue and becomes aggresive and metroid tissue consumes x to cellular level Abd metroid fusion japanese script suggests x obly take memories from the víctim if they consume it alive Quiet robe x was quiet robe helping samus one last time The músic that plays when he reveals himself as friendly is the same one when he sacrifices himself Secondly no raven beak isn't a metroid ignorant Metroid refers to the green jellyfish Metroids being ultimate warriors Not that ultimate warriors are metroids Raven beak is simply the strongest chozo... At the moment at least Raven beak even notes samus is the perfect metroid Sakamoto said dread is the conclusion of the metroid arc because well There will be no more metroids apart from samus The galaxy is at peace Also Raven beak wanted to bring peace by conquering it and subjugating it a mawkin The thoha wanted s peaceful galaxy it seems. Willing to destroy their planet to end the metroid threat Raven beak wanted the power It's easy to understand no rocket science. Metroid fusion is called fusion because samus fused with metroid dna In dread at the end samus is the metroid Full circle on the jellyfish story arc Also samus going berserk is wrong for You? No offense but if samus can't be angry be sad or anything... What can she show? Moreover samus's draining powers are hinted at Because of all the focus on Samus' hand. All the purple shine around it All the times she gets distracted by it Like when meeting the purple emmi Also about kraid not having any explanation A unlockable chozo memory shows it imprisoned by mawkin Yeah it's not clear if it's another kraid or the same kraid And FINALLY Accord to Sakamoto The technology thing was about the chaser enemies He wanted it to be right Keeping in mind sa-x ' limited ai it's a logical assumption that he wanted more complex ai than sa-x but slightly better. Sa-x is infamously easy to trick to get stuck And if you hate the checkpoints in dread fine But if everyone had to Journey back every time the emmi instakilled them a lot of people would hate it
@billyboleson2830 Dread wasn't my first Metroid Game, and I think it's on equal footing to Super Metroid. Personally, I like it better than Super Metroid, just for the movement, and for the more thrilling boss battles. Because, let's be honest, up until Super Metroid, bosses required not much skill to beat.
I'd say the rage scream was pretty justified. Remember, Raven Beak single-handedly brought the Chozo-Saums's adoptive family- to ruin, and doesn't even care. He even gunned down his sole remaining kin through a drone right in front of Samus. He also beat her up, stole all her upgrades, sicced killer robots on her, all while spending the entire game gaslighting her under the guise of Adam. And after all that, he has the audacity to call himself her father. Dude went the extra mile to piss her off.
I think Samus's screaming is specifically more of a character fall for samus given all the stuff about giving into hunger, and after that scene samus reasserts her humanity and victory over that hunger by ignoring it to calmly disentegrate Raven Beak instead of eating him.
I loved this game, but I'm not a huge fan of how the tone was changed to be more about over-the-top action. I think one of the things that keeps me coming back to Super and Fusion was the bleak, subdued atmosphere in the music and environments. There's so much audio and visual noise and clutter in the environments that even if you're not in an adrenaline-pumping battle with a giant alien monster it's hard to get immersed or feel calm or unsettled. I also don't like the visual designs of the bosses. They were awesome to fight, but they're all kind of just generic gloopy alien monsters, especially compared to the incredibly well-designed and well-considered roster of Fusion.
The conflict between "hand-holding" and "open-ended" level design in a Metroidvania-type game has always been a weird point of conflict, because while more experienced players may enjoy getting lost, inexperienced players or players who are used to modern games rather than older ones might find getting lost and needing to re-assess more of a buzzkill than a source of engagement. Metroid Dread is notable for hitting a pretty darn good middle ground where the player does need to keep their brain active and alert not to get lost in the maze, but also will always at least know generally what they should be doing and where they should be doing it. Even with that some players get lost and frustrated, so, in the context of the time... it was probably the right design balance. In older games... and I mean *older* older games, in the 80s on PC and so on, getting lost and needing to flounder around looking for solutions had a tendency to be the entire source of game-length. You can beat Ultima 1 in just a couple of hours if you follow a guide or just already know what to do, for example. It was, in a way, a means of making games longer in spite of lacking the data storage space needed to make a game with a lot of stuff in it. That, I think, is part of why games like Metroid and Super Metroid were able to slip so naturally into the public consciousness: getting lost in a game just wasn't that uncommon at the time.
Few things: 1) That primal scream -- All scenes leading up to Samus actually using her Metroid powers had it activating on a subconscious, almost involuntary level. There are even cutscenes where she deliberately doesn't use it. That scream was likely just her completely letting her new Metroid instincts fly. "Animalistic" is probably right, considering she literally activated it straight out of being unconscious. Raven Beak has, at that point, also killed off all remaining loved ones from her past, the benevolent Chozo are slaughtered. So she might have just really wanted his ass dead. 2) The X-Chozo at the end isn't a plot hole, the beginning of the game state that they have in instinctive need to spread to increasingly powerful hosts, and Samus was the most powerful being available. Furthermore, they ALSO have an instinctive animosity towards Metroids (as shown in Fusion). The Chozo X managed to reverse Samus' transformation....although this allowed her to leave the planet, it also removed her Metroid form. So, whether the X made an intelligent choice or was acting purely off instinct, what it chose to do in her ship makes sense. At the very least, it's no different from the SA-X at the end of Fusion throwing itself at the Omega Metroid.
You made a lot of great points. I would argue that Prime 2 and 3 have the strongest art direction of any Nintendo game. Retro did a good job not relying on basic environments. Dread, however, didn't have memorable environments to me. The EMMIs don't work that well in terms of gameplay or story. Having to run away from robots is not as intimidating as dealing with a fully powered Samus clone. The only reason the EMMIs can't be beaten is because they just so happen to be made out of near impervious defences (it's hard to believe nothing in Samus' arsenal can take them down), but dealing with the SA-X worked better as a plot point. The player can easily understand that SA-X is a threat because we know Samus is a threat. Prime 2 and Fusion did the 'dread' atmosphere better than Dread does, funnily enough. Raven Beak was kind of underwhelming as a villain. I think it might have been a mistake to kill him off in one game instead of expanding on a rivalry across multiple. He isn't a rival as good as Dark Samus IMO. I don't think Dread deals with the fallout from Fusion well. What happens to the groups of people trying to clone Metroids in Fusion and Other M? Why does Samus still work the Galactic Federation after catching them cloning Metroids twice? I feel like there is still a lot up in the air.
Afaik, there was a mistranslation when it came to Fusion. The people cloning the Metroids was as an insurgency group instead of actual corruption happening in it, so that's why Samus is still with them. I hope you're not forgetting that Other M takes place before Fusion.
About the Quiet Robe-X scene at the end. X-parasites emulate the total biology of their hosts, IE they get their memories and possibly their instincts as well. A lot of X-creatures in fusion just hang around and do their normal animal thing. We also know that the X, given intelligence and power, will actively seek to oppose metroids IE the SA-X. So my take is that this X, with a cocktail of Quiet Robe's memories and the X instinct to fight metroids, they willingly allowed the Thoha DNA they copied to be absorbed so Samus could better control her metroid powers. 'Then why didn't it just let her be destroyed along with the planet' is a potential point to bring up, but I think that's where Quiet Robe's influence came in. Just saying I don't think it came completely out of nowhere, or anything.
My first thought was "What did that X learn by possessing Quiet robe that convinced it to let itself be absorbed? Does it know something that we don't?" Potential sequel hook maybe? Who knows
I still feel like we got cheated of potentially may metroid games out of having to wait for Dread to happen. Yoshio has stated that a game like Dread wasn't possible because we didnt have the technology at the time to make it, mainly surrounded the mechanics of the EMMI. Which is complete crap given the games that have came out since that statement to now, and that statement is at least a decade old.
@@billyboleson2830 You misunderstand. My point is that tech was never the problem because as the EMMI are a pretty simplistic enemy to face. We could've has Dread long before the Switch. Its just an excuse thrown out justify why we never got the game until now.
No longer watching these videos for the DMC reference dopamine rush. All about that Overblood reference now, folks. Seriously though, critical yet cracking vid, Brit!
I'll say this, as someone that loves 2D Metroid and Prime close to equally, I see a lot of your points but i think the main point I disagree with (to an extent) is your read of Samus in this game. Now granted what I am about to say is interpreted from the cutscenes of course, but I think there's a lot of little evidence to it all over the place. You mentioned how she tends to act a lot more "animalistic" in this game, and I think that is by design to represent how the Metroid DNA has begun to change who Samus is fundamentally. In the scene after you beat Kraid she dodges one his spikes with such a speed it's almost like she has spider-sense. In general she is way more aggressive, and her yelling at the end again permeates her full transformation. Now, from the execution I totally understand you reading that as an anime super saiyan moment, maybe they could have started the screaming when she grabbed him or something. But the general idea is she's begun to change from the Samus we all know, whether for good or worse we don't know for sure yet. I'm hoping we actually do get a sequel where maybe these Metroid powers get explored a bit more, and maybe there's even more opportunity to go even darker. But as a long-time fan of Fusion I also thought the reveal of the X was awesome. Idunno this is probably one of my favorite Metroid games and I personally like it more than Prime 3. Prime 3 technically did new things sure, but it also was pathetically easy, and the exploration was actively hurt by long loading screens (sound familiar?) and in general felt a lot more disjointed than prime 1&2. Also outside of a decent amount standout tracks I feel prime 3 had one of the weaker soundtracks too, but I'll concede Dread's is worse. Anyway, good video man. :)
Having played and finished Metroid Dread on all difficulties except rookie mode, I feel it is my duty to say that I enjoyed it just as much as I enjoyed Samus Returns.
I actually never found the "hyper aggresive" samus thing jarring, which I completely understand why he does. To me, the beginning fight scene with ravenbeak establishes very well that she's going to be "her own character" and that high-octane battle cutscenes with little player control are just going to be a thing in the game.
While I agree the settings of the areas are a bit basic, I feel the bigger problem is that you constantly jump around between them. No area is going to be memorable if 3 minutes after you enter it you just go into another elevator or teleporter. I would've much preferred it if you'd have to stick to one area to pick up a couple of items before moving on to the next one. Now it feels like I often cross three just to get to the next main objective.
@@jaretco6423 I like the designs too. My big issue is that when I enter a new area and think "this looks cool" I might be out of it several minutes later.
@@jaretco6423 I feel traveling throughout the entire world to pick up items all over the place would be the sort of thing you'd want to do in the late game for the sake of completion. With Dread that just is regular way to progress. I like how the environments look but they nonetheless start to blur together.
@@jaretco6423 I feel Fusion is in a sense better than Dread where you're basically locked in to individual environments until the end. While Dread lets you actually explore freely much earlier there is this weird thing where you're often pretty much locked in a small area, which is still spread across several different worlds. I ultimately still prefer Dread, I think its actual moment to moment gameplay is absolutely amazing.
@@jaretco6423 In a lot of ways I prefer Fusion's structure where you really get to focus on one area before you can go back to complete a previous one. Besides giving each area its own dedicated time in the spotlight, it means you can be more demanding of the player in terms of exploration because, no matter what, their progress is still bound to that specific area. ...but that doesn't mean that previous one needed to be locked off. If the developers really wanted to make sure players wouldn't waste time trying to progress in different areas they could've implemented a hint system somewhat similar as in Prime the moment the player starts messing around in a different area. "Your next objective should be somewhere around this sector" isn't exactly holding your hand.
I've been waiting for this review since you first talked about Metroid Other M on here, yikes. Glad to see it though, thanks for making videos all these years.
If this series ever mananges to get on a decnet release schedule you just know were gonna get Ridleys cousin or brother at some point, maybe an army of mini mecha Ridleys for Metroid 7
Power-up placement felt a bit arbitrary at times. One big one being getting a double jump only to get the Space Jump maybe ten to fifteen minutes later. Feels like they could have capitalised on having better but not unlimited jumping ability a bit more than they did. Still, this felt like it took Samus Returns and built upon what they had to give a much better experience. Hell, I bought a Switch because I wanted to play this and it just so happened to be releasing close to my birthday anyway.
I always felt like having all the upgrades from previous games (and of course more) was a bit of a cop out when it comes to metroid. It's the weakest part of dread by far, and ends up making the game feel indistinct. They didn't even play with it that much. Only bombs took a while to get. Varia and gravity was clearly telegraphed by the story and environment, all the jump upgrades are direct paths to the screw attack. The beams follows the super path. Missiles follows the fusion path It was cool that fusion gave you space attack so early, plasma beam so early, gravity after forcing you through water, etc... Zero mission gave you screw attack a fair bit before tourian, and outright blocked gravity and space attack for the end. Just need something refreshing
It’s because the space jump is optional. Also if you sequence break the game m, which the developers want you to it’s pretty mich evident why it’s where it is. When you go early to Burenia you essentially fight a fourth of the game with only the double jump. This game like Super and Zero Mission previously is build around sequence breaking. If some items feel arbitrary (like the wave beam in Zero Mission, or the Xray visor in super, you can be sure it has something to do with developer intended sequence breaking)
I think it makes a lot of sense. When you're stuck in a slow-moving first person game, you better have some detailed environments. Like Charlie mentions, I think the issue is they made a game that looks pretty good from the default distance - but then they zoom in all the time for cutscenes or finishers, and it's easy to tell how low fidelity it is.
Great review. I like how you didn't waste time with pointless meandering and instead got right to the point. I like Dread a lot, but I won't deny it has problems. Hopefully, the next title will be even better.
I think docking the game for falling into 'ticking boxes' for its environments and constant tributes is strange when you cite things this game could've included from previous games. It kinda reeks of the insatiable, pernickety nature that hardcore fans of a franchise cling to. What you call 'teleporters handholding the player' is actually an organic, less intrusive and innovative way to guide players who get easily overwhelmed with the niche appeal of Metroid maps. They're also not that frequent, and it's way better than literally being told which room to go to like in the Prime games. Same goes for having a wide variety of environments - they're easier to remember by landmarks when you consider colours and themes. Metroid Dread is not a "short" game unless you're extremely adept, which is a minority of players if you think about Switch users and how this is the best-selling Metroid game. It's enjoyably lean with no filler and invites replayability from start-to-finish, which you can't say about most single-player campaigns today.
Some reason thought you’d already made this so a surprising upload. I’ll never get over just how good it feels to move around in this game, even on the “micro” level as you put it. Things like jumping immediately after grabbing a ledge to skip climbing it and the slide jumps are just amazing additions alongside more standard things like Samus automatically climbing small ledges. Moving a character that feels good to control adds so much mileage to this game for me. Don’t have much else to say regarding the criticisms other than I wish we’d spent way more time in an abandoned lab and the EMMI were focused on way too hard in marketing. QR-X was overcome with the memories and good nature of QR. RB-X was overcome with the memories and power thirst of RB. Samus at the end is forced to reconsider her condemnation of the X and that they inherently change by absorbing intelligent life. Something for Samus to grapple with is seeing how these two different Chozo changed the X should now make her uncomfortable with how much of herself she saw in the SA-X. It’s no coincidence that the things SA-X did seemed creepy to us but people gush (including this video) about how stoic and cool Samus is when she does it. An unstoppable outwardly cold and quiet genocide machine. Looking forward to the next game in the series and I actually want MS to keep being the devs working on it.
2d samus is a ninja, but 3d samus is a walking tank and I kinda hope it stays that way. Even if prime 4 has smoother movement, it probably will, I hope they still show that her suit has weight to it
I enjoyed this review but I definitely disagree with a lot of the points made. I’m surprised to hear you liked the game overall at the end because I feel like much of this video was spent criticizing the game. Felt somewhat like a scattershot of random nitpicks at times to me. I think you’re not giving the game enough credit in some areas, such as with the environments. Yes some parts of certain levels are like the basic fire and forest areas, but to describe Ferenia as a basic stone temple seems unfair. The one room you show is unlike the rest of Ferenia. This game easily has the best environments of at least any 2D Metroid in my opinion, in sheer variety, detail, and in original ideas. There are many original concepts in the levels. Even within those cliché level themes we get lots of cool stuff to see. I’ll agree the EMMI weren’t scary but that feels more like a criticism of the name of the game than the game itself. For what they are, I think they’re fantastic. And as for why Samus is acting more animalistic, I think the game is trying to show you that the Metroid DNA awakening is having a tremendous effect on her. The whole point is that she’s not acting like herself. The scream scene is unlike something Samus would do, but to me that’s the whole point. There are multiple scenes that hint at this throughout the game. And if 2D Metroid were to use dual analogue aiming, I feel that reduce the number of buttons available since your right thumb is busy aiming. Basically only triggers would have to do everything else. Not ideal in my opinion. I agree that single wall jump being removed is lame, but I still think Dread does sequence breaking tremendously well. I’d even say at least as good, if not better, than the other titles. As much as I love Dread, I do agree that this game should have been a DS or Wii game released ages ago.
@@oscarzxn4067Well as discussed in this video, we see that Dread doesn’t really do anything beyond presentation and graphics that couldn’t have been done on the DS. Outside of graphics, I can’t think of any specific thing in Dread that feels like it couldn’t have been done on the DS.
25:35 I still think that this scene should have shown the audience the ending of the fusion more clearly. Throughout the game, Metroid Fusion tells you that X are emotionless creatures that have no soul, just a thirst for absorption. However, at the very end, SA-X helps you defeat the Omega Metroid. This should have left the audience wondering if X really didn't have a soul, and what their actual purpose was. Same thing with Quite Robe. Only it is shown directly in the face. I still think the ending lacks a buildup and comes out of nowhere, but that's what I got out of it
Other reverse-eponymous titles: I am Legend: Protagonist is the legend spoken of by the monsters. Predator: Dutch hunts the dreadlock alien in the end.
Finally man. Fun game, played it non-stop until I reached the final boss, but I didn't like some aspects. The game has mandatory quick time events now and this really has no place in a Metroid game. Not even Samus Returns had them, and I hope this doesn't come back in another game. The soundtrack is forgettable too, except Super's remixes (I hope Kenji Yamamoto comes back for Prime 4). And again we have a game where you have to walk around the whole map again to collect all the items. Why didn't the developers follow the example of the first 3 games, Super in particular, where you could collect all items during the main path? This could easily be solved with items that require advanced techniques to collect them, in the process rewarding skilled players. Something lame that Mercury Steam added is that one of the rewards for beating Hard Mode is a picture of Samus facing Ridley in Other M, instead of something referencing the Prime Trilogy. Also, what happened to the Etecoons and Dachoras? That being said, at least it is a lot more fun than Samus Returns. But my top 3 is still Super/Prime/ZM.
I'm just going to come out and say that I didn't care for this review. At all. Felt needlessly nitpicky and overly-critical in ways that felt an awful lot like you were critiquing the game for what you wanted it to be over what it's actually trying to be. It's very disingenuous and tiring to listen to, and I think it's likely the reason why so many of the comments seem fairly critical of your points. (And why the ones that aren't are coincidentally people who *despise* Dread on concept alone.) Will not be returning to this channel despite enjoying certain prior videos. Sorry about that. I hope you have a good day regardless.
I know tying the whole transformation of Samus into a Metroid being treated as a very symbolic means of matching to the title screen and being representative of what you are in the game would feel like a fitting redefining moment for the series, but I feel that it also strays away from the more human moments that samus gives, and the role that the flying world destroying jellyfish had with allowing some of the most interesting interactions and moments in the series beyond samus’ ability to overcome every obstacle set in her path.
It's weird that you complain Dread holds your hand to an extent that you beat Super without Grapple beam. You fail to acknowledge in Dread, without glitches, you can beat the game without pulse radar, spin boost, flash shift, or even space jump. Yes, Super does have more mechanics that encourage sequence breaks but even on a first timer's playthrough, Super Metroid is just as linear as any other Metroid. If we're talking glitches and bugs, Dread is just as much up there with Super. The teleporters are such a non-issue since they work based on colors and only freely teleport you across the world when you unlock them all at endgame, similar to Prime 2. I somewhat understand your issues with the EMMI's, but I don't think Dread was trying to be a horror game. The EMMI are made to be more suspenseful as they hunt you down, the dread comes from worrying about encountring them. Although I agree the specified zoes they have lessens it to an extent, from my 10+ playthrough experiences they appear at random so it still catches you off guard. I think dumbing it down to "Mario and Pokemon" is missing the point. Also, I highly doubt you've mastered those emmi, timings, even most speedrunners don't bother, lol. (Personally, I think they should have added more lights out sections) Also,complaining Samus' action moves don't fit her character in a game where she is literally becoming a Metroid, just feels weird. This is also Metroid 5, and technically the 11th game in the timeline. Why does she still have to act small and meek at every large monster she encounters? This just feels like a misreading of her character tbh. This review is decent but pedantic as hell.
Dread doesn't have the same amount of mechanics as Super or even Zero Mission. Super allows you to pick up all the items while exploring the main path through its sequence breaks, the moment you acquire the Gravity Suit (basically halfway through the game) it's possible to collect all the items that appear along the way, so it's not necessary to leave the last area of the game and go around the map again to get 100% like in games released after Super.
The problem with teleports is that they make exploration less organic compared to Super and to a lesser extent Zero Mission. Dread keeps blocking passages, forcing you to use these teleports which thanks to the Switch's low specs adds another annoying element thanks to the loading. Plus entering these teleports doesn't allow you to collect items along the way, which wouldn't happen if the game gave you the option to explore the area freely.
I don't see how Samus turning into a Metroid automatically suggests bombastic action. If the game really wanted to give the player some feeling of unease, dread; why not show the downside of turning into something hideous, a transformation that would make Samus lose control and turn into a creature that doesn't even act like a rational human.
I know right? It’s like he’s stuck in the past and refuses to accept new ideas which is not very fitting for him he’s usually very open to new concepts
I can agree on your points about the visual presentation and music but in regards to how good u found the game I heavily disagree. Dread is one of the best feeling 2d games I've ever played. The pace is just right. It's actually fun and intuitive to 100% which isn't even something u touched on and bosses were actually fun to fight. In your constant comparison to what came before, it seems like u forgot to give the game its flowers. Most games can't live up to 10 years of built up expectations, and especially one that can't afford to be a failure since Metroid isn't usually a top seller. It felt like u weren't even reviewing the game for what it is most of the video but what u wished it was.
So, a thing you said about the EMMI design, how they don't look threatening enough. Their designs are extremely inspired by a killer robot AMEE from 00's shitty sci-fi "Red Planet" Like I love this game a whole lot, and it possibly revived my love for games in general, but those designs are 100% "stolen" from the movie Sakamoto watched one day. Makes it also kinda more believable to me that they weren't able to animate them right for all those years.
Granted, this "inspiration" is not the first time for the series, seeing how first 3 games are extremely Alien and 4th one is The Thing (called "Object X From Outer Space" in Japan, by the way, totally not on the nose), but still, I feel like Sakamoto wanting them to look just like that - and some concept arts making them look even more than robots from that movie - kinda held back their impact on the game as a whole.
Great review, some really valid points I hadn’t thought of until now, well done on that. I wanna disagree though very hard on the last points made about this potentially having been “better on older hardware”. I just wouldn’t make a comment like that without having the technical understanding of what goes on under the hood with this title. The speed and responsiveness of this game and it running at a fluid 60 FPS cannot be understated here - it literally makes the game much better. You even started the review talking about dual-stick controls maybe being the best going forward (which I don’t fully agree with either I do actually like the button press-to-aim system in 2d) which runs contrary to it being on DS or 3DS. And we saw what a 3ds title made by the exact same team looked like - answer is, not as good as this. Maybe on wii or wii u sure, but I am positive a game made at that time on that hardware, would have had a myriad other issues we cannot possibly foresee. If you had instead made the point others have made about the switch being wildly outdated and in need of an upgrade, then I’d agree wholeheartedly. I’m just really happy with the game we got for the vast majority of the experience, and even though it’s been a rocky road to get here I’m glad it’s here.
I always interpreted Samus' screaming during her takedown of Raven Beak to be less of a moment of empowerment and more the sign that she'd completely succumbed to her Metroid side. Not so much personal empowerment and more total loss of control
Im 34yo playing prime as my first Metroid. Its a blast im not much of a fan of 2d Metroid,might give dread a try but im more honestly wating for the remastered sequels to prime.
I feel the scream was warranted though. Yes she's been in life threatening situations before but this isn't just about her, it's a universal thread, he literally just mentioned he was going to clone her for his gain. I'd be screaming too if I were in her situation
All these people in the comments talking about their reasoning behind Samus screaming and I'd just like to point out how Metroids screech before/when attacking. Y'know, like she does... when she *becomes one.*
Regarding your point on the counter animations:
I would argue that Samus is SUPPOSED to look and feel more animalistic in this game; remember that after her first encounter with Raven Beak, her Metroid DNA began to awaken much more quickly. Those quicktime events are essentially her letting the beast out, probably without necessarily realizing it.
Consider the first time she absorbs an enemy in a quicktime finisher; she was just acting on her new Metroid instincts, and her body was moving on its own. To me, that's a substantial part of the subtext throughout the entire game - that something is just a BIT off about her, about how animated and - sometimes - feral she seems compared to her composure in the Prime games. It IS a bit jarring, but it's supposed to be, and it makes me appreciate Dread even more.
EDIT: as for Samus screaming when she transformed and killed Raven Beak, I'd guess that it was partly fury and raw instinct, since her Metroid DNA was reacting to a Mawkin threatening her like in the intro, but MOSTLY because it FUCKING HURT. Like, seriously, I can't imagine what was happening to her skeleton and innards when her suit turned into that - for all practical purposes, the suit probably WAS her body at that point, what with how organic it looked, and honestly I found that whole sequence really scary and unsettling as a result, like, "holy shit, what if she's stuck like this forever now?"
In short, that WAS NOT a dime-a-dozen "screaming willpower" moment. Rather, it was a DECONSTRUCTION of those types of moments. She wasn't screaming due to her willpower. She was screaming because she LOST her will to the Metroid DNA inside her, which - due to her life being in mortal danger - went into absolute overdrive and she likely couldn't control it, or herself, AT ALL. As with the quicktime stuff, something is SUPPOSED to feel off and unsettling about it, because it's literally Samus losing to the invasive DNA of an apex predator species that's slowly - and then very suddenly - taking over her body.
TL;DR - as with every good Metroid game, a lot of the story is told through subtext. And in the case of this specific game, you don't need elevator monologues explaining Samus' thoughts when the Switch's hardware allows the conveyance of her gradual descent into ferality without a single word, unlike the GBA.
a second point is each of those cut scenes get more brutal than the last.
I understand your point, but given how she uses the same ninja moves in Samus Returns, which was made by the same developers and is at an earlier point in the franchise, I think it’s more of a problem stemming from how Mercury Steam portrays Samus than a fully deliberate choice.
The brutality works for Samus’ new Metroid draining attack (and I agree that those animations are an effective narrative device), but Samus executes bosses with extravagant acrobatic techniques even early in the game when her powers haven’t awakened yet.
The bored way in which she approaches Kraid and the edgy “cool guys don’t look at explosions” way she finishes bosses also feel at odds with both the way she was portrayed until Other M and the fact that she’s supposedly turning feral.
Samus LITERALLY morphing into a Metroid was also a bit much for me, but that’s another point entirely.
I think there's a lot of merit to this take on Samus' character, but what Brit was getting at was that it's less in line with Samus as she has been portrayed before Other M. I like the quick gameplay of this game a lot but to me Metroid has always been about inquisitiveness and resourcefulness- not excessive brutality. Not a bad thing per se but making Samus less like Metroid has always been and more like Doom Guy can feel out of place for longtime fans who aren't used to this.
I always assumed that the screaming was more because she was sick of this shit with everyone goin after the Metroids one way or another. And now a Chozo who is a part of her is decided to do the same thing on top of killing many other of their kind all for his own world conquest with her as his ultimate weapon. It's now changed from preventing the Metroid from falling into the wrong hands, but now she has to watch her own back for the galaxies sake.
@@nicoloenricorimoldi7425ercury Steam has the burden of trying to regulate the appeal of Samus to an audience that is constantly looking at their phones while coming off the critically acclaimed Prime series (which took a very different approach to convention)
In addition to that, if I'm not mistaken, these are the guys that handled the 3DS Castlevania games. Of course they are going to want to integrate what they know
If you have any complaints, I think they would be better place at making these movements the standard in a world of very centralized enemy designs
She moves like a smash character while the monsters which populate the world exhibit the same behavior as Metroid 1 creatures. Again, if you've played any prime game, their patterns are very nuanced to the environment
They should have leaned _more_ into that feral component as it would usher in more replayability. Get Killer Instinct's guys on the job. They would make quicktime events melodic and intuitive
Point being there's more *game* to a system where timing and nuance plays a role. Isn't that what they were going for with the whole Mawkin Crush claw deal? Raiden characteristics?
The deeper you delve into the world, obviously you are going to encounter more radical indigenous creatures. And an increasingly vast array of movement patterns. But even with Metroid's new jagged look, it kind of seems like they had to play it safe in their approach, less to debug
(But worth the $60 price tag if they managed to pull it off?)
In defense of her screaming her lungs out in the ending, I interpreted it as a combination of her Metroid nature going absolutely apeshit (her movements on the next cutscenes are even more animalistic and agressive, like she wants to rip everything she encounters), and Raven Beak being the absolute bastard that killed almost all of the pacifist Chozos she considers her second family and then he daring to call her his daughter. So yeah, amped up agression due to her becoming a monster and Raven Beak being a personal foe of hers justifies screaming for bloody murder in my eyes
Absolutely agree. Also right before that, the scene shows Samus remembering the fallen Chozo. I also think the way Samus acts in this game (especially in the finale) is a result of Samus letting out her suppressed rage that was accumulated throughout her adventures.
It doesn’t need a defense, it’s just cool. I don’t understand taking issue with her screaming like that, personally.
@@centurychum That doesn't mean much. A lot of things look silly out of context.
Also let’s not forget Raven Beak didn’t exterminate the Metroids on SR388 when he had the chance, instead opting to try using them as bio weapons to conquer the galaxy. Which then led to the Space Pirates discovering them and using them as bio weapons to conquer the galaxy. If the Mawkin didn’t genocide the Thoha and helped them destroy the Metroids, this entire franchise would’ve never happened. Raven Beak is responsible for like 70% of all the terrible things that have ever happened to Samus, whether directly or indirectly.
The execution of it was just kinda cringe and hilarious in tone
I felt like having Quiet Robe the Chozo be able to remanifest himself even as an X copy actually offered some cool recontextualization of some of the moments from Fusion. Like why that X human scientist tried to blow up the station or why the SA-X returned and did what it did at the end of the game. It's something to think about, that may be we didn't understand the parasites as much as we thought.
I had a theory to why the X acted that way. Before when the X only existed on their planet the parasites never took over the planet even before the Chozo came and created the Metroids. In Fusions ending the AI Adam theorizes that the only reason the X didn't take over the friendly animals was because they were weak. It seems reasonable to assume that before the X came into contact with intelligent life they were more animal-like and would only take over dominant predators, thus keeping the ecosystem stable and feeding off the old predators natural prey.
Once they did come into contact with self aware creatures like Humans and Chozo, the X also became self aware and as they absorbed their memories, the idea of where they stand in the universe, their potential and the risk of being crushed by this new galactic competition all became apparent to them. They all acted in unison to ensure their survival and security by aiming to spread beyond their planet and become the dominant lifeforms. However the X are extremely young in terms of gaining self awareness and as they continue to develop their hivemind mentality would eventually falter as they may reach different conclusions and may even go against the interests of the X as a whole.
When that X absorbed Quiet Rope it could at first have acted as an enemy however it also inherited its memories and there may be a possibility that specific X could have eventually adopted the strong will that Chozo possessed.
Just a theory I have, I'm glad they didn't explain too many details as I enjoy speculation.
Eh...I always thought the x-copy scientist tried to blow up the station because it was what the X-Parasite that possessed him wanted him to do, to spread the x-parasites across the entire universe. The station exploding would kill Samus, but the bigger threat would be that it wouldn't kill the x-parasites. It would just propel them into the space.
And the reason why SA-X returned to fight the Omega Metroid was because the X parasites are the natural enemy of the Metroid species. Metroids were literally created to fight off and kill all the x-parasites. The SA-X didn't help Samus because it had a change of heart, it simply saw the Omega Metroid as a bigger threat to it's own survival.
Because of this, I'd like to think that the x-parasite Chozo overcame it simply through willpower and mental acumen. Up to that point, the only things the x-parasites were shown to possess and copy were lower lifeform "mindless" animals. We never saw the X try to take over an enlightened highly intelligent being like the Chozo before. Before you say "it copied Samus!", no. The X only copied and possessed Samus' discarded armor suit.
@@gamephreak5 I think you missed my point. I wasn't saying it. Definitively recons what we thought happened in Fusion, simply that it makes one think twice about each scenario. We never had definitive proof as to their motivations, it was mainly ADAM hypothesizing.
@@gamephreak5 From what Adam said in Fusion, the scientist attempted to blow up the station because losing all the X on the station was an acceptable loss in exchange for eliminating the sole risk to the rest of the X on SR-388.
In the case of Dread, the X reactivated the EMMI to destroy Samus because of her Metroid DNA posing its greatest threat. When it comes to the ending, ZDR's destruction meant the extinction of the X. Maybe that last X saw it as better to survive as part of something else. Maybe it meant that there's more to the X. Difficult to say for sure, but it's definitely an intriguing moment.
There also is a possibility that that X did not want her to be Metroid, so knowing that Chozo DNA is able to control them it feeds itself to Samus, which makes it kinda more rational, but a lot more grim.
When I finished Dread for the first time I was like "that's it? no talk with Adam after escape to explain all that like in Fusion?", but now I'm glad the game does not try to explain itself too much. Hope they never mention that in the future too.
I like to think that the overt violence and Samus' animalistic tendencies in battle were meant to foreshadow the ending.
For all the talk about Samus’ Metroid Powered Uncontrolled Angry Time Scream, I think the scene right after is one worth mentioning that wasn’t mentioned here.
Samus gets up, sees the giant X-Raven Beak amalgam, and wordlessly destroys it. When the X parasite appears on its own as it does after defeating any X-infected creature, rather than absorb it as one usually would for some extra power, she destroys it too. Immediately after her fit of rage, she’s in control to the point that the instinctive Metroid desire to consume is no longer even in play, and Metroid instinct is something she struggled with in previous cutscenes.
Just so we’re clear on what those cutscenes were, one was her entering a room with what looked to be pods for suspending enemies. One of the creatures apparently broke free and as Samus turned to it her hand glowed with the purple Metroid energy and she formed it into a claw-esque shape. She then regained her bearings and shot the creature instead.
The other instance was from her seeing the wall carving of Raven Beak. She wasn’t even in any danger but the innate antagonism to Mawkin Chozo caused her hand to claw up and the energy to appear.
The absolute scariest moment in the game was immediately after the X Parasite was released and you begin to backtrack to the previous area.
If you played through _Fusion_ then you'd know what the X Parasite is capable of, but in your mind you may believe that the smaller creatures just might have been able to escape them.
You then fire upon a small swarm of flying creatures, only to see them become miniature X Parasites and you realize that the planet is doomed.
I think Samus knew the planet was doomed the moment she saw the parasites escaping the quarantine zone. She's fearless but was visibly shocked - she knew the world was doomed from that very moment and it weighed on her.
I found that to be one of the most frustrating moments because enemies become bullet sponges yet again.
This is the first Metroid review of yours that I pretty strongly disagreed with. I loved every second of this game, except for how generous the counter window is, there were several times I thought "that counter definitely should've failed". Oh and hard agree on the music, it's far too subdued and atmospheric. I personally really enjoyed Samus' character in this game, but that is really subjective I guess.
For Quiet Robe returning, iirc it's been established that spiritually-inclined Chozo can "spiritbend" for want of a better word, so that's my head-canon for how he helps Samus at the end. But I agree that should've been shown in-game.
Bro stop schizoposting
@@DATskorge huh? How is that schizo posting?
I this game absolutely nailed the best aspects of Samus's character, I think the story is kind of a weird continuation of Fusion, buuuuuut that said, I really like everything it does for the lore. The fact that Samus literally becomes a metroid is such a damn conclusion to this section of the story, it just works so well thematically.
its worth noting that the subdued and atmospheric is very in line with the series as thats what the original composer for 1 wanted to go for
I personally see your critiques of her being more animalistic as not fully understanding the point of Dread's story. With Samus becoming more and more a Metroid, that instinctual hunter inside of her is screaming to get out. Hence her screaming as it fully takes over and she stabs Raven Beak in the face. Her more aggressive stance in this game is her succombing more and more to the animal inside of her, it's only in the final X-Raven fight that she has regained her control and composure since she's no longer suppressing this new side of herself.
calling it a dime-a-dozen screaming cutscene is such an L take
that overblood 1 ost comparison almost made me tear up man
PIPOOOOOOOO!
Brit referencing Overblood seems to be the new "Brit referencing Devil May Cry". One can only hope! Makes for a good comical twist.
Pipoooooooooo 😢
"But did we need Samus screaming her head off?"
Yes, we did. Even stoic badasses need to scream their heads off in fury once in a while.
It's not like Samus is a character with bottled up trauma or anything. :^)
no
Please, go ruin some other franchise.
I took that bit less as a show of might and more as a "holy shit i'm transforming into a fucking metroid right now this shit hurts"
Nope, too cringe and anime.
A good reason why you aim with the left stick is because having the right thumb aim would affect the amount of inputs you could comfortably do at any point. The ABXY buttons are very important inputs with high frequency of use, and most of the time the player has to aim ahead of Samus, not behind her
Would be cool if the right stick did more than just activate Phantom Cloak, but I agree with the decision to let the left stick aim
Just swap the important buttons to the triggers and bumpers. I prefer the way it is now, but the solution isn't that hard if you really wanted it.
@@psykomancer4420 That's not much of a solution imo. It's true that you'd then be able to do basic things like shoot, jump, flash shift, etc. as quickly as before, but imagine how awkward shooting a missile or use grapple beam would be now, just for the ability to aim behind while moving forwards
the controls we have now allow you to do whatever you want instantly, with the exception of Phantom Cloak in which the thumb has to travel from the buttons to the right stick, and scan pulse which isn't necessary to use in motion
due to the loss of speediness, most people would probably revert to the standard options after trying out a dual stick one, so I don't feel like anything was lost in that regard. After all, it's better to have the right thumb rest on 4 important inputs than just 2, with one being used sparingly
Jump and shoot with the shoulder buttons bruh
@torvusbolt201 Missile could stay a shoulder button, and grapple could be r3. But I forgot about parry, which does make this impossible.
6:59 sorry but this is a lie. The discovery of getting over the moat without the grapple was only discovered by speed runners in the mid-2000s. And it’s STILL an extremely difficult trick, it would takes hours upon hours to successfully do trick. There’s no way you discovered this trick.
Y'know what, as someone who considers Dread his new favorite game in the series, I can't actually disagree with any of your criticisms. I definitely think it would be a stronger game if they were fixed. I just think the speed, movement, and bosses are more than enough to make up for the game's shortcomings.
Honestly, I really want to see where they go from here. At this point, I'm just really happy to be getting GOOD Metroid games again, after a literal decade without anything especially worthwhile coming out of the series
I'm honestly right there with you. I completely get it has problems, but some of the stuff that it does just makes it almost hands down the most replayable 2d game in the series. I will fully admit that the music is out right bad/ boring most of the time, and that the visuals are some times inconsistent. But as a person who's replayed it several times at this point, what I love so much about it is that the most important aspects of the game are executed flawlessly. The controls in Fusion and Zero Mission were fantastic, and then Samus Returns again improved on them. Dread some how took that, and refined it to the point of being basically perfect. Some of the movement to get some of the items was straight up my favorite puzzles in the entire series. But then, you combine this with the fact that the major boss fights in this game are leagues ahead of boss fights in previous titles, and also take into account that this is probably the most challenging 2d entry, and it just clicks so damn hard for me. I love feeling like I actually have to learn the bosses and try my hardest instead of just continually tank damage and pump missiles into the bosses like the other titles.
Not a popular opinion I know, but the polish of this game straight up makes it difficult for me to replay Super. It just feels clunky by comparison.
Agreed, as a new favorite Switch title I totally see what he means by
- the camera moving
- save rooms being copy pasted
- the right stick just as a face button, etc.
It definitely could have used a bit more tweaking but like you said, the game's speed and bosses make up for it
The only points I agreed on were mediocre music and the fact that this game could've been done on the DS.
Agreed. As much as I love this game and how it did many things right for me, there are an few that could've benefit alot better; like the music for example. But there's so many great things about the game that the highest point are so high than the lowest points. It's not perfect. No games are. But this is definitely the step in the right direction and hopefully continues that path with Prime 4 or the next installment after Dread. Let's just be happy that we finally have an great Metroid game that we've been waiting for an long time and continues that way.
@@jaretco6423 Exactly. Dread is awesome!
I really don't get the rant about Samus yelling.
Just got done talking about how there's a bit too much hesitation in giving Samus much much personal thoughts, and yet the literal ONE time she breaks from her stoicism before going right back to it is too much?
I can see if yoy don't like it jyst because it's too anime or over-the-top, just say that. I think it's perfectly fine to have this one huge release of emotion right at the end of the journey, especially since she's back to cool and calm right after.
Raven Beak was able to single-handedly wrangle all the X parasites without getting infected. He’s clearly the strongest opponent Samus has ever faced in any of the games. It’s fine that she screamed when she powered up and beat his ass finally
Not rain on this parade but its more likely that the X outbreak started (likely by him on purpose) and he just locked up the facility from the outside to trap all X and left behind Chozo inside. All he had to do was just book it.
@@DarkSpyro707 The problem with that assumption is that it then means the X outbreak on ZDR was contained almost immediately. Which then brings up the question, if he got the X under control so fast, why did Beak never bother returning to SR388 to get his precious Metroid samples before Samus did her extermination mission in Samus Returns? The only way to square away that plot point is that Beaky-boy must have been spent a considerable amount of time eliminating the X infestation on ZDR until he finally got them all contained in Elun.
@@AICW that's less a problem with his assumption and more with msr's/dread's story in general. Why leave with nothing to begin with? Why not take a metroid during the 1st trip? Why leave for so long? Dread's version of the events make it look like he killed the chozo a couple days before Samus arrived on sr388.
It's kind of a shame Raven Beak basically only has presence in this single game (and kinda-sorta in the Metroid 2 remake flashbacks but those didn't have much context in that game).
For a baddie this important to the overall lore, it feels like he should've been present in multiple games before his death.
E.g. his name could've been mentioned in Fusion and Zero Mission, then he could've made an appearance in Dread and then he would've been dealt with in Metroid 6.
@@AICW we dont really have a solid timeline as far as events go other than just in the order they happened. we dont know if Raven Beak took forever to contained the x or if he did it real fast. We dont know how long it was between him eliminating the chozo on sr388 and samus going there to exterminate the metroids. considering that an entire species went extinct within Samus' life time, the very same species that raised her and joining the federation not long after, im under the assumption that all of this happened very fast.
I seriously don't understand how TGB of all people is so in need to bash Nintendo hardware in every video he makes of their games. When he's the one who seems to be against most modern gaming trends anyway like graphics over gameplay
He likes when modern games priotize frame rate over graphics
@@paulakroy2635 that's literally what dread does
Honestly his takes on the art style and graphics are bad.
He didn't give a compelling argument as to why the 2.5D presentation and 3D models are a bad thing. He talks about "cutting corners", but ... aside from the expository intro with art work instead of cinematics, he doesn't give any other example. The animations are amazing, the frame rate is great, the illumination is really good. He talked about the graphic quality going down when the camera moved in the 3D space, but how? He doesn't explain how is bad or why.
I don't know. Aside from a few good criticism here and there, this review is full of nitpicks.
Take the "I'm tired of the biomes who provide no original spins on them." Opinion and the claim of "there's no imaginative, alien like areas."
First, usually Metroid games start with the green area, in Dread the game starts at the very bottom of the map inside a cave system where both an invisible creature and killed robots are hunting prey. Then, later in this area, by agency of the X parasites the area freezes providing tougher enemies, and making you traverse the area differently. I'll admit Cataris doesn't have much going for it. Dairon is the central hub, it's an experimentation lab, full of background and environmental details, with arguably the most difficult E.M.M.I., and this is the perfect area to make backtracking and travel to the rest of the areas. Back in Super Metroid there wasn't a central area, you had to travel all the way around the map to get where you needed or wanted to go (not that it is a bad thing, just, Super Metroid's world is smaller than Dread's), also, there's the labs energy to be activated again, and if you're exploring you'll likely get the bombs early. Bureia is a research area that is being over taken over by the ocean, you make changes to the environment, and there are secret passages to get upgrades or advance the plot faster. Ghavoran is the definition of Alien world, this guy's argument to not like it is just... that there are too many colors... . Talking about exploration, this area is the difficulty spike of the game, there are a lot of secret rooms, you can sequence break a few times here, you must know how to navigate here, because you open paths by closing others. Then we got Ferenia which is mined with tough enemies, has a great art direction, the music is great, there's challenge evading the EMMI if you didn't sequence break, and there's many secret paths here as well.
Unexpected surprise but a welcomed one nonetheless
Reddit type comment
A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
Oxymoron
I disagree about the screaming being arbitrary. Yes, she's been in life-threatening situations before but she's never literally turned into a Metroid. I thought that the screaming was appropriate, and added gravity to the moment since Samus rarely emotes (Other M Samus notwithstanding).
Dread had me revitalized as a Metroid fan like a man finding water in a hot desert. Most of the improvements I requested for Samus' Return has been addressed, and I love the storytelling this game has not only to the lore, but with the main character herself. Samus has never felt this cool and badass before, and despite not uttering a word, she still has layers of depth to her character that even most modern female protagonists with highly-talented voice actresses and triple A cinematic presentations don't have.
Probably overall my second favorite Metroid behind Fusion. The controls were super nice, the bosses were really solid, and there was a lot of fun puzzles. If not for the awful loading times and a few too many paths closing in behind you, it would probably be my favorite.
One thing I interpreted differently was the title. I felt like the Emmi were a bait and switch for the Dread concept. They show up as the freaky enemy early on and can be a pain, but by the halfway point, they become routine. Instead, the titular dread for me came from Samus becoming more Metroid like as the game went on. She wasn’t just getting the powers, she was starting to instinctively consume other things more and more as the game went on. By the end, she was more animalistic and more consuming, not the usual collected warrior. Heck, in the ending, I almost thought they might keep the new Metroid-y form.
Fusion is trash wtf
She became the last Metroid in Fusion. This isn’t a new thing.
They really did nail the characterization of Samus. She communicates a lot of her perosnality physically rather than verbally. Even in the shitty loading screens, she’s got her free hand on her blaster cannon, ready to take aim if anything tries to jump her.
18:10
Fully with you on having an abandoned colony as a setting. The character of the Metroid universe mainly comes from the locales that Samus explores. In that respect much of what we see of the Metroid universe is, consequently, the backwater of the galaxy. We see a lot of what she's fighting to protect people from, but never what exactly she's fighting to protect. It's a pretty easy pitch too, the GF loses contact with a densely populated planet closer to the frontier, Samus investigates only to find it completely abandoned. The more urban domestic environments would certainly be a nice departure from the usual caves Samus trudges around in.
"This is not how I'd imagine Metroid to be or how Samus would act." basically.
That’s the whole fanbase
because apparently samus still needs to be small and meek even though its literally the 5th game in the timeline (11th if you count Prime & Other M)
@@rync1372 and she literally has alien blood and X DNA in her body
Also she's like 2 meters tall
No More Heroes 3 review when
Tomorrow
No more heroes 3 was so good. I didn't play it till last year when it hit the series x but it was worth the wait
@@KarmodFlies
@@rofflesvanwagonI found it dissapointing and quirky for the sake of it. Nmh 1 actually had a coherent narrative and 3 drops that about a third of the way in. Gameplay was also more boring as well.
"But do I need Samus screaming her head off as she achieves super saiyan metroid level 3?"
Yes, yes we do.
Charlie: I wasn't afraid of the emmies
Me: (gets PTSD after hearing those beeps and boops)
I think this game is fan-fucking-tastic. I agree that it didn't innovate much but I think with 20 years of downtime it was fine to just feel like old times again
No offense but...
Saying the final fight is against two metroids shows a huge lack of knowledge in your part
Metroid comes from metro+ android as samus was gonna be apparently one originally
It was then changed to metroids are the green jellyfish
Metroids being articial chozo creations before samus returns was in a lot of places
Metroid backstory manga
The super metroid manual in japanese mentions they were created... Very vaguely
Metroid fusion' manual says metroid means ultimate Warrior in Chozo + x hates metroid tissue and becomes aggresive and metroid tissue consumes x to cellular level
Abd metroid fusion japanese script suggests x obly take memories from the víctim if they consume it alive
Quiet robe x was quiet robe helping samus one last time
The músic that plays when he reveals himself as friendly is the same one when he sacrifices himself
Secondly no raven beak isn't a metroid ignorant
Metroid refers to the green jellyfish
Metroids being ultimate warriors
Not that ultimate warriors are metroids
Raven beak is simply the strongest chozo... At the moment at least
Raven beak even notes samus is the perfect metroid
Sakamoto said dread is the conclusion of the metroid arc because well
There will be no more metroids apart from samus
The galaxy is at peace
Also Raven beak wanted to bring peace by conquering it and subjugating it a mawkin
The thoha wanted s peaceful galaxy it seems. Willing to destroy their planet to end the metroid threat
Raven beak wanted the power
It's easy to understand no rocket science.
Metroid fusion is called fusion because samus fused with metroid dna
In dread at the end samus is the metroid
Full circle on the jellyfish story arc
Also samus going berserk is wrong for You? No offense but if samus can't be angry be sad or anything... What can she show?
Moreover samus's draining powers are hinted at
Because of all the focus on Samus' hand. All the purple shine around it
All the times she gets distracted by it
Like when meeting the purple emmi
Also about kraid not having any explanation
A unlockable chozo memory shows it imprisoned by mawkin
Yeah it's not clear if it's another kraid or the same kraid
And FINALLY Accord to Sakamoto
The technology thing was about the chaser enemies
He wanted it to be right
Keeping in mind sa-x ' limited ai it's a logical assumption that he wanted more complex ai than sa-x but slightly better. Sa-x is infamously easy to trick to get stuck
And if you hate the checkpoints in dread fine
But if everyone had to Journey back every time the emmi instakilled them a lot of people would hate it
You're a good example of someone that reviews games on the basis of what you wanted instead of what it set out to achieve
lol your first Metroid game was dread wasn’t it
@@billyboleson2830So? What is your point?
@billyboleson2830 Wasn't mine and I agree with his sentiment.
@billyboleson2830 Dread wasn't my first Metroid Game, and I think it's on equal footing to Super Metroid. Personally, I like it better than Super Metroid, just for the movement, and for the more thrilling boss battles.
Because, let's be honest, up until Super Metroid, bosses required not much skill to beat.
I'd say the rage scream was pretty justified. Remember, Raven Beak single-handedly brought the Chozo-Saums's adoptive family- to ruin, and doesn't even care. He even gunned down his sole remaining kin through a drone right in front of Samus. He also beat her up, stole all her upgrades, sicced killer robots on her, all while spending the entire game gaslighting her under the guise of Adam. And after all that, he has the audacity to call himself her father. Dude went the extra mile to piss her off.
Wasn't expecting a Tak and the Power of Juju callout in my Metroid review.
I think Samus's screaming is specifically more of a character fall for samus given all the stuff about giving into hunger, and after that scene samus reasserts her humanity and victory over that hunger by ignoring it to calmly disentegrate Raven Beak instead of eating him.
Honey, wake up. The british dude just uploaded another banger.
I loved this game, but I'm not a huge fan of how the tone was changed to be more about over-the-top action. I think one of the things that keeps me coming back to Super and Fusion was the bleak, subdued atmosphere in the music and environments. There's so much audio and visual noise and clutter in the environments that even if you're not in an adrenaline-pumping battle with a giant alien monster it's hard to get immersed or feel calm or unsettled.
I also don't like the visual designs of the bosses. They were awesome to fight, but they're all kind of just generic gloopy alien monsters, especially compared to the incredibly well-designed and well-considered roster of Fusion.
I've been waiting for this review for so long! Adore your Metroid videos mate. Here's to whenever Prime 4 drops...
The conflict between "hand-holding" and "open-ended" level design in a Metroidvania-type game has always been a weird point of conflict, because while more experienced players may enjoy getting lost, inexperienced players or players who are used to modern games rather than older ones might find getting lost and needing to re-assess more of a buzzkill than a source of engagement. Metroid Dread is notable for hitting a pretty darn good middle ground where the player does need to keep their brain active and alert not to get lost in the maze, but also will always at least know generally what they should be doing and where they should be doing it. Even with that some players get lost and frustrated, so, in the context of the time... it was probably the right design balance.
In older games... and I mean *older* older games, in the 80s on PC and so on, getting lost and needing to flounder around looking for solutions had a tendency to be the entire source of game-length. You can beat Ultima 1 in just a couple of hours if you follow a guide or just already know what to do, for example. It was, in a way, a means of making games longer in spite of lacking the data storage space needed to make a game with a lot of stuff in it. That, I think, is part of why games like Metroid and Super Metroid were able to slip so naturally into the public consciousness: getting lost in a game just wasn't that uncommon at the time.
Few things:
1) That primal scream -- All scenes leading up to Samus actually using her Metroid powers had it activating on a subconscious, almost involuntary level. There are even cutscenes where she deliberately doesn't use it. That scream was likely just her completely letting her new Metroid instincts fly. "Animalistic" is probably right, considering she literally activated it straight out of being unconscious.
Raven Beak has, at that point, also killed off all remaining loved ones from her past, the benevolent Chozo are slaughtered. So she might have just really wanted his ass dead.
2) The X-Chozo at the end isn't a plot hole, the beginning of the game state that they have in instinctive need to spread to increasingly powerful hosts, and Samus was the most powerful being available. Furthermore, they ALSO have an instinctive animosity towards Metroids (as shown in Fusion). The Chozo X managed to reverse Samus' transformation....although this allowed her to leave the planet, it also removed her Metroid form.
So, whether the X made an intelligent choice or was acting purely off instinct, what it chose to do in her ship makes sense. At the very least, it's no different from the SA-X at the end of Fusion throwing itself at the Omega Metroid.
You made a lot of great points. I would argue that Prime 2 and 3 have the strongest art direction of any Nintendo game. Retro did a good job not relying on basic environments. Dread, however, didn't have memorable environments to me.
The EMMIs don't work that well in terms of gameplay or story. Having to run away from robots is not as intimidating as dealing with a fully powered Samus clone. The only reason the EMMIs can't be beaten is because they just so happen to be made out of near impervious defences (it's hard to believe nothing in Samus' arsenal can take them down), but dealing with the SA-X worked better as a plot point. The player can easily understand that SA-X is a threat because we know Samus is a threat.
Prime 2 and Fusion did the 'dread' atmosphere better than Dread does, funnily enough.
Raven Beak was kind of underwhelming as a villain. I think it might have been a mistake to kill him off in one game instead of expanding on a rivalry across multiple. He isn't a rival as good as Dark Samus IMO.
I don't think Dread deals with the fallout from Fusion well. What happens to the groups of people trying to clone Metroids in Fusion and Other M? Why does Samus still work the Galactic Federation after catching them cloning Metroids twice? I feel like there is still a lot up in the air.
Afaik, there was a mistranslation when it came to Fusion. The people cloning the Metroids was as an insurgency group instead of actual corruption happening in it, so that's why Samus is still with them.
I hope you're not forgetting that Other M takes place before Fusion.
About the Quiet Robe-X scene at the end. X-parasites emulate the total biology of their hosts, IE they get their memories and possibly their instincts as well. A lot of X-creatures in fusion just hang around and do their normal animal thing. We also know that the X, given intelligence and power, will actively seek to oppose metroids IE the SA-X. So my take is that this X, with a cocktail of Quiet Robe's memories and the X instinct to fight metroids, they willingly allowed the Thoha DNA they copied to be absorbed so Samus could better control her metroid powers. 'Then why didn't it just let her be destroyed along with the planet' is a potential point to bring up, but I think that's where Quiet Robe's influence came in. Just saying I don't think it came completely out of nowhere, or anything.
My first thought was "What did that X learn by possessing Quiet robe that convinced it to let itself be absorbed? Does it know something that we don't?" Potential sequel hook maybe? Who knows
Complaining about the screaming was really weird I thought it was badass and added to the moment
I still feel like we got cheated of potentially may metroid games out of having to wait for Dread to happen. Yoshio has stated that a game like Dread wasn't possible because we didnt have the technology at the time to make it, mainly surrounded the mechanics of the EMMI. Which is complete crap given the games that have came out since that statement to now, and that statement is at least a decade old.
Maybe if they made another console like the GameCube as opposed to another gimmick console that wouldn’t be the case
@@billyboleson2830 You misunderstand. My point is that tech was never the problem because as the EMMI are a pretty simplistic enemy to face. We could've has Dread long before the Switch. Its just an excuse thrown out justify why we never got the game until now.
No longer watching these videos for the DMC reference dopamine rush. All about that Overblood reference now, folks.
Seriously though, critical yet cracking vid, Brit!
I dont know if "There isn't enough exploits in dread" is a valid criticism
Not as fun
next metroid game needs to have someone call samus a dumb bitch before their boss fight
Fantastic game IMO, probably my favourite in the series.
Cuz it's the only one you played
So Metroid can crawl.
It's not everyday you hear a Tak and the power of JuJu reference.
Very delighted at that off-hand Tak and the Power of Juju reference. That game’s been in the back of my head for days now
Counters were also a thing in the 3DS remake as well. I think that's why they're still here moreso than Other M
I'll say this, as someone that loves 2D Metroid and Prime close to equally, I see a lot of your points but i think the main point I disagree with (to an extent) is your read of Samus in this game.
Now granted what I am about to say is interpreted from the cutscenes of course, but I think there's a lot of little evidence to it all over the place. You mentioned how she tends to act a lot more "animalistic" in this game, and I think that is by design to represent how the Metroid DNA has begun to change who Samus is fundamentally. In the scene after you beat Kraid she dodges one his spikes with such a speed it's almost like she has spider-sense. In general she is way more aggressive, and her yelling at the end again permeates her full transformation.
Now, from the execution I totally understand you reading that as an anime super saiyan moment, maybe they could have started the screaming when she grabbed him or something. But the general idea is she's begun to change from the Samus we all know, whether for good or worse we don't know for sure yet. I'm hoping we actually do get a sequel where maybe these Metroid powers get explored a bit more, and maybe there's even more opportunity to go even darker.
But as a long-time fan of Fusion I also thought the reveal of the X was awesome. Idunno this is probably one of my favorite Metroid games and I personally like it more than Prime 3. Prime 3 technically did new things sure, but it also was pathetically easy, and the exploration was actively hurt by long loading screens (sound familiar?) and in general felt a lot more disjointed than prime 1&2. Also outside of a decent amount standout tracks I feel prime 3 had one of the weaker soundtracks too, but I'll concede Dread's is worse.
Anyway, good video man. :)
8:25 Even this bit can be rewarding in that if you maintain a shinespark, you can kill the boss right after the attack with it. Love Dread's bosses.
My man, keeping Overblood alive on this channel
Having played and finished Metroid Dread on all difficulties except rookie mode, I feel it is my duty to say that I enjoyed it just as much as I enjoyed Samus Returns.
I actually never found the "hyper aggresive" samus thing jarring, which I completely understand why he does.
To me, the beginning fight scene with ravenbeak establishes very well that she's going to be "her own character" and that high-octane battle cutscenes with little player control are just going to be a thing in the game.
When you walk you dont here me say please oh baby. Dont go simple and clean is The way that metroid feels tonight. Its hard to let it go.
While I agree the settings of the areas are a bit basic, I feel the bigger problem is that you constantly jump around between them.
No area is going to be memorable if 3 minutes after you enter it you just go into another elevator or teleporter.
I would've much preferred it if you'd have to stick to one area to pick up a couple of items before moving on to the next one. Now it feels like I often cross three just to get to the next main objective.
@@jaretco6423 I like the designs too. My big issue is that when I enter a new area and think "this looks cool" I might be out of it several minutes later.
@@jaretco6423 I feel traveling throughout the entire world to pick up items all over the place would be the sort of thing you'd want to do in the late game for the sake of completion. With Dread that just is regular way to progress.
I like how the environments look but they nonetheless start to blur together.
@@jaretco6423 I feel Fusion is in a sense better than Dread where you're basically locked in to individual environments until the end.
While Dread lets you actually explore freely much earlier there is this weird thing where you're often pretty much locked in a small area, which is still spread across several different worlds.
I ultimately still prefer Dread, I think its actual moment to moment gameplay is absolutely amazing.
@@jaretco6423 In a lot of ways I prefer Fusion's structure where you really get to focus on one area before you can go back to complete a previous one. Besides giving each area its own dedicated time in the spotlight, it means you can be more demanding of the player in terms of exploration because, no matter what, their progress is still bound to that specific area.
...but that doesn't mean that previous one needed to be locked off. If the developers really wanted to make sure players wouldn't waste time trying to progress in different areas they could've implemented a hint system somewhat similar as in Prime the moment the player starts messing around in a different area. "Your next objective should be somewhere around this sector" isn't exactly holding your hand.
"Samus is not animalistic" she was raised by birds???
Samus conducts herself in a very cool and professional manner. Sakamoto himself even says this in an interview about her characterization in Prime.
And those birds were sophisticated and civil, not animalistic. While there are aggressive violent Chozo they are not the ones she was brought up by.
I've been waiting for this review since you first talked about Metroid Other M on here, yikes. Glad to see it though, thanks for making videos all these years.
If this series ever mananges to get on a decnet release schedule you just know were gonna get Ridleys cousin or brother at some point, maybe an army of mini mecha Ridleys for Metroid 7
Or Ridleys son.
Always a good day when Brit uploads.
Power-up placement felt a bit arbitrary at times. One big one being getting a double jump only to get the Space Jump maybe ten to fifteen minutes later. Feels like they could have capitalised on having better but not unlimited jumping ability a bit more than they did. Still, this felt like it took Samus Returns and built upon what they had to give a much better experience. Hell, I bought a Switch because I wanted to play this and it just so happened to be releasing close to my birthday anyway.
I always felt like having all the upgrades from previous games (and of course more) was a bit of a cop out when it comes to metroid. It's the weakest part of dread by far, and ends up making the game feel indistinct. They didn't even play with it that much. Only bombs took a while to get. Varia and gravity was clearly telegraphed by the story and environment, all the jump upgrades are direct paths to the screw attack. The beams follows the super path. Missiles follows the fusion path
It was cool that fusion gave you space attack so early, plasma beam so early, gravity after forcing you through water, etc... Zero mission gave you screw attack a fair bit before tourian, and outright blocked gravity and space attack for the end. Just need something refreshing
It’s because the space jump is optional. Also if you sequence break the game m, which the developers want you to it’s pretty mich evident why it’s where it is. When you go early to Burenia you essentially fight a fourth of the game with only the double jump. This game like Super and Zero Mission previously is build around sequence breaking. If some items feel arbitrary (like the wave beam in Zero Mission, or the Xray visor in super, you can be sure it has something to do with developer intended sequence breaking)
In hindsight, it’s crazy that Metroid Prime Remake looks way better than Dread. It’s true that the visuals could’ve used just a bit more polish.
It goes to show how strong Retro's art direction was.
I think it makes a lot of sense. When you're stuck in a slow-moving first person game, you better have some detailed environments. Like Charlie mentions, I think the issue is they made a game that looks pretty good from the default distance - but then they zoom in all the time for cutscenes or finishers, and it's easy to tell how low fidelity it is.
@@Dzzy123 Pretty much. Art direction beats graphics every time.
Casually brings up tak and the power of juju. What you cookin? We gettin a tak stream? Spill the beans
Great review. I like how you didn't waste time with pointless meandering and instead got right to the point. I like Dread a lot, but I won't deny it has problems. Hopefully, the next title will be even better.
I think docking the game for falling into 'ticking boxes' for its environments and constant tributes is strange when you cite things this game could've included from previous games. It kinda reeks of the insatiable, pernickety nature that hardcore fans of a franchise cling to.
What you call 'teleporters handholding the player' is actually an organic, less intrusive and innovative way to guide players who get easily overwhelmed with the niche appeal of Metroid maps. They're also not that frequent, and it's way better than literally being told which room to go to like in the Prime games. Same goes for having a wide variety of environments - they're easier to remember by landmarks when you consider colours and themes.
Metroid Dread is not a "short" game unless you're extremely adept, which is a minority of players if you think about Switch users and how this is the best-selling Metroid game. It's enjoyably lean with no filler and invites replayability from start-to-finish, which you can't say about most single-player campaigns today.
Some reason thought you’d already made this so a surprising upload. I’ll never get over just how good it feels to move around in this game, even on the “micro” level as you put it. Things like jumping immediately after grabbing a ledge to skip climbing it and the slide jumps are just amazing additions alongside more standard things like Samus automatically climbing small ledges. Moving a character that feels good to control adds so much mileage to this game for me. Don’t have much else to say regarding the criticisms other than I wish we’d spent way more time in an abandoned lab and the EMMI were focused on way too hard in marketing.
QR-X was overcome with the memories and good nature of QR. RB-X was overcome with the memories and power thirst of RB. Samus at the end is forced to reconsider her condemnation of the X and that they inherently change by absorbing intelligent life. Something for Samus to grapple with is seeing how these two different Chozo changed the X should now make her uncomfortable with how much of herself she saw in the SA-X. It’s no coincidence that the things SA-X did seemed creepy to us but people gush (including this video) about how stoic and cool Samus is when she does it. An unstoppable outwardly cold and quiet genocide machine.
Looking forward to the next game in the series and I actually want MS to keep being the devs working on it.
FWIW, the Metroid Prime Hunters cutscene guys now work on emulation on the Nintendo Switch Online game library
Metroid has never been a huge franchise for Nintendo, so it makes sense that they didn’t go all-out with the budget.
23:22
So after all this time "Why can't Metroid crawl?" has actually become a legit question. 🤣🤣🤣
2d samus is a ninja, but 3d samus is a walking tank and I kinda hope it stays that way. Even if prime 4 has smoother movement, it probably will, I hope they still show that her suit has weight to it
I enjoyed this review but I definitely disagree with a lot of the points made. I’m surprised to hear you liked the game overall at the end because I feel like much of this video was spent criticizing the game. Felt somewhat like a scattershot of random nitpicks at times to me. I think you’re not giving the game enough credit in some areas, such as with the environments.
Yes some parts of certain levels are like the basic fire and forest areas, but to describe Ferenia as a basic stone temple seems unfair. The one room you show is unlike the rest of Ferenia. This game easily has the best environments of at least any 2D Metroid in my opinion, in sheer variety, detail, and in original ideas. There are many original concepts in the levels. Even within those cliché level themes we get lots of cool stuff to see.
I’ll agree the EMMI weren’t scary but that feels more like a criticism of the name of the game than the game itself. For what they are, I think they’re fantastic.
And as for why Samus is acting more animalistic, I think the game is trying to show you that the Metroid DNA awakening is having a tremendous effect on her. The whole point is that she’s not acting like herself. The scream scene is unlike something Samus would do, but to me that’s the whole point. There are multiple scenes that hint at this throughout the game.
And if 2D Metroid were to use dual analogue aiming, I feel that reduce the number of buttons available since your right thumb is busy aiming. Basically only triggers would have to do everything else. Not ideal in my opinion.
I agree that single wall jump being removed is lame, but I still think Dread does sequence breaking tremendously well. I’d even say at least as good, if not better, than the other titles.
As much as I love Dread, I do agree that this game should have been a DS or Wii game released ages ago.
@@jaretco6423 Translation: "They praised it more while criticizing it far less".
@@jaretco6423 >arlo
no thanks
@@cormano64 Translation: "They gave a more accurate review".
Well Sakamoto himself said he couldn't achieve his vision on the DS and that's why the game was cancelled
@@oscarzxn4067Well as discussed in this video, we see that Dread doesn’t really do anything beyond presentation and graphics that couldn’t have been done on the DS. Outside of graphics, I can’t think of any specific thing in Dread that feels like it couldn’t have been done on the DS.
25:35 I still think that this scene should have shown the audience the ending of the fusion more clearly. Throughout the game, Metroid Fusion tells you that X are emotionless creatures that have no soul, just a thirst for absorption. However, at the very end, SA-X helps you defeat the Omega Metroid. This should have left the audience wondering if X really didn't have a soul, and what their actual purpose was. Same thing with Quite Robe. Only it is shown directly in the face. I still think the ending lacks a buildup and comes out of nowhere, but that's what I got out of it
Hoo boy here we go
Other reverse-eponymous titles:
I am Legend: Protagonist is the legend spoken of by the monsters.
Predator: Dutch hunts the dreadlock alien in the end.
Finally man.
Fun game, played it non-stop until I reached the final boss, but I didn't like some aspects. The game has mandatory quick time events now and this really has no place in a Metroid game. Not even Samus Returns had them, and I hope this doesn't come back in another game. The soundtrack is forgettable too, except Super's remixes (I hope Kenji Yamamoto comes back for Prime 4).
And again we have a game where you have to walk around the whole map again to collect all the items. Why didn't the developers follow the example of the first 3 games, Super in particular, where you could collect all items during the main path? This could easily be solved with items that require advanced techniques to collect them, in the process rewarding skilled players.
Something lame that Mercury Steam added is that one of the rewards for beating Hard Mode is a picture of Samus facing Ridley in Other M, instead of something referencing the Prime Trilogy. Also, what happened to the Etecoons and Dachoras? That being said, at least it is a lot more fun than Samus Returns. But my top 3 is still Super/Prime/ZM.
Oh sweet, new video!
I'm just going to come out and say that I didn't care for this review. At all.
Felt needlessly nitpicky and overly-critical in ways that felt an awful lot like you were critiquing the game for what you wanted it to be over what it's actually trying to be. It's very disingenuous and tiring to listen to, and I think it's likely the reason why so many of the comments seem fairly critical of your points. (And why the ones that aren't are coincidentally people who *despise* Dread on concept alone.)
Will not be returning to this channel despite enjoying certain prior videos. Sorry about that. I hope you have a good day regardless.
I know tying the whole transformation of Samus into a Metroid being treated as a very symbolic means of matching to the title screen and being representative of what you are in the game would feel like a fitting redefining moment for the series, but I feel that it also strays away from the more human moments that samus gives, and the role that the flying world destroying jellyfish had with allowing some of the most interesting interactions and moments in the series beyond samus’ ability to overcome every obstacle set in her path.
I had to double check to make sure this wasn't a Nerrel upload 😂
Broooo did you guys see his instagram? Dude is hot
Finally a UA-camr who looks what he sounds like. If that makes sense
He has a body everyone should strive to get. This British man is quite the catch.
hes the one youtuber who talks about some games like metroid that doesnt look like a gremlin
@@MILDMONSTER1234 bruh 💀
This video ends just as abrubtly as Dread itself
Who would’ve guessed that the guy who asked “Why can’t Metroid crawl?” was actually ahead of his time .
Wasn't expecting you to review this game at this point but I'm pleasantly surprised.
It's weird that you complain Dread holds your hand to an extent that you beat Super without Grapple beam. You fail to acknowledge in Dread, without glitches, you can beat the game without pulse radar, spin boost, flash shift, or even space jump. Yes, Super does have more mechanics that encourage sequence breaks but even on a first timer's playthrough, Super Metroid is just as linear as any other Metroid. If we're talking glitches and bugs, Dread is just as much up there with Super.
The teleporters are such a non-issue since they work based on colors and only freely teleport you across the world when you unlock them all at endgame, similar to Prime 2.
I somewhat understand your issues with the EMMI's, but I don't think Dread was trying to be a horror game. The EMMI are made to be more suspenseful as they hunt you down, the dread comes from worrying about encountring them. Although I agree the specified zoes they have lessens it to an extent, from my 10+ playthrough experiences they appear at random so it still catches you off guard. I think dumbing it down to "Mario and Pokemon" is missing the point. Also, I highly doubt you've mastered those emmi, timings, even most speedrunners don't bother, lol. (Personally, I think they should have added more lights out sections)
Also,complaining Samus' action moves don't fit her character in a game where she is literally becoming a Metroid, just feels weird. This is also Metroid 5, and technically the 11th game in the timeline. Why does she still have to act small and meek at every large monster she encounters? This just feels like a misreading of her character tbh.
This review is decent but pedantic as hell.
Dread doesn't have the same amount of mechanics as Super or even Zero Mission. Super allows you to pick up all the items while exploring the main path through its sequence breaks, the moment you acquire the Gravity Suit (basically halfway through the game) it's possible to collect all the items that appear along the way, so it's not necessary to leave the last area of the game and go around the map again to get 100% like in games released after Super.
The problem with teleports is that they make exploration less organic compared to Super and to a lesser extent Zero Mission. Dread keeps blocking passages, forcing you to use these teleports which thanks to the Switch's low specs adds another annoying element thanks to the loading. Plus entering these teleports doesn't allow you to collect items along the way, which wouldn't happen if the game gave you the option to explore the area freely.
I don't see how Samus turning into a Metroid automatically suggests bombastic action. If the game really wanted to give the player some feeling of unease, dread; why not show the downside of turning into something hideous, a transformation that would make Samus lose control and turn into a creature that doesn't even act like a rational human.
It doesn’t fit her, they tried making her like doomguy because they wanted to spite other m and because “heckin badass” shit is popular now
I know right? It’s like he’s stuck in the past and refuses to accept new ideas which is not very fitting for him he’s usually very open to new concepts
21:50 I pitch Dragoon as the next fanservice boss
I can agree on your points about the visual presentation and music but in regards to how good u found the game I heavily disagree. Dread is one of the best feeling 2d games I've ever played. The pace is just right. It's actually fun and intuitive to 100% which isn't even something u touched on and bosses were actually fun to fight. In your constant comparison to what came before, it seems like u forgot to give the game its flowers. Most games can't live up to 10 years of built up expectations, and especially one that can't afford to be a failure since Metroid isn't usually a top seller. It felt like u weren't even reviewing the game for what it is most of the video but what u wished it was.
So, a thing you said about the EMMI design, how they don't look threatening enough.
Their designs are extremely inspired by a killer robot AMEE from 00's shitty sci-fi "Red Planet"
Like I love this game a whole lot, and it possibly revived my love for games in general, but those designs are 100% "stolen" from the movie Sakamoto watched one day. Makes it also kinda more believable to me that they weren't able to animate them right for all those years.
Granted, this "inspiration" is not the first time for the series, seeing how first 3 games are extremely Alien and 4th one is The Thing (called "Object X From Outer Space" in Japan, by the way, totally not on the nose), but still, I feel like Sakamoto wanting them to look just like that - and some concept arts making them look even more than robots from that movie - kinda held back their impact on the game as a whole.
Great review, some really valid points I hadn’t thought of until now, well done on that. I wanna disagree though very hard on the last points made about this potentially having been “better on older hardware”. I just wouldn’t make a comment like that without having the technical understanding of what goes on under the hood with this title. The speed and responsiveness of this game and it running at a fluid 60 FPS cannot be understated here - it literally makes the game much better. You even started the review talking about dual-stick controls maybe being the best going forward (which I don’t fully agree with either I do actually like the button press-to-aim system in 2d) which runs contrary to it being on DS or 3DS. And we saw what a 3ds title made by the exact same team looked like - answer is, not as good as this. Maybe on wii or wii u sure, but I am positive a game made at that time on that hardware, would have had a myriad other issues we cannot possibly foresee. If you had instead made the point others have made about the switch being wildly outdated and in need of an upgrade, then I’d agree wholeheartedly. I’m just really happy with the game we got for the vast majority of the experience, and even though it’s been a rocky road to get here I’m glad it’s here.
It does feel more like a evolution to Fusion more than anything else. I guess the hand holding bothered me a little too much
I always interpreted Samus' screaming during her takedown of Raven Beak to be less of a moment of empowerment and more the sign that she'd completely succumbed to her Metroid side. Not so much personal empowerment and more total loss of control
I had to do a double-take when I saw the notification. It's here. It's FINALLY HERE!!!
Gotta say this is by far the most critical review of Dread I've seen and despite loving the game I can't disagree with the criticisms
OH FUCK YEAH
Im 34yo playing prime as my first Metroid. Its a blast im not much of a fan of 2d Metroid,might give dread a try but im more honestly wating for the remastered sequels to prime.
oh, alright. we have this now.
I think Samus should have a more "professional" edge rather than a brute, kind of like the bounty hunter version of a butler or businessman.
Exactly, Samus is more of a John Wick analogue instead of a Doom Slayer.
I feel the scream was warranted though. Yes she's been in life threatening situations before but this isn't just about her, it's a universal thread, he literally just mentioned he was going to clone her for his gain. I'd be screaming too if I were in her situation
Its here!