Topic: Metroid Dread

@Balta666 You can cheese Yakuza by going into the corner and ducking into Morph Ball when he gets close to you, he can never touch you doing that as long as you don't wait too long to go into Morph Ball. I did struggle with him my first time, but once you learn that strategy, he becomes a cakewalk. Nightmare's final phase is really the only part I had trouble with, but if you have enough Missiles and Energy Tanks you can tank him easily. I'll give you SA-X, you need to be on the top of your game to win that one. But that's just one boss in Fusion as opposed to almost every boss in Dread. I just can't agree with Fusion being harder than Dread.

I love getting lost in Metroid games. I live for that..

Unfortunately, I’m a bit too experienced to ever truly become lost anymore. Guess the innate gamer navigational skills just can’t be suppressed. But, I still drive headfirst into the unknown, just taking random turns and exploring any interesting path I find. Good times.

I just got to Ghavoran. I’m soaking up every waking second of this game on the OLED. It’s sooo much more enjoyable on this system. I’m on a calorie deficit diet and it’s been a shock to the system, to the point I feel hungry all the time, and end up sleeping early to avoid dealing with it. One of the reasons I haven’t played much lately (that and downloading all my games again to the new system). But that’s ok. Metroid isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be waiting whenever I do feel like playing a bit.

@NintendoByNature
I’ve also died anywhere from 1-3 times per boss before beating them, and I love it that way. In any other game that may frustrate me, but in Dread, they start you off right outside the boss room and allow you to skip the cut scenes once you’ve seen them the first time. It makes the Bossfight incredibly fun and addictive. And each time I do better than before.

I just beat an underwater boss and the first two tries I couldn’t figure out exactly what to do. Then on my 3rd try it hit me, like a brick in the face. Duh! Now I got it! Got pretty far that time but died again, but absolutely smoked him on my 4th try. I love that feeling of accomplishment when you figure something out on your own. Absolutely no guides for this game allowed. None.

@JaxonH Lemme guess, did you

@JaxonH yea man, it's been great the whole time. I did the same thing on the water boss. Had a real doh moment after the 3rd time.

That's also what I love about the game, right after a loss in a boss fight you start right back at the entrance. Wonderful touch.

Edit: did you get a powerup after that fight? I don't think I did..

@Bolt_Strike
Yup lol. Couldn't figure out why I couldn't hit em. Then I surveyed my surroundings, and that "aha!" moment hit. It's a fine feeling, that "aha" moment. Zelda and Metroid puzzles, I love em.

@NintendoByNature
Game starts getting really interesting after that boss. I just encountered something that took me aback. Had to screenshot the note at the bottom of the screen to soak it in looking at it in the album without stress. Like hold up, a what?!

@JaxonH sure does... anddd... just got the gravity suit. Going back to the beginning of the game and working my way around old areas to see what I missed.

@JaxonH Yeah, that one was a bit of a headscratcher at first. I will say though, that the bosses start to get tougher around where you are in the game, they seem to deal more damage than usual so there's less room for error. Like I was saying, many of them are about as difficult as Draygon (without using the Grapple Beam trick) and SA-X, you really have to be at the top of your game and make as few mistakes as possible and utilize your abilities well to beat them. They're not impossible, but definitely tougher than what you might be used to from past 2D games.

That one is a toughie when you encounter them. If you are still stuck... all I can recommend is parry the charge attack, unless it is red in which case, flash shift out of the way. Doesn't matter how far away it is, the charge attack will cover the distance so it is not safe to be in front off. Also, if you jump to another platform, don't stand to close to the edge as it will knock into you when it follows you.

Just reached 100% map completion and about to go to the final area. I gotta say that depending on how they wrap this game up it's an easy game of the year for me. The trailers looked cool and all but I didn't expect this kind of response from me towards this game. I've played all Metroid games before, but most of them not to completion. Metroid Dread was really hard to put down these past few days.

Oh, and I ended up filling in every square of the map. My OCD just didn't agree with the map in this game. Probably spent an extra 2-3 hours doing this pointless activity, but I don't regret it, it made me soak up the little details in the environment and really appreciate the work put into this game.

@Bolt_Strike
bosses start to get harder

I'm ready for it. Bring it on!

@Varkster
Ya, I started doing the same, but I don't have it in me to do every block of map. So I do the majority instead. Small rooms I do all, but large rooms, just most. And I try to make it "even" where the line of exposed/unexposed is. Even save rooms before the flash shift, I'd wall jump both sides to evenly coat the map of the room lol.

But it's fun! It makes you explore nooks and crannies and exposes areas you haven't explored. I also shoot rockets at blocks a lot. Just found a speed booster block on a wall you'd never expect to look. And it was hard as heck getting through it. But I'm getting better at speed boost jumping and shine spark.

Does anyone think the pacing of the boss battles is a bit uneven? I'm not saying that's good or bad, just an observation.

@MarioBrickLayer

I think the pacing is really good. It builds to a crescendo, then a lull and openness before the finale.

@JaxonH Good luck with those Shinespark challenges. Some of them are impossibly difficult, even after you figure out the solution, just to pull them off.

@MarioBrickLayer You'll figure out soon enough that the former aren't actually "real" boss fights, they're more in line with mini-bosses.

Funnily enough, of all bosses/mini bosses, I reckon I had the most trouble with a certain red, spear and shield wielding 'mini-boss'. That thing was a dead-set pain in the arse for me to overcome.

@Tendo64 I know the one you're talking about, I think those mini-bosses are some of the most fun in the game, and, without spoiling anything, prepare you for the final boss fight at the end which is great in terms of game design.

I honestly really love how bosses are done in this game, the first 2-3 times you're just figuring out their pattern and shortly after you're shooting through them with no issue, the only blame from dying would just be on you getting overly greedy or not paying enough attention. Definitely a game you'll have to be switched on to play.