Metroid Dread EMMI

Metroid Dread's stealth-based E.M.M.I.s are the big new addition to the franchise's core gameplay in this latest outing. There are a total of seven of these quick-witted robots, they each patrol their own allocated zones across the various regions of the game and Samus will gain some pretty neat abilities from a few of them once they're taken down.

But how do you take them down? Let's find out.

Metroid Dread - E.M.M.I Overview

The E.M.M.I, or Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifier, are a relentless team of seven Galactic Federation robots sent to investigate ZDR who have somehow been corrupted and are now on the hunt for Samus in order extract her DNA.

The E.M.M.I are composed of an almost indestructible material, susceptible only to an Omega Cannon which shreds their armour and leaves their core exposed. E.M.M.I are confined to their own unique zones within the game and these zones have special doors which will lockdown when an intruder is detected, staying closed until the alert has been lifted.

The seven E.M.M.I that you'll come across in Metroid Dread each have their own unique skills and Samus will pick up some of these skills after defeating them.

Let's take a look at the E.M.M.I you're going to encounter throughout the game.

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Damaged E.M.M.I - Found on Artaria, this robot is used as a tutorial on how to kill the rest of the E.M.M.I that you'll come across.

White E.M.M.I - Again on Artaria, this E.M.M.I can cling to magnetic surfaces and, once dead, will imbue Samus with the Spider Magnet ability.

Green E.M.M.I - Found on Cataris, this one can crawl through tight spaces while tracking Samus and will gift her the Morph Ball ability when defeated.

Yellow E.M.M.I - Located on Dairon, this E.M.M.I can travel at quick speeds as it hunts you down and Samus will gain the Speed Boost ability once she's killed it.

Blue E.M.M.I - Residing on Ghavoran, this robotic foe will gift you the Ice Missile once it's been destroyed, watch out for attacks from this device as it hunts you down!

Purple E.M.M.I - Found on Ferenia, you'll acquire the Wave Beam once you've used you've defeated this E.M.M.I.

Orange E.M.M.I - On Hanubia this time and once you defeat this E.M.M.I you'll acquire the Power Bomb.

Metroid Dread - E.M.M.I. Evasion Tips and Tricks

The colour-drained areas in which E.M.M.I. reside in Metroid Dread usually sit right at the heart of a region and you'll need to visit them regularly in order to proceed through the game. Each zone has its own specially marked entrances that - if you're spotted by an E.M.M.I. - will automatically shut down, leaving you unable to escape until you shake your pursuer.

An E.M.M.I has three modes of alertness and you can identify which of these modes it's currently in by the colour of its cone of vision as it patrols. The three modes are as follows;

Blue - Patrol Mode. The E.M.M.I is unaware of your presence.

Yellow - Search Mode. The E.M.M.I has detected movement or noise and is now on heightened alert. It will ping your position and rapidly move there to investigate.

Red - Pursuit Mode. The E.M.M.I has made visual contact with Samus and is now closing in for the kill with a full lock on your location. Steps must be taken urgently in order to return the robot to search mode.

In order to avoid an E.M.M.I entering Pursuit Mode too often you'll need to take care as you move through its zone. Creep quietly through the maze of platforms and obstacles as you go about investigating and employ your Phantom Cloak whenever the E.M.M.I's cone of vision is about to pass over your location.

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Your Phantom Cloak is juiced by an Aeion gauge that will run out much more quickly if you are moving, so keep still where possible when it's activated and wait for danger to pass. If you really need to move and make your cloak last a little longer, you can keep it activated and it will begin to drain your health, an emergency method that can see you out of sticky situations. Also, be aware that your movement is restricted whilst cloaked, so Samus isn't quite so agile when trying to manoeuvre this way.

If an E.M.M.I is in Search Mode you need to hightail it quickly out of harm's way, check your map for a route and move. However, if you find yourself cornered at this point, you should combine the use of your Phantom Cloak along with using Morph Ball to hide out of the way or pull yourself up onto magnetic pads where you can then push up to flatten yourself against the surface in order to avoid detection. Of course, if you're near enough to an exit you can also choose to flee, as long as you feel sure you can make it to the door before you're spotted and all routes of escape are shut down.

Once an E.M.M.I is in full Pursuit Mode, there's very little you can do other than move as quickly as possible, employ all your skills to bounce from platform to platform and attempt to stay out the way for long enough that it loses sight of you or steps its alertness level back down to Search Mode. This is very hard to do, however, and it's much more likely at this point that you'll end up getting caught.

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When you do get caught by an E.M.M.I. you will still have a small chance to wriggle free from their mechanical clutches. When an E.M.M.I. grabs you it'll signpost two opportunities to parry, once as it initially attempts to seize you (pictured above) and a second time as it goes in for the actual kill. Manage to successfully time your "X button" press for either of these chances and Samus will stun her opponent, giving you a very brief window of time to move away by sliding underneath your foe, getting cloaked and, hopefully, successfully escaping the area.

Don't get frustrated if you can't successfully pull off these counters as the timings change slightly every time and you only have a small chance of success. It is, apparently, slightly easier to succeed whilst underwater (without the Gravity Suit) as all movement is slowed down, but avoiding this scenario as much as possible is still your best bet when in an E.M.M.I zone.

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How to Kill an E.M.M.I.

Of course, what we really want to do here is kill these massive machines and explore their zones freely for new routes, secrets and ways forward through areas.

In order to kill an E.M.M.I. you're going to need to find the region's Control Unit and take it down in a very simple and short fight. However finding these units is usually a bit of a puzzle in and of itself. Once you do find and destroy a Control Unit, you'll temporarily gain the power of the Omega Cannon and head off to a showdown with the region's E.M.M.I. who will now be headed your way.

Killing an E.M.M.I. involves shooting it in the head with the Omega Cannon from an over-the-shoulder perspective, focusing your fire directly at it and watching as its head armour slowly burns away. You'll always need to make a good deal of space for yourself in order to have enough of a sustained shot to do the damage necessary to break the armour.

Earlier E.M.M.I.'s take less damage to break in this manner but some of the later ones involve sustained shooting, moving and then quickly shooting again until enough damage is done. If you take too long of a break between firing the damage done will reverse and the armour will be as new, so keep up the pressure!

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Once you've destroyed the head armour, the E.M.M.I. will become staggered and it's best to now move and make some more space for yourself then begin to charge up a huge blast that, when ready, you should fire directly at the exposed red core of the robot — this will kill it for good.

Control Units

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Of course, in order to gain the use of the Omega Cannon required to pull off any of the above, you're going to need to take down the nearby Control Unit and, once you've found it, this is a pretty easy task. Upon entering the Control Unit area you'll engage in a short battle which sees the unit in question hovering over your head. Keep firing missiles at this unit while dodging some light laser and ring fire that comes from all four corners of the room but is easily avoided with simple jumps and dodges.

Once the Control Unit has taken some damage it will lose its armour, exposing the brain-like creature beneath. Keep on attacking this creature and it will very quickly expire, giving you a nice replenish of ammo stocks and health and, more importantly, temporarily imbuing you with the power of the Omega Cannon. Once you step outside this area the nearby E.M.M.I, which is drawn to the power of the Omega weapon, will arrive on the scene for a showdown!


This guide is part of our Metroid Dread walkthrough and guide series, which includes all ability locations, all missile tank locations, all energy tank locations, all energy parts, all suit upgrades, all power bomb tanks, plus every compatible amiibo unlock, E.M.M.I. and boss battle tips, and other helpful tips to help you get through the game and get those post-game unlocks.