
SPOILERS, obviously...
Metroid Dread has been talked about a lot over the past week, largely in positive terms. Plenty of us are still on a first playthrough, frantically running away from E.M.M.I foes and navigating our way around the rather sizeable map. For some, though, now it's time for optimising follow-up runs and potentially speedrunning; it's a game that seems very well suited to those players.
Here is your second spoiler warning, read on at your own risk.
If you need any evidence that MercurySteam and Nintendo have been good to their word in making the map and its progress flexible, @glaedrax (hat-tip to Eurogamer) shared a fun video using bombs to kill Kraid. Now, many of you are likely in the same boat as this scribe in thinking "but I didn't have bombs". In a follow-up playthrough it's clearly possible to go a different way and get the power-up earlier.
The timeline of @glaedrax is full of interesting observations from multiple playthroughs, too.
It's classic Metroid design to allow speedrunners and optimisers to find smart alternative approaches, so it's great to see this in Dread. For the rest of us mere mortals, too, it encourages us to try different routes for second playthroughs.
Are you planning to play through Dread multiple times to experiment with different routes and tactics? Let us know in the comments!
[source twitter.com]
Comments 37
That's awesome, only things I've gotten early are what I think are power bombs (yellow upgrade) that says I can't use yet, and the cross bomb before gravity suit (still can't find that suit)
Edit- found the suit 😎
awesome game... really enjoying it....
This is proof the devs know what there players are going to do. They knew that people would break the game. Its freaking awesome that they did that.
Woah, that's pretty interesting, I don't even remember if I had bombs by the time I was fighting Kraid.
This is such a cool secret!! I didn't even think of this. definitely trying to get bombs early next time. i was fighting him like a sucker until i realized i could just stand under him in phase 1 and just spam missiles
Oh snap, didn't realized you could do that now... and eww gross ><;
That’s cute I wish this boss wasn’t underwhelming, sure it’s attacks deal decent damage but it’s covering up that’s it’s about as simple as a Mega Man X intro stage boss. Was expecting them to pull the camera back to show a sense of scale with Kraid they could never do in Super Metroid but it never happens and it feels like phase 3 was replaced with a cutscene.
That's really cool! I'm super glad that they're really emphasizing sequence-breaking and secrets in this game. Fusion sorely lacked this and I'm so glad it's coming back in full force. Can't wait to try some of these myself!
Reminds me of the magic trick I play on my kids where I ‘swallow’ a marble and it comes out of my belly button.
Then they are grossed out and don’t want to touch the marble…
Haha that’s mad. Also kinda F’d up of Samus to even think “yes, I’m going in there”
I knew it was possible because after the fight I discovered the breakable piece of wall and the mechanism... That's a very smart and rewarding thing, just like Fusion's secret message
This just makes it more of a proper Metroid game, sequence breaking is a series' staple at times.
I've enjoyed the game, but the later EMMI parts are too difficult for me. I used to love games like this, but at this point I play games more to relax than to play something with high difficulty.
No, I won't be playing through a second time.
I haven't enjoyed it like most, it has been disappointing tbh.
I've waited too long and now I'm not enjoying my time with it.
Emmi's are annoying, they're not scary and they don't install dread.
Well I guess they do as I dread having to go into their zones but for different reasons.
I guess different tastes and all that.
I'm glad others get to enjoy a new Metroid and that it will create a new fanbase but this old fan will just have to wait for Prime 4, hopefully that is more enjoyable for me.
This game is everything I wanted and more. I more absolutely in love with everything it does, since it does it so damn well. I haven't had this much fun with a game since BOTW!
Poor Kraid. First he's chained and now he's getting all blown up from the inside.
@Optimist80 I know the freezing EMMI was almost borderline too frustrating for me. Even cloaking didn't do anything and there was a lot of water to slog through. But eventually it worked out. A LOT of people have noted at how hard this game is, even compared to some other metroidvania games.
@Nin10dood Besides the emmis, what do you not like about the game?
To me there's this one thing that I do not really like, and it stems from Samus Returns. And that's that the zones aren't really 'a place' if you know what I mean. Nobody would design a place like that. The zones feel 'padded out' on purpose. Unnecessary big. And the save stations and healing stations are just dropped at irregular spots, they're just 'there' all of a sudden. A chozo statue in the middle of a cave randomly somewhere.
I did not have that feeling with the first four metroids where the areas felt more designed as a whole, everything (and aesthetics) just fit nicely together. Better at least. Maybe it's the pixel art?
Same with Metroid Prime, where you're entering a place where every area just fits together to form this zone. Floating crystal stuff in an ice cavern for instance. It makes sence. And if there's a save or healing station it at least has its own zone, it’s own room, including aesthetics.
What do you think?
@Jayvir I got past that part but there was one you have to destroy with the omega canon and I cannot find a spot where I get enough room to stun it before it gets to me. Seems like I've tried everything and just kind of over it.
@Friendly
Yeah, I agree 100%
They don't blend well like they do in the Prime series.
I enjoy the adventure side of the Prime series, the scanning, finding info that way.
The Emmi's annoy me more than anything, I know a lot of people like their introduction into Metroid but I really don't.
Also, a lot of the abilities feel like they're not used very creatively, more just for opening doors.
Like one boss you get a new ability but it is used to get from one side to another and not actually on the boss itself, it feels like a wasted opportunity.
I'm trying to give an example without spoilers, haha.
I get what you mean about save rooms, chozo statues, they feel like they're plonked in a room or section for the sake of it rather than thoughtfully integrated into the area.
@Friendly SR388 and ZDR are literally Chozo settlements. None of your hang ups make any sense. Besides, areas in both Samus Returns and Dread line up between elevators/trams to seamlessly connect each other. Look at the elevator rooms connecting Artaria and Cataris for example.
Really cool that sequence breaking is in the game, after it really not existing or being incredibly downplayed in Samus Returns or Fusion.
People have also found a trick (though it's really hard to pull off) that allows you to indefinitely wall jump to climb up a single wall.
Really can't wait to see the speedruns for this game.
@TCF agreed. The gameplay is very good. Fluid. It’s just the one thing (aesthetics) that bothered me a little at samus returns and now again bothers me a bit. I’m just missing that sense of direction because of it. Missing the ‘ah, now I’m here, I have got to go there now’, that feeling you have once you see your own spaceship again (Super metroid). As I said, maybe it’s also the pixel art, since with pixel art it’s maybe easier to have everything fit nicely together. I don’t know, I’m not a game designer .
@Nin10dood yeah, agreed. But it’s not a Zelda game. You ‘can’ use the upgrades in fights but you don’t have to per se most of the times. It is what makes a metroid game. Optimize your powerups as much as possible and you become a god in the game. But you can succeed without doing so.
@NintendoGamer22 Yeah, in some of the earlier Metroids you could ball bomb jump to levels that you weren't supposed to be able to do before double jump. Very hard in some cases but rewarding. I'm so glad Nintendo brought this game to us. As much as I love it, I know it's not popular with casual gamers.
Ooh, Kraid! This area seems infected! Don't worry; I'm a self-certified gastroenterologist! But for this operation, I will need to enter your gastro... thing or... whatever... CANNONBALL!
@Nin10dood From my perspective, the EMMIs put the dread in Metroid Dread. They are really annoying at first but the fact the game autosaves before them, and that's one of the very few places it does, makes it just simply another puzzle to solve. Would be a great NG+ to get some kind of weapon at the end that can kill them with a few shots, because once you've solved that EMMI is there a real need to do it again? Although, replaying Metroid games is something you should wait a few years in between.
On the topic of breaking the game , , I came this close earlier today, going to go back in xx
Love that it’s a spoiler to fight a boss in Metroid that’s in nearly every Metroid game.
MY REACTION WHEN THE CHIPOTLE BURRITO GIVES ME INDIGESTION
I found that spot and wondered why it would be there as it didn't safely get me across the room.
Seems the game is less linear than I thought. I wonder if the Emmi rooms are the secret.
Metroid's games I always play at least 2 times. The first time, no rush, searching for 100% by myself (finishing this, probably today, approximately 20 hours by now). The second playthrough, though, I try the best ending possible, so I do my best to get information how to do the things faster and a fast route (not necessarily "the fastest", this one usually is too advance to do in a second time). Them I maybe fulfill the others endings
@Aqueous yeah, we have options to do the things different, but it's still bother me how the direct you to the "right" route. I miss the felling of "get lost" from the others, specially before Fusion. I didn't get lost anytime (and I already found the last boss, I only took other direction to search for 100%). The items, though, they did a very good job making us backtracking them if we want the 100%
Im up to the final boss and so far my time with dread has surprised me. Ive only ever beat fusion previously and am not a fan of the genre really. I really like the layout of the map and the different terrains on show and the EMMI add that bit of suspense . The majority of the bosses were great with Kraid and the big lizard guarding the burner being my favorite (chozo guards not so much) only issues ive not been so keen on are the quick time events during boss battles and having to find the sweet spot area for the faster EMMI later in the game. Its bad enough just getting past them let alone trying to work out where they have to be lured to give you enough time to charge your cannon. Also im not keen on the layout of the lifts hsving to go from here to here to here just to get to here. Overall ive enjoyed it alot going in to the game with no expectation. I wasnt even getting it 2 days before launch.
@Friendly Who cares if the areas make sense from an architectural design standpoint as long as they make sense from a game design standpoint? You're really splitting hairs with that complaint.
@BulbasaurusRex i apparently care. And some others apparently too (a little at least).
To each their own, right?
@Friendly You shouldn't care about such a minor detail that in no way affects how the game actually plays or even the overall quality of the graphics. It's no more of a problem with the game than wondering how the morph ball works, so just properly suspend your disbelief over such a non-issue and get over it.
@BulbasaurusRex let me be me please.
Great, thanks.
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