The circumstances surrounding this game's release are fascinating to me. For much of the 2000s and early 2010s, the Metroidvania seemed like a dead genre, but around the mid-2010s we started to get a deluge of non-linear 2D platformers with a focus on combat and exploration, driven largely by indie developers. A 2D Metroid coming out in 2012 would have seen miraculous, and even in 2021 the return was welcome, but it was also having to compete with a number of titles that took direct inspiration from Metroid: Hollow Knight, the Ori Series, Axiom Verge, etc.
I don't think Metroid Dread is at the top of the list of best Metroidvanias of the last 10 years, but it's still a very well-made and impressive game in its own right. This game nails the key element of feeling like you are getting consistently more powerful as the game progresses. Even though this is a video game with some genuinely challenging boss fights and sequences, there's still a strong sense of momentum, and I felt extremely compelled to keep pressing on. This game also contains some of the best 2D boss fights across gaming, and I felt a palpable sense of victory after finally taking out some of the harder bosses.
Where this game falls short for me is on the atmosphere side of things. Super Metroid and Metroid Prime have some of the most realized vibes in all of gaming, creating a sense of place. Metroid Prime looks very good for a Switch game, but the artstyle feels a little safe and sterile. I never got the feeling I was venturing too deep into the planet, with each abandoned outpost or ruined settlement highlighting the inhospitable nature of the world Samus was travelling through.
I would still recommend this game, however, even if only for the final boss, which is one of the most memorable encounters of this generation. I hope MercurySteam is given additional chances to work on 2D Metroids, as I feel like the franchise is in good hands.
I don't think Metroid Dread is at the top of the list of best Metroidvanias of the last 10 years, but it's still a very well-made and impressive game in its own right. This game nails the key element of feeling like you are getting consistently more powerful as the game progresses. Even though this is a video game with some genuinely challenging boss fights and sequences, there's still a strong sense of momentum, and I felt extremely compelled to keep pressing on. This game also contains some of the best 2D boss fights across gaming, and I felt a palpable sense of victory after finally taking out some of the harder bosses.
Where this game falls short for me is on the atmosphere side of things. Super Metroid and Metroid Prime have some of the most realized vibes in all of gaming, creating a sense of place. Metroid Prime looks very good for a Switch game, but the artstyle feels a little safe and sterile. I never got the feeling I was venturing too deep into the planet, with each abandoned outpost or ruined settlement highlighting the inhospitable nature of the world Samus was travelling through.
I would still recommend this game, however, even if only for the final boss, which is one of the most memorable encounters of this generation. I hope MercurySteam is given additional chances to work on 2D Metroids, as I feel like the franchise is in good hands.