Dread's a really pleasantly surprising game. I wasn't sure of the EMMIs at first, but I ended up finding them to be a really refreshing spin on the Nemesis-esque "pursuer" type of enemy usually only found in horror games; it's lovely to have them in a game where you're just as nimble as they are for a change. The fact that the timing of EMMI counters is randomised is an impressively bold choice too and really helps sell the feeling of dread™ whenever they're nearby, which is itself strengthened by the tense music and the heartbeat-like pulsating visual filter that their areas have.
The 2.5D visual style initially had me hesitant as well, but it ultimately allows for some beautiful animation fluidity that likely would've been unreasonably difficult and/or expensive to achieve with sprites, which in turn helps Samus feel smoother to control than ever. The bosses are all quite demanding in terms of how good of a grasp they need you to have on all the different movement options, which is a great change of pace for the series, and the hitstop on successful parries also strikes an unexpected balance of being tastefully short so as not to feel repetitive but also just long enough to still be satisfying each time you pull it off.
Apart from that, Samus' characterisation is nicely handled too. The cutscene after the first boss made me slightly worry that Mercury Steam had tried a little too hard to make her seem cool, but they deserve credit for their restraint. The animators did a fantastic job conveying her usual pragmatic, stoic attitude through body language, and when she does have a big climactic moment of catharsis near the end it feels earned because of it. I also think Dread's art direction and music are a fair bit stronger and more distinctive than they're often given credit for, even if they're not the series' best (Prime 2 reigns supreme, baby).
The movement in Dread is already so ace that I don't feel much is lost by not having this, but I will say that I would've liked it to take a bit of inspiration from Environmental Station Alpha's implementation of the grapple beam. In ESA, your grapple beam can attach to any surface (apart from in puzzles which are specifically designed around you not being able to do so) and builds momentum when you swing on it. Dread allowing you to use the grapple beam on spider magnets, certain doors/blocks and even a couple of enemies is already a decent step towards making it more versatile, but it'd be nice to see something like ESA's implementation in a sequel to really take the movement to the next level.
That's a thought for another day, though. Outside of that, the game ending slightly too soon before you get to really enjoy having all the powerups and a little bit of boss re-use, I'm happy enough with Dread that I don't think a sequel is needed for a while. I tip my proverbial arm cannon to Mercury Steam.
The 2.5D visual style initially had me hesitant as well, but it ultimately allows for some beautiful animation fluidity that likely would've been unreasonably difficult and/or expensive to achieve with sprites, which in turn helps Samus feel smoother to control than ever. The bosses are all quite demanding in terms of how good of a grasp they need you to have on all the different movement options, which is a great change of pace for the series, and the hitstop on successful parries also strikes an unexpected balance of being tastefully short so as not to feel repetitive but also just long enough to still be satisfying each time you pull it off.
Apart from that, Samus' characterisation is nicely handled too. The cutscene after the first boss made me slightly worry that Mercury Steam had tried a little too hard to make her seem cool, but they deserve credit for their restraint. The animators did a fantastic job conveying her usual pragmatic, stoic attitude through body language, and when she does have a big climactic moment of catharsis near the end it feels earned because of it. I also think Dread's art direction and music are a fair bit stronger and more distinctive than they're often given credit for, even if they're not the series' best (Prime 2 reigns supreme, baby).
The movement in Dread is already so ace that I don't feel much is lost by not having this, but I will say that I would've liked it to take a bit of inspiration from Environmental Station Alpha's implementation of the grapple beam. In ESA, your grapple beam can attach to any surface (apart from in puzzles which are specifically designed around you not being able to do so) and builds momentum when you swing on it. Dread allowing you to use the grapple beam on spider magnets, certain doors/blocks and even a couple of enemies is already a decent step towards making it more versatile, but it'd be nice to see something like ESA's implementation in a sequel to really take the movement to the next level.
That's a thought for another day, though. Outside of that, the game ending slightly too soon before you get to really enjoy having all the powerups and a little bit of boss re-use, I'm happy enough with Dread that I don't think a sequel is needed for a while. I tip my proverbial arm cannon to Mercury Steam.