The most vanilla "Metroidvania experience".

Started with this game to metroid franchise and all I can say that this game is... exists. It's not a full hate or love situation. It's the kind that after you played it kinda goes away (except it's epilogue part that I am going explain at the end) kinda similar to my zelda ocarina of time experience.

So this game is the Remake of Metroid 1 From Nes with the abilities that included from Metroid fusion with some little tweaks from what I understand. Not just that it does have new expanded areas and new bosses. It's a great look at first glance.

But problem is this is the remake of Metroid 1. What I mean is new additions really doesn't change your experience entirely most of the time. For example fusion's added powers rarely used for main progression, they are mostly for side collectibles (that demands pixel perfect timing from you for some reason? And that makes me unable to fully complete this game).

Even the added bosses feels... inconsequential. The bosses are like... here I am I guess? Then you obliterate them in seconds because they really are not balanced for your new power ups for some reason.

Not just that map feels a bit uninspired. Here is your lava zone, grass zone, sand zone etc. I barely remember any of them except the epilogue and that's not a good sign in my opinion.

Also it's quite linear. Not as much as the fusion but it's still is with the chozo statues marking your map so you can progress (I know you can get past them with some glitches but I am talking about the vanilla experience). I guess that's because they do this to make sure people on the right path because sometimes that marked locations can be completely opposite part of the map that you can't have any idea to check. But they could make it more organic rather than this... easy way out.

After beating the mother brain with almost sleep walking throughout in the whole game suddenly a new part kicks in that is exclusive to this game. The "epilogue".

It's a quite a linear part that challenges you with "stealth" after taking all of your powers. But unlike the main game it actually does something different and it's certain that all of the development went to this part because there is actually things to get excited about and getting actually challenged.

Just for this epilogue part reason I don't give this game 2 stars with the comment that you can skip this one, I mean you can still skip it if you want with looking up the epilogue but it's your decision. Anyway even with the epilogue I can't say I had a fully good time as a whole and for that reason I ended up with this thoughts.

But I can say this.. next remake that I had played created by a fan includes much more interesting things than this game. That's all I can say.

And this is where the samurai shines the most.

So, after the disappointing main story that is the main game, is the dlc of it worth it?

Yes. %100 percent yes.

And actually right now watching the credits of my 3rd ending playthrough and writing this with a mostly satisfied feeling.

It's focused, not bloated, even the forgettable enemy camp clearing missions feels more interesting. Just like hearts of stone dlc from Witcher 3 that I find better than the main game.

Just like how I find more fulfilling this dlc's main story than the main story of the base game.

"Welcome to night city's own Texas where wild west never ended"

The Dogtown.

Gameplay wise it's not a big upgrade, you get more weapon variations and 9 more skills to choose but I don't think it needed that anyway, like I said in my base game review, game's combat was already varied enough anyway other than it's messy enemy ai problems that can't be easily fixed without redoing a lot so I can say it's a nice bonus at least.

But story is where the game shines. It's about the president's agents that is the hacker Songbird and her officer Reed and the big conspiracy going on that includes the president and her agents.

Where we are in this equation you ask? Of course it's the reward that interests us. "The promise of getting saved". But it's not simple of course because this is a big conspiracy and who you are gonna side with and who is gonna be your enemy is what changes everything.

And it's a fulfilling story with 2 alternate routes with also 2 more alternate endings in the inside of it. They are not just who you side actually, it changes a lot with different main mission concepts, boss fights and unlocked more story pieces for each characters past(and I recommend you to experience both of them for this reason) just like witcher 3's dlc choices in that regard and not just that, it can even can unlock a new ending to the base game depending on which ending you got.

It's not perfect tho and compared to the Hearts of stone dlc of witcher 3 one thing felt weird to me, My criticism is other than the main leads Songbird and the Reed, everybody else feels really underused like the president or the dogtown's commander Kurt or the agent Alex. I kinda expected missions or special side missions that expands on them but there is not much about them unfortunately.

And my nitpicks are, map layout kinda sucks to ride around and new car stealing randomized events are not that fun. But that's it.

if you are planning to play cyberpunk I certainly recommend this dlc because surely it will satisfy you ten times more with it's focus. It's sure as heck satisfied me to the point my cyberpunk playthrough didn't felt like a waste to me. So that's a big thing for me.

I hope their next project would be this focused but I am not hopeful about that. I hope I would be proven wrong tho.