I’m not the biggest fan of the Metroid series but I definitely don’t hate it either. I actually look forward to every entry in the series. I do prefer the Metroid Prime series versus the 2D games, and that’s exactly what Metroid Dread is. While it doesn’t seem like it, this is Samus Aran’s first adventure in a very long time. It’s very good to see her back.

Taking place after Metroid Fusion, the story baits Samus into going to a new dangerous planet. One of the first things that happens is she gets her butt whooped by a strange alien bird guy. And to make matters worse, you wake up without any of your abilities except the little beam shots… great.

Metroid Dread is definitely true to its roots. All the graphics are technically in 3D, but Metroid fans know that this is a proper 2D experience.

I do wish you could control her with the d-pad instead of the analog stick. Also the secrets of how to get around are pretty darn tough so far. About an hour in, I had to look it up on YouTube.

What’s really terrifying are the EMMI robots. You typically can’t destroy them and there are sections of the stage where you have to run and hide from them. While the title does suggest more of a horror theme than the series is usually used to, I feel almost as terrified as I did playing Resident Evil while dodging these guys.

To be honest, I’m actually having a lot of fun with it. The boss fights are actually pretty interesting as well. I’m not quite sure how long it will take me to finish the game, but I’m definitely impressed by it so far.