LogFAQs > #962127610

3. Metroid Dread

Its almost a shame we saw some all-time greats this year, as Metroid Dread is essentially an experience Ive been waiting for since I was a literal teenager. The last Metroid game I played and loved was either Metroid: Zero Mission or Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Every official game released since then has ranged from disappointing to bad. I went into Metroid Dread with major concerns over how Mercury Steam would handle a brand new Metroid experience, especially given how poorly Metroid: Samus Returns attempted to reignite the series flame. But dammit, did they nail it with this one.

It should be noted before anything else that Metroid is one of my favorite video game franchises. I have been a 'Metroid' fan since I first became obsessed with 'Metroid Prime' and 'Metroid Prime 2: Echoes' in 2006. Ever since that time, I swore myself to the unholy union of fandom, possibly for the first time ever. I'm not sure which came first between my 'Metroid' obsession and my 'Naruto' obsession. I am only embarrassed by one of these obsessions, and it should be obvious which one that is (it is Naruto).

However, 'Metroid' has a long and storied history of making me sad. It All started with 'Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'. Many will claim 'Metroid: Other M' was where the series saw its complete loss of self, though the warning signs were present in the previous game. You could even trace flaws back to 'Metroid Fusion', but I will not do that because I like 'Metroid Fusion'. Around the mid-2000s, space stuff got super popular. Halo: Combat Evolved was an astronomical success which changed the landscape of gaming, in particular games where you shoot aliens. In 2007, we saw Halo 3 and Mass Effect, two space shooting video games which were receiving unreal levels of attention and hype. Nintendo had to find some way to revitalize their premier alien-shooting franchise after the lackluster sales of both Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid: Zero MIssion. The Nintendo Wii was a perfect chance to do this, as it sold out the wazoo and was extremely popular among casual gaming fans, a market codified as lovers of the XBOX. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption could have been another somber trek through an unforgiving environment filled with discovery, but they decided to not do this and instead craft a linear, story-focused adventure spanning multiple planets with a keener focus on action as opposed to the puzzle-solving and platforming the previous two games excelled in. I dont actually know if Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was a response to the bigger science fiction adventures coming out around the same time it did, but the end result was something distinctly lacking in edge or creativity, even if it was a solid game in its own right.

Of course, the story just worsens at this point. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption sold well, though nothing compared to the Wiis bigger successes. The series would see another entry in 2010, Metroid: Other M, which was a critical and commercial failure, as well as being a certified bad video game. Metroid went on an extreme hiatus, coming back in 2016 with Metroid Prime: Federation Force, a game which immediately became a meme when announced. It seemed clear, at this point, Metroid was no longer itself. The next year we saw Metroid: Samus Returns, a lackluster remake of an already flawed Metroid game released on a dying handheld, which further failed to grasp the core appeal of its predecessors or its contemporaries. Metroid Prime 4 was announced, but it was marked by extreme delays and a complete re-do with a different studio helming the product. Its likely still deep in the pipeline, and it still felt like even if it were to release soon, it wouldnt be able to live up to its namesake given this 10+-year period of disappointing releases.

Then Metroid Dread came out of nowhere and kicked ass. I went into Metroid Dread with potentially the lowest expectations a Metroid fan could possibly have. I had played Mercury Steams previous outing extensively, and I did not believe they were capable of creating a good Metroid game. The games trailers were focused on the INTENSE ACTION and GRIPPING PLOT with numerous CALLBACKS to earlier games. I saw all the warning signs. I could tell this game was going to be mediocre at best. So naturally, I pre-ordered it and played it on launch day so that I could complain about it on the Internet.