Okay. I’ve given the game a thorough, though not total, exploration, and I can say, I dig it. Metroid Dread is absolutely a worthy addition to the franchise, and a great game. Do not listen to the nay-sayers. Even if you’ve never played a Metroid game in the past, this is a great exploration game, and 2D platformer.
2D? In this day and age? At $60? Yes. But don’t let the idea of only moving through two dimensions fool you into thinking this game doesn’t hold a candle to the modern era of open world 3D exploration adventure titles. This is the franchise that invented open world exploration, and set the standard of hiding doors and upgrades that allow you to advance to more difficult areas. And this title puts a really gorgeous face on it.
It’s been 19 years since the last 2D release in this franchise, the last being the Gameboy Advance title Metroid Fusion, and while that may have some thinking there’s probably a good reason for that (“Gamers simply want 3D!”), check out the market’s other releases lately. There’s been a surge of hits that pay homage to the format with critical acclaim. And we’re talking some pretty awesome titles. Sundered, anyone? Bloodstained? They even dusted off Ghosts N’ Goblins and gave it a new coat of paint. I own TWO Castlevania anthologies now!
The map is massive. The enemies (particularly those E.M.M.I.s) are brutal. You will read the words “Game Over” so many times you’ll wonder whether you are in fact a masochist. But if you can stand a challenge, you will not be disappointed.
One particular criticism I read, I feel needs to be addressed. A God of War dev apparently threw a tantrum on a live stream when he found that the game hides which blocks are breakable, and the only way to know is to shoot all the walls with missiles as you go (until you pick up a certain upgrade later in the game that makes it easier). It makes for some annoying backtracking when you’ve missed something, and at times, finding where you need to go is challenging because the way forward is hidden.
This has been a staple of the franchise forever now. The game even tells you that this is going to be the case. Jaffe, the dev, called it “bush league”. I call it “not holding your hand”.
I’ve played God of War. I don’t think I ever finished it though, because I got annoyed with the quick time reaction events EVERYWHERE. You’d be in the middle of some excellent combat, and then suddenly jerked out of it to mash some random button to trigger a finisher instead of just letting you continue to whoop ass. So, Jaffe, maybe you think you know something about game design, but I’m less impressed with your franchise than I am with Metroid Dread. God of War isn’t without its problems, so don’t go casting stones because you lost your cool publicly. It isn’t the nostalgia that makes me blind to these “shortcomings”. I actually like that challenge of trying to find the way forward. To me, that’s not a shortcoming of the franchise, but the challenge I have come to appreciate. I don’t expect to be led by the hand in a Metroid title. I also don’t like my combat interrupted to see if I have the reaction time to hit circle.
That’s not to say a quick time event doesn’t have it’s place. Metroid Dread even uses them as a way to escape the E.M.M.I.s, if you get caught. They are nearly impossible to pull off (it’s less about reaction time and more about being clairvoyant in Dread), but so satisfying when you are lucky enough to do so. It’s also an entire mechanic you’re meant to try to avoid, if at all possible, reserved as a last chance to save you from yet another inevitable Game Over screen.
The one criticism I do have of Metroid Dread is how much of a bullet sponge nearly every beast in the game is. Even pretty early on, some of the seemingly simple critters will wreck you if you tangle with them, and your blaster feels vastly under powered. You’ll want to proceed slowly and act fast when you confront most everything. And you’ll find yourself coming back to places again and again, and they won’t be any easier.
Anyway, no surprise here, but I give this game a huge thumbs up, 5 out of 5, or whatever scale we are going with. Buy it. It’s a satisfying, challenging game. Looks amazing, plays better. You will not be let down.
In other Nintendo news, the Expansion Pack for your Switch Online Service is coming. It means a bit of a higher price tag but your online library of games will now include N64 titles, and Sega Genesis. You’ll also have access to the paid Animal Crossing DLC for free.
I keep seeing hit pieces in my Facebook feed on the price being too high for what you get on release. But that price tag is for the year, and there will be more games coming. If you don’t feel like it’s worth it right away, that’s understandable. Let the early adopters like myself subscribe and support the service and later when there’s a bigger selection that you feel is worth your money, hop on board. But lets not act like this is a huge failure on Nintendo’s part just yet. We only know about the games available on release, nothing more.
As for the free DLC ($25 if you were to buy it without the Expansion Pack subscription), I actually think this is better than buying the DLC separately, in contrast to every other review I’ve read on this particular matter. I am not a huge fan of the Happy House Academy design aspect of Animal Crossing. It’s one part of the game I just couldn’t be bothered with. Not my cup of tea. My furniture doesn’t match, in game and in real life. I’ve always liked what’s comfortable and looks cool. Often times those things aren’t part of the same set. So, $25 for a DLC that’s just making furniture to complete sets for “clients” doesn’t thrill me. If it weren’t offered as part of the Expansion Pack for free, I would definitely pass on it. Since it’s going to be free with my subscription, I’ll probably play it for a bit though, but I don’t imagine I’ll find it worth dropping another $25 just to own it in case I ever cancel my Switch Online service (fat chance! I love having access to Nintendo’s library of retro classics).
So what’s the verdict on the Expansion Pack offerings? If you’re a diehard fan like me, you’ve already factored in the higher price tag in your budget, and have accepted your new reality without fuss. Otherwise, you’re gonna wait and see what else they release in the months to come, and jump on the bandwagon when it’s worth it for you personally. If you’re only after the Animal Crossing DLC, because home decor gets you out of bed in the morning, and couldn’t care less about Nintendo 64 titles coming to Switch, pay the 25 bucks, and enjoy to your weird little heart’s content, ya freak. For the rest of us, it’ll be a novelty we get to enjoy when we subscribe to the Expansion Pack.
My prediction is the Expansion Pack will shortly prove to be well worth the price, just as the basic Switch Online Service has been well worth its price. If you aren’t impressed with the day-one offerings, give it time. You’ll be assimilated eventually.
Don’t forget I have a Twitch channel where you can occasionally see me play some of the games I’m talking about here, and where every Saturday at Midnight I show a classic horror movie from the public domain. This Saturday, the cold war era thriller “This is Not a Test”! And if you missed Last night’s “I Bury the Living!” it’s available on the VOD for my channel. Check it out! It’s a great flick.
