I love the game so much, its a tad confusing in the moments where you get totally lost and don’t know where to go but that’s a standard part of Metroid so hardly worth complaining about,, but yeah an incredible return for the series 😊
I appreciate the beginning recap because I didn't know anything about Fusion until this game was announced as a direct sequel. The 3DS remake left me wanting a lot more because that was pretty good
If you're new to Metroid as a series, I recommend you start with Zero Mission (a remake of the first game), or Fusion (Metroid 4), both on the Game Boy Advance. Then I would go after Super Metroid (Metroid 3). I can't say anything about Samus Returns (a remake of Metroid 2), because I don't own a 3DS; but AM2R (Another Metroid 2 Remake) is very good, but hard.
@@Salty-Josh The only one of those you can play on Switch is Super Metroid through the SNES online. For the other games mentioned, if you can, best to go emulation route
the difference in opening exposition is understandable, Super Metroid had to recap two games, the first was accurately summarized as "had to go kill mother brain, did it." the second was accurately summarized as "had to go wipe out the metroids, did it, plus a found a baby and it thinks im its mom, so i'm bringin it to some scientists" Dread has to recap Fusion, by FAR the most story heavy 2D Metroid game. There was no way it was gonna be able to do it super briefly, there was just too much necessary information.
also it's been 16 years since the last metroid game (not counting Returns out of convenience and being the 2nd story wise) so it's not even in any sort of collective consciousness info like "who does Mario has to rescue?" sort of thing
@@slj1537 I know right? He might be deterred from games like Fusion for how point-to-point it is, but I think he would get a huge kick out of Zero Mission.
The main culprit for Dread not having the minimalistic storytelling and "no hand-holding" of Super Metroid can be attributed to the removal of Instruction Manuals. Super Metroid's Instruction Manual had a four page backstory, details on all the weapons and enemies, told you to beat the game quickly for different endings and even had a basic map of Zebes.
Fair considering the amount of stuff that has happen during the games, and the fact this is going to be the first Metroid for many (or at least their second since Super Metroid).
@@esmooth919 I prefer using charge beam in conjunction with a single missle cuz i can't mash missle, aim precisely, AND keep my mobility high to stay prepared for cheap shots.
*sigh* The most annoying thing about streamers. So focused on entertaining their audience that they only pay partial attention to the game and miss SO MANY things. Like, I respect streamers for the sheer amount of efforts and skills that go into making their videos, but that doesn't really change that visceral desire to reach trough the screen and start shaking them while screaming "read the fucking tutorials!" when they fail at basic gameplay because they were too busy telling a joke to properly learn how to play the game.
@@Deathwings500 I totally get wanting to entertain your audience but ignoring tutorials and then saying the game is to dialogue heavy despite ignoring said dialogue is what bothers me the most.
@@Deathwings500 My friend feels the exact same way you do. He gets frustrated too especially on pokemon shiny hunting streams where they'd get a shiny encounter and then reset because they were too busy talking to chat or something.
Thing is, their is still very subtle story telling going on, but you won't realize it until it hits you like a truck. It started with Samus very first on screen interactions.
the story telling in Dread is so bloody subtle that when the reveal hits, you feel like someone was placing a truck on top of your chest and didn't even notice it
For me one of my favorite things I’ve noticed after beating the game and seeing the end Read more for spoilers In the ship, when it’s very much Adam, he calls Samus “Lady” and doesn’t once refer to her by name and is encouraging her to be cautious “the risk far outweighs the reward”, but as soon as you get underground Adam is very defeatist “even at full power you don’t stand a chance” and is Samus this Samus that It’s so _obvious_ once you know the twist but before then I had absolutely no idea
@@swordsmancs Same dude, especially after rewatching the first cutscene here. *Spoiler warning for anyone else that hasn't finished yet* Adam was very caring towards Samus in the first scene, but everything afterward feels like a superior commanding you vs. someone that respects you, plus he tells you to "accept your helplessness". Once you find out that it was beaky daddy masquerading as Adam, everything he said hits you like a freight train.
My biggest rage that I discovered is that the beginning fight with that Chozo has relevance. And I don't mean the damaged suit, I mean the attacks the two exchange.
@@StormSnake0618really? I thought everything was normal up until the last 2 Adam interactions, where it’s clearly Raven Beak, but I thought all other previous interactions were actually Adam
TBF, unless you're more experienced you don't realize that Samus missile spam into faces isn't just a thematic thing until you have enough missiles to actually DO it in a game.
Also, it is helpfull for people that have not any Metroid at all. And considering all the events from past games have implications in this fifth part, it is necesary.
Dread is the last game in the series about metroids, and after so many years, they HAVE to make it for newbies anyways, so the info dump was mandatory and necessary actually.
11:15 "Games past Super Metroid all pretty much had some giant info dump at the start." I didn't watch it live, so maybe someone in the chat mentioned this already, but Super Metroid did that too. "The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace," followed by like four screens of straight exposition. It's very much a series staple.
@@RenShinomiya121 but not THIS big....but then it's been what? 20 years, gotta make it accessible for newbies and refresh those who haven't played samus returns, super metroid and/or fusion. so two games at minimum, plus the start and end of super
@@knuckles543 And Fusion is also one of the most info-heavy games in terms of there being information from it you absolutely MUST know for Dread to make sense. You just can't recap the important info from the last game in one or two sentences when there's so much of it that must be told to the player for them to have the information to understand the story even if it's their first Metroid game.
Max at the end: "Shit, am I a fuckin' Metroid weeb now? I actually wanna play these other games now!" YAS. Can't wait to see him do the other Metroid games.
Don't know if he'll try out Prime, but he specifically mentioned towards the tail end of the video that Dread is making him really want to try out Fusion.
@@Shadyman526 It annoys me the way Max played Super Metroid, but even so I still want to see him play Metroid Prime, just because it's fresh to him and I get to relive that through his experience. And yea I concur, Metroid Prime is among the best games ever made, top 10 FPS without a doubt, though for me personally I feel each Prime just got better and better. My favorite is either Echos or Corruption, though Corruption hits different because due to the motions controls and the way you can interact with the environment, it immersed me in a way that no game ever has.
I've seen a pattern in the handful of streamers I've watched. They: Don't shoot the bottom block at the start. Die to the first EMMI. Complain about handholding early on. Not judging! I know streamers have to entertain their viewers, its easy to not pay attention to little things. I just found it funny, they probably wouldn't trip over little things like that on their own. I'm sure Max will be fine, I'm glad he's enjoying it!
@@jedrarx dude I thought I soft locked myself in ferina at one point cuz I didn't have the freeze upgraded for the varia suit and I couldn't find a way out for about an hour
@@eliasruiz686 The game actually hand-holds you a lot and by design it's made to trick you into thinking that you find things by accident, when there's really no other way available, you just followed a path that it's made to make you follow it instinctively. Not really judging it, I think it's actually well done and it reduces frustration
@@DeathScorpi0 You know super metroid actually has that same design. Only difference is that Super Metroid is easy to break. I noticed when I was replaying it that I couldn't progress without getting the next item that was available. Unless you exploit the game through glitches or bomb jumps. I think all Metroid games share this design even the prime games. Only some give the illusion of freedom better than others.
Glad you're giving these games a chance Max! Finished Dread yesterday and its already one of my favorite experiences next to Metroid Prime. Hope you have fun dood!
Replaced P5 strikers as my goty it's just so good man with a user score of 9.1 I'm not alone it seems except for one person that thinks that super metroid looks better than dread like what?
This game proves the point that great gameplay trumps big budget graphics any day of the week. And it’s beautiful taboot anyway. Having an absolute blast with this one!!!
@@strawnobi wait but the graphics in this one is pretty nice though? Also it replaced P5 strikers as my goty it truly deserves more sales even 9.1 user score says so too 👍
@@TimelessWolves agree. Yeah I’ve been playing through Super Metroid prior to this like Max for the umteenth time. It’s just amazing the feels dread gives in nostalgia. I got passed the Scorpion boss before going to work. But I have the next two days off to sink my teeth into this thing. Can’t wait to get home tonight.
@@52lilv yeah doing so makes the game much longer, which I don’t mind, and when I have every ability I’m going to try and 100% the game before I beat it. Can’t wait for the day that I’m a professional in this game like I am in super Metroid. 100% that game in like an 100% and some Change
I think part of it is your first interaction with the E.M.M.I the game wrenchs control away from you with a cutscene instead of just dumping the E.M.M.I on you and cranking up the foreboding/horror music and letting you go "oh shit i do have to run" Additionally with the SA-X the first time you see it is hiding where it cannot reach and having a very minimal ambiance with just the sound of its footsteps.
I beg to differ. The EMMI are fucking *_TERRIFYING!_* Most of my deaths were because of them! That's why it's so satisfying to kill them with the Omega Cannon.
The SA-X is a scarier concept to me but EMMI are much, MUCH more effective in gameplay. Not impossible to avoid but they definitely often have moments of tension the SA-X in fusion can't rival
I really liked it and I also finished it today, I'll eventually get the 100% item and try hard mode. But to be honest my favourite are still the GBA ones.
So far this game kicks serious ass! Haven't had much chance to play cause I gotta wait for a good moment to play when the kids are in bed lol. But from what I have played, oh yeah this is exactly what I wanted.
Definitely happy for Metroid fans that this is a solid entry to this series. Not just as spinoff, but a full-blown sequel. I really hope Nintendo let MercuryStream make more games and don't just end it here as a one and done venture. These guys clearly know what they are doing.
MercurySteam should do Zero Mission, Super Metroid, and Fusion on the Switch and get their Samus Return remake on the Switch as well using the same type of gameplay and graphics engine.
1:32:18 I don't know of anyone who thought that when this was announced. If anything this game oozes Metroid Fusion, which makes more sense given that it takes place directly after that game. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, Mercury Steam originally pitched a Fusion remake to Nintendo, but Nintendo wanted a 2 remake instead.
Mercury Steam love Metroid Fusion about as much as Toys For Bob love Crash Bandicoot 2. It is painfully obvious in how they designed and wrote the new games.
@@renookami4651 Well I also mean in terms of progression guidance too. There were a few times were I got completely LOST in trying to find the next point to advance.
@@keystrix3704 hard disagree. Lost in this game requires a minute or less of looking at the map. For the most part, the game teleported you to any backtracking so there really never was a way to get lost as long as you stayed on track. Not saying its a bad thing, but the game is linear to an adult brain
@@Hyperbolic_G This. I think this game does a perfect job of making it feel open while actually being surprisingly linear. You get a new ability, look at the map for where that opens you up to, and then go there
Tbf super metroid is exactly the same as this, it shows you a text cutscene of what happened in the previous games then your off, this seems like its giving you more but really there are just more games in the story to cover
Nah, the major thing is something they borrowed from Fusion. The computer stopping you to text dump a bit every once in a while. They did remove it blatantly telling you where to go though.
I don't have a switch or I would have picked this up. But experiencing it blind alongside Max was one of the most fun playthroughs I've watched in ages. I'm glad he enjoyed it and I'm even more glad Dread holds its own in the series as a great damn game.
Me too. But boy, I screamed due to Max lack of environmental awareness and sense of direction. As a Max follower I'm used to it but as a Metroid fan, it made me wanna gouge my eyes off. The urge to kill was indeed RISING. People backseating Max over shinespark puzzles made me have mixed feelings, because that requires being a veteran in the series and had it be taught to you by some speedrun/speedrunner.
Oh yeah It’s running well on switch emulators, if you buy a copy and have a friend who can rip the game via a hacked switch, you can legally play it on emulators
@@johnjohnson6142 Ah yea true. Also good on you for saying buy it first. That kotaku article annoyed me. Should support quality games even if they're made by big companies
@@nolanlehman6392 I feel like while piracy is not the best thing, and that we should give Nintendo a reason to keep making Metroid games, sometimes piracy is the only way. I don't live in a country where there's a market for Nintendo, everything is imported and second-hand, and it's one of the most expensive things you can buy. Our currency is incredibly undervalued. Whereas in america a Switch is normally found at 300 dollars or so, you can only find a Swich here at over 700+ us dollars. Which is more than double of that of the average wage per month. Not counting the game that comes separately. I feel no shame in playing it pirated, I have no other way to play it and I'm not going to wait. But if you live in America or other first-world country which Nintendo actually cares about, then I'd say it's pretty shitty to pirate it.
If you were there when he played or watched the VODs then you already know. But if not, he really loved it. He gave it a personal 10/10 score, and gave it an objective 10/10 as well. It is his second most favorite game this year, only 2nd to Returnal.
@@vincewilliamss oh RE8 isn't even in contention for his top game of the year. He likes RE8 enough, but not Max's pick for GotY. So far it's 1) Returnal and 2) Metroid: Dread
@@noobofalltrades9766 not only that, but he mentioned he was interested in playing the other Metroid games which for only his 2nd Metroid game , what more can you ask for
No no, they definitely had a significant budget for this game. As far as side-scrollers go, the production value is ridicilous (animation, sound design, graphics). I'm not sure what you see about this game that says "limited budget."
Ngl, it’s really tough to watch you give your initial critique of the game when you’re skipping through direction dialogues and ignoring the painfully obvious environmental cues Glad to see you’re playing the game and enjoying it though
@@uncreativearro Sequence breaks like what for example? I can't remember the order in which I obtained each upgrade but I swore it was linear just as fusion was.
@@tobiasrex8052 Well, the biggest, most notorious one is that you can get the Morph Ball before Kraid. It's notable because the devs know about it and included a way to use the Morph Ball to basically skip Kraid's second phase.
@@tobiasrex8052 Several videos of sequence breaking are popping up already and we're not even one week in. I personally haven't watched them, but it seems the speedrunning community is having a blast.
The Metroid series - both 2D and 3D - has always been way ahead of its time in so many ways. So many games out there have DNA from Metroid. It's great to finally see it being fully appreciated.
Well, Prime 1 and 2 at least. Prime 3 is more of a generic linear story shooter, just with a Metroid flavor. 1 and 2 are definitely more reminiscent of Super Metroid's more subtle, environment-focused storytelling.
It's really great to watch Max become a Metroid fan xD I'm actually really surprised he hasn't been up to this point, considering his daughter is named after the same character Samus is based on 🤣
@@BSBD78 the underwater boss is a bit obtuse, one of the later bosses requires the use of the dash which you might have been ignoring, in general most of the bosses expect you to use the oft unforgiving parry mechanic. Its not as bad as journalists say; all of the bosses have a set pattern and beating is more about knowledge than high levels of execution
@@elsanto2401 the underwater boss is a tually the only boss that I didn't get killed by on the firs time. I found it to be the most underwhelming and boring boss fight of the game. Thankfully, everything else males up for it. Dread's boss fights on average are way better than most of the other games in the series.
Ahh good ol' SA-X. When the music cut off and you hear the footsteps, WOOH PARTY TIME! Gonna go against the grain but Metroid Fusion to me has far better atmosphere music. Holy hell when in certain areas the way the music is makes it feel like the SA-X is literally about show up the moment you went into a new area. Fusion feels pretty much like a horror game not going to lie lol.
If there is one thing Dread didn't completely convince people in general, it is the music. But to be fair, it is probably because of the game design. In Fusion, you were not supposed to know where the SA-X was patrolling, so the general atmosphere was more creepy because you never knew when it was going to jump at you during your first playthrough. In comparison, it is explicitely stated by Adam that E.M.M.I. are stuck in their own zone, and there was never any surprise about them expect for their respective abilities.
1:13:48 dear editor, why have you removed the failure if the delivery of that joke? The pain and desire of revenge on Max eyes at the end of it was great and now we can't re experience it again!
FYI the counter was previously implemented by Mercury Steam on Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS). Except it is better implemented here, because you can now use it while moving. That and the gameplay runs at 60 FPS.
The feel of the movement in the game is something else! Honestly, imo, they have nailed the animations and how Samus controls! Though, I did wish they had done more with the environmental details and I really do miss more story telling via the world.
Max, you’re a cool dude, love ya content, but goddamn is it irritating to watch you play sometimes. Especially when your ignoring the prompts telling you what you’re supposed to do.
I don't think they'll remake Super. Originally MercurySteam pitched a Fusion remake, but Sakamoto refused because it was already modern enough, but he liked what they did, so they made a Metroid 2 remake. If he thinks Fusion don't need a remake, he probably thinks his magnum opus also don't need one.
@@curewaffle which would be a major shame. Pointer controls are such a win for the Prime trilogy. Got it on WiiU and can't begin to imagine playing it with sticks only.
Huh, after destroying a planet, a space station with tons of "research", and rendering 2 alien species extinct, I'd have thought Samus would be the latest entry on the federation's shit list; I guess they realize how totally fucked they'd be without her there to help.
Two planets technically, since SR-388 went out with the station! But all of it considered-both missions on Zebes, taking out the Metroids on SR-388, the X on the BSL station-the Federation surely has days where they think “Thank the stars she’s on our side...” Even more so if you consider the Prime Trilogy canon, that would make three planets with the end of Planet Phazon!
Real talk, I thought Samus would be on their shit list, too, but then I remembered: if they try to arrest Samus for discovering their secret Metroid breeding program, they would only out _themselves_ in their corruption. So...
SPOILER: FOR REAL: Upon completing the game, Samus accessing the network terminal for the first time hits different. Should have realized something was up when Adam started referring to her by her name instead of "Lady"
@Maximilian Dood If you want a Rogue Like Metroid game, play "A Robot Named Fight" It's literally rogue like super metroid, and it's one of my favorite games.
MAX. It would be awesome if you played the rest of the metroid series and then gave your opinion. Also, just like in Super Metroid.. USE THE MISSILES on bosses, lol he hasn't learned
He mentions a Hades-like game with Metroid elements. There is already a game like that out on the switch, called "A Robot named Fight!". It's pretty good, buuut no where near as awesome as Dread is.
While I agree with Max that the music isn't as environmental as Super Metroid, some of the encounter themes (like the first evil Chozo encounter, boss themes, etc) are REALLY GOOD. The stings they use make things seem extremely dangerous and threatening and I love it. Not saying Super Metroid didn't do these things, but not in the same way that Dread does.
Seeing Max's first EMMI death got a giggle from me. Especially after I've finished the game and knowing the amount of deaths I had endured in the beginning was due to me brute-forcing through those bastards. Once I somehow fell right on top of one. I legit beat the final boss in one try, but the EMMIs...I can't even begin to imagine how many game over screens I seen because of them.
Metroid Zero Mission plays like an absolute dream. I gotta play through that one again sometime soon. I really like playing these games alongside your playthroughs, so maybe I’ll wait and see if you do that one. XD Loving these Metroid vids.
Max may be a god at fighting games but his newbie skills are showing here for metroidvanias lol. Hope to see more and watch his growth while enjoying this game.
Max shooting his missiles at any directions instead of where he had to (the bosses head) made me angry XD I think they are best used when you get the cutscene counter and litterally can't miss the head, but that's just me
i'm willing to bet he was so freaked out by being able to shoot during the cutscene that he completely didn't even think about trying to prime the missiles during the sequence as well. there's a lot of awesome little details with this game that it seems like a lot of people have completely been missing the nuances ^^;; mercurysteam did their job a little too well XD
@@slegiardryke7103 yeah you're probably right, I watched a friend of mine play Dread for the first time and she was even more frantic then Max lol Especialy around the EMMI's xD
1:29:29 I played Strider 2014 and loved it. I actually got it mainly because it was a Metroidvania and Zero Punctuation recommended it. I do wish they had made a sequel as I think it had a lot of potential. And yes, Dread has a lot of that Strider DNA in it (as Strider has a lot of that Metroid DNA in it). I remember thinking it looked similar from the trailers.
You need to make sure your Switch is set to Surround sound because this is one Switch game that actually uses it for not just direction but background ambience.
Just beat this last night. Freaking loved it. Final boss kicked my ass a lot. Going back to get all the collectibles. Great game. Turned out to be exactly what I wanted and more. Now I want more Metroid on Switch.
1:33:49 - "I played it [Metroid 1] in the early 90s when it came out." Max, Metroid 1 came out in 1986. Metroid 2 was 1991 and Metroid 3 was 1994. But yeah it's rough, Zero Mission would be better to play. 1986 that shit was fire but it quickly became outdone with how quickly video game development evolved in the 80s. Also the Gamecube thing they're trying to tell you about is the Gameboy player, a physical peripheral that has a disc that comes with it that lets you play GBA games on a gamecube. Metroid Fusion is also available from the WiiU E-shop. Or you know, you could just be like everyone else and just emulate it.
It's a little odd to say that a shot of a ship coming on the screen is ripping off aliens, when we only have three ways to do it and you're either ripping off aliens, dune, or Star wars.
@@hanoi_revolver The chozo statues and other designs are definitely Alien inspired, among other things in the game. The X-parasites are an homage to the Film "The Thing". The chozo design themselves also has a Stargate feel to them. There are story beats in the game as well referencing Predator and Star Wars. The developers and director really love those old school SciFi movies.
@@hanoi_revolver Oh I'm aware of that, but that knowledge aside, saying that a particular shot is a homage or ripping off a series like aliens is a little disingenuous when that kind of shot only has so many ways of being shot and all of those ways were popularized by some sci-fi film before I was even born.
@@noobofalltrades9766 no. Most of it comes from Alien. Ridley is named after Ridley Scott, Metroids are Xenomorphs, Sakamoto himself talks about Alien being an inspiration a lot. Metroid 1 is about the encounter, Metroid 2 about killing the Queen just like Aliens (Alien 2), and Samus even fuse with Metroid DNA just like Ripley with alien dna
I'm so stoked Max loves Metroid. Kinda figured he would but ya never know. Hopefully this leads to him playing the Prime series. 3 is a bit weak but I think he would love 1 and 2. Especially 2
I agree that the music of Dread isn't as good as the music from super or even fusion and zero but i think it is because they are focusing on different themes of story telling. Super is all about exploration and discovery as well as mistery. Zero was mostly about the mistery of the chozo and the music focused on that and finally fusion was all about the horror, all about the horrible things that happened to the base and the many amalgamations created by the x parasite, in dread it focuses in the fact that something is hunting you down and... That's it.
I figured Samus would be tall for a woman but I didn't know she's 6'4; she's an Amazon and I love it. I'm happy that they kept a lot of the style and gameplay elements of Samus Returns.
Has anyone mentioned the existence of A Robot Named Fight to Max? It's quite literally Super Metroid as a Roguelite. Imo it's really good, though it's not quite as polished as other games, it still receives active support from the devs.
