Metroid Dread

I believe the review embargo is up tomorrow. Hopefully it scores high!

It'll be Sunday or Monday before I can get this.

I'm excited.

At last, hopefully a classic AAA 2D video game.

I'm tired of 3d open world collect em ups/shoot em ups/walking around ups/150 hours down the toilet ups.

😊

Just got my Smyths tracking number this morning! Hoping that it'll arrive tomorrow!

Since the announcement, I've played through Zero Mission, Samus Returns, AM2R, Super Metroid and Fusion.

Super is still the top line, but AM2R for me was so almost there, probably hampered most by the more linear structure of Metroid 2, compared to Super, but it brings in all the QoL stuff that came with Zero Mission and Fusion, and added some new stuff of it's own too.

I prefer it, tbh, but they both do their own things to expand on the original and take it in slightly different directions.

AM2R brought in some extra areas and some shortcuts between areas that work nicely, and it's more like the other 2D games in that you don't get free-aim and counter (which I think Samus Returns was overly reliant on, and buffed some enemies to push reliance on the counter). The Diggernaut boss fight in Samus Returns was the highlight of that game for me, whereas there were a few great boss fights in AM2R, and the final boss fight in AM2R feels much more epic due to it's structure, versus the same boss in SR.

SR added in a surprise boss fight that I wasn't particularly keen on either, as it felt a bit off, and more like cheeky wink than something that should have been there.

It was finished when it was originally released. There's been just some patching since then, via AM2RLauncher, that has it at something like v1.5.2 where the original was 1.1.

They're working on a v2 that will be all original art assets, rather than some sprites pulled from Fusion etc.

My favourite addition they've made is the randomizer, where they've got a few options, which randomize only additional item locations, and leaves the core items where they are, or my favourite, AM2Random, which randomises everything... When you get a seed that makes the bombs collectable until late-game, it's a real challenge getting through the game. You could get lucky and get the powerful beam upgrades early, or space jump etc. but it's all random, and challenges the sequence breaking in the game.

That's one of my biggest gripes with Samus Returns, they tried to break most sequence breaking, with the slippery surfaces everywhere, and one-wall wall jumping not possible.

Have you tried it in AM2Random mode? Best NG+ mode I've ever played, and having to pull off as many sequence breaking tricks to get through the game made it a really rewarding and satisfying (if somewhat frustrating in the start) runs of a game that I've ever played.

The AM2Random ones, because they're fully random, often have the bombs off somewhere mid-late game, and that makes it kinda crazy to play through.

Good description of the various random modes from Reddit:

Classic Mode -> Power-ups Only will only randomize Power-ups, not Items but you are guaranteed to get Bombs in the first Area.

Classic Mode -> Starting Paths Randomizes both Power-ups and Items but in separate pools, so you dont end up finding something like Varia Suit in place of where there's usually a Missile Pack. The choice between the Items you're given is what you get in the first Area. Bombs is the easiest, Screw Attack the hardest.

Split Random is like Starting Paths except you dont get to pick what you find in the first Area.

AM2Random is the true Random Mode where anything can be anywhere. It's the most challenging but also by far the most fun.

I saw a preview last week or the week before from, I think, Nintendo Life and Alex said that the counter mechanic is far less prominent in this game and not as important as it was in Samus Returns. It's there more as an option rather than a semi-requirement like it was in SR. Hopefully Dread will be more to your taste.

Yeah sounds great! Thank God.

Looks like 11-15 hours long too.

I get most good Metroidvania games for the Switch and I never get tired of the formula. I think the are just saying that for the sake of being edgy.

Couple of lines from the EuroGamer review:

And:

*sits hitting F5 on the tracking page*

Pre-ordering this tomorrow with the Gamestop trade in deal. Only thing is I've never played a Metroid game before. Better look up some story recaps before starting this. Great to see it review so well.