5/5 ★ – james_i_think's review of Metroid Dread.

It's been nearly 20 years since the last original sequel, but Metroid is back! That's pretty much the most stereotypical way of reviewing this game, but I really can't think of a more appropriate way to sum it up. I never played Samus Returns, but I imagine it was something of an experiment to see if Metroid holds up as a modern Nintendo game. It seems like they used that experience and took into account the balance of what new players needed against what the core fanbase would want to change. Because I feel they've totally nailed it. Exploration isn't restricted by anything other than Samus' own abilities (as it should be), and the game does a wonderful job of guiding you through the environment and having you end up where you need to go next. I never once got lost or frustrated, but I never felt like it was too easy or linear either. And while I was at first very worried to see Adam again, thankfully his involvement wanes away to a small concession for new players who might be lost, sprinkling in small story updates. Samus herself controls fantastically, feeling familiar but also very refined to streamline the experience. As much as I love Super Metroid, it'll be odd to go back to such a comparitively limited moveset. Overall I really like the selection of abilities, especially the new ones, but as with the other games I feel the Screw Attack is overpowered. I don't find the backtracking for 100% at the end particularly fun when there's basically no challenge. Still, that's not something that really affects the main game. The bosses are suitably cinematic, but that doesn't negate the challenge. In general I think the bosses in Metroid can be a bit too punishing but I have to admit I'd have missed that difficulty if it wasn't here. This certainly has the most cutscenes and dialogue in the series, but I'm happy that the narrative itself is quite simple and scaled back. Metroid's story was always mainly left to implication, and I think that's how it should be. The EMMI seem to be the game's most controversial mechanic, but I think they're worthwhile segment. They are very punishing and difficult, but I felt like a small amount of patience was all that was needed. They end up chasing you more often than not anyway, and I like how intense those segments could be. They could definitely have outstayed their welcome, but as it stands they're a small section of the game that successively gets harder as it goes on. As a new fan to the series in the last couple of years, I consider this to be the perfect Metroid game. When I say perfect, I obviously just mean from my subjective stance, but I think there are lots of people who will be inclined to agree.