After years of speculation and anticipation, Metroid Dread is finally here. Longtime fans and newcomers to the franchise have been able to explore the depths of Planet ZDR for a few days now, getting lost (both literally and figuratively) in the game's metroidvania mechanics. It's been a triumphant return to form for Samus Aran, and with initial sales numbers starting to roll in, Metroid Dread is starting to look like the most successful installment in the franchise yet.
There's a lot of things Metroid Dread does well. The game's combat and exploration evolves the tried-and-true Metroid formula in a big way, with a host of new abilities and refinements. Dread's new E.M.M.I. Encounters also provide an added layer of fear and strategy to each of the game's regions, forcing players to make quick decisions lest they get a game over. Between all of that is perhaps one of Metroid Dread's most impressive features: its near-seamless cutscenes.
The Fluidity of Metroid Dread
The core of Metroid Dread's gameplay is fluid movement, both in traversal and combat. Every melee attack, spin jump, and slide is smooth, and that same level of care can be found in Dread's cutscenes. Developer MercurySteam has used a number of tricks to make nearly every cutscene transition seamless. This is mostly accomplished by incorporating cutscenes into room transitions, so in the brief time that Samus is entering a new room, a cutscene will begin shortly after without any noticeable loading. It's a smart design choice that can keep players from feeling like they've been taken out of the action for long.
How Dread's Cutscenes Keep The Action Going
One of the more ingenious aspects of Metroid Dread's cutscenes is how well they play into the game's actual gameplay. While Dread is a 2D platformer first and foremost, it also implements numerous 3D elements throughout its backgrounds and cutscenes. This is most apparent in the E.M.M.I. Encounters. If Samus is unfortunate enough to run into an E.M.M.I., the perspective will quickly shift from the game's usual 2D perspective to a pseudo-third-person angle where players will have the chance to escape through a quick-time event.
The same design philosophy can be found in many of Metroid Dread's boss battles. Unless players look at the map beforehand, they may not realize they're about to start a boss battle until they enter a room and a cutscene triggers without any prior loading. In addition to this, most boss battles will have some kind of sequence where Samus has a chance to parry and deal massive damage in a cinematic display. While these counter sequences may not be controlled by the player outside of firing Samus' arm cannon, they're presented in a way that almost never feels like a cutscene is taking place. It all feels like an extension of the action, marrying gameplay with cinematics in an innovative way.
With how long Metroid fans have been waiting for Dread, it seems that there was no better developer to helm the project than MercurySteam. Dread has taken decades of evolution in the industry that have taken place since Metroid Fusion and put them all into one impressive package. The game's seamless cutscenes are perhaps one of its brightest spots. While it may take some time to really gauge the overall success of Metroid Dread, for the moment it seems like an excellent return for one of Nintendo's most important franchises.
Metroid Dread is available now on the Nintendo Switch.