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Metroid Dread |OT| Prime Hour

kunonabi

Member
Got switch OLED yesterday, my first switch and my first Nintendo console, don't like controls in this game that much and the fact that joy cons feel very fragile and way to small for my hands also does not help. Ordered third party pro controller
I just got mine too and honestly the whole thing feels chintzy doubly so if compared to Nintendo's previous hardware offerings. Taking the thing in and out of the dock is dreadful and even just unhooking the joycons feels awful. I'm sticking with joy-cons since I prefer split controllers but I had to remap the buttons at the system level to make them workable.
 

SCB3

Member
I just got mine too and honestly the whole thing feels chintzy doubly so if compared to Nintendo's previous hardware offerings. Taking the thing in and out of the dock is dreadful and even just unhooking the joycons feels awful. I'm sticking with joy-cons since I prefer split controllers but I had to remap the buttons at the system level to make them workable.

I'm of the opnion that Metroid has never had great controls, even the Prime series, the Wii versions were somewhat better but the Wii mote was handling the aiming fine

Apparently the Dolphin Emulated Version for the Prime Trilogy is fantastic control wise
 

kunonabi

Member
I'm of the opnion that Metroid has never had great controls, even the Prime series, the Wii versions were somewhat better but the Wii mote was handling the aiming fine

Apparently the Dolphin Emulated Version for the Prime Trilogy is fantastic control wise
Metroid 1 and Other M control the best due to their focus on simple, fluid motion although Other M had a distinct learning cover before it starts to feel natural. With Dread I think the real issue is the actual control device and the modern trend of using every button available.
 

SCB3

Member
Metroid 1 and Other M control the best due to their focus on simple, fluid motion although Other M had a distinct learning cover before it starts to feel natural. With Dread I think the real issue is the actual control device and the modern trend of using every button available.

Metroid 1 is the hardest to start imo, it took a bit of getting used to, I'm probably in the minority that enjoyed Other M as well

Anyway, Dread, on to a Boss called Escue, the EMMI before this is such a pain in the ass, I really am hoping this the last one, they're just boring to fight and get around now
 

daveonezero

Banned
This game asks too much of you for joycons to be a good idea.

That said, careful with pro controllers. I have a PowerA wired controller I love for its great d-pad, but this game revealed to me its control stick was less precise with the 360 aiming. I could make finer adjustments with the official pro controller. Mileage will vary of course...but if you get frustrated, it could be the gamepad, not the game.
I agree. I have been playing this game undocked. I usually play docked with my pro controller. I had to switch to table top for a few boss fights.
 

gradient

Resident Cheap Arse
Sooo... I went hunting for any bosses I may have missed and well, I definately wasn't supposed to have some of my current gear for a couple of the bosses

Fought the big electric bug that gives you the storm missiles. Looked him up and apparently he's called Escue.

Screw attack BROKE this fight. He literally couldn't hurt me. Screw attack negates electrical damage so I could screw attack through his projectiles and even into his charges.

Took about half a dozen hits to drop him. The enemies leading to him were tougher.

Also found the big fella who gives you...

The cross bombs

Got my arse handed to me a couple of times. Even with the gravity suit the projectiles that guy puts out do some mean damage

I did like how they sneaked him in though, hiding him behind two lesser common forms before he goes super saiyan bug and brings the red lightning

I'm also having fun with the fluidity of controls and momentum. It's great when you get a boost going and bounce your way through an entire area redirecting your momentum with wall jumps and converting the energy from boost to shinespark to boost again. Crazy fun.
 

bender

What time is it?
Just rolled credits with my save file at 100%. I'm really torn on this game. They nailed the visuals and controls. I freaking loved the Shinespark puzzles. The EMMI stuff is interesting but they went back to that well a few too many times and fighting them seemed more about finding the developers solution to the encounter rather than letting you be more free form. Speaking of going back to the well a few too many times, the sub-bosses and bosses are a little too similar to one another. I don't think the game is all that difficult but I died a lot. I wouldn't classify it as cheap either but you do get punished for your mistakes. It is definitely teetering on annoying though. As is true in most games, I hate parrying. The most disappointing thing about Dread is it seems to funnel you to your next destination. I never felt lost which might be considered a good thing by most, but it definitely hurts the sense of exploration. This is made up for somewhat by the optional missile, health tank, super bomb upgrades which are typical for the series. think it is a worthy entry to the series but I'd rank Zero Mission, Super Metroid and AM2R above it.
 
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Cutty Flam

Banned
I refuse to believe any of these puzzles are really that hard. How??

I hope they are though! I love getting stuck!
This needs to be one of those ultra rare games I 100%.
Same here, love getting stuck in video games but I’ve never seen such a difficult puzzle in my life. Nothing like this one. There is one that I’m working towards completing without any substantial breakthrough despite attempting, thinking through, and practicing for five hours in total now. Five entire hours trying my best to solve this thing. I still don’t know which method is the correct way to go about it. I’m honestly preparing mentally to be stumped for at least a few more days if not the entire week because I refuse to look up a video for this game. It’s that ridiculously hard IMO, but not only that, it’s kind of perplexing as well. There are four or five, maybe six scenarios that I can see that might be the correct sequence. Not sure which one to commit to at this point either, but I’m sure I’ll get it eventually. There’s only one truly tough puzzle in this game, the rest can be done in the span of 15-40 minutes with enough effort, but this one is a different beast

It was actually psyching me out a bit yeaterday, this shinespark. Had to put the game down and clear my mind
 

SCB3

Member
Sooo... I went hunting for any bosses I may have missed and well, I definately wasn't supposed to have some of my current gear for a couple of the bosses

Fought the big electric bug that gives you the storm missiles. Looked him up and apparently he's called Escue.

Screw attack BROKE this fight. He literally couldn't hurt me. Screw attack negates electrical damage so I could screw attack through his projectiles and even into his charges.

Took about half a dozen hits to drop him. The enemies leading to him were tougher.

Also found the big fella who gives you...

The cross bombs

Got my arse handed to me a couple of times. Even with the gravity suit the projectiles that guy puts out do some mean damage

I did like how they sneaked him in though, hiding him behind two lesser common forms before he goes super saiyan bug and brings the red lightning

I'm also having fun with the fluidity of controls and momentum. It's great when you get a boost going and bounce your way through an entire area redirecting your momentum with wall jumps and converting the energy from boost to shinespark to boost again. Crazy fun.
you sequence broke Escue, I just got to the Screw Attack and I had already beat him, the movement now with the Space Jump and Gravity suit is great, I think I need to go looking for Energy Tank upgrades as I only have 6 or 7 atm

Also screw the fight with
2 Chozo Warriors
that took me a fair few attempts

Just rolled credits with my save file at 100%. I'm really torn on this game. They nailed the visuals and controls. I freaking loved the Shinespark puzzles. The EMMI stuff is interesting but they went back to that well a few too many times and fighting them seemed more about finding the developers solution to the encounter rather than letting you be more free form. Speaking of going back to the well a few too many times, the sub-bosses and bosses are a little too similar to one another. I don't think the game is all that difficult but I died a lot. I wouldn't classify it as cheap either but you do get punished for your mistakes. It is definitely teetering on annoying though. As is true in most games, I hate parrying. The most disappointing thing about Dread is it seems to funnel you to your next destination. I never felt lost which might be considered a good thing by most, but it definitely hurts the sense of exploration. This is made up for somewhat by the optional missile, health tank, super bomb upgrades which are typical for the series. think it is a worthy entry to the series but I'd rank Zero Mission, Super Metroid and AM2R above it.
I agree with most of this, I like the Boss fights, but the EMMI's were all pretty much the same and really slows the game down, they needed to be different for each one, maybe force you to use a new ability on them (though then again, you can miss abilities until later so maybe not)
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
This last shinespark in Burenia is utterly ridiculous. If David Jaffe wanted to criticize anything that is bad design in Metroid Dread, this would have been it
 

bender

What time is it?
This last shinespark in Burenia is utterly ridiculous. If David Jaffe wanted to criticize anything that is bad design in Metroid Dread, this would have been it

This tripped me up a lot but when you are falling, make sure to hold B before touching the analog stick and then point which direction you want to go.
 

Mozzarella

Member
I'm playing the game, i just got an ability to drop bombs while in Morph form, the game is decent so far but im not finding the masterpiece people told me about, does it get much better? i mean its decent so far the controls are smooth, the level design is good but for example the environment is lackluster, the atmosphere is not strong enough, the combat is getting boring at some points like for example the creature i fought at the lava area, it was a tedious boring fight, where i kept button mashing while trying to evade his drops. And the soundtrack is not on par with the best, like Hollow Knight or Castlevania.
I played Bloodstained Ritual of the Night 1 year ago and so far im finding it better, maybe because im still early on the game? I can feel while acquiring the new abilities that its getting better, but im not having the feeling i had while i played Hollow Knight and Symphony of the Night, is it really that good? maybe im playing it wrong?
 

tommib

Member
I'm playing the game, i just got an ability to drop bombs while in Morph form, the game is decent so far but im not finding the masterpiece people told me about, does it get much better? i mean its decent so far the controls are smooth, the level design is good but for example the environment is lackluster, the atmosphere is not strong enough, the combat is getting boring at some points like for example the creature i fought at the lava area, it was a tedious boring fight, where i kept button mashing while trying to evade his drops. And the soundtrack is not on par with the best, like Hollow Knight or Castlevania.
I played Bloodstained Ritual of the Night 1 year ago and so far im finding it better, maybe because im still early on the game? I can feel while acquiring the new abilities that its getting better, but im not having the feeling i had while i played Hollow Knight and Symphony of the Night, is it really that good? maybe im playing it wrong?
Maybe you just don’t like it. Don’t rationalise it too much. I hate Hollow Night and Blasphemous with a vengeance. Everyone loves them and they’re adored by Metroidvania fans. Bought them both. I know they are good games and they’re supposed to have good atmosphere but I just can’t stand them and couldn’t play them for more than 2 hours. It’s what it is. Don’t force it.
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
This tripped me up a lot but when you are falling, make sure to hold B before touching the analog stick and then point which direction you want to go.
Finally got it, took me a little over 7 hours to figure out. That was a painful experience. The price I paid for wanting to complete the game 100% is an irritated ulnar nerve and some inflammation of the elbow region from repeating the puzzle hundreds upon hundreds of times. Was a foolish choice tbh, but I decided against looking at a video for a tutorial no matter what

Metroid Dread has delivered it’s first battle scar. Gonna recoup and fight Raven Beak in a couple days since I’m now at 100% Items
 

bender

What time is it?
Finally got it, took me a little over 7 hours to figure out. That was a painful experience. The price I paid for wanting to complete the game 100% is an irritated ulnar nerve and some inflammation of the elbow region from repeating the puzzle hundreds upon hundreds of times. Was a foolish choice tbh, but I decided against looking at a video for a tutorial no matter what

Metroid Dread has delivered it’s first battle scar. Gonna recoup and fight Raven Beak in a couple days since I’m now at 100% Items

What do think so far? I think it's solid, certainly better than the Metroid 2 remake, but not something I'll want to go back to.
 
I went to Walmart today to see if they had any Switch Lites, and the only ones they had were OLEDs.

I couldn’t help myself
dy5SsCq.jpg
 

SCB3

Member
The first one was hard, but the second one at Burenia was hilarious, I just thought to try a power bomb and it instakilled both of them :messenger_grinning_sweat:
Yea I powered through it, I was surprised on how quick it took me to beat
Experiment Z-57
I did it in I think 3 attempts, I was waiting for a new phase when it died!
 

gradient

Resident Cheap Arse
Finally got it, took me a little over 7 hours to figure out. That was a painful experience. The price I paid for wanting to complete the game 100% is an irritated ulnar nerve and some inflammation of the elbow region from repeating the puzzle hundreds upon hundreds of times. Was a foolish choice tbh, but I decided against looking at a video for a tutorial no matter what

Metroid Dread has delivered it’s first battle scar. Gonna recoup and fight Raven Beak in a couple days since I’m now at 100% Items

That shinespark puzzle was the route that got me to the gravity suit. Absolutely infuriating until you figure out that in order to trigger the shinespark mid-air you need to press Y + B AND you have to avoid tilting the control stick - which is bloody hard to avoid when the sequence requires constant movement.

Felt good to get it done though. Got two nice rewards for my trouble one of which opened up a lot more exploration options.
 

SCB3

Member
Man this last boss..... I get him to Phase 2 pretty easy, but christ he has some health in Phase 2, I've just got past that, but its rough
 
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Beer Baelly

Al Pachinko, Konami President
Just beat it on normal 10 hours 17 minutes and 84%. Ill go back for 100% Killed the last boss with full health, shit is dead easy once you know how. Anyway, I liked the game but it doesnt beat Super and Fusion imo. The flow and pacing is nice but its too bland and forgettable
 
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Bragr

Banned
The Sessler review highlights how many struggles with finding where to go. Metroidvania compares in some ways to 4X games, for some, it takes too long to learn the systems and get into it, but for people who's into it, it scratches something deep and they can't get enough of it.

With Dread, the "traditional" design is there for a reason, it appeals to curiosity, it entices, but the very thing that entices some becomes too annoying for others. That's why the genre is niche.

I'm very surprised though, that he feels that the mobs are hard to get past. I felt the opposite, that it was very easy to move around the areas, they were easy to deal with, most can take just one missile and almost all of them are easy to run past.

 

Phase

Member
So before beating Dread I had only played Super Metroid. But I'm playing through Fusion now and I feel like I'm playing Dread in 2d. Every Metroid game is the same huh. They don't stray far from the formula lol.
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
So before beating Dread I had only played Super Metroid. But I'm playing through Fusion now and I feel like I'm playing Dread in 2d. Every Metroid game is the same huh. They don't stray far from the formula lol.
I remember Metroid Prime feeling extremely different though, it felt like its own standalone experience. But I only got maybe 3-5% in that game
 

Mozzarella

Member
Maybe you just don’t like it. Don’t rationalise it too much. I hate Hollow Night and Blasphemous with a vengeance. Everyone loves them and they’re adored by Metroidvania fans. Bought them both. I know they are good games and they’re supposed to have good atmosphere but I just can’t stand them and couldn’t play them for more than 2 hours. It’s what it is. Don’t force it.
Yeah sure, sometimes a game doesnt click, but after i acquired some more abilities the game is getting better for me, its not reaching very high levels of fun/satisfaction but im happy with it just getting better. I just got an ability to check for blocks and i think that will help me explore without wasting too much time. Though i still wonder if i can find anything worthwhile that isnt energy tanks or missiles.

Edit: Just defeated a boss, that i think is so far the best boss fight in the game, finally i found a good boss fight in the game.
 
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Fredrik

Member
That's an interesting way to do it. I performed this shinespark slightly different but worked out in the end
Another reason why this game rocks, even in these insane tight challenges there are different ways to do it 👌
I’m guessing you went diagonal 45 degrees up the hills?
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
Another reason why this game rocks, even in these insane tight challenges there are different ways to do it 👌
I’m guessing you went diagonal 45 degrees up the hills?
This is how I maneuvered through the Burenia shinespark
I used the morph ball on top of the breakable blocks, initiated shinespark, 45 degrees I hit the slope and went up it and then slid beneath the rock then I broke out of the morph ball and crouched again at the end of the top area. The rest was just a matter of space jumping to the shinespark blocks
 

Fredrik

Member
This is how I maneuvered through the Burenia shinespark
I used the morph ball on top of the breakable blocks, initiated shinespark, 45 degrees I hit the slope and went up it and then slid beneath the rock then I broke out of the morph ball and crouched again at the end of the top area. The rest was just a matter of space jumping to the shinespark blocks
Cool! Different but still the same result 💪
 

Dr Bass

Member
So before beating Dread I had only played Super Metroid. But I'm playing through Fusion now and I feel like I'm playing Dread in 2d. Every Metroid game is the same huh. They don't stray far from the formula lol.
Well … no. That’s what makes it a Metroid game. Just like what makes an Indiana Jones movie an Indy movie. Successful “formulas” are the basis of just about every franchise in existence. That’s … what makes it a series.
 

mcjmetroid

Member
So before beating Dread I had only played Super Metroid. But I'm playing through Fusion now and I feel like I'm playing Dread in 2d. Every Metroid game is the same huh. They don't stray far from the formula lol.
Just as every Mario game and Zelda game before Breath of the WD I suppose.
Dread gets a pass in this because it was the first new game in so so long. It has to be similar or end of being another "other M" or "federation force". They can try something entirely new again when the franchise gets comfortable again.
 

NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
Problem is, for Metroid to be Metroid, you must have powers to acquire. And the excuses to have Samus rebuild her usual arsenal in every new game were already running thin by Prime 3. But you can’t have her start the game with everything, or it wouldn’t be Metroid; and you can’t have her not have super missiles, power bombs etc, for that wouldn’t be Metroid, either.

I’ve accepted a long time ago that every Metroid game is essentially a remake of the first game with a new story and setting. Super Metroid was already basically a remake of Metroid with a new twist (as, admittedly, were a lot of NES-to-SNES transitions of classic NES IPs).

Dread has a fantastic map design, and it plays better than any 2D Metroid game before. That’s enough for it to be a great game.
 

Fredrik

Member
Problem is, for Metroid to be Metroid, you must have powers to acquire. And the excuses to have Samus rebuild her usual arsenal in every new game were already running thin by Prime 3. But you can’t have her start the game with everything, or it wouldn’t be Metroid; and you can’t have her not have super missiles, power bombs etc, for that wouldn’t be Metroid, either.

I’ve accepted a long time ago that every Metroid game is essentially a remake of the first game with a new story and setting. Super Metroid was already basically a remake of Metroid with a new twist (as, admittedly, were a lot of NES-to-SNES transitions of classic NES IPs).

Dread has a fantastic map design, and it plays better than any 2D Metroid game before. That’s enough for it to be a great game.
Yeah I mean it’s no different than how it takes awhile until you get the bombs, bow, master sword and how you open doors by lighting torches in a Zelda game.

I think people att dissecting Metroid Dread in an unfair way to find faults. Comes from the game being so awesome I guess, it’s difficult to find any real faults.
 

Andyliini

Member
Finally beat the game. Took me 12 hours with 68% of items found. This was a great experience, might be favorite Metroid game ever, even better than Zero Mission. Now I'm off to find all items, which might or might not take a long time. I have already fone several Shinespark puzzles, so unless there's an incredebly difficult one coming up, I might be done with this game by tonight.

I also heard that the game is difficult, but I did not find the game to be that hard. Most of the major bosses could only kill me once, some couldn't kill me at all. The final boss was hard, but nothing you couldn't learn to beat. That revelation at the end was something I did not expect to see, so a good idea from writers to include one. I'm happy with this and will gladly take another one from this team.
 

Portugeezer

Member
Problem is, for Metroid to be Metroid, you must have powers to acquire. And the excuses to have Samus rebuild her usual arsenal in every new game were already running thin by Prime 3. But you can’t have her start the game with everything, or it wouldn’t be Metroid; and you can’t have her not have super missiles, power bombs etc, for that wouldn’t be Metroid, either.

I’ve accepted a long time ago that every Metroid game is essentially a remake of the first game with a new story and setting. Super Metroid was already basically a remake of Metroid with a new twist (as, admittedly, were a lot of NES-to-SNES transitions of classic NES IPs).

Dread has a fantastic map design, and it plays better than any 2D Metroid game before. That’s enough for it to be a great game.
It's OK for Dread because it has been so long, but in a perfect world where we get a Metroid game every 2 years Dread should have been the opposite:

slowly lose powers as you go through the game! A reverse Metroid.

True dread!
 
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kunonabi

Member
It's OK for Dread because it has been so long, but in a perfect world where we get a Metroid game every 2 years Dread should have been the opposite:

slowly lose powers as you go through the game! A reverse Metroid.

True dread!
Honestly, the time to attempt a reverse Metroid was Samus Returns. Losing powers the deeper you venture in to the bowels of the planet would work pretty well with how the original game was laid out.
 

Phase

Member
Problem is, for Metroid to be Metroid, you must have powers to acquire. And the excuses to have Samus rebuild her usual arsenal in every new game were already running thin by Prime 3. But you can’t have her start the game with everything, or it wouldn’t be Metroid; and you can’t have her not have super missiles, power bombs etc, for that wouldn’t be Metroid, either.

I’ve accepted a long time ago that every Metroid game is essentially a remake of the first game with a new story and setting. Super Metroid was already basically a remake of Metroid with a new twist (as, admittedly, were a lot of NES-to-SNES transitions of classic NES IPs).

Dread has a fantastic map design, and it plays better than any 2D Metroid game before. That’s enough for it to be a great game.
This is essentially what I was trying to point out. Thanks NeoIkaruGAF NeoIkaruGAF They're still great games, and I plan to play Zero Mission after this one.
 
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