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Metroid Dread |OT| Prime Hour

Fess

Member
Legitimately wanna know how this game sold. It would really hurt if it didn't perform well enough to warrant a sequel.

Signs have pointed to it selling well for Metroid but we'll have to wait and see.
Nintendo sent out a survey asking what I thought about it so I think it has sold really well, maybe surprisingly well so they’re trying to figure out if all those millions who played it actually liked it.
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
Legitimately wanna know how this game sold. It would really hurt if it didn't perform well enough to warrant a sequel.

Signs have pointed to it selling well for Metroid but we'll have to wait and see.
This game will keep on selling.

It will be kind of like a more popular Dark Souls (when DS released).

Except it will sell much better initially, and then it will develop a following based on word of mouth because it's such a badass game.

5 million lifetime.
 

carlosrox

Banned
So this game needs DLC doesn't it?

All these abilities and some of them feel pretty under utilized since the last few come near the end of the game.

Do it up Nintendo. Give the people what they want.

Oh yeah and also port Samus Returns and add Raven Beak to Smash. Ooh that reminds me. Sakurai has now been quoted saying Smash Ultimate might not be the last game (like there was even any doubt really) so to me that is pretty close to a confirmation they'll get on the next one for Switch 2, even if it's like Smash Ultimate Deluxe Turbo Championship Edition or something. And Raven Beak needs to be one of the first reveals. Hell add EMMI in as well. And of course Dread Samus.
 

NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
So this game needs DLC doesn't it?

All these abilities and some of them feel pretty under utilized since the last few come near the end of the game.

Do it up Nintendo. Give the people what they want.
As much as people love to shit on anything Metroid that doesn’t follow the traditional formula, I’d be almost ready to bet that they’d lap up a game based entirely on shinespark puzzles. Kinda like what was done with MGS and those extra VR missions.

What I’m not too fond of, is how the Power Bomb became a late-game item post Super Metroid. Super gives you the PB quite early, even if it’s pretty well hidden, and the game is none the easier for that. It’s not the handiest weapon to use, and you usually get a pretty meager number of them, so it’s not really a game breaker. But I’ve read that it can make some mini-boss battles a one-shot affair in Dread, provided you get it early with a sequence break.
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
the game usurped flight sim as my game of the year. It sank its hooks into me way more than i expected to, i was always a casual metroid fan before this. Ive 100 percented 4 of the 7 maps already

Also fuck some of those shine spark puzzles, but you feel like your on top of the world when you finally figure it out
 
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Aldric

Member
Legitimately wanna know how this game sold. It would really hurt if it didn't perform well enough to warrant a sequel.

Signs have pointed to it selling well for Metroid but we'll have to wait and see.
Aren't we getting Nintendo's financial results tomorrow? Dread sales should be in them, except if it somehow failed to sell 1 million copies which would be very worrying.
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
Aren't we getting Nintendo's financial results tomorrow? Dread sales should be in them, except if it somehow failed to sell 1 million copies which would be very worrying.
Where is this concern coming from?
:messenger_neutral:
It's October, I'll judge Dread's sales in Jan, and then again when it hits 5 million.
 
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Umbasaborne

Banned
I just beat it with 100 percent completion. What a great, great fucking game. I loved every second of it. Nintendo are masters of creating games where even the simple act of moving the character is a pure joy. This and mario odyssey are prime examples of this. even though some of those shine spark puzzles made me want to rip my hair out, this was an 11 on 10 experience. A fucking plus, i dont see how anything else can take game of the year
 

Fess

Member
I just beat it with 100 percent completion. What a great, great fucking game. I loved every second of it. Nintendo are masters of creating games where even the simple act of moving the character is a pure joy. This and mario odyssey are prime examples of this. even though some of those shine spark puzzles made me want to rip my hair out, this was an 11 on 10 experience. A fucking plus, i dont see how anything else can take game of the year
Agreed! Previously I’ve been alternating between Ratchet, MS Flight Sim and The Ascent as my top games of the year, they all have qualities that put other games to shame. But Metroid Dread is on a whole other level. Unless Forza Horizon 5 suddenly comes in absolutely smashing all other racing games in history to bits it’ll be an easy choice to have Dread as the game of year 2021 for me.
 

Mohonky

Member
I'm absolutely LOVING this game so far. ❤️✨

Anyone dismissing it because of negative feelings on MercurySteam's older releases are doing themselves a disservice, especially if they are a Metroid fan.

The incredibly smooth animation with all its little touches, the incredibly satisfying maneuverability, and the sound design (which sounds amazing with the XBox Wireless Headset) all draw me into the beautiful and carefully designed environments and keep me there for hours.


Play this game with a Pro Controller and go hunting. Show 'em Samus ain't one to mess with! 🔥
Yeh the game is amazing.

My only gripe is that it finishes..
 

carlosrox

Banned
Okay I've got to be honest here. As much as I love the character....

Raven Beak is a dumb fucking name for him. Not cuz it's actually a dumb name or anything but that it makes little sense for Metroid.

How in the fuck would anyone in that universe even know what a Raven is?

Ravens are from earth. As far as I know this series hasn't even once mentioned Earth. How the fuck would the Chozo know what a Raven is? And even if they did, they'd still be more likely to choose the name of an animal a lot closer to SR388, Zebes, ZDR, etc.


All jokes aside it actually did take me out of the experience just a little bit, and would have preferred a more fitting name.

Nintendo just shot themselves in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about character naming culture (I'm an expert), but consistency and suspension of disbelief are huge parts of it. It's not like real life where you can name something based on our world. If you name an alien after something on Earth, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.

What this means is Metroid fans, after seeing this, are not going to want to play the game again, nor will they support Nintendo any longer. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Nintendo has alienated the entire fanbase with this move.

Nintendo, publicly apologize and change Raven Beaks's name or you can kiss your series goodbye.

Ps. Raven Beak for Smash plz. YOU HEAR ME SAKURAI?? 🤣
 
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Phase

Member
Okay I've got to be honest here. As much as I love the character....

Raven Beak is a dumb fucking name for him. Not cuz it's actually a dumb name or anything but that it makes little sense for Metroid.

How in the fuck would anyone in that universe even know what a Raven is?

Ravens are from earth. As far as I know this series hasn't even once mentioned Earth. How the fuck would the Chozo know what a Raven is? And even if they did, they'd still be more likely to choose the name of an animal a lot closer to SR388, Zebes, ZDR, etc.


All jokes aside it actually did take me out of the experience just a little bit, and would have preferred a more fitting name.

Nintendo just shot themselves in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about character naming culture (I'm an expert), but consistency and suspension of disbelief are huge parts of it. It's not like real life where you can name something based on our world. If you name an alien after something on Earth, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.

What this means is Metroid fans, after seeing this, are not going to want to play the game again, nor will they support Nintendo any longer. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Nintendo has alienated the entire fanbase with this move.

Nintendo, publicly apologize and change Raven Beaks's name or you can kiss your series goodbye.

Ps. Raven Beak for Smash plz. YOU HEAR ME SAKURAI?? 🤣
Oh you're making me excited
Parks And Recreation Nbc GIF by HULU
 
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Thaedolus

Member
Just finished play through 3 on normal for speed, still took 4 hours but I think I’ve got the primary route down pretty well, and holy cow every boss is a pushover having done hard mode. Still will punish you if you forget their telegraphs but I can pretty much get Raven Beak down with nearly zero damage
 

NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
Okay I've got to be honest here. As much as I love the character....

Raven Beak is a dumb fucking name for him. Not cuz it's actually a dumb name or anything but that it makes little sense for Metroid.

How in the fuck would anyone in that universe even know what a Raven is?

Ravens are from earth. As far as I know this series hasn't even once mentioned Earth. How the fuck would the Chozo know what a Raven is? And even if they did, they'd still be more likely to choose the name of an animal a lot closer to SR388, Zebes, ZDR, etc.


All jokes aside it actually did take me out of the experience just a little bit, and would have preferred a more fitting name.
etymology.png
 

daveonezero

Banned
Finished at 14 hours game timer. Gonna start in hard and go for 100%. That was a very well done game.
Honestly, I love how Metroid Dread looks.

The graphics aren't hyper detailed all the time, but I like to describe them as "evocative." I really get the feel of the areas from a visual design standpoint. The atmosphere hits. The lighting and colors are well done.

You're basically zipping through these areas, so it's not like everything has to be hyper detailed. Like with classic games, you can use your imagination to fill in the blanks. Some people would say Ferenia looks sterilized but I appreciate that there's just enough visual information to express what running around a Chozo temple is like.

Ghavoran and Burenia are particularly gorgeous, and even have some very nice looking hand-drawn backdrops.

I don't think Dread looks cheap, sterile, or soulless. It just has a deliberate style.

I played most of my first play through on undocked. I beat the final boss and started a hard mode run last night.

Started a new run docked on a 1080p monitor and really appreciate how it looks now. There are some awesome details and lighting used to great affect at the beginning.

The teasers of that first boss are awesome. The unique a animations in the backgrounds the first time you enter areas is also something special as they are just one offs and you miss a lot of them the first time through.
 
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Narasumas

Member
Finished at 14 hours game timer. Gonna start in hard and go for 100%. That was a very well done game.


I played most of my first play through on undocked. I beat the final boss and started a hard mode run last night.

Started a new run docked on a 1080p monitor and really appreciate how it looks now. There are some awesome details and lighting used to great affect at the beginning.

The teasers of that first boss are awesome. The unique a animations in the backgrounds the first time you enter areas is also something special as they are just one offs and you miss a lot of them the first time through.
Same boat. I was around 14 hr for 100% all in handheld. I haven’t yet, but plan to give hard a go on the TV with a pro controller. Hoping my 5.1 sound system and a comfy controller lets it be a different expierience. Plus, I’m like totally an expert now that I beat it once :D . Looking forward to really playing into the fluidity of Samus this next go around.
 
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daveonezero

Banned
Same boat. I was around 14 hr for 100% all in handheld. I haven’t yet, but plan to give hard a go on the TV with a pro controller. Hoping my 5.1 sound system and a comfy controller lets it be a different expierience. Plus, I’m like totally an expert now that I beat it once :D . Looking forward to really playing into the fluidity of Samus this next go around.
Yeah I just beat the first boss and as other said parry is very important in the boss fights.

I died once but beat him the second. It is just a fun game. I hope they make more of these.
 

Narasumas

Member
Yeah I just beat the first boss and as other said parry is very important in the boss fights.

I died once but beat him the second. It is just a fun game. I hope they make more of these.
Yeah, I really didn’t use the parry much at all. Now that I’ve seen some YT vids here or there, I realized I only made things more difficult for myself. Some of the battles can be cut in half if you parry correctly! Hell even some of the normal “in-world” enemies I didn’t even know you could parry.

Agreed on the want for more. I really hope Nintendo recognizes what Mercury Steam was able to accomplish and contracts them for more work. Hell, I wouldn’t even mind if they considered turning them 2nd-party a la Retro Studios. It’s nice to get a fresh sense of development from a company outside the ‘Nintendo bubble’ but one that can still be coached and guided by Nintendo on what gives games their Nintendo polish and charm.

Do it Nintendo!! These guys proved themselves and resurrected a franchise dearly in need of a resuscitation.
 

carlosrox

Banned
Gonna need to beat Raven Beak tonight. Then start game 2 on hard. Not even close to 100% at about 17hrs if I recall correctly. I was originally a bit lower but for fun tried my hand at collecting a few more items.

Still gonna be taking my time cuz there's more than enough details in this game to enjoy to last a few runs.
 

daveonezero

Banned
Gonna need to beat Raven Beak tonight. Then start game 2 on hard. Not even close to 100% at about 17hrs if I recall correctly. I was originally a bit lower but for fun tried my hand at collecting a few more items.

Still gonna be taking my time cuz there's more than enough details in this game to enjoy to last a few runs.
yeah I had 200+ missiles and plenty health for the final boss but still not at 100%. I will 100% this new Hard Mode run. Finally understand some of those shine spark puzzles.
 

carlosrox

Banned
I says GAD DAMN to that entire finale, last boss, ending, etc! LEGENDARY.

But oh man I must also admit I was super crazy disappointed with the credits music. Whyyyy.

But everything before that was perfection. HOWEVER, story wise while I love what happened, I was also really excited and wishing that
Metroid Samus would be left in. It almost felt like they wanted to but then just wiped the slate clean. So it felt like it was gonna be the this bold move for the series but then they just reset everything back to normal. So from that sense I find the conclusion slightly disappointing. But I also loved the ride too. Then you also wonder what threat comes next. But seriously Metroid Samus and the whole amazing spectacle and last boss. Fucking legendary game finale easily up there with the likes of Super Metroid, Zelda OOT, Dead Space, etc.

Oh and RB also gave me David vibes! The mad scientist. And yeah this was very Annunaki/Engineers influenced. Awesome. And the Alien influence continues! They even copied the Neil Blomkamp concept art for Alien 6 with Ripley's face and the Alien! Such awesome fan service! I was also wondering how much and for how long RB was controlling things. And was basically ALL OF ZDR (and the series) just one big test for Samus? Lotsa questions! And does the story even actually make sense or is the series just a bunch of weird gaming mechanics/concepts and they built a story on top (which Nintendo likes to do..) ?

METROID SAMUS FOR SMASH ULTIMATE DX! Raven Beak! EMMI!
 
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daveonezero

Banned
Great video from a professional artist explaining why Dread's Varia Suit is brilliantly designed, I didn't have the knowledge to articulate why but I did think this was the best looking Varia suit by far:


This video is really showing how well the designers communicated with Samus' body language. Her swagger and style are awesome and very well done through the whole game.

I always like going into those dark areas and seeing the suit lights. I really loved how it looks with the dark background and limited lighting.
 
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kunonabi

Member
That's crazy to me, you disliked the game? What did you want more of in Metroid Dread, or was there missing elements you expected the game to have?
The game gets off to a pretty rocky start. The physical amnesia bit is a joke, and there was is way too much talking. Metroid usually does a good job of showing you how a new ability or mechanic works organically without a big tutorial or explanation and while Dread does this do this for the first few items it will still dump an explanation on you the next time you reach a network room. Hell, one ability it explains twice in two separate network rooms for no real reason. It stops doing it eventually but for the first few hours it's really annoying.

The game is also super linear. While not always as obviously heavy handed as say Fusion or Other M the game still guides you to the next objective pretty strongly outside of like the last couple items. It's especially annoying when it starts closing paths behind you, something the game does way too damn much in general, forcing you into a teleporter that drops you pretty much right you need to go. There were so many times where I got a new ability and wanted to backtrack to get an item I could now reach but the game would block me from it doing it. I know sequence breaks are apparently given out like candy but a plain playthrough should still not be so damn limited.

Speaking of teleporters I am not fan of them in general. Aside from pushing you to the next objective they seem like a crutch for them to be lazy with the map design. Instead of coming up with more interesting ways to connect the various areas for quicker travel,etc. they just rely on the teleporters and it also facilitates them constantly locking off areas. What's worse is when the teleporter is just there to take you to a single item. I hate solving a puzzle in one area then having to wait through a loading screen to another one just to pick a single item instead of them just putting it right next to the puzzle. It's does nothing but waste time.

The map in general is too repetitive in terms of layout and visuals. It all just kind of runs together and everything is cluttered and cramped most of the time. Entry to boss rooms is also a pretty lazy. It was a nice surprise the first time you stumbled on to an unexpected boss but then you reach the subsequent bosses the exact same way and you start to see it coming before it happens sapping it off any really impact.

The Emmi stuff is also a waste of time. The sections aren't scary, compelling, or all that challenging. Hell, even the developers seemed to get bored with them by the end of it.

The music and story didn't do it for me either. The latter was especially dumb since it seemed like they were scrambling for a reason to keep calling further games in the series Metroid more than anything before possibly backtracking on it anyway. It doesn't help that I don't give damn about the Chozo but that's a personal thing really. The game is also taking so many things from previous games that it feels more like a greatest hits package than really crafting an identity of its own and the new stuff it does do just isn't that great much of the time especially that hideous monstrosity at the end that I hope I never see in a Metroid game again.

I also didn't care for the controls. Some of that may be having to get accustomed to the joycons but I found the grappling beam and one other ability to be really finnicky. I also had to remap the controls to make them workable for me. They were fine otherwise although I wish the momentum from the running melee counter didn't take you over ledges. It wouldn't be so bad if the game didn't have you on relatively short ledges most of the time.

I also didn't care for the in-game map much. It has a lot of great functionality but the basic readability is pretty poor especially with the teleport symbols and the recharge stations all kind of running together. It would also be nice item symbols had more distinct way of saying that item had been acquired. It's not always easy to tell just by the slightly faded symbol.

I don't know the game just didn't work for me.
 
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Davey Cakes

Member
"Down there with Zero Mission."

ZM is a Top 3 Metroid Game.

yeah I had 200+ missiles and plenty health for the final boss but still not at 100%. I will 100% this new Hard Mode run. Finally understand some of those shine spark puzzles.
I got 100% last night. A little over 15 hours on the counter and I haven't actually beaten the game. Heh.

The shinespark/dash puzzles are tough and take many tries. The one in Burenia is NES hard. Learning the ins and outs of the mechanics really helps though, and I think maybe the game could do a better job teaching the player how to keep momentum.

The game isn't Dark Souls but it's also very traditional in its difficulty and reminiscent of oldschool twitch platformers. I can understand why this doesn't go over well with everybody, especially new players who are accustomed to how Metroid-likes are typically designed in the indie scene.
 
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Kataploom

Gold Member
Getting better and better. I don't think it's the best Metroid game I've ever played but I do like it a lot. I've really come around to the graphics. My main complaint is still the map. It's confusing and feels more like Ori than Metroid. I also wish the music was a little more noticeable. Super Metroid had one of the all time great soundtracks and ever since then, it seems like they've decided to go ambient. It works but I miss the great tunes.

Certainly one of the better Metroidvania games I've played but I still prefer Super Metroid, Zero and Fusion. At least so far.
I think the only reason they went with melodic music for Super was more because of a limitation of the sound chip than an actual artistic design, now that they have basically no limitation in that regard they’ll just go for what they feel Works better
 

Davey Cakes

Member
I think the only reason they went with melodic music for Super was more because of a limitation of the sound chip than an actual artistic design, now that they have basically no limitation in that regard they’ll just go for what they feel Works better
Yeah. The Dread soundtrack has grown on me. I’d give it a 6.9/10. Very fitting for the game. It’s just not a banger.
 
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NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
Now that I think of it, it’s a bit sad they didn’t exploit ice more in Dread. One nice thing about old Metroid games is how ice expanded the platforming possibilities. But the ice missiles here only serve that in one specific instance, iirc. They’re basically just there to clear up a bunch of blocked passages.

Like I said elsewhere, I feel like new Metroid games are introducing so many power-ups that are used just as “keys” to open a few “doors”. Dread doesn’t go as far as Zero Mission, which required you to collect an “upgrade” to grab on ledges (seriously, wtf?), but there’s some powers that are just needed to clear up a path to the next one, or to collect a few extra tanks.
 

kunonabi

Member
Now that I think of it, it’s a bit sad they didn’t exploit ice more in Dread. One nice thing about old Metroid games is how ice expanded the platforming possibilities. But the ice missiles here only serve that in one specific instance, iirc. They’re basically just there to clear up a bunch of blocked passages.

Like I said elsewhere, I feel like new Metroid games are introducing so many power-ups that are used just as “keys” to open a few “doors”. Dread doesn’t go as far as Zero Mission, which required you to collect an “upgrade” to grab on ledges (seriously, wtf?), but there’s some powers that are just needed to clear up a path to the next one, or to collect a few extra tanks.
Yeah, the
double jump
is quite possibly the most laughable power up in Metroid and fits that description especially since you get a way better version of it not that much later.
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
Doesn’t really seem that way according to post history. Are you mixing users up by accident?

And while Dread is a strong GOTY contender in my book, I’m not that surprised to hear different opinions. It’s a game after all.
I thought I saw his avatar repeatedly "concerning". Maybe I was mistaken. Apologies if so.
 

The Skull

Member
Great video from a professional artist explaining why Dread's Varia Suit is brilliantly designed, I didn't have the knowledge to articulate why but I did think this was the best looking Varia suit by far:


Great video. Dread's suit design has quickly become my favourite in the series.
 
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