When Metroid Prime: Federation Force released in 2016, fans of the Metroid series were underwhelmed at what it had become. The game did not at all meet the expectations set by previous entries into the Metroid Prime series, and things were starting to look dark for the future of the franchise. One year later, fans saw the release of Metroid: Samus Returns, and a glimpse of hope was found. The game, a remake of the 1991 Game Boy exclusive Metroid II: Return of Samus, sent the bounty hunter back to her 2D platformer origins for the first time since 2010, or 2002 if you don't count Metroid: Other M's hybrid use of 2D and 3D. However, the issue was still present that Metroid had not seen a title with a new story starring Samus Aran in almost a decade at that point, and it wouldn't be until over a decade had passed from Metroid: Other M's release that Nintendo would finally show the next chapter in the Metroid saga.

When the trailer for Metroid Dread released in June of 2021, fans of the series were ecstatic, as the title had been nothing beyond a rumor for many years, dating all the way back to Metroid Fusion's release in 2002. The trailer video showed Samus, this time in a new suit of armor, having to flee from a giant robotic enemy after all attempts to harm it failed. The ensuing chase through levels in the game truly gave an impending sense of dread, thus the name. Releasing on October 8th of the same year, Metroid Dread received critical acclaim for its gameplay and likeness towards its continuation of the classic 2D platforming that the Metroid series had done so well with in the past. It did so well in fact that it went on to receive the award for best Action/Adventure game at the 2021 Game Awards, just a few months after its release. With competitors like Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Resident Evil: Village, Metroid Dread by no means had easy competition. Despite going up against games that had months of extra time to be consumed by the public, Metroid Dread still managed to take home the award and signal to the world that the series hadn't been forgotten. With such a success comes the question: how did it do it?

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Image via Nintendo

One of the key factors that gave Metroid Dread the edge it needed was how smooth the gameplay feels. With responsive controls and intuitive reaction systems, players will have no issue sliding into the role of Samus and kicking alien butt in such a satisfying way. Smooth and intuitive controls also means that the game is easy to learn, thus making it easier to get into a groove of blasting through rooms and getting towards your objective. On top of that, gameplay that is highly satisfying that is easy to experience again and again. The game's modest story mode of about 8 hours or so makes a game that is easy to come back to over and over again with little commitment. However, those who have played Metroid Fusion will likely have something else to point out that they would say aided in the success of Metroid Dread, and that is the fear and tension that the game can invoke within players.

When I say fear, I am not implying that Metroid Dread is necessarily a horror game. Despite the name of the game literally having the word "dread" in the title, it is primarily rooted in action and adventure, the very genres it won an award for. One of the most memorable parts about Metroid Dread, however, is the implementation of the E.M.M.I.s, or the Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifiers. These robotic entities hunt down Samus throughout her adventure, and they are not easy to defeat right off the bat. The reason that this will sound familiar to those who played Metroid Fusion is because it almost perfectly mimics what happens in that game with a creature referred to as the SA-X, or Samus-X. This creature imitates Samus and hunts her throughout the events of that game, and the player is unable to defeat them until very late into their playthrough. Despite this, players will inevitably find themselves being confronted with the creature, and their only options will be to run and/or hide. A similar strategy is implemented with the E.M.M.I.s, and players will have to think on their feet if they don't want to be destroyed by the mechanized monsters. This is shown at one point in the initial trailer as well, when Samus uses a form of cloaking to hide from an E.M.M.I. chasing her down, thus avoiding an encounter that she otherwise would likely not survive.

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This idea of taking a powerful character and pitting them up against an enemy that they can't beat sounds like a terrible decision at first, but it is actually a genius move made by the developers to make players feel stronger. When first witnessing these enemies, it is clear that the player has no chance of defeating them, so they must actively avoid them at all costs. Once the player is properly equipped, however, they can turn the tables and go from prey to hunter. The level of satisfaction at conquering an enemy once perceived as lethal if encountered is a tough feeling to beat, and Metroid Dread does that very well, just like Metroid Fusion did. It takes the core concept that was invented by its chronological predecessor and finds a way to keep it unique and fresh for each individual E.M.M.I. Samus meets along her journey.

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Image via Nintendo

One last point that helped in the success of Metroid Dread was that it was a new adventure for the space bounty hunter. While Metroid: Samus Returns gave fans a game with excellent gameplay, it was still a retelling of a story from over twenty years ago. It didn't help that Metroid: Other M had a major negative impact on Samus as a character, reverting her from an original badass female in video game history to someone too afraid to use upgrades that haven't been authorized by an authority figure she doesn't even work for. That is why it is so refreshing to see Samus in a new story that takes place after the events of Metroid Fusion. It gives players a sense of continuation, and for those who played the Game Boy Advance exclusive back in 2002 it must have felt like picking up right where they left off so many years ago.

The Metroid series never really went away, but with the release of Metroid: Other M already not meeting the expectations of fans back in 2010, things only continued to decline from there. It took six years to get Metroid Prime: Federation Force, and that was a side game that nobody asked for. It wasn't until the release of Metroid: Samus Returns that fans began to see hope for the series, and if that game was the energy pickup the series needed to survive, then Metroid Dread was the recharge station the series needed to thrive once again in the video game world.