Metroid Dread

If "classic 2D adventure on Switch" puts the same tingle in your spine as it does mine, Mercury Steam will not lead you astray with this impressive sequel. Buy.

And that’s where Dread absolutely thrives: simple, focused ideas that are brilliantly executed. It’s smooth and satisfying in the hands, lean and exciting throughout the entire adventure and mixes its old school roots with fresh ideas that keep it ahead of the curve its forebears drew in the first place. That mix of new and old is a lot to balance in a game – let alone a portable one – but Dread makes it look easy. It’s both Nintendo’s best first-party game of the year and the perfect companion to a Switch OLED, should you be picking one up for launch day.

While Metroid Dread sticks a bit too close to a familiar formula, it's still one of the best action games of 2021.

A stylish, visually sumptuous return for 2D Metroid, and an adventure that proudly sits alongside the series' best. [Eurogamer Essential]

I’m glad that Dread really goes for it, that it wants to make you feel hunted and disadvantaged and that it’s willing to feel hostile in order to accomplish that. The result is a feeling that survival itself is a reward more meaningful than all the upgrades in the world, a feeling I rarely get from games anymore. But ZDR never captivated me the way previous Metroid settings have, and as a conclusion to the story arc, Dread seems to misunderstand what made the early chapters resonate. Samus is wonderful, a survivor, an icon, and she endures. But when I think back on my time with her over the past several decades, Dread will forever dwell in the shadows of my favorite Metroid memories.

Dread reimagines the Metroid format with confidence and care, and it trusts the player to make leaps along the way. While following its interwoven path of epic boss fights, satisfying upgrades, and otherworldly environments, all I could think was that this is the Metroid game I’ve been waiting for. It easily stands astride the best entries in the series, and I eagerly await a follow-up in the year 2040. [Polygon Recommends]

It nails the classic feel of a Metroid game while updating it with wonderfully detailed visuals, more satisfying combat, and new areas that briefly turn it into a stealth horror experience. But all of that comes to a grinding halt when you have to fight three bosses in a short span, each of which requires either fast reflexes or pattern memorization to get through — or both. Instead of punctuating the quiet exploration with intense battles, the copious boss encounters instead turn into a slog. Dread features some of the most beautifully dark and solemn moments in the franchise — but you’ll have to be prepared to really fight to see it all.