One of the most anticipated games coming out for the Nintendo Switch this year, Metroid Dread has finally arrived. The anticipation will not be met with disappointment and regret, as Metroid Dread review scores appear to be positive. It appears to be just as good as people expected it to be, for it to have very good reviews. Here are some of those reviews from different gaming critics.
Metroid Dread Review Scores: 88 MetaScore on MetaCritic
Critics have been overwhelmingly positive to the Metroid series' return to side-scrolling action-adventure. The Metroid series has not seen a new Metroidvania story since Metroid Fusion for the Gameboy Advance in 2002. Now, almost two decades later, it feels like Metroid never really went away, with MercurySteam doing a great job taking the reins for the series. Currently, the game holds a score of 88 MetaScore from 56 Critic Reviews.
NME, AusGamers, Screen Rant, Trusted Reviews, VGC, and Nintendo Life all gave Metroid Dread a perfect score. Perhaps one of the most well-regarded games for the Nintendo Switch this year, Metroid Dread could even turn out to be a game of the year candidate. Reviewers from these websites have a lot of praises for Metroid‘s comeback game for the Switch. Fresh from its long departure from the Metroidvania formula, Metroid Dread perfects the craft with an instant classic game. It easily became an essential game for every Nintendo Switch owner to have, regardless of whether or not they're a fan of the genre. You can check out the reviews for NME here, on AuSgamers here, Screen Rant here, Trusted Reviews here, VGC here, and Nintendo Life here.
Among the reviews that didn't give Metroid Dread review scores of above 90, Destructoid had one of the most distilled takes. Giving the game a score of 8.5/10, Chris Carter says: “Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.” Metroid Dread may be a godsend for longtime fans of the genre and of the series, but it won't blow away anyone who hasn't been interested in this type of game. It's great for those who want this kind of experience, but it may not be very convincing for anyone who isn't into the genre to suddenly like it through Metroid Dread. You can read the entire review here.
Three publications gave Metroid Dread a 70, the lowest score for the game so far. One of these is Launcher, giving the game a 70, saying: “Metroid Dread is a good Metroidvania-style game, but does little more.” Indeed, Metroid Dread would struggle against its own legacy. It helped launch the entire genre, after all. However, long years away from the genre also meant that it's now playing catch up in a race that it's supposed to be leading. Read the full review here.
GamesRadar+ also gave Metroid Dread a review score of 3.5/5. The review lamented the game's frustrating controls and boss battles as bad takeaways from an otherwise enriching game. “Metroid Dread‘s often idiosyncratic approach to combat and control has a wide-reaching impact on what this 2D adventure can ultimately achieve. There's a great game buried in here, but you'll need to constantly push through some frustrating encounters and points of friction to find it.” Read the entire review here.
Finally, Digitally Downloaded gave the game a 3.5/5 stars as well. The reviewer felt that at its core, Metroid Dread is a perfectly okay game. However, as the world is moving forward, so too, should the Metroidvania genre. Metroid Dread does not move the genre forward as much as it could have, and at some times even felt too careful. “On the one hand, I do think it is fundamentally well designed, and the main gameplay element – the robot stalkers – are woven into the Metroid formula beautifully. On the other hand, that Metroid formula is getting long in the tooth and Dread doesn't do nearly enough to revitalise it. Dread is fine. It's not just nearly memorable enough for a game that fans have been waiting for so many years for now.”
Conclusion: Is Metroid Dread a great game?
One could tell that Metroid Dread is a phenomenal game. The worst that could be said about it is that it's not innovative enough. For a game that follows up on a formula it has invented but has not touched for quite a long time, Metroid Dread serves as a great basepoint for future games. For long-time fans, this is a great comeback. For casual fans, Metroid Dread can help ease them into the wider Metroid universe. However, many would still steer clear from this game, simply by virtue of different preferences.
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