Metroid Dread preview: Samus returns in a sci-fi sequel laced with horror

Although the graphics in these text-heavy establishing cut-scenes aren't particularly impressive, they do the job of setting up the Metroid Dread story. A unit of EMMI robots is sent to investigate a planet where the X parasite may have been spotted, and Samus is sent to the scene when contact with the robots is lost. This is when the gameplay begins.

Due to an unfortunate case of 'physical amnesia', Samus has lost her previous abilities and will have to learn them again. This does feel a little hammy, but it's par for the course with a lot of video game sequels. You start the game without much in the way of abilities, but it's not long before you start relearning them.

Immediately, that classic Metroid structure reasserts itself - you're in an intricately designed 2D environment stuffed with creepy corridors, locked doors and enemies that will attack you on sight. You'll have to explore every nook and cranny if you want to piece together the path to progression. Gradually, you'll unearth upgrades that will help you take down bigger baddies and open otherwise impenetrable doors.

Some of these abilities will be familiar if you played 2017's Samus Returns, which was made by the same developers from MercurySteam - fans of that game will feel right at home with the free aim (which allows you to shoot in any direction) and the ability to parry melee attacks with a carefully timed button press. These are your basic combat mechanics, and you'll get into a really good flow of shooting, parrying and moving around the map as you get to grips with the game. It's very satisfying when you time it right.

There are also some new abilities to be had - there is temporary invisibility (which comes in very handy for reasons we'll touch on shortly) and the ability to climb on magnetic surfaces (which plays in nicely to the exploratory element). These are both nice additions, making this feel like an expansion of this franchise rather than just a continuation.

Each time you pick up a new power, you'll probably be able to access an area that was previously locked off. Again, it's the classic Metroid structure, and that gameplay loop still feels just as satisfying as ever - as you go back through old areas to uncover new secrets, you feel like you're piecing together a larger puzzle and really achieving something with each bit of progression.

The best thing about Metroid Dread might just be its horror influences, though - those EMMI robots that went missing have now gone rogue, and they'll kill Samus without hesitation if they spot her. This means you'll have to be sneaky and stealthy, carefully hiding from these killer androids and deploying your brief windows of invisibility wisely.

This creates a really strong sense of tension, like a 2D spin on the horror of Alien Isolation, which is especially effective at points in the story where you have no way of taking the EMMI bots down. You do eventually get a nice big upgrade for your gun that has powerful chargeable attacks, but even that comes with its challenges - you'll need to manoeuvre your foe carefully into spots where you can corner them, charge up your weapon and deploy a deadly blow before they can take you out. It's tense, tactical and a whole lot of fun.

We played these two hours of Metroid Dread on the Nintendo Switch OLED Model (you can read our hands-on impressions of the Switch OLED here), which has brighter colours and a bigger screen than the regular Switch and the Switch Lite - on this console, Metroid Dread gameplay looked and felt great. The cut scenes aren't exactly thrilling (so far), but that's not really the point - the levels are baked with heaps of colourful detail and the enemies look sleekly scary, making Metroid Dread a great showcase of what the Switch OLED can do.

We only really saw the first segment of Metroid Dread during this preview session, but it did enough to pique our interest - the exploration felt great, the combat is just difficult enough, and we even encountered a big boss battle that really ramped up the challenge factor. The story seems intriguing as well, and we look forward to learning more when Metroid Dread launches next month.

Metroid Dread launches on Nintendo Switch on 8th October and you can order your copy now.

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