This was my first Metroid game ever. Never touched any of the older ones but I’d played both Ori games so I knew what I was getting into with the Metroidvania format. This game makes everything click so well though.
Samus moves so fast. The slide and melee counter and flash shift all chain together perfectly. Coming from Ori I thought that game had good movement but this is on another level. Everything feels immediate and responsive.
The way the map opens up is brilliant. You think you’re stuck then you find one hidden block or morph ball tunnel and suddenly three new areas connect. Getting a new suit upgrade completely changes how you look at rooms you’ve already been through. That moment when you realize you can finally get to that door you passed hours ago never gets old.
The E.M.M.I. zones stressed me out in the best way. These robots hunt you through their sections and you can’t fight them until you find the Omega Cannon. So you’re using Phantom Cloak to hide and platforming like crazy trying to escape. When they catch you it’s instant death but the game reloads so fast you’re back in it immediately. Some people hate these sections but I loved the tension.
Boss fights destroyed me at first. You really have to learn their patterns or you’re dead in seconds. But once you figure out the tells and counter windows everything flows. Going from getting demolished to perfectly dodging every attack feels so good.
The story doesn’t hold your hand with exposition. Most of it is told through the environment and visual cues. You piece together what’s happening as you explore. The ending goes absolutely wild with the power level and sets up questions I guess future games will answer.
For a Switch game this looks incredible. Every area of ZDR has its own vibe. You’ve got your rainy industrial zones and lava filled caves and these overgrown temple areas. The music knows when to be atmospheric and when to pump you up for combat.
Coming into this with just Ori as reference I wasn’t sure what to expect from Metroid specifically. But the tight controls and perfect level design and that constant loop of getting stronger and opening new paths is addictive. Really well made game that’s got me interested in trying the older Metroid games now.
10 hours well spent. Got what I needed from it and had a great time.