Metroid Dread is a hard game. The spikes in difficultly can be a lot for some players to handle, as well as having to adapt to a 2D format. While ‘hard’ is obviously a relative term, a lot of the mechanics in Dread, such as parrying and timing, can be quite tricky for players who aren’t used to that kind of gameplay.
The E.M.M.I robots can be quite a tough element in the game as well, and will mean that at certain points you’ll have to fly through the map with one of them chasing you, meaning you’ll need some quick reactions. If you get caught by one, you’ll have to time a random parry – otherwise it’s instant death for Samus.
Bosses
Some of the bosses can prove a serious challenge in Metroid Dread. They can also be multi-phase as well, so you might think you’re done, until the boss transforms into its next, more brutal phase. There are 10 boss fights you will face in the game, and some of them are bosses returning in different iterations.
The boss fights vary in difficulty, with the final boss, Raven Beak, being a five-stage battle to complete the game. Check out our full guide on all the bosses in Metroid Dread.
Checkpoints
Despite these tough elements, there are a few things which ease the player’s experience. Checkpoints make the game a little easier, as they are quite frequent, so you won’t be set back too far when you die. Also if you die from an E.M.M.I robot, you will respawn just outside the E.M.M.I zone, so again you won’t lose too much progress.
Map
The map can make the game easier for some, as it means that patterns of the map can be learned more quickly, and certain areas can be predicted.
What is Dread mode?
If the regular game isn’t hard enough for you, then you can ramp up the difficulty. Going into Dread mode means that after just one hit, the game will restart. This is like sudden death to an all-new level, and only those who are seriously adept at the game should even attempt this.
It is possible to save in Dread mode, so you can take a break and some time to think, but taking a single piece of damage will undo all your progress.
Is Metroid Dread the hardest Metroid game?
While Metroid Dread is clearly very hard, there are a lot of mechanics which are very forgiving on the player. The checkpoints (and post-E.M.M.I-death respawning) mean that you won’t suffer huge setbacks upon death, and good map knowledge will mean you’ll be able to master certain areas with some solid muscle memory.
Metroid Prime is relatively easy compared to Dread, but also has harder modes such as Veteran mode to give seasoned players a bit more of a challenge. Metroid Prime 2 is notoriously more difficult, and Fusion is often cited as being up there with the hardest Metroid games.
You can also select Rookie mode in Dread if you’re finding the regular mode a bit too tough. In Rookie mode, Samus will take significantly less damage from bosses, and you will regenerate more from any energy you find.
