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Metroid Dread is a new 2D entry coming in October

It's not Metroid Prime 4, but it is something coming to the Metroid series this year!

Ozzie Mejia

June 15, 2021 9:16 AM

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Tuesday's Nintendo Direct at E3 2021 continued with a look at Metroid! No, not that Metroid. But don't be discouraged, because it is an entirely new chapter of the franchise! It isn't Metroid Prime 4, but rather a 2D entry to the series called Metroid Dread!

Metroid Dread will take Samus onto a completely new planet, where she encounters some frightening new species that challenge her like never before. The E.M.M.I. is a breed of robot created by the galactic federation and these enemies will doggedly pursue Samus throughout the map. To make this game feel a little more terrifying, Samus' weapons will have no effect on the E.M.M.I., so if it catches her, she will be obliterated. There are ways for her to protect herself, though. She can use a friendly robot called the Phantom Cloak to briefly shield her from the E.M.M.I. and its senses.

In addition to these new horror elements, Samus will return with her full 2D arsenal intact. She'll also get some new abilities, like the Spider Magnet, which allows her to climb across walls and ceilings. And, yes, it wouldn't be a Metroid game if there wasn't an intense amount of exploration involved. Just be careful, because it appears that the E.M.M.I. will constantly be on the hunt, hence the "Dread" portion of this title.

Metroid Dread is being developed by the team at Mercury Steam Entertainment, who previously worked on Metroid: Samus Returns for the Nintendo 3DS. It's being coined as "Metroid 5," in the sense that it's the fifth and final part of Samus' Metroid saga.

It won't be long before Metroid Dread creeps up on everyone. The game is set to come exclusively to Nintendo Switch on October 8, as will new Amiibo figures featuring Samus in her new Metroid Dread suit and the new E.M.M.I. robot. This game is just one of many announcements to come from the Nintendo Direct and E3 2021, as a whole. Stay tuned to Shacknews for the latest updates. And if you're looking for more on Metroid Dread, Nintendo is showing it off in much greater detail for the first portion of its Nintendo Treehouse stream on Twitch.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?