Metroidfans old and young received a welcome surprise during Nintendo’s E3 presentation this year: an in-depth look at a brand new 2D game titledMetroid Dread. While this sequel toMetroid Fusionunderwent development in the past, it never took off. In fact, the title was eventually scrapped altogether. Now, nineteen years after the release ofFusion,fans can finally experience this long-awaited game.
RELATED:Metroid Dread Producer Reflects on the Sequel’s Lengthy Development History in New Video
Whiledeveloper MercurySteam proved their chops with their remake ofMetroid II, certain questions for the series linger in the minds of fans. Many revolve around plot points hinted at in previous titles; moreover,Dread’sreveal trailer gave us new mysteries to ponder. With any luck, these questions and more will get their answers this October.
6What Happened To Samus’s Suit?
From the moment Samus appears on-screen, viewers can notice thestunning new look to her suit. Rather than the typical red-and-orange motif, her new Power Suit sports a red chest plate and helmet, blue shoulders, and a white torso and limbs. Blue veins, similar to muscle fibers or tendons, also outline the suit. Some have compared this to the Fusion Suit, but plenty of differences between the two still exist. How did Samus come to obtain this suit, and what abilities does it hold?
5Where Have The Chozo Been?
Another brief yet important snippet comes later in the trailer. For one fleeting moment, we see a live Chozo poring over a holographic monitor. The Chozo are the bird-like species that raised Samus into the notable warrior she is today. However, shortly after her bounty hunting career began, they seemingly vanished completely.
RELATED:Metroid: Crazy Facts You Never Knew About Samus Aran
Samus explores many of their ruins across several planets in her games. Despite this, players never see a live Chozo. Their reappearance inMetroid Dreadconfirms that at least one still exists. Where has it been all this time, and what made it go into hiding? Are there more Chozo elsewhere in the galaxy?
4Who Built The E.M.M.I, And Why?
One of the main antagonistic forces we see in the trailer is the E.M.M.I. This Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifier, as it is called, chases Samus relentlessly throughout her mission on planet ZDR. During a discussion with producer Yoshio Sakamoto, he mentions that the Galactic Federation created these menacing figures. Though they are meant for research purposes, they are invulnerable to Samus’s weapons and can even kill her in one blow. Their design mimics some other Chozo technology, so were they the ones behind their creation? Did some members of the Galactic Federation repurpose them for their own nefarious ends?
And speaking of which…
3Where Does Samus Stand With The Galactic Federation?
During the events ofMetroid Fusion, Samus learns that certain members of the Galactic Federation wanted to weaponize both Metroids and the X parasites. She quickly destroys the BSL research station and SR388 in order to kill off these potential weapons, as well as the Federation’s ambitions.
RELATED:Minecraft Player Builds Metroid Fusion In-Game
This leaves Samus in a precarious situation. Now that she knows the dark underside of the Galactic Federation, who is she to trust? And if she continues to work alongside them inDread,will she need to betray them once more?
2Who Killed The Chozo On SR388?
In a similar vein of betrayal, players may also recall thatMercurySteam’s previousMetroidtitlecontained “memories” of a dark blot in Chozo history. InSamus Returns, a secret image depicts a Chozo commander killing a group of researchers and ordering a small army into the depths of SR388. Speculation surrounding this image claims that they wanted to take control of the Metroids the researchers had created. Since this game andDreadshare the same developer, will we get more information on this? Who is this Chozo commander, exactly? Did they succeed in obtaining some of the Metroids? And are they behind some of the events taking place on ZDR?
Of course, all of this still begs the question of what will happen withMetroid Prime 4. The game’s development still continues four years after its announcement, andfans don’t know what the story is or when it takes place. ThePrimeseries is mostly self-contained, with its story filling the timeline between the events of the first twoMetroidgames. With a new entry, however, Retro Studios has the potential to break this mold. WillPrime 4take place around the same time asDread,or even after? Or will the 3D games continue to be their own separate entities? With any luck,Dreadcan help shed some light on this situation.
Metroid Dreadis set to release on July 06, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
NEXT:The Difference Between Metroid Prime 4 and Metroid Dread Explained
