Metroid Dread on Switch - The Digital Foundry Tech Review

[@TheColorUrple]

Mercury Steam - the only developer in the world who has worked on both parts of the Metroidvania namesake.

[@hepwo91222]

Konami has all but given up on old school Castlevania games, so they can hop over to Nintendo.

[@fillerbunnyninjashark271]

Let's not talk about the second half of that word

[@kdkseven]

@@hepwo91222 Hey, the Castelvania Advance Collection is amazing. Then there's the Anniversary Collection, and Requiem (hopefully it'll come to consoles other than the PS4 one day). And it's likely we'll get a DS Collection soon. At least Konami has been treating the Castlevania legacy well.

[@coltonowens2742]

@@kdkseven Between a shitty spinoff, a shitty tv show, and Konami being complete dip shits, Castlevania is dead.

[@adriang3492]

@@coltonowens2742 Excuse me what? Castlevania on Netflix was great!

[@Helixium08]

The little animation details, like how Samus braces her hands against walls and openings differently, are awesome.

[@IceFireTerry]

yeah i notice that when i went to a wall

[@HeavyMetalSonicRM]

I was stunned by that! Little details like that make games so much better.

[@shutitfukface]

True if you're a nerd who gets excited about mundane things.

[@shutitfukface]

@@HeavyMetalSonicRM you must be 7 if that stunned you...

[@Helixium08]

@@shutitfukface Isn't that literally what a nerd is lmao? To be super into something that even all the details matter. You seem to be trying to insult people and make them feel bad for being excited, but you're failing miserably.

[@ElJosher]

The game-feel of this title is amazing. Maneuvering Samus through the world just feels good. Very snappy, quick, and responsive. Mercury Steam did an absolutely marvelous job with this game.

[@linearlink]

“Sense of constant unease” One could even say, a sense of Dread…

[@NikHem343]

This killed me

[@lachd2261]

Mercurysteam should be very proud of themselves for what they've achieved. The game is terrific.

[@zenithquasar9623]

Yes, 100%. A great achievement and a fantastic game!

[@happyarewewhosmile]

Too bad they fired much of their staff before the release of the game and didn't properly credit people who had worked on this game for years.

[@zenithquasar9623]

@@happyarewewhosmile Yeah, that's effed!

[@soyunbonus]

So glad of Mercury embracing the 60fps. They've always favoured graphics over framerate, but this game is a step forward.

[@nathanael4349]

Rodando numa Resolução baixíssima. Nem compensa.

[@SpookyDollhouse]

This made me giggle

[@MegaFinalRound]

You knew Nintendo were going to make them hit 60 frames for this game!

[@DPedroBoh]

@@nathanael4349 Que nada, o jogo roda na resolução máxima o tempo todo, oq não é grande coisa já que qualquer celular roda 1080p. Quero dizer que esse jogo tem poucos polígonos mesmo, mas ainda ta bonito, dentro do que o switch pode fazer. Eu to adorando o jogo.

[@lllULTIMATEMASTERlll]

@@nathanael4349 It is low, but this game really needs 60fps. Im usually the guy who prefers resolution over frame rate, but not here.

[@8BitRetroMonkey]

Super Metroid on SNES is one of my favourite games of all time. A masterpiece. Even the graphics never seem to age. If this is anywhere near as good as that I'll be happy.

[@ralfiejr34]

Same. Super Metroid is a masterpiece

[@hepwo91222]

yeah, other than Street FIghter 2, Super Metroid is my favorite game of the 1990's, it really is THAT good.

[@Cookberg]

Super Metroid is easily my favorite game ever and I had to snag this game early because I couldn’t wait till my Special Edition showed up...I can say without any doubt after putting 5+ hours in: its neck and neck with Super.

[@battyflaps5410]

its good but i keep fucking up and getting stuck and not knowing where the hell im supposed to go because i aint got tech to go forwards but i also can't go left to go back lol

[@Cookberg]

@@battyflaps5410 where are you stuck? I got hung up a little after the first EMMI fight

[@ThibautMahringer]

I just started the game 30 minutes ago and I can only tell one thing : I love it. I've missed new 2D Metroid stuff. Almost 20 years...

[@ralfiejr34]

Can't wait to play when I get off work today! Hyped!

[@Cookberg]

It’s everything I had hoped it would be for 16 years reading about it back in Nintendo Power 😭

[@alejandropradalozano6525]

It really causes a strong first impression, I was in love from the very beginning

[@Lord_Deimos]

Dread looks great and the fact that it's a continuation of Fusion makes it even better. Lets hope they don't take another 20 years to release another 2D Metroid game.

[@dennymeuparente9603]

Well that will depend of the TECNOLOGY AVALIABLE

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

Metroid Zero Mission and Samus Returns released since Fusion, don't forget. Dread is just a direct sequel to Fusion, is all.

[@aforty1]

Hopefully now with this game, it’s tech, mechanics, and assets in place we can get a relatively quick sequel.

[@CarbyGuuGuu]

@@aforty1 Would love to see a Super Metroid remake from MercurySteam with better controls than the original game. Because, man, the controls in the original game have not aged well. Even the GBA games have better controls *AND* movement speed.

[@mista414]

@@CarbyGuuGuu yeah the controls are the main thing that's kept me from finishing Super (shameful I know) but they're clunky, especially since Fusion was my first one (and Prime but that's a different beast, love the motion controls on those, a VR remake would be awesome).

[@noremacanimation]

The EMMI "battles" make you feel like Ripley in Alien - I've never felt such tension in a 2D game.

[@jollama]

Who wants to tell him Metroid used Alien and its sequel Aliens for inspiration

[@Guarrow]

I especially looked into the Samus legs when I shoot while aiming and if they were moving or not, because they weren't in Samus Returns. And they do. I'm just glad they really showed what they could do and brought such an excellent game. It's just so damn good and I hope Nintendo let them make other Metroid games because I can't get enough

[@HP-ip5ow]

I watched Samus's legs for a different reason. Her new armor sure has a nice silhouette.

[@regis7971]

@@HP-ip5ow Down Cataclysmic

[@tree490]

@@regis7971 can you blame him? Samus a baddie

[@regis7971]

@@tree490 yeah, im with him 100%

[@lloydaran]

I hope they either improve on the same mistakes they keep doing, like the fucking Melee Counter being as obnoxious as ever, or that they stop doing Metroid games altogether.

[@willwunsche6940]

Audio aspect of games is super underrated. Really impressed with it in Metroid Dread

[@lloydaran]

The sound design is somehow years behind the GBA counterparts and the music is mostly generic background or, when remotely good, a remix, so I have no idea what you're talking about.

[@joblessmf420]

@@lloydaran you have to be trolling. The music is one thing, but in no way did Fusion and Zero Mission have even remotely as detailed and immersive sound design.

[@theakiwar9118]

@@lloydaran You just compared surround sound to mono sound man

[@nuevoLondo]

@@lloydaran agree

[@nightowl3582]

Makes me want a new side scrolling Ninja Gaiden game like the old NES games done this way.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

my god, now you've got me thinking of NES Ninja Gaiden with modern graphics. that's just a brilliant idea

[@golions13579]

How have I not even thought of this before.

[@megan_alnico]

I bet the people who did deadcells would do a fantastic job.

[@G_Rad_Ski]

Definitely try The Messenger if you haven't yet.

[@optimust]

And the one character i really think is missing from Smash

[@joaoassumpcao3347]

This review is honestly amazing. You can find dozens of videos praising the exploration, the action, even the story, but there's something so interesting and unique about hearing someone talk about the technical aspects, like the use of film grain for specific effects. Just goes to show how much effort went into this game

[@skins4thewin]

One of the best things about the sound design is the impact felt when Samus' shots connect with the weakpoint of a boss. Each boss has a very unique sound effect when damage is inflicted, and there's just something special about the impact felt when each missile hits it's mark when encountering bosses. It's a BIG part of what makes the boss fights so much fun in this game.

[@jcardboard]

The animation is superb. When a major publisher puts a bit of backing behind a 2D game you can get great results.

[@m00nmayn86]

I live in 2021, so forgive me for not being blown away by a character holding her hand to a wall...

[@elcocho1568]

@@m00nmayn86 right? Game graphically looks generic.

[@m00nmayn86]

@@elcocho1568 This should've been the sequel to Metroid Zero Mission and be called "Metroid Zero Anti-aliasing" ROFLMAO

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

@@m00nmayn86 Sounds like you're just repeating something you saw me post on Twitter and being a bit miffed about it 🤷🏻‍♂️ There's more than the hand on the wall.

[@m00nmayn86]

@@VideoGameAnimationStudy ?? I don't know who you are and don't use Twitter lmfao

[@dreampillet]

What I love about Digital Foundry's analyses is that they highlight details that I otherwise wouldn't pay much attention to and give me a greater appreciation for the craft behind games! Now that John points them out, I'm very impressed with those smooth animations and the crisp sound design!

[@CheddarBayBaby]

An endorsement from Digital Foundry means a lot. So glad they went above and beyond for this one

[@eSKAone-]

It's also kind of a problem. Publishers know this and the independence of growing outlets is questionable at least because of it. Even better than DF: 'NX Gamer'

[@see.eye.2361]

@@eSKAone- everything is a problem for you huh?

[@sham7561]

He likes NX Gamer because he's always kissing Sony's feet.

[@eSKAone-]

Chill out people, I'm just saying you have to take it with a grain of salt. I love both (NX Gamer & Digital Foundry).💟

[@eSKAone-]

Or do you really believe a few hundred thousand clicks a week on KZbin are enough to run this company?

[@nilok84]

Nothing on KZbin compares to DF… I love how technical your reviews are. Keep it up!

[@kaiserxblue]

there are other channels that do this even better than DF, it just happens that this channel is the most popular of them all.

[@StephenWingsTV]

@@kaiserxblue What other channels? :)

[@eSKAone-]

@@StephenWingsTV NX Gamer (much more technical)

[@MegaFinalRound]

@@StephenWingsTV GameStop is good too

[@MegaFinalRound]

Oops I mean GameSpot

[@Bigdaddymittens]

Made it to Walmart at 7am to pick up my copy before work lol. First time I've been hyped for a game in quite a long time.

[@rulebreaker970]

Hey how did you get the deus ex picture next to your name ??

[@MegaDeth859]

I might purchase it again, but from Walmart just for the mugs 😀

[@jcdenton8750]

Whatcha talkin bout Willis?

[@rulebreaker970]

Yes

[@Squeenix1]

Coz switch has no games 🤣🤣🤣

[@mitchboland9591]

I’m a big fan of the animation here. Looks so sleek.

[@r_bear]

It feels really nice when playing, too

[@m00nmayn86]

I can't believe Nintendrone's standards are so low they are impressed by a characters *holding her hand on a wall.* No really, this is not an exaggeration, that is literal what you consider impressive in 2021 ROFLMAO

[@m00nmayn86]

@@r_bear Uh, you can't "feel" an animation lmfao

[@Darkslayer1534]

@@m00nmayn86 right?

[@mitchboland9591]

@@m00nmayn86 All I said was that the animation looks nice. I didn't even mention her holding the wall

[@6kaliba9]

The audio/sound design is a joy in this game. I hope that every player that can afford a switch and this game are also able to get good headphones. I love good sound design

[@Ray-dl5mp]

Awesome. Your comment makes me want to play it. Gotta love great sound.

[@304Blaise]

@@Ray-dl5mp as someone who works in sound as my day job this game is blowing me away. I’ve seen people saying the soundtracking is mediocre but I think that actually translates to “my headphones are mediocre” or they didn’t use any. Sound design is 11/10 in Dread

[@Ray-dl5mp]

@@304Blaise oh yes great headphones is a huge part of gaming now. Basically you’re really hurting your experience if you don’t have them. Definitely worth the money for a better than average sounding pair. Great to hear, thanks!

[@dial2616]

I love the use of subharmonics in the lower registers, the Dread motif they used is just delicious

[@lloydaran]

I think we played completely different games, because the music is lightyears away from the classics, mostly reduced to some generic babbling background, sometimes even annoying rather than atmospheric. The sound design doesn't match anything happening on the screen, the beams and the bombs and the missiles have zero energy. Give me back the Fusion/Zero Mission sounds.

[@clyptonimusprime]

I love that you mentioned "Another World" when describing the Metroid Dread experience. You guys are really digging into the nostalgia section of my heart with this. Ha! Great video!

[@robinenbernhard]

Stil got that game on my snes. Wil be cool if that game was on switch to

[@juanignacioaschura9437]

@@robinenbernhard Another World is available on Switch, but without the SNES version's soundtrack, unfortunately...

[@theinfinity7s]

It's the small details that floored me as a kid with Super Metroid. This looks to only keep up the legacy of the little details. I can not wait to play this. For me, playing a new mainline Metroid game are literally buckets list items or rather life affirming events. I truly adore this franchise.

[@briengakaplan-b1550]

I got a Switch OLED just for this one, I plan to go back and play the older games too but this is how much I love Metroid.

[@MathOwz]

Me too. Been playing all night. The screen actually look phenomenal

[@lukevega77]

Same, but I won't have it until Wednesday; so, I'll just chill for now :)

[@suicicada]

I haven't played Metroid since the gameboy era. Is it worth checking out?

[@Mycarisloose]

@@suicicada it’s almost like you actually watched the review

[@slingshotdon]

@@suicicada yes especially if you like super metroid and fusion.

[@marshw000]

My first load up this morning was extremely long but I’m glad to say that’s the only time I’ve had the problem. Already adoring the game

[@override7486]

Same, I was already going back to menu, and wanted to press X to close it. Had similar "issue" with bunch of other games as well. Looks like some work is done before first launch.

[@slingshotdon]

@UCElnJtb0-QbeV0IFjVnM-gQ it's not an issue

[@theheardbreakkid3048]

Samus is dies in the end in Metroid Dread !

[@UPHENOS]

Love the Metroid Prime OST playing in the background! And man, what a masterpiece "Tallon Overworld" was! Nostalgia floods me damn it, I've played this series since the now distant 1986! And my special edition is truly something else!

[@ammakko]

The "morphball troll" is awsome! I started playing and right away I saw a tunnel, I was like "ok I'll get the morphball and come back here"...

[@JamesThomasJeans]

I've played a couple of hours of this today, and it is FANTASTIC so far. I've been utterly lost, but that's really par for the course in Metroid, isn't it? I'm so glad Metroid 5 is finally here.

[@tyrantravealpha]

Have had a couple of those too, then when I figured it out I had tow very different reactions. The first time was a light slap on the forehead for missing something really obvious, and the second was a skyward fist pump for feeling like I was really on a roll.

[@BryBry2ply]

Use the big map. Tells you what you have done and not done.

[@ROGALLYWORLD]

be careful heard

[@theheardbreakkid3048]

samus ends up dying in Metroid Dread. 😙

[@reinaldopereira1268]

I've been playing it for the past 4 hours, and it's great! Samus has never been better to control than she is here! I hope it sells a lot so we can get more Metroid games on Switch!

[@Bigdaddymittens]

I have a feeling it will be a good seller, given how much promotion it's getting from Nintendo.

[@reinaldopereira1268]

@@Bigdaddymittens I'll keep my fingers crossed, my friend! ^^

[@Rebelscum264]

They won’t be for switch.

[@AceticTWO]

more metroid games in general!

[@jonathanjollimore7156]

Damn impressed with this game and it's got horror theme and it out in month of October not bad at all

[@rasul01]

I'm 4 hours into the game and there's literally nothing scary or horror-esque about it, very disappointing

[@jonathanjollimore7156]

@@rasul01 come on Emmi are just like your classic slasher film trope you just have to run from them. It's not so much if yea find it scary do yea understand the concept? EDIT better?

[@rasul01]

@@jonathanjollimore7156 Your comment is pretty hard to understand

[@jonathanjollimore7156]

@@rasul01 That's your problem

[@Nightcrawl7]

@@jonathanjollimore7156 he's right though, you type like you're drunk lmao

[@kilo1012]

I was genuinely surprised and impressed by how seamless the transition from that big loredump cutscene to the boss fight that followed it was.

[@Davey_Cakes]

Metroid Dread really nails the “game feel.” It hooks you right away with the butter smooth controls and slick presentation.

[@6kaliba9]

Amazing how good a game can look without any antialiasing

[@mikeryan6099]

It's got something to represent every Metroid game and Alien Isolation with the EMMI sections.

[@m00nmayn86]

Speaking of Alien Isolation, remember when you Nintendo fanboys cried about pixel shimmering in the PS4 version? Where's your complaints about this game, hmmm? =^)

[@sergux]

im in the same boat as you man, nobody notice that AI is the only way to rise the difficult without feelings of pure rpg numbers. Because that i really enjoyed alien and this metroid.

[@joblessmf420]

@@m00nmayn86 Cry louder. Putting all fans in one boat is just pathetic. Console warring should be in the past now, but you're trying to attack a whole fanbase for no reason.

[@G_Rad_Ski]

One of the best looking and running Switch games, it was hard to put it down and go to sleep last night. Feels great to jump back into a great Metroid game.

[@cinematicpassages8884]

I agree but we still need a prime game...

[@lemmy154]

@@cinematicpassages8884 prime 4 😔...

[@cinematicpassages8884]

@@lemmy154 i was so dissapointed that we didn't get a new prime after all these years...when i saw the initial tease of dread i went nuts and screamed "a new prime gameeeee f meee" but then it was just this...which is good, don't get me wrong, still classic metroid but the prime series where so atmospheric and cool. This is just nintendo not pushing the switch properly again, i remenber when nintendo released metroid prime which was cutting edge and served as a proud nemesis to sony and ms...i miss those days. 😐

[@G_Rad_Ski]

@@cinematicpassages8884 Prime Trilogy on Switch!

[@stratagemSG1]

@@cinematicpassages8884 I have to disagree, Dread really pushes the switch to it's limits.

[@recordatron]

Yeah, it feels like Mercury Steam finally reached their potential on this one. I did actually really enjoy their previous efforts but this one feels like it's well worthy of being a genuine Metroid sequel. I'd be very happy to see them bring us more metroid games in the future!

[@ramzamountain1636]

Hope not, didnt like metroid dread or their castlevania games

[@TerraTheWise]

@@ramzamountain1636 Good thing no one cares what you think then. Dread is doing good so you're in the minority here.

[@VioletPrism]

@@TerraTheWise it suk lmao

[@ramzamountain1636]

@@TerraTheWise atleast you cared to comment, thanks :)

[@hector4470]

I think Mercury Steam will eventually turn into a first party Nintendo studio just like other studios such as Next Level Games, Retro and others became first party after doing multiple first party projects for them. Would make a lot of sense to acquire them as Nintendo hasn't had a European studio since Rare got sold too Microsoft.

[@XiLock_Alotx]

I am finally playing this. Two years later, after finishing Metroid prime remastered, I am kicking myself for not playing this when it came out .masterpiece

[@jollama]

Imagine not playing this during release

[@RAZORREVOLUTION1]

Which one did you enjoy the most?

[@futureskeletons66669]

The 2D Castlevania game Mercury Steam did was actually alright.

[@jenningbernard]

Digital Foundry is known primarily for their technical reviews but they've managed lately to produce the best overall reviews. This is the best Metroid Dread review have seen and by a long shot.

[@jasonnikolic]

Except the whole lying about loading and frame rates though.

[@ben-tendo]

One of the most thorough and brilliant reviews I’ve watched/heard in quite some time. I’m also glad the sound design was appreciated where social media has considered it lacking.

[@slimdawg9466]

The problem with probably every performance analysis on YT is that they show the early part of the game, where it actually runs at almost constant 60FPS. Things are much worse towards the end of the game, when you are using multiple skills at once (especially the scanner). Frames drop significantly below 60FPS quite often and this makes it hard to aim (in both Portable and Dock mode). Other than that the game is very good and relatively long (100% in 16 hours). I recommend everyone to play 8/10.

[@corrinflakes9659]

According to engineers who've seen how EMMI's are animated, they're very accurate with how they use efficiency over anything else to move and makes them much spookier as a result as they stray so much from a natural creature's.

[@jollama]

Source: Trust me bro

[@duke0fmarlborough]

The first time I got the Omega Blaster and went out in search of the E.M.M.I who has been owning my ass all over the map I felt like Arnold Schwarzenegger at the end of Predator, finally mustering the strength and determination to face an overwhelming power. The contrast between struggling to survive and facing down your enemy is so well crafted by the dev team it will live fresh in my memory forever. The truly amazing thing is that the game just goes on to surpass that high point again and again.

[@phazonruler3000]

I don't think it's accurate to say this game was influenced by Another World. Everything he claimed to be an influence was actually inspired by past Metroid games. For example the Emmi are an extension of the SA-X chase sequences.

[@kdkseven]

Yeah that seemed a bit of a stretch.

[@ggali09]

anyone else peaking out their window waiting for this game to get delivered??? The suspense is killing me!!

[@chilly6470]

I was nervous because, UPS was delivering my Oled Switch today. But, there's nobody at home to take delivery. Thankfully, he left it in a safe place and I collected Metroid special edition in store.

[@eSKAone-]

What window? I just download it.

[@TerraWare]

I grabbed it at Walmart like I do with most of my games. All Switch games are $49.99 at the physical Walmart stores. I probably would've grabbed an OLED Switch too but they didn't have any.

[@kevinbuchanan67]

@@TerraWare me too, and same here! Glad they didn't have one

[@drunkenmolesterpaul3569]

No

[@CodyHimselfXI]

This game is actually terrifying and "dreadful". Especially playing on a big screen with the sound system cranked. I had a nightmare last night...all I could hear was the "Emmi" in the distance and I had to hide. Also, I had no power suit, or arm cannon... 🥲😰😭😭

[@AlejandroFerrariMc]

I got the same feeling!

[@dime124]

This review offers so much more than any other I've seen. No one else seemed to notice the half rate particle effects or could provide comparisons to influences from other, older games. Nice work.

[@gu3z185]

I noticed the half rate particle effects instantly, if you don't notice that kind of thing you're lucky

[@RobotPlaysGames]

Really looking forward to this one. Just picked up the last copy of the Special Edition at a local GameStop.

[@jenscee7679]

The Special Edition is much bigger than I anticipated…but really nice

[@RobotPlaysGames]

@@jenscee7679 haha, same. The pictures online don’t give a sense of scale.

[@robinenbernhard]

@@jenscee7679 true i was like damn its big 🤣

[@thinkingprole1]

DF - thanks for this solid review. I appreciate the clear, definitive statements and the focus on objective metrics.

[@jasonnikolic]

They are lying through their teeth about frame rates and load times, they never got very far obviously.

[@solidsnake8572]

Finally MercurySteam gets the recognition they deserve, what they did with Castlevania with the Lords of Shadow trilogy was AMAZING, specially with the first game in all aspects: Artistically was gorgeus, gameplay wise was a good iteration of the GoW style hack and slash with its own twists, the characters and narrative were great, the music was almost a Lord of the Rings level and the ending was superb and the consolidation of an incredible reboot. But castlevania fans who got stuck in 1998 destroyed the game because it wasn't yet another "Metroidvania" with little story and limited gameplay all over again. Innovation is completely canceled in that comunity. And LoS 2 wasn't as great as the first but still a very good game that got an inmense and ridiculous hate campaign because people couldn't handle a couple stealth sections. I'm not really interested in Metroid but I'm so happy to see that fans are loving it and that MercurySteam, a little spanish developer is getting this love at last. Hopefully that means that they get more projects funded by Nintendo or any other big company, because there's a lot of talent there.

[@KEVBOYMUSIC]

So happy to see that this turned out so well. I love Metroid and I've always felt that it hasn't gotten the love it deserves. I just hope it sells well, so that Nintendo will keep investing in Metroid.

[@cactoidpinata]

Mercury Steam is a very talented studio. I wish they'd go back to making games like Castlevania LOS 1&2. I enjoyed both of those games way more than any of their portable games.

[@kylerobinson6102]

They were good games.

[@l90316]

They made some really weird design choice in LOD2 though.

[@cactoidpinata]

@@l90316 they did, but I still enjoy it quite a bit. I’d like to see them make more hack n slash games though. Give them a chance to improve on it.

[@attilariczak8345]

I used to play that early 90’s video game on my dad’s Amiga when i was maybe around 5 years old. So good memories. Never was able to escape from that black beast at the beginning.

[@marcw3852]

A game that highlights as nice as all the bells and whistles of the latest graphical tech are… what makes a great game is in the gameplay design. Give me this over some bloated open world with ray traced sunsets any day of the week

[@gehtdinichtsan309]

you're comparing apples and oranges really. i enjoy a well executed open world-title as much as side-scrolling gem like dread.

[@brotherbodhi237]

Same here. Most modern AAA games are just not for me. I hate the majority of open world games. So many of my favorite franchises have gotten destroyed from being pushed into open world game design

[@kadosho02]

Excellent review of Dread. Cannot wait to pickup my copy. Also touching on so many details, and environments is incredible. Plus the comparison to "Another World", which on its own right was a challenging classic. There are so many layers yet to be explored within this amazing series.

[@hepwo91222]

Have to disagree with Another World comparisons, many of the features he was pointing out were done in past Metroid games and bear in mind Metroid 1 and 2 came out before ANother World. If anything, Metroid influenced ANother World.

[@goodmorninggames3645]

Great video.Glad to see Mercury Steam finally reached new heights with this one.

[@koishiwii8370]

Reminds me of how seriously creative Konami used to be when they've made the Castlevania games for the GBA and DS.

[@권용대-b5v]

It does look like a next-gen Switch game. Kudos for the incredible works!!

[@Nebujin383]

Next-gen on Switch, is only last-gen on other consoles

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

@@Nebujin383 There's only so much fidelity 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ot9523]

@@Nebujin383 i have a Xbox series X and this game just stands out most games are all the same now a days

[@Nebujin383]

@@ot9523 Artdesign yes, visual possibilites & presentation, not so much. But dont get me wrong, it still looks great for a Metroid game, and i love it! Right now i am in the final boss fight, and trying to get better used to phase 3

[@skins4thewin]

I'm honestly surprised you didn't choose to talk about the completely dark rooms such as the Save rooms before you activate them. The individual glowing lights coming off Samus look freaking AMAZING in the dark areas!

[@Zack0409]

One of the best switch games without question. Love it.

[@0Black0Moon0]

17 min of enjoyment. not just frame-rate and resolution but a review in the game with special features about the game. I only played the game boy version and I am so excited to buy this one on Switch

[@ViperT0ngue]

I've been playing this on my switch oled and it looks and plays fantastic.

[@esmooth919]

It looks just as fantastic on the OG Switch!

[@ViperT0ngue]

@@esmooth919 yes it does look good on the original switch, however the image quality is quite a lot better on my new oled and can't go back to my original switch after using the oled model.

[@Metroid24abd]

@@esmooth919 To be honest I have both consoles and i prefere it on the OG switch. The oled is too much coors and the resolution is too low for my eyes :)

[@LittleRedKuma]

Sees Mighty No. 9 *Painful flashbacks to backing the 3DS versions*

[@devmiles]

I’ve almost cleared the game. It’s nintendo magic with graphics and sounds being very good. I did notice some stutters and framedrops during gameplay. Nintendo really needs to step up their hardware game. For these games and future releases like Zelda 2, Bayo 3.. you just know we need a proper hardware upgrade. It’s the last bits of this current switch and this game would be the pinnacle to push and prove it. I love this game. It’s well done and i love the artchoice and esthetics. For now i hope we will get to see Prime 4 quickly, it has taken too long.

[@froggydarren]

On a modded switch a slight overclock locks the frame rate to 60fps

[@skins4thewin]

What I REALLY want to see is some all new planet DLC's for this game! A basic but all new classic Metroid style DLC adventure to go thru that uses the current assets but just gives a full new environ to fight & explore thru. I have always just wanted more content in my favorite Metroid games & new maps would fit this bill nicely.

[@Phenylalanin1979]

This looks great. I was very skeptical of Metroid Dread when it was announced, but it has slowly won me over. Now bring on Metroid Prime 4 Nintendo, we are ready!

[@hector4470]

I feel like Prime 4 won't be out until the next Nintendo hardware in 2023. I'm thinking they'll release the original Prime trilogy next year (2022) and then go from there.

[@Phenylalanin1979]

@@hector4470 Yeah, you are probably right. I don't see Metroid Prime 4 coming out next year either. Retro Studios is still hiring for the game from what I've seen. Metroid Dread may have been put out now, where Prime 4 should have released before it got restarted at Retro, as a simpler stopgap game. A Prime trilogy on Switch would be nice, but I'm not sure I'll be buying the Prime games for a third time :) I got Prime and Prime 2 on GameCube and Prime 3 on Wii, later I got the Trilogy on Wii too. I would buy the shit out of F-Zero GX on Switch however.

[@hector4470]

@@Phenylalanin1979 I have the Trilogy as well but I know a ton of peoples would love too have it on Switch as well. Agreed on F-Zero that franchise needs a rebirth in the worst way lol.

[@Panasonicy0uth]

I'm glad I'm not the only person who was impressed by the audio in Dread. This is one of the few Switch games that I feel like I need to play with headphones/IEMs to get the best experience possible.

[@theheardbreakkid3048]

Samus ends up dying in Metroid Dread !

[@pobbityboppity1110]

Hell yeah everything John said here has me drooling. Can't wait to go pick it up later today!

[@rockutron9000]

I loved Samus Returns and Dread in the first couple hours I've played is feeling like an even better iteration of those ideas.

[@theheardbreakkid3048]

Samus ends up dying in Metroid Dread ! Spoiler 😙

[@skydiamsteam6005]

@@theheardbreakkid3048 The One Who Couldn’t Make True Spoilers

[@3k4landrew]

Metroid has always been my favorite Gaming Franchise ever since I’ve played zero mission and Metroid prime. I’ve played every game multiple times and I can’t wait to do the same with Dread. My copy should be here soon. I really can’t wait.

[@ts7844]

Prepare for disappointment

[@3k4landrew]

@@ts7844 I won’t be disappointed. The fact that Metroid 5 even exists is enough. We’ve been asking for a sequel to Metroid Fusion for 19 years. We’ve got it. That is enough to not be disappointed.

[@ts7844]

@@3k4landrew 🙄🙄

[@3k4landrew]

@@ts7844 played Metroid dread just about all night last night and I can say right now. I’m definitely not disappointed.

[@ts7844]

@@3k4landrew something tells me you don’t have much gaming experience.

[@Durwood71]

Another example of the procedural animations is if Samus doesn't stand centered on an interactive platform like a save a point. Whether she's off to the side by a little or a lot, she will step smoothly over to center herself.

[@DrGamelove]

I love Mercury Steam, Metroid and Digital Foundry. Instant click. Such a great channel. I think Lords of Shadow 1 had that polish though, Mirror of Fate and Samus Returns came very close. I’ll mark that one up to limited handheld hardware being the obstacle for them. They do fine with some proper horsepower.

[@hepwo91222]

I always wished From Software got to make a Castlevania game.

[@Kaliospectre]

The absolute finesse in avoiding those projectiles at 7:43 tho

[@chriskater]

Another GEM to play on my almighty Switch. Can't wait!

[@Sonic_Kirbo]

The music in the underwater area is really great! So atmospheric!

[@DenkyManner]

It looks far better than I was expecting. I kind of miss the heavy feeling Samus had in Super Metroid, but what they have instead looks great in a different way.

[@Granhier]

Reminds me of Strider 2014 with Double Helix. Give a japanese IP to a western developer with love and respect for the IP and the place it came from, and something great can come out of the collaboration. But they are so few and far between.

[@MrAmjak]

I love metroid, I'm hoping for more metroid games to come

[@jcnba28]

Hopefully Prime trilogy is next

[@TerraWare]

@@jcnba28 I'd love to get a native pc port of the prime trilogy.

[@lemao9853]

@@TerraWare too bad thats probably never going to happen...

[@MegaSeany1]

Brand new Switch owner (OLED) and first time Metroid player. Absolutely loving the game.

[@ryantaylor3917]

I've only played Super Metroid. I played it back in the day and thought it was incredible. Looking forward to picking this one up in the near future.

[@AthosJosue]

The Prime series is as good as everyone says, even today, so give them also a chance.

[@ryantaylor3917]

@@AthosJosue I've been meaning to for years. Ever since the Gamecube days but for whatever reason never got around to it. Here's hoping we get the whole Prime series on the Switch too.

[@JonCofer]

I play most Switch games handheld, with the sound off. With two kids, gaming time is rare and precious so I take what I can get. With Dread however, I've been playing at night, on my 65 inch 4K tv while wearing bose quietcomfort 35 bluetooth headphones. It's been an amazing experience. Can't give them enough props for making this game quality enough to change the my routine in order to play this game a different way.

[@BalasielVOD]

I never played a Metroid game in my life (or a MetroidVania for that matter, at least I can't recall playing one), but this not only looks and sounds awesome, it also gave me very strong Mega Man X 1-3 vibes, and I loved those games. I should probably check it out despite previously saying I wouldn't!

[@TerraWare]

If you end up liking it you have many Metroid games to look forward to you haven't played.

[@halfalligator6518]

definitely check it out. For me Nintendo's Metroid franchise stands with Zelda in terms of polish and gameplay. Different of course but just so cool. So iconic. They keep all the old-school nods while pushing it forward.

[@Jayy997]

I've never played one either, but enjoy other metroidvanias even though I'm not very good at them. I'm happy to report the game does a great job getting newcomers up to speed and explains everything. Loving it!

[@koda7720]

I thought Mercury Steam died with LOS2. Happy to hear they're still around and working on Metroid!

[@juicemanvon9859]

I'm so glad the originator and the apex of the genre returned to show everyone how it's done!

[@Aetilus]

Care about something real

[@Aggrofool]

Apex lol

[@uncleurda8101]

@@Aetilus Just like you care so much about that guy's comment. And before you comment on me caring about your comment, I never claimed to care about real things so

[@XZ-III]

@@uncleurda8101 leaving a reply doesn't really mean someone cared sharing your opinions doesn't indicate they care you can say something all the time and not care about what you say

[@SuperPowerPainter]

Saw another John Linneman produced video game joint notification this morning, and instantly I thought, "This would pair extremely well with a Sequoia Sandwhich Big Dipper and an ice cold Monster energy drink." Just finished watching the video and eating my sandwich, and my god I'm in pure bliss right now!!! Amazing video once again, loved the particular attention to detail in sound and call backs to Another World. Bravo and thank you for the fine entertainment!

[@arbiter-]

I had a feeling this game would have the best soundtrack of the year. Glad I wasn't wrong.

[@DPedroBoh]

I think it plays too low compared to sfx and i couldn't find a sound setting, too bad, what i heard is good though.

[@kdkseven]

Metroid games have always had amazing soundscapes. The first two were fantastic considering the hardware, and were way ahead of other games when it came to creating tension and atmosphere, but with Super Metroid they created a sci-fi sonic masterpiece, and it only got better from there..

[@dustarma]

I have encountered some hefty frame drops on areas with a lot of particles like the later extreme heat rooms, I feel like it's using double buffered vsync? But I don't have the equipment to demonstrate it.

[@James-gj8rn]

I respectfully decline to watch this as i want to avoid spoilers but i will come back after I’ve played the game 😊

[@antbrooks1625]

Imagine being spoiled by a tech review. I doubt this has actual spoilers.

[@KingAssRipper69]

there is no damn story to spoil

[@noahsabadish3812]

@@KingAssRipper69 metroid spoilers are less about the story and more about the world, enemies and mechanics

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

Do what I did, just listen to the video. :)

[@alejandropradalozano6525]

No spoilers, It was actually a bit boringto see the same parts of the game over and over again and I feel it doesnt really highlight the best looking areas on the game, but at least no spoilers.

[@svartholstjornuson6215]

1:58: Mwahaha! You said Metroid: Return of Samus! I…never do that. 😳

[@wile123456]

Just use SMAA its sharp and doesnt have the pitfalls of TAA at low resolutions

[@selohcin]

Yes, it really does, although you personally may not find it bothersome.

[@helloguy8934]

@@selohcin It does have some blur. But not as much as taa or fxaa.

[@leeboy2k1]

SMAA would most likely be too intensive in the post-process render budget for the Tegra, see what impact SMAA has on GTA V on PC, it's expensive.

[@helloguy8934]

@@leeboy2k1 Idk man. Smaa usually costs about 5-10% of your performance.

[@wile123456]

@@leeboy2k1 gtaV is a retro game at this point, so that's a bad comparison. Also I'm 90% sure GTA only has either FXAA and MSAA as options, not smaa Most of the time basic 1 frame SMAA adds 1% to 2% to the rendering load. That's miniscule, and for a game that is this locked, it should be affordable.

[@jamiepoirier1444]

John I understand work is work and can sometimes suck the fun out of playing games, but videos like this, or for example Oddworld Soulstorm - where you clearly have a passion for the game, it really comes through.

[@tazmanceltic]

Their outdated practices aside , can we all agree that Nintendo do make absolutely amazing games. Mostly have an outstanding quality to them. another world is such a classic.

[@FhargaZ]

Don't forget about MercurySteam.

[@Kaptime]

Make a DF Retro on Another World, that game is beautiful.

[@dragothica4925]

The game certainly looks great on the move, especially the character animations. Also audio design was a nice surprise. Metroid has always had a great soundtrack but overall it's on whole another level here. Truly remarkable.

[@thekiss2083]

Thanks for the update on whether or not purple is a prominent color in a PC adventure game from 1991 👍

[@godbelow]

Fast and fluid, because graphically it looks like something that was released 15 years ago. I'll inevitably play this, but people calling the graphics gorgeous must be seeing something I'm not. "It's one of the best looking 3D side scrolling game I've seen to date" at 8:09. Ummmm Ori?!

[@deiaee]

Playing it now on the Switch OLED - it definitely looks good and masks a lot of the issues, but on the big screen..🥴

[@godbelow]

@@deiaee I can only imagine on a larger screen. This reviewer saying it's the best looking 3D side scrolling game he's seen to date, must be living under a rock. Ori?!?!

[@JustFun-ho6qy]

Ori isn't 3d.

[@jimmyeddy]

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze looked worlds better than this.

[@godbelow]

@@jimmyeddy So does every other Switch exclusive. I’m playing Luigi’s Mansion 3 right now. That game is gorgeous in comparison.

[@logoslive]

Never played Metroid, but you may have just convinced me.

[@pipikakachu]

Using the EGG NS emulator, it’s already running at full speed on average Android phones !

[@Torbulous]

Not sure what EGG NS emulator is but Metroid Dread also runs at full speed on Ryujinx at 4K! I also wasn't able to spot any graphical errors. Emulation has come a long way!

[@pipikakachu]

@@Torbulous when the game uses Nintendo’s APIs it will be emulated because it’s made for the hardware the emulator is based on unlike third party engines that may not behave well with the work in progress emulators.

[@Torbulous]

@@pipikakachu Ahh I see, so that's why most Nintendo games run so well. That makes sense. I'm still super impressive that Ryujinx runs it at full speed. Been having fun with the game on PC ^^

[@pipikakachu]

@@Torbulous I’m pretty sure that Nintendo is working on their next gen device (which I believe will be more powerful than PS5/Xbox Series X) but they are busy making sure it will be hard to hack.

[@Daigon95]

@@pipikakachu I doubt it will b stronger than PS5/XSX, IF they stick to the hybrid design (with a new gimmick of course). If so then they can probably make the next "Switch" about as strong as a PS4 or pretty close to a Series S. (Depending if they stick with Tegra and go for Orin or the newest Atlan. Both hav support for tensor cores to b added. So Nintendo can make full use of DLSS for 2nd/3rd parties and maybe with their 1st party game engines.)

[@lllULTIMATEMASTERlll]

Dude when I beat the first boss, there was this animation where Samus jumped through its tails and it was the coolest thing. Very rarely do I notice stuff like animation.