Metroid Dread Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

Metroid Dread’s selling point was how the player is constantly pursued by killer robots called EMMIs. Because Metroid was one of the first games to focus on an immersive atmosphere, having a bunch of Terminators chasing Samus was an excellent way to emphasise this.

But that doesn’t mean the EMMIs are a perfect addition. Because the automatons can’t be defeated with Samus’ conventional arsenal, you have no choice but to flee if they come near you.

But as you run for your life, you'll be unable to explore properly, which is a key component in the franchise. The fact that the EMMIs will kill you in one-hit is extra irritating. Although it’s possible to counter the androids' attack, it’s so hard to time correctly that it’s not worth engaging with the EMMIs at all.

As you progress, you'll obtain power ups like the Grapple Beam and the Screw Attack, which you would assume would help you evade these devilish robots. However, the EMMIs develop new powers, become faster, and develop armour, making them all the more frustrating. Even though the EMMIs keep the gameplay tense, they are ironically the most annoying part of Metroid Dread as well.