A new look at Metroid Dread offers another glimpse of the battles that await Samus Aran.
Among planet ZDR’s compelling secrets is the presence of the enigmatic Chozo. Previous trailers have emphasized the ancient avian’s hieroglyphs, while the technological footprint of the race has been felt in past games. Now, it seems a Chozo warrior lives, and as a foe to Samus no less. We know a bit more about the narrative setup and new gameplay abilities in Dread thanks to the latest Metroid Dread Report, a developer transmission aimed at filling fans in on what’s new in the upcoming release.
The Chozo battle as seen in today’s trailer seems to happen before the start of the game. After her defeat, Samus loses her powerful combat skills after she suffers an “ability amnesia,” which sounds more like a narrative contrivance to structure progression, but is standard fare for the series’ tried-and-true formula.
As for the suite of abilities available to Samus during the course of the game, we get a better look at some new moves during the trailer and as well as those shown previously. Flash Shift functions like a dash while Pulse Radar helps Samus identify breakable blocks in a level.
In her arsenal, Samus can equip Ice Missiles that freeze enemies and Storm Missiles that lock onto multiple targets, as well as the multidirectional Cross Bomb. Her signature Screw Attack returns, too. Her Grapple Beam can be used to navigate levels and move obstacles, while Speed Booster can be used offensively to smash into enemies or even break obstacles. With Speed Booster activated, Samus can use Shinespark to launch herself up.
Detailed last week is how these moves can all be strung together while moving, emphasizing fluidity and motion. It looks like traversal will be a major component of Dread, and you’ll need them all to take on increasingly stronger enemies. We can expect to learn more about the Chozo next Friday when a new Metroid Dread Report, and likely another trailer, drop.
Metroid Dread launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on October 8th.
