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Discussion How does Metroid Dread compare to other modern-day metroidvanias?

Irene

Irene

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So before Metroid Dread released, there was a lot of speculation about how Metroid Dread would compare to modern metroidvania games. It's been quite an interesting thing to see the metroidvania renaissance happen without an original Metroid game to accompany it. I figured that we could lift the discussion of how Dread would compare to other metroidvanias again, now that we have answer in hand.

How do you feel Dread compares to the likes of Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, Axiom Verge, Bloodstained, Ori etc.? Is it up to par with its contemporaries? Does it surpass them, even, or do you feel that the queen's comeback isn't quite up there?
 
It's at the top. I'd have honestly preferred pixelart, as I struggled at times with the foreground/background elements (and I just prefer that aesthetic). I also find shinesparking a bit more difficult with the click in/analogue system. But these are faults that keep it behind Super & Fusion for me, not recent games in the genre. It's better than any I've played in recent years. Boss battles & the EMMI cat/mouse were very enjoyable and a particular highlight.
 
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I didn't enjoy Hollow Knight, and that little white blob you play as in that game is nowhere near as fluid, fast, powerful, or fun to control as Samus is in Dread. There's simply no replacement for the queen herself.
 
I think Metroid Dread compares very favorably to those other games of the genre. I never felt like Dread was just an old game remade - in many ways it feels modern and fit to the platform.

The thing I think stands out - for better and for worse - is simply that this game is a creature of timing. There are so many bosses that need rehearsals, EMMI chases and power-ups that require precise timing challenges that the game is just way, way less chill than Super Metroid. That's not even a negative really; it just maybe reflects on how this game is its own beast and not a SM reboot.
 
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I have really enjoyed recent Metroidvanias (except Hollow Knight… I just could not get into that one), but there’s just something special about Metroid itself. Plus, Dread has hands-down the best Metroid controls ever. It’s insanely polished, and that alone really elevates it. The Queen is back!
 
Metroid is much more polished experienced.

Those are indies games. It's not fair to compare them to a reasonably budgeted Nintendo game who started the trend they're aping decades ago.
 
it is different to all those other Metroidvanias we got over the last few years, because those have a much bigger focus on fighting, on RPG mechanics and do also often have taken inspiration by Dark Souls.
Non of that in Dread. Boss Battles are hard, but they remind me more of Ninja Gaiden, but travelling through the world is fast and quick and enemies are mre like smaller obstacles. But that is how I like it. Always have a problem in figuring out where to go when every enemies kicks my ass, which why my time with Hollow Knight was so bad, but Metroid? Like in pure Metroid? Just awesome
 
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It's among my favorites ever.

But I do think there's quite a big difference between some of my favorites say Hollow Knight and Ori and a game like Metroid Dread - they belong in the same genre but gameplay is different by quite a bit.

Like comparing Quake to Counter Strike. Both are first person multiplayer shooters but they are very different at it's core.
 
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It's a very different game, with different goals from the games that are usually mentioned (Ori, HK, etc.). It's an apple vs orange comparison most of the time.
However are some 'metroidvanias' like Axiom Verge that are similar and I'll say Dread is outstanding among those.
 
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It definitely stands out as being one of the best modern examples of the genre but as other have pointed out, it's also very different from most of the other well-known games. So it's a bit apples and oranges and comes down to what you want out of the genre.

Like Hollow Knight has more of a combat-focus with elements pulled from Dark Souls, Bloodstained is a classic IGAvania with similarities to the Sorrow games, Ori has the reliance on escape sequences etc.

Personally, I enjoyed it more than Bloodstained and both Ori games, maybe on a par with Hollow Knight.
 
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It's much better than pretty much any other indievania i played. And I went through all of the big ones.
 
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I have personally enjoyed it more than any other recent Metroidvania except Hollow Knight, which is probably my favourite one ever. Definitely haven’t played any that feel as fun and easy to control.
 
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I played alot of metroidvanias and indie ones, it's at the very top for sure. It plays so smoothly and fast paced it's perfect gameplay.
 
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I wasn't sure if I'd ever play a Metroidvania with movement as smooth as Ori but this is it. Plus the exploration and combat is much, much better than Ori.
 
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It does such a good job invoking the spirit of the originals while building on them that it manages to remind you why hardly any of the games considered “metroidvanias” are actually similar beyond the level progression.
 
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I don't think it quite reaches Hollow Knight for me, just because HK is laser focused on being the perfect game for me, but it's up there alongside my favorites of the genre and I feel once it has aged some people might feel comfortable calling it the best Metroid game. I certainly am very impressed with it; the mobility and combat design are to dream for.

Having played all the other Metroid games in preparation, I specially appreciate how the Dread bosses are anything but missile sponges like every other game's.
 
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I don't think it quite reaches the highs of Hollow Knight, but it is still one of the best I have played.
 
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It's the best out of all of them.

I would actually say it's the best Metroidvania of all time.

The kind of circular level design in Metroid Dread is absurdly brilliant, and it fixes one of the genres biggest problems. Backtracking can kind of suck.

But Metroid Dread, is constantly pushing you through old areas, by simply sending you forward to the level design. That way, you get that power trip feel of getting stronger and being able to collect items you previously haven't, and at the same time not having to retrace your steps. It's really brilliant what they were able to accomplish.
 
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It's my favourite probably. Though to be fair I haven't played too many others but from the ones I have played it's clear at the top.
 
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I didn’t finish it yet but I think Metroid was always clearly on top due to better understanding the appeal of the genre. It has the most memorable power ups, the better level and encounter design, the better world design. I don’t think the Castlevania games were ever in the conversation, the rooms’ level design was much less involving and the games didn’t really use that much the whole aspect of getting new abilities to access new areas and improve your movement options. They were closer to action RPGs.

As for contemporary games, I think Hollow Knight is a great game and it was my definite second place after Super. I’m not sure whether it’s better than Dread or not. I really liked how Hollow Knight gave you multiple routes to progress, you could really feel lost in that game. However, Dread has better moment-to-moment gameplay and it really highlights HK’s flaws. In that game the power ups aren’t really the most memorable, your character looks very similar whether it’s in the start or the end of this 50 hour game. On top of that a lot of useful “utility” abilities are locked to badges, so you would end up never using them. Stuff like the map indicator, coin magnet and even the moving while you heal shouldn’t be taking badge slots. Even then, both games are pretty top notch at what they do, they have different design philosophies though. One is basically a 2D Dark Souls and the other is a new Metroid game that implements multiple aspects of past games in the series while noticeably improving on the action part of the gameplay.

As for other modern Metroidvanias, I’m missing a few (haven’t played Ori, Blasphemous, etc yet) but Dread is clearly on a different league than what I played. Dead Cells is an action roguelike, I don’t think the first few runs when you collect all runes are comparable to actual Metroidvanias. Steamworld Dig 2 is decent and one of the rare indies that actually leans closer to the Metroid side over the Vania side due to its power-ups and level design. However, it’s still essentially a souped-up version of the Flash game Motherload. It’s good but I would rather play any Metroid game over it. The third Shantae game is apparently considered a Metroidvania but I think those games are closer to sidescrolling Zelda. They might have took Metroid’s map for that one but it’s still a collection of isolated areas ending in a dungeon. I guess it can be good gaming confort food if you really miss those genres but it really doesn’t do anything that Metroid (or Zelda) didn’t already do in a better way
 
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The only recent metroidvania I think that's anywhere close to being as good as metroid dread is ori and the will of wisp. All others pale in comparison to dread imo
 
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I liked hollow Knight, Ori 2, dead cells, Ori 1 quite a bit
Bounced off of axiom verge
Metroid dread is such a tight fun package. I really appreciate the length of the game, did not overstay it's welcome, pacing was good. Of all the recent metroidvanias, I'm most likely to replay dread
 
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Hollow Knight is still the king, but it's a bit of an unfair comparison because part of what makes Hollow Knight the king is its ridiculous amount of content -- The expansive world that you can take many different routes through, with dozens of bosses, is something no other Metroidvania stacks up against. It is honestly insane what a small indie team pulled off (and that no one else, even major publishers, seemingly can match).

That said, I do think Dread is the best right after that. Its movement is just so fast and fluid, the combat tight, its world fun to explore, and as people are quickly discovering -- there are plenty of ways through the game other than the most obvious "intended" path.

Most Metroidvanias miss delivering this type of "full package". They each have different areas of focus like great combat but poor exploration, or vice versa.

Ori, for example, is great visually and the movement and game feel is fantastic... But it's rather terrible at being a Metroidvania due to its linearity and little combat depth.

TL;DR:

Hollow Knight >>>>> Metroid Dread >> Everything else
 
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I'd put in on par or a little below the peak of the modern genre (which for me would be Ori WoTW and Hollow Knight)
 
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Dread mostly sticks to the gameplay design of Super Metroid and isn't over indulgent in how long it is, which makes it much much much better than most of the meandering indie games like Guacamelee or Hollow Knight. I'm not really a fan of indie metroidvania at all though, I've never played one that isn't a worse version of the game they're copying.
 
Metroid Dread compares well with other modern games in the exploratory action genre (Hollow Knight, Ori, Salt & Sanctuary, Iconoclasts). It guides the player well but subtly.
 
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I like dread, hollow knight, ori equally as much for different reasons

Hollow knight for all the exploration and optional things you can find

Ori for the set pieces and music

Metroid for samus abilities, lore, story
 
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Metroid is simply the best. No other metroidvania does what dread does. Dread is simply a delight to play. It just feels so good.
 
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Aurc said:
I didn't enjoy Hollow Knight, and that little white blob you play as in that game is nowhere near as fluid, fast, powerful, or fun to control as Samus is in Dread. There's simply no replacement for the queen herself.
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I couldn't stand Hollow Knight and actually thought Steamworld Dig 2 was a far superior Metroidvania experience.

Metroid Dread is at the very top for me.
 
I think it's by far the most fun to play on a mechanical level. Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge 2 have more detailed and interesting worlds to explore but they just aren't nearly as fun to efficiently move through. Plus it's not like Dread's world is bad (far from it), it's just that those two games I mentioned were particularly phenomenal in that aspect while suffering in some others (bland movement in Hollow Knight, poor combat in Axiom Verge 2).

I think of all the modern (post-2010) Metroidvanias I've finished, this is how I would rank them:

Hollow Knight
Metroid Dread
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
Axiom Verge 2
AM2R
La-Mulana (remake)
Axiom Verge
Metroid: Samus Returns
Ori and the Blind Forest
Guacamelee
Strider

There's some others too like the Blaster Master Zero games and Iconoclasts that I've played that "technically" count as Metroidvanias but I didn't include them because the Metroidvania elements are pretty shallow compared to the games listed above.
 
steviestar said:
There's some others too like the Blaster Master Zero games and Iconoclasts that I've played that "technically" count as Metroidvanias but I didn't include them because the Metroidvania elements are pretty shallow compared to the games listed above.
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This is a bit of an aside, but if you've not yet played Astalon: Tears of the Earth, I highly recommend it. It's a fantastic metroidvania that mixes La Mulana and Castlevania. Very breezy and plays really well. Environmental Station Alpha is also quite good. I think both are worth the money and time if you've got access to them.
 
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Ok, I am going to attempt to do the impossible. I'm going to compare Metroid Dread with Hollow Knight. Please bear with me as I navigate these frightening and uncharted waters.

Controlling Samus in Dread feels fantastic and it is a joy to navigate ZDR when you have a bunch of her mobilty options unlocked. Her movement is quick and snappy and it just feels good. Dread also has great combat encounters, aided by the movement. Metroid has never really had the most exciting combat, and I think a large amount of effort was put into fixing this with Dread. And I think that MercurySteam succeeded with flying colors in this regard.

However, I do not think that the sense of exploration and discovery is as strong in Dread. This is where Hollow Knight really shines. The entire world in HK feels like one gigantic puzzle box just waiting to be solved. There are a bunch of optional areas and secret items to find that truly feel off the beaten path. The game asks you to pay very close attention to your surroundings, and rewards you greatly for doing so. Even getting the true ending requires you to pay attention to the world and apply what you know on a macro level.

A lot of people complain that Hollow Knight is too long and bloated and I get where these complaints come from. But I think HK is a game that builds up beautifully. I said before that I consider the world of HK to be a giant puzzle box, and I think each new area and item you find is a new piece to consider. This keeps building and building until eventually you see just how massive the scope of the world is. This was an incredible moment for me in and of itself and it is something that I had never really experienced in a Metroidvania before. And then you have to work to put all of the pieces in this massive puzzle together to uncover the true ending. The process of going through this, of working out how to actually beat the game by considering what I knew of the world and how all of the pieces fit into place, was an unforgettable experience for me. And I just didn't really get that feeling much when I played Dread. Dread made me feel like an extremely powerful space warrior, not like an explorer.

So, I think HK tops Dread when it comes to it's sense of exploration and discovery. But, the thing is...Hollow Knight also has incredible combat.



The combat in HK is also really fast-paced and dynamic. You are often scrambling to dodge attacks while also looking for openings to strike back. The fights can be really exciting and really challenging as well. And you can also approach them with different Charm builds to mix things up if you are struggling with a particular fight. I really don't know which game has better combat, but I'm leaning towards HK due to its Charm system and its sheer number of boss battles.

So I think it really depends on what you value more in your games. I really value exploration and the feeling of uncovering mysteries, so Hollow Knight is a game that is pretty much tailor made for me.

Dread and Hollow Knight are both fantastic games. I cannot stress this enough. I am a lifelong Metroid fan, and I am simply overjoyed with how well Dread turned out. But, to me, Hollow Knight is a more complete package with its great exploration and combat.
 
Dread is just a quintessential Metroidvania, I’m sure when I get around to finishing HK I’ll love it, but not because it’s a great Metroidvania (satisfying pacing and progression)
 
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steviestar said:
I think it's by far the most fun to play on a mechanical level. Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge 2 have more detailed and interesting worlds to explore but they just aren't nearly as fun to efficiently move through. Plus it's not like Dread's world is bad (far from it), it's just that those two games I mentioned were particularly phenomenal in that aspect while suffering in some others (bland movement in Hollow Knight, poor combat in Axiom Verge 2).

I think of all the modern (post-2010) Metroidvanias I've finished, this is how I would rank them:

Hollow Knight
Metroid Dread
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
Axiom Verge 2
AM2R
La-Mulana (remake)
Axiom Verge
Metroid: Samus Returns
Ori and the Blind Forest
Guacamelee
Strider

There's some others too like the Blaster Master Zero games and Iconoclasts that I've played that "technically" count as Metroidvanias but I didn't include them because the Metroidvania elements are pretty shallow compared to the games listed above.
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You should definitely check out Steamworld Dig 2. It's fantastic.
 
It’s in the same tier as Hollow Knight or Ori 2. There might be people who prefer those over this (or those who prefer this over those), but that’s because each offers such a different take on the format. Ultimately they’re all three really high quality games that are at the top of the genre.
 
I haven’t played all that many - *just hollow knight and Ori 2 (if that counts)? Hollow Knight had me obsessed for a bit, but I bounced off hard at around 15 hours. Ori 2 was outstanding all the way to 100%, and I wasn’t optimistic that Dread would click as well as that game.

I was very much proven wrong, and Dread is every bit as good, probably better, than either of the above games for me.

*Edit: I also tried Bloodstained and didn’t enjoy it at all.
 
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I'm still in the middle of Dread, but it's really really REALLY good so far. Like, legit impressed how well designed and fun it is, even compared to older games in the series.

I don't think it'll beat Hollow Knight for me (because I adore that game and love it's aesthetic and lore so much), but Dread has a strong possibility of being up there for me. I think so far I dig it more than Bloodstained and Ori (both games which I enjoyed a whole bunch). Still wanna get through Axiom Verge when I get the chance.
 
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It's hard to compare Dread to indies like HK and Ori because each game offers different experiences. It's really dependent on what type of experience you prefer.
 
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Kreese said:
Metroid is much more polished experienced.

Those are indies games. It's not fair to compare them to a reasonably budgeted Nintendo game who started the trend they're aping decades ago.
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I don't get this. I play loads of Indies that feel plenty polished to me. So many big titles are released utterly broken nowadays (Cyberpunk). Even in the case of Dread, I read Nintendo had to fix a game breaking bug at the end of the game.
 
It's a fantastic game and up there with the best of the genre. I think Hollow Knight stands at the top, but Metroid Dread fits comfortably into my list of runner-ups like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, The Messenger, and Ender Lilies.

I think the most impressive thing about Dread is that they managed to bring a lot of that classic Metroid feel forward but update Samus's controls and movesets in a major way that brings it to parity with a lot of the best modern examples of the genre. I was a bit unsure how well they'd be able to capture a lot of that feeling while making Samus feel so powerful and fast, but it turned out to be a non-issue and Metroid Dread is both a fantastic Metroid game as well as controlling incredibly well (possibly the best of the best). It helps that the threats this time around are simply stronger and more intimidating than they've ever been.

My only slight nitpick with Metroid Dread is that I found it a little bit overwhelming sometimes to navigate the map and search every corner for powerups. I think one thing I wasn't used to were the EMMI zones. There are a lot of corridors and rooms in these sections where there just really isn't anything there, and I spent a lot of time combing back through these sections keeping my eyes peeled but coming up empty. These sections serve a purpose of course - I think they designed the EMMI sections this way just to give the players enough pathways and options to juke the EMMIs chasing you in those zones, but while going for powerups and clearing out the maps I was never very excited to comb over an EMMI section. It's a minor nitpick and not even really a flaw so much as a different objective in designing the maps than I'm used to in a lot of Metroidvania games I suppose. And of course the flashing sections on the map to indicate hidden items helped a bit.

But yeah it's great and up there with the best. If I were to slap numbers on these things, HK is a 10/10 for me. Those others I mentioned are 9's. I love them all and I'm very happy Metroid Dread lived up to the hype I had for it.
 
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bixente said:
I don't get this. I play loads of Indies that feel plenty polished to me. So many big titles are released utterly broken nowadays (Cyberpunk). Even in the case of Dread, I read Nintendo had to fix a game breaking bug at the end of the game.
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You realize you're talking about one bug... that's being fixed right?

There are no indie sidescrollers in existence that feel as quality as Dread. Actually Dread has about the best controls of any 2D game I've ever played. It's really only rivalled by the best Mario games but those are much more simplistic.
 
Kreese said:
You realize you're talking about one bug... that's being fixed right?

There are no indie sidescrollers in existence that feel as quality as Dread. Actually Dread has about the best controls of any 2D game I've ever played. It's really only rivalled by the best Mario games but those are much more simplistic.
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That plus it's not even a game breaking bug lol, your game just shuts down, all you have to do is remove the marker and things are good to go again
 
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