Metroid Dread comes to Nintendo Switch this October after over a decade of troubled development, bringing fans the conclusion to Metroid's five-game core story arc. It sees bounty hunter Samus Aran investigate a mysterious Galactic Federation transmission coming from Planet ZDR, meaning she'll have to navigate a brand-new environment while contending with the vicious E.M.M.I.; corrupted Federation robots meant to collect and research DNA that can attack Samus at a moment's notice. This premise lends to a growing focus on stealth in 2D Metroid games over the years, and the nigh-unkillable threats no doubt contribute to the game's subhead.
If the E.M.M.I. catch Samus, Nintendo has revealed it will be an immediate death and game over. Samus can stun her pursuers with well-timed melee attacks, and eventually she can utilize temporary Omega weapons to defeat the E.M.M.I. However, her best option more often than not is sneaking around the shadows to avoid their gaze. This clearly builds upon the similar SA-X encounters from Metroid Fusion, but developer MercurySteam has a tall order trying to live up to that iconic threat.
The SA-X vs. The E.M.M.I.
Following the destruction of Zebes and death of the baby Metroid in Super Metroid, Fusion turns its focus to the X-Parasite: an organism indigenous to SR388 considered such a galactic threat that the ancient Chozo originally created the Metroid species to be its natural predator. Samus is infected by the X, and the entire game that follows takes place aboard the Biologic Space Laboratories (BSL) research station orbiting SR388 after it becomes overrun with X.
What makes the parasite so dangerous is it can assimilate and mimic any host, gaining its inherent traits in the process - including some degree of sentience. The Core-X that infected Samus' Power Suit at the beginning of the game becomes a being AI Adam Malkovich calls SA-X, leading to multiple instances in which a depowered Samus must hide or run away from a version of herself with dead, white eyes. This kind of stealth appears again as Zero Suit Samus hides from Space Pirates in Zero Mission's Chozo Ruins, but what makes SA-X an imposing threat beyond its appearance is that it keeps most of Samus' typical upgrades. If the protagonist gets caught, she is vulnerable to hits from SA-X's ice beam as it blows through obstacles.
Toward the end of Fusion, Samus discovers SA-X attempting to destroy a Metroid breeding project on BSL, and eventually the parasite helps her defeat the Omega Metroid blocking her escape. However, SA-X is imposing and creates a tense atmosphere right to the end, becoming a fleshy beast straight out of John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) after Samus is finally able to stack up to its mimicked combat prowess during their final bout. While Metroid Dread's E.M.M.I. will retain or even improve upon the tense stealth gameplay of Fusion, it's unclear how well they'll live up to the psychological threat of the SA-X.
The idea of a rogue, uncaring robotic force is itself terrifying to consider. Unlike SA-X, which seemingly had its own agenda beyond killing Samus, the cold and clinical E.M.M.I. are theoretically driven by one goal with no room to compromise. The design of these machines also channel some body horror elements, with Metroid Dread's reveal trailer showing them contort into inhuman postures in order to chase Samus - not unlike Regan spider walking in The Exorcist (1973).
Yet encountering an unstoppable, evil version of oneself is also prime horror material; an idea revisited with Dark Samus in the Metroid Prime trilogy. SA-X was essentially invincible until late into Fusion, but based on what Nintendo has revealed thus far it seems the E.M.M.I. will be a more common enemy that has some weaknesses. If Metroid Dread players can get skilled enough to negate every encounter with the E.M.M.I. using well-timed blocks and super-charged weapons, the developer needs to ensure the robots keep the sense of dread cranked up high like with SA-X in other ways.
Metroid Dread is currently slated to release on October 8, 2021 for Nintendo Switch.