Quick Links
Sensor-Lock Doors in Metroid Dread are one of the earliest-encountered obstacles in the game. They may inadvertently trick gamers into thinking that one can slide-dash through them or perform some other physical feat to cross their threshold, however, this is not the case.
As with many doors in Metroid Dread, players will need to open Sensor-Lock Doors with a specific upgrade. Sensor-Lock Doors on the map look like vertical rectangles with blue spots in the middle that are next to blue dotted outlines. So, if one encounters Sensor-Lock Doors before being able to open them: don't worry, this is not being stuck! Just head over to Ataria to take down the boss holding the needed upgrade--the Phantom Cloak.
How To Get The Phantom Cloak & What It Does
In Ataria, players will need to defeat Corpius--a huge and aggressive alien that can turn invisible. After taking the boss down, players will be granted the Phantom Cloak upgrade, which, as one would expect, lets Samus turn mostly invisible. Following this power acquisition, players will have quite a few more paths opened for them.
The game's dialogue, as well as one's gamer instincts, will point toward the Phantom Cloak mostly being used to avoid detection by enemies, particularly the immensely deadly E.M.M.I robots that cannot usually be defeated by combat (unless players collect the Omega powers from Central Units). However, the most commonly used function will be to get past the relatively common Sensor-Lock Doors on Planet ZDR.
How To Get Past Sensor-Lock Doors With The Phantom Cloak
Without the game telling the player much, it should be somewhat straightforward to realize that Sensor-Lock Doors automatically shut when they detect the player's presence. What will happen when this occurs is that the normal light blue lights on the door, as well as in front of it, will turn red, indicating that the door is now locked.
To pass through a Sensor-Lock Door without triggering its automatic locking mechanism, players will have to use the Phantom Cloak to turn invisible before approaching the door and while going through it. This will allow players to proceed without issue as long as they keep the Phantom Cloak active until they traverse the threshold into the next screen.
It's important to note that standing too close to a Sensor-Lock Door (in front of any of its lights) will make it impossible to open, even if players use the Phantom Cloak. Samus must be invisible prior to entering the Sensor-Lock Door's monitoring zone in order for it to stay open. With that said, after players become familiar with this mechanic, it will be a hard one to forget.
Metroid Dread is available on the Nintendo Switch.