According to many fans, Nintendo's surprise announcement of the year would most likely be pointed towards Metroid Dread. It was a game that was long rumored before it was revealed at E3 2021, becoming a name that signaled Samus Aran's imminent arrival on the Switch. As the game approaches its Fall 2021 release, Nintendo has been steadily providing fans with information through its "Metroid Dread Reports" series of posts on its website. The most recent report provides a brief teaser concerning the "Dread" aspect of the game's title.
The report chronicles the history and timeline of the Metroid series, starting with the first game on the NES and capping off with Metroid Fusion on the GBA. As Metroid Dread concludes the current saga of the series, these games all seem to have important ties in Dread. Special attention was given to the Chozo Memories, a series of images that depicted the Chozo civilization that inhabited SR388, the planet that Samus explores in Metroid: Samus Returns. In the teaser, there was a brief showcase that something similar would also be implemented.
The teaser starts with intense and atmospheric imagery and sound design. The song gives off vibes that come straight out of an Alien movie as Samus departs her ship, walks through the rain, and goes up a dark elevator shaft. Samus is also seen sporting a brand new starting suit, indicating the possibility that the blue-tinged armor will be an upgrade, much like the other Power Suits in the Metroid series. Some brief clips were also shown, with the imagery of the Chozo statues and artwork.
More surprisingly, fans were given the first full look at one of the highly anticipated elements that Metroid Dread teased when it was first revealed. The inclusion of a living member of the Chozo civilization. As the Chozo are already extinct by the start of the series, having one member playing an active role in the story was a huge shock and a hyped inclusion. The teaser then showed off clips of some of the Chozo memories that will be included in this entry, looking to expand the lore along with how these sequences will tie into the overall narrative of Dread.
The final scene of the teaser showed off a very quick flashback sequence that ties Metroid Dread back into Metroid Fusion. This includes beautiful remade stills of the introduction of the X-Parasite to a tense screenshot of the SA-X that eagle-eyed viewers were able to spot.
After the flashback, the teaser ends with a shot of Samus preparing some sort of dark energy within her hand, which either indicates a new Aeion ability or a darker force at play during her exploration of ZDR.
Metroid Dread launches October 8, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.