Metroid fans have been waiting a proper 19 years for a new fresh installment in the game series and the day of reckoning has finally come. Yoshio Sakamoto, the creator of the Metroid franchise and head of the game’s development team, says the wait took so long as, “The technology didn’t match the vision.” Well, after thoroughly playing the game myself, I can confirm that “Dread” was definitely worth the wait.

In “Dread,” a main mechanic is the world exploration akin to a labyrinth the main player character, Samus, must do while on her visit to planet ZDR. While playing, the player will soon find “Metroid: Dread” manages to nail the exploration aspect of the game by providing the player with the perfect amount of information to fuel your curiosity, while not giving away what is in the next room. The game is split into different “sections” each with their own feel. For example, one area of the map is comprised of a vast expansive temple-like complex that makes the player feel like they have just been transported to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Meanwhile, another area of the map gives off a CyberTech vibe with lots of grey pipes, whirring machinery, and cramped architecture radiating a vastly different feel than the previously described gardens. This keeps the game feeling fresh and exempts the game from ever getting dull on the eyes.

What about the namesake of the game, dread? Sakamoto is quoted with saying he wanted to explore “fear-based gameplay” in this installment and he delivered fully. During gameplay, the player is relentlessly hunted by robots known as EMMI. They constantly drill a sense of fear in the player as at any moment an invincible death-bot could start dashing across the screen. Samus gains tools throughout the game to aid in the encounters, including dashes, grapple hooks, special jumps, and many stealth mechanics to avoid the robots entirely. If you do get caught, you are met with a skill check where failure results in a game-over. Succeeding though, the EMMI is successfully warded. This all combines to create a mechanic that successfully implements “fear-based gameplay” while still keeping the game feeling fair. Every death feels like the player needs to improve rather than giving the impression the game needs to tone down the difficulty.

The story of the game manages to keep the player craving for more while not giving away too much detail as to detract from the mysterious feel of planet ZDR. The game starts off right where “Metroid Fusion (2002)” left off, with Samus destroying the parasites X. She soon gets a transmission informing her that more of the parasites remain on Planet ZDR and her allegiance, the Galactic Federation, sends EMMI robots to deal with the threat. Soon, the units seem to stop responding and Samus must swoop in to destroy the X parasite herself once and for all. The player must delve deep into the planet and uncover the enigma that surrounds planet ZDR. The game manages to pace the story really well throughout the 15-hour experience and sprinkles in 10 boss encounters that all took a couple tries to take down.

“Metroid: Dread” manages to satisfy the Metroid itch fans have been having for the past 19 years in a neat 15-hour package that delivers on all the mechanics the games are known for, while throwing in a new threat to constantly keep you on your toes. The game earns a 9/10 rating, only missing on the accessibility front. The player might not always want to feel a hovering sense of anxiety while gaming, but when they do, “Metroid: Dread” manages to capture the feeling perfectly.