I got Super Metroid some time in middle school, I think, which would mean that I first played it over 20 years ago. So, there are some aspects of it that are kind of hard-wired into me.
Metroid games are all about exploration - you don't know explicitly where you're supposed to go, but usually if you use your latest ability, it'll take you in the right direction.
Metroid Dread has a lot of moments where you won't be able to backtrack just yet, though the promise is always that some new upgrade will allow you not only to go forward, but also backward.
I've now beaten three unique boss encounters (the second of which is Kraid, which was probably the toughest though it got a lot easier when I figured out the right priorities in terms of dodging and shooting). Additionally, I've faced two special mini-bosses, the first of which abruptly interrupts what feels like the main lore-dump cutscene in the middle of the game (I don't know how far I am in it, but it felt like a good midpoint shift.)
I've got to say that while there are a couple things that can be awkward, like the number of shoulder buttons needed to press while aiming the grappling beam, the controls here are a huge step up from Super Metroid, which was obviously limited by the hardware of the time. Wall-jumping, which I always struggled with in Super Metroid, is a breeze in this one, to the extent that I don't think it's really a "hidden technique" as much as something they expect you to use to get around. Also, while having to hold down R to shoot missiles can be a bit of a strain, it's way less awkward than toggling through what amounts to a menu you need to use in real-time.
While its look is far more modern, of course (though I have a profound nostalgia for 16-bit sprites,) the overall feel and rhythm of the game is very reminiscent of Super Metroid (which is the only other 2D Metroid I've played, apart from a few abortive attempts to try the original.)
ZDR is also, I'd wager, larger than Zebes was in Super Metroid. However, purists might be disappointed that the various regions (of which there are several) don't fit together quite as jigsaw-like as Crateria, Brinstar, Norfair, the Wrecked Ship, Maridia, and Tourian did. The areas are spread out.
Also, while some previews might have seemed to imply that the teleporters found around ZDR are a kind of "fast-travel," in truth they're just another alternative to the elevators and trains, taking you from one point in one region to another specific point in another. Getting across this world is going to require you to really plot a course.
The EMMI encounters are... fine. I think you hit more of them early in the game, and it does serve to change up the gameplay a little. To defeat an EMMI, you need to find the Central Core or whatever it's called in its EMMI zone, which is a floating Mother Brain-like thing, with the familiar turrets and "Rinkas." Once the brain is defeated, you get its power and can blow away the EMMI, which usually comes for you immediately. You just have to find a straightaway so that you can use the rapid-fire mode to blow off its face shield and then probably slip under it while it's momentarily stunned and head to the other side of the platform so you have enough time to charge the big blast. The EMMIs are less bosses than a kind of difficult trick you need to pull off periodically over the course of the game. Each one gives you an ability that corresponds to one of their abilities.
So far my favorite new ability is the Aeon Flash, which lets you blink up to three times across the map. This proved invaluable when facing down the robot-Chozo minibosses (are they technically Torizo?) However, most of the stuff you're going to get will be familiar. I can't promise these are in order, but I've gotten the Charge Beam, Spider Grip, Aeon Cloak, Varia Suit, Morph Ball, Bomb, Wide Beam, Grappling Beam, Speed Booster, and the Super Missile. I was actually a bit surprised that I beat the third major unique boss and didn't get an item from them, having to beat another mini-boss before getting the Super Missiles.
On bosses (except Kraid, I think) there's often an ability that allows you to counter-attack, which lets you get a lot of free hits in. When this happens, it looks like a cutscene, but you can still fire weapons, so don't be a dingus like me and shoot the normal beam weapon (which doesn't tend to harm bosses.)
Anyway, you can probably tell I'm enjoying the game.
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