A massive surge in quality compared to Metroid Fusion and Samus Returns. Dread finds a great middle ground between exploration, cinematics and objectives. The first hours feel restrictive but the well designed, secret filled map opens up and feels like a joy to explore. This is in part to the sublime controls. Samus feels amazing to control with the right response, weight and momentum. The game provides good, challenging difficulty with plenty of checkpoints to keep the frustration in check. Fortunately, the games progression to turn you into a unstoppable badass at the end is paced amazingly. Dread also has the best boss battles in the series history.

Its not perfect though, the EMMI robots, while providing a horror experience, can be frustrating with their one hit kills. Mini bosses repeat too often at the end. The grappling hook straight up sucks, but fortunately you barely use it in game.

Metroid Dread is the best game in the series since 2007's Corruption. A straight up classic and a must have on a Switch library.