Metroid: Samus Returns — Dreadful Anticipation
Recent Revisiting
Picture it: Eastern Connecticut. 2018. I was (amicably) divorced, had just started a new job, was hundreds of miles away from anyone I knew, and wasn’t close with my Workplace Proximity Associates. In my divorce, my partner and I agreed to split the gaming systems, so I squirreled away some money over the summer to buy everything I needed to get my own consoles: an Xbox One, a Nintendo Switch, and a Nintendo 2DS, plus games for the Nintendo items. Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D Land, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild AND A Link Between Worlds, WarioWare Gold…and holy schnikes, when did they release a new Metroid game? Samus Returns? Is that a remake of OH YES IT IS. Throw that in the cart, hobble up to checkout.
Anyway, the Cliffnotes version is that one day, I spent a glorious $1000+ dollars to get my gaming setup where I wanted it, and I spent the time immediately after getting home just hucking everything to the side so I could rip open the 2DS and jam Metroid: Samus Returns straight into my brain.
And to address the chronological elephant in the room: yes, I know Samus Returns was released in 2017. Yes, I know I didn’t realize it existed until the following year. Yes, 2017 up to and into 2018 was a difficult period of time, of course I wasn’t keeping up with gaming news and releases, things were weird thank you for asking.
Aside from the game, I remember I had to take breaks to keep my hands from cramping and spasming (these old mitts can’t hold a handheld like they used to). Other than that minor setback, I was enthralled. This was the Zero Mission to my attempts at Metroid II, the realization of what I always wanted from this chapter in the Metroid chronology. Samus Returns was a blend of exploration with combat. Patterns and reflex. Story beats with familiar atmosphere. The old game and the new design that I was looking for. And, blessed be the designers, I had a map. For as recent as I played it, I can remember the most important element: I enjoyed it.
Like many games, Samus Returns was one that I played once, enjoyed, completed, and set it back on the shelf. Every so often, I’d look at it wistfully, sigh, and remember the carpal tunnel onset I endured to dive through SR388 in (comparably) high definition…but mostly how much I appreciated the modern game elements being pumped into an old classic. I remembered how (at that point) I finally got to enjoy Metroid II properly. And now, because of my own self-imposed assignments and deadlines, I get to enjoy it again! Hopefully. Hopefully?
Back, Better, and Bigger Than Ever
The interesting thing about Samus Returns in my case is having played its source material (Metroid II: Return of Samus) so recently. In a lot of ways, that recent experience colored how I perceived Samus Returns, both for (overwhelmingly) good and (minor and easy to overlook) bad.
First, the map. There is a map. It is glorious, and it occupies the entire bottom screen at all times. Samus Returns leans into the modern Nintendo design philosophy of “map pins,” allowing players to drop pins on their map to revisit areas at a later time. Next to the (comparatively) blind stumbling I did in Metroid II, having a constant reference was a welcome change of pace, especially with as twisting and labyrinthine the caverns of SR388 have become this console generation.
On the flipside, though, the map, wonderful as it is, can feel bloated with information. Which of these paths actually leads to a path, and not a ceiling? Where can I find the next Metroid to progress to the next area? At its weakest point, the map can be unclear on certain progress-specific elements: if a door is locked from one side, if it needs a special beam OR missile, or just being unable to tell because another station adjacent to the door. Where Metroid II suffered from a lack of direction, Samus Returns suffers from an overwhelming abundance of information. Nothing a quick look at a detailed walkthrough map can’t alleviate for the inundated player, but a minor nitpick all the same.
The Metroid counter from the original game returns, now equipped with a proximity sensor, a la the motion detector from Alien. Where the Xenomorph shows up as an ominous dot with an increasing pitch, the Metroids manifest as a pulsing beep, growing more and more rapid the closer Samus gets to their lair. It’s a small change on an existing mechanic that brings a new sense of anticipation (both excitement and dread) to the hunt.
And speaking of beeping, they managed to translate that progressive low-energy beeping I loved (and feared) so much in the original! Little things, I tell you.
The soundtrack, just like its predecessor, bops between geographic tracks and thematic tracks. Each area has its own theme, along with a separate (but familiar) theme for the dangerously hot areas, plus different tracks for the Metroid battles, plus certain plot points having their own theme. It treads a lot of similar ground, but the soundtrack feels more “inspired by” than a simple remix of the soundtrack. Even a returning player like me would have to stop and concentrate to hear the source material in the new soundtrack, from the familiar surface theme to the ending return to the surface.
Elements of the original soundtrack carry into this new soundtrack. Old music from other titles make thematically-appropriate returns. Sprinkle in entirely new themes for newly-expanded on areas, various combat sequences, and more, and Samus Returns is carried by its soundtrack from beginning to end, no matter how familiar with the source and series material you are.
The only element of the soundtrack that was lacking for me was the previously-mentioned hot areas, using a tried-and-true remix of Super Metroid’s Ridley Area theme. The theme itself was fine, but what grated me was that it would lunge in and overpower the previously-atmospheric soundtrack, and just as quickly cut out when players exited the region. It was jarring more than it was thematic. Not only that, the track negated the Metroids’ more nervewracking battle music. In truth, the lack of their combat music actually made them feel less threatening, even as bombastic as the hot area track is. Aside from that, though, Samus Returns nails the musical aspect of the experience, while still paying tribute to its source material.
Samus Returns holds to what made its predecessor so effective from a gameplay side: a true sense of progress. Players will complete an area (collecting upgrades, defeating Metroids), move back to the central route, journey to a new area, and repeat. There is no backtracking necessary; once players descend to a new area, they need never return. No required upgrades hinge on players retreading old routes, maintaining the forward momentum this particular mission calls for.
While the game encourages momentum and progress by design, it is still sprawling. As cavernous as Metroid II felt without an in-game map, Samus Returns is sprawling, and the proof is in the map. Individual area maps are massive, their routes circuitous and twisting, but everything begins to fall into place and connect as upgrades are gained and new paths are kicked down.
Samus Returns borrows from other titles in the series, too, not just its source material. First, as much as it pains me to admit, it borrows from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, specifically with the grapple mechanics. The original Metroid II didn’t have a grapple beam, but Samus Returns uses it both as the familiar tool players know, and as a combat weapon. Corruption relied on it primarily to remove enemy shields, but Samus Returns uses it as an equalizer: when given the right opportunity, players can yank certain enemies down to ground level, stunning them and leaving them vulnerable to more damage. It was nice to see a tool given some versatility, and not just for the sake of routine gimmick.
Next, Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes lend the nemesis/rival to Samus Returns. Now, the recurring rival may not be as thematically or narratively rich as the SA-X or Dark Samus, nor as frequent, but it’s entertaining to have them crop up every so often to cause a bit of havoc.
Most surprisingly was how much it pulls from Metroid: Other M. Samus Returns feels more action-oriented than Metroid adventures before (more on that later), leaning into combat mechanics and reflex over clever workarounds and strategy. Other M’s checkpoints pop up again, although Samus Returns doesn’t recharge any health, nor do the checkpoints happen as frequently. As a result, Samus Returns is able to blend short-term skirmishes with long-term survival, moreso than Other M did in its experience. Samus is now equipped with a Melee Counter move, like a more offensive SenseMove maneuver; whack enemies when they lunge, stun them, and unload on them. And while those Melee Counters can be advantageous from a gameplay-perspective, and cool to look at the first few times, they can start to grow routine before so long. Other M moved at such a blinding pace that it was harder to get caught up on those recycled assets.
Amidst all the inspiration and borrowing from other titles, Samus Returns still manages to try and carve out new elements to be all its own.
First is how combative the title is, especially compared to the series’ more primarily explorative titles. Even next to Other M, how Samus Returns tackles the increased emphasis on combat feels different. Where Other M leans on movement and momentum, Samus Returns relies on both overwhelming force and patient, reflexive defense. At the start of each area, the experience feels streamlined and combat-oriented, concentrating on surviving, progressing, and getting what Samus needs to make that easier. As areas open up, the familiar exploratory roots begin to take hold. The whole way through, the cycle repeats with each new area, scaling to Samus’s power levels. No matter how upgraded I was, I never felt like I was just going through a cakewalk; it’s always a challenge, always a threat, up to (and including) the proper end of the game.
Secondly, there are Teleportation Stations. Not elevators, but Teleporters. Players can jump into one and, as long as they’ve gotten close to another Station in their adventure, can bounce to another side of their current Area, or into a completely different area, no need to backtrack by foot. For the more exploratory and completion-minded players, it makes the endgame expansion-hunt far more palatable. For the more progress-driven players, they can defeat an area’s last Metroid, hop into a teleporter, and (more often than not) get much closer to the main path than they would be able to by foot. It might detract from the full exploratory elements of Metroid, but sometimes, you really just want to go.
Lastly, Samus Returns introduces Aeion Powers: a set of four previously-unseen powers to augment Samus’s arsenal, augmenting (for a cost) her offensive and defensive capabilities, movement speed, and investigative intake. In some small parts, they are necessary for progress, but after the initial “tutorial,” they are left up to the players how in/frequently they are used. I tended to use the defensive power most of all, with how prone I was to dying and whatnot. For the most part, the Aeion powers augment a player’s preferred playstyle.
And then there’s the Scan Pulse. The first Aeion power players acquire seems almost too powerful for its low cost. The short version: Scan Pulse reveals a large swath of the map around Samus, through walls and untread doorways, revealing item locations and breakable blocks. It is an exceptionally easy tool to overuse. Stuck for a moment? Scan Pulse. Don’t know which block is breakable? Scan Pulse. Wonder if that wall is worth eventually scaling? Scan Pulse. It reveals so much without requiring the player to, as in all previous titles, actually traverse the space they’re scanning. It feels like a copout, and against everything that Metroid games have touted themselves as since the series began.
But maybe that’s the wrong attitude to look at it through. The Scan Pulse doesn’t fire off intermittently without player input: the player chooses to activate it. While it’s a bit more accessible than other guided features in past Metroid titles (a la the Hint system toggle in the Prime trilogy), it is still up to the player when or how often they choose to activate it. They control this particular element of the game, they choose how much they want to explore on their own versus how much they want (even partially) revealed to them. The Scan Pulse feature, on the surface, spits in the face of Metroid’s roots, but just a bit deeper shows how accommodating and equalizing it is for all players: the hardcore explorers can never touch it once; the completionists can have a few dots pop in when they’re mapping out their collection routes; and the turned-around first-timers can get a little boost to get them back on track.
Samus Returns is a more proper retelling of the Metroid II story, however simple it might be. Aside from a general recap of the events of Metroid and stagesetting for Samus Returns, the story is (like Super Metroid) largely wordless, told through the environment, gameplay mechanics, and main objectives.
Environmentally, Samus Returns goes above and beyond to make SR388 feel like a place with history. Where its predecessor was limited by the technology of its time, Samus Returns paints a cultural backdrop onto the planet. There’s a reason the Chozo statues and their myriad upgrades are scattered around now! There’s a reason the acid lowers to allow progress! There’s a reason why there seem to be turrets active throughout this desolate planet! Where there once was a wave of the hand and an explanation of “because game,” now there are reasons that make sense for a game and a story.
The world is built around containment, from the first region players explore: between acid lakes and turrets, it’s apparent that the previous denizens were the ones who laid these defenses out. The world is built in layers, growing more and more naturally reclaimed the deeper Samus delves. And eagle-eyed players may spot some strange and unsettling implications as they progress, too, all told by the environment.
Some of Samus Returns’ strongest points were when it elevated established setpieces. The standout moments for me were the near-endgame objective shift and before the return to Samus’s ship; even though I knew to expect them, the sound design and artistic direction on both made them hit a little differently.
For the lorekeepers and narratively-inclined, Samus Returns goes a little further with an album of Memories, unlocked after completing the game, that elaborate more on the history of the planet pre-Samus’s mission. Is it required viewing? No. Is it interesting if you’re into that sort of thing? Absolutely.
Finally, the endgame stretch. Up to a certain point, the last leg feels pretty similar to the source material: Samus completes her objective and makes her way back to the surface to depart SR388, curtains, roll credits. But throughout the game, players may have come across a particular obstacle they couldn’t blast or move past. Now, in this endgame, they realize they have the means to overcome it. Samus Returns is overt about tantalizing players with a second run through SR388; on their way back to the surface to return to their ship, players will pass by two different teleportation stations, allowing them to jump anywhere else on the map and explore to the fullest extent. This element alone helps to deepen the final narrative impact of the game, develop it more, make it all a bit more meaningful. Additionally, Samus Returns throws one final surprise at players before they can leave the planet. Some folk didn’t like the surprise, but on both a gameplay and narrative level, I thought it all lined up pretty beautifully to cap off the game.
Samus Returns was an expectation exceeded. I figured I’d have a good time again; I enjoyed it the first time, and that was only a few years ago. I didn’t expect to appreciate and enjoy all the new and improved elements, to see all the experimenting the developers tried, and to appreciate its storytelling methods. There is a lot of the old embedded in Samus Returns, but a lot of new, as well. Respect to the original that laid the groundwork, but this feels like the definitive second chapter in the series.
And that’s all of them (that I own, at least). Next stop: uncharted territories.
