Mercury Steam - the only developer in the world who has worked on both parts of the Metroidvania namesake.

The little animation details, like how Samus braces her hands against walls and openings differently, are awesome.

“Sense of constant unease” One could even say, a sense of Dread…

The game-feel of this title is amazing. Maneuvering Samus through the world just feels good. Very snappy, quick, and responsive. Mercury Steam did an absolutely marvelous job with this game.

Mercurysteam should be very proud of themselves for what they've achieved. The game is terrific.

So glad of Mercury embracing the 60fps. They've always favoured graphics over framerate, but this game is a step forward.

The EMMI "battles" make you feel like Ripley in Alien - I've never felt such tension in a 2D game.

Super Metroid on SNES is one of my favourite games of all time. A masterpiece. Even the graphics never seem to age. If this is anywhere near as good as that I'll be happy.

Dread looks great and the fact that it's a continuation of Fusion makes it even better. Lets hope they don't take another 20 years to release another 2D Metroid game.

I just started the game 30 minutes ago and I can only tell one thing : I love it. I've missed new 2D Metroid stuff. Almost 20 years...

Made it to Walmart at 7am to pick up my copy before work lol. First time I've been hyped for a game in quite a long time.

Audio aspect of games is super underrated. Really impressed with it in Metroid Dread

Makes me want a new side scrolling Ninja Gaiden game like the old NES games done this way.

I especially looked into the Samus legs when I shoot while aiming and if they were moving or not, because they weren't in Samus Returns. And they do. I'm just glad they really showed what they could do and brought such an excellent game. It's just so damn good and I hope Nintendo let them make other Metroid games because I can't get enough

An endorsement from Digital Foundry means a lot. So glad they went above and beyond for this one

I’m a big fan of the animation here. Looks so sleek.

The audio/sound design is a joy in this game. I hope that every player that can afford a switch and this game are also able to get good headphones. I love good sound design

One of the best things about the sound design is the impact felt when Samus' shots connect with the weakpoint of a boss. Each boss has a very unique sound effect when damage is inflicted, and there's just something special about the impact felt when each missile hits it's mark when encountering bosses. It's a BIG part of what makes the boss fights so much fun in this game.

This review is honestly amazing. You can find dozens of videos praising the exploration, the action, even the story, but there's something so interesting and unique about hearing someone talk about the technical aspects, like the use of film grain for specific effects. Just goes to show how much effort went into this game

I got a Switch OLED just for this one, I plan to go back and play the older games too but this is how much I love Metroid.

The animation is superb. When a major publisher puts a bit of backing behind a 2D game you can get great results.

What I love about Digital Foundry's analyses is that they highlight details that I otherwise wouldn't pay much attention to and give me a greater appreciation for the craft behind games! Now that John points them out, I'm very impressed with those smooth animations and the crisp sound design!

Amazing how good a game can look without any antialiasing

Nothing on KZfaq compares to DF… I love how technical your reviews are. Keep it up!

It's the small details that floored me as a kid with Super Metroid. This looks to only keep up the legacy of the little details. I can not wait to play this. For me, playing a new mainline Metroid game are literally buckets list items or rather life affirming events. I truly adore this franchise.

When you dropped the Out of this World reference. I may have teared up. This is why I love this channel. Thank you!

I love that you mentioned "Another World" when describing the Metroid Dread experience. You guys are really digging into the nostalgia section of my heart with this. Ha! Great video!

The problem with probably every performance analysis on YT is that they show the early part of the game, where it actually runs at almost constant 60FPS. Things are much worse towards the end of the game, when you are using multiple skills at once (especially the scanner). Frames drop significantly below 60FPS quite often and this makes it hard to aim (in both Portable and Dock mode). Other than that the game is very good and relatively long (100% in 16 hours). I recommend everyone to play 8/10.

The 2D Castlevania game Mercury Steam did was actually alright.

This game is actually terrifying and "dreadful". Especially playing on a big screen with the sound system cranked. I had a nightmare last night...all I could hear was the "Emmi" in the distance and I had to hide. Also, I had no power suit, or arm cannon... 🥲😰😭😭

The "morphball troll" is awsome! I started playing and right away I saw a tunnel, I was like "ok I'll get the morphball and come back here"...

I am finally playing this. Two years later, after finishing Metroid prime remastered, I am kicking myself for not playing this when it came out .masterpiece

Damn impressed with this game and it's got horror theme and it out in month of October not bad at all

My first load up this morning was extremely long but I’m glad to say that’s the only time I’ve had the problem. Already adoring the game

I've been playing it for the past 4 hours, and it's great! Samus has never been better to control than she is here! I hope it sells a lot so we can get more Metroid games on Switch!

anyone else peaking out their window waiting for this game to get delivered??? The suspense is killing me!!

Love the Metroid Prime OST playing in the background! And man, what a masterpiece "Tallon Overworld" was! Nostalgia floods me damn it, I've played this series since the now distant 1986! And my special edition is truly something else!

I've played a couple of hours of this today, and it is FANTASTIC so far. I've been utterly lost, but that's really par for the course in Metroid, isn't it? I'm so glad Metroid 5 is finally here.

The first time I got the Omega Blaster and went out in search of the E.M.M.I who has been owning my ass all over the map I felt like Arnold Schwarzenegger at the end of Predator, finally mustering the strength and determination to face an overwhelming power. The contrast between struggling to survive and facing down your enemy is so well crafted by the dev team it will live fresh in my memory forever. The truly amazing thing is that the game just goes on to surpass that high point again and again.

This review offers so much more than any other I've seen. No one else seemed to notice the half rate particle effects or could provide comparisons to influences from other, older games. Nice work.

The Another World influences was certainly an interesting comparison. Good spot!

Metroid Dread really nails the “game feel.” It hooks you right away with the butter smooth controls and slick presentation.

I was genuinely surprised and impressed by how seamless the transition from that big loredump cutscene to the boss fight that followed it was.

One of the best looking and running Switch games, it was hard to put it down and go to sleep last night. Feels great to jump back into a great Metroid game.

It's got something to represent every Metroid game and Alien Isolation with the EMMI sections.

DF - thanks for this solid review. I appreciate the clear, definitive statements and the focus on objective metrics.

The music in the underwater area is really great! So atmospheric!

Excellent review of Dread. Cannot wait to pickup my copy. Also touching on so many details, and environments is incredible. Plus the comparison to "Another World", which on its own right was a challenging classic. There are so many layers yet to be explored within this amazing series.

Digital Foundry is known primarily for their technical reviews but they've managed lately to produce the best overall reviews. This is the best Metroid Dread review have seen and by a long shot.

According to engineers who've seen how EMMI's are animated, they're very accurate with how they use efficiency over anything else to move and makes them much spookier as a result as they stray so much from a natural creature's.

Never played Metroid, but you may have just convinced me.

This game is just another level. I just can´t belive it´s "just" 2D.

One of the most thorough and brilliant reviews I’ve watched/heard in quite some time. I’m also glad the sound design was appreciated where social media has considered it lacking.

Great video.Glad to see Mercury Steam finally reached new heights with this one.

As always, great video, well edited, well crafted, thank you. Dread looks AMAZING, I'm blown away. This is a good day.

Reminds me of how seriously creative Konami used to be when they've made the Castlevania games for the GBA and DS.

A game that highlights as nice as all the bells and whistles of the latest graphical tech are… what makes a great game is in the gameplay design. Give me this over some bloated open world with ray traced sunsets any day of the week

One of the best switch games without question. Love it.

These reviews/analyses are world class. Good job as always man

Fantastic work with the review. Keep this up.

Really looking forward to this one. Just picked up the last copy of the Special Edition at a local GameStop.

Yeah, it feels like Mercury Steam finally reached their potential on this one. I did actually really enjoy their previous efforts but this one feels like it's well worthy of being a genuine Metroid sequel. I'd be very happy to see them bring us more metroid games in the future!

This game is the definition of 'those little touches'

I have encountered some hefty frame drops on areas with a lot of particles like the later extreme heat rooms, I feel like it's using double buffered vsync? But I don't have the equipment to demonstrate it.

Finally MercurySteam gets the recognition they deserve, what they did with Castlevania with the Lords of Shadow trilogy was AMAZING, specially with the first game in all aspects: Artistically was gorgeus, gameplay wise was a good iteration of the GoW style hack and slash with its own twists, the characters and narrative were great, the music was almost a Lord of the Rings level and the ending was superb and the consolidation of an incredible reboot. But castlevania fans who got stuck in 1998 destroyed the game because it wasn't yet another "Metroidvania" with little story and limited gameplay all over again. Innovation is completely canceled in that comunity. And LoS 2 wasn't as great as the first but still a very good game that got an inmense and ridiculous hate campaign because people couldn't handle a couple stealth sections. I'm not really interested in Metroid but I'm so happy to see that fans are loving it and that MercurySteam, a little spanish developer is getting this love at last. Hopefully that means that they get more projects funded by Nintendo or any other big company, because there's a lot of talent there.

Another GEM to play on my almighty Switch. Can't wait!

I used to play that early 90’s video game on my dad’s Amiga when i was maybe around 5 years old. So good memories. Never was able to escape from that black beast at the beginning.

Sees Mighty No. 9 *Painful flashbacks to backing the 3DS versions*

So happy to see that this turned out so well. I love Metroid and I've always felt that it hasn't gotten the love it deserves. I just hope it sells well, so that Nintendo will keep investing in Metroid.

It does look like a next-gen Switch game. Kudos for the incredible works!!

Can we use the dpad to move? Or at the very least have an option to change it? That's one of my problem with Samus Returns...

What I REALLY want to see is some all new planet DLC's for this game! A basic but all new classic Metroid style DLC adventure to go thru that uses the current assets but just gives a full new environ to fight & explore thru. I have always just wanted more content in my favorite Metroid games & new maps would fit this bill nicely.

I've been playing this on my switch oled and it looks and plays fantastic.

I don't think it's accurate to say this game was influenced by Another World. Everything he claimed to be an influence was actually inspired by past Metroid games. For example the Emmi are an extension of the SA-X chase sequences.

Make a DF Retro on Another World, that game is beautiful.

I loved Samus Returns and Dread in the first couple hours I've played is feeling like an even better iteration of those ideas.

Using the EGG NS emulator, it’s already running at full speed on average Android phones !

I love metroid, I'm hoping for more metroid games to come

Seeing you play the Nintendo Advanced at the beginning brought back some college memories.

So many games to buy and more coming.. I love this time of the year

This looks great. I was very skeptical of Metroid Dread when it was announced, but it has slowly won me over. Now bring on Metroid Prime 4 Nintendo, we are ready!

Mercury Steam is a very talented studio. I wish they'd go back to making games like Castlevania LOS 1&2. I enjoyed both of those games way more than any of their portable games.

its my first metroid, amazing experience!!! now playing samus returns (as older ones dont feel good for me to play, sadly)

I'm honestly surprised you didn't choose to talk about the completely dark rooms such as the Save rooms before you activate them. The individual glowing lights coming off Samus look freaking AMAZING in the dark areas!

Fast and fluid, because graphically it looks like something that was released 15 years ago. I'll inevitably play this, but people calling the graphics gorgeous must be seeing something I'm not. "It's one of the best looking 3D side scrolling game I've seen to date" at 8:09. Ummmm Ori?!

I love Mercury Steam, Metroid and Digital Foundry. Instant click. Such a great channel. I think Lords of Shadow 1 had that polish though, Mirror of Fate and Samus Returns came very close. I’ll mark that one up to limited handheld hardware being the obstacle for them. They do fine with some proper horsepower.

Wow, f’k’n awesome review! DF always bringing the goods

Well done Mercurysteam and thx for the analysis DF!

I respectfully decline to watch this as i want to avoid spoilers but i will come back after I’ve played the game 😊

I had a feeling this game would have the best soundtrack of the year. Glad I wasn't wrong.

This was a great tech review, just finished the game and i loved it, now to head into hard mode.

I'm finding it pretty hard to see properly on the switch lite tiny screen honestly, wish I had the full switch

Gentlemen, what about Diablo 2 Resurrected ?

I never played a Metroid game in my life (or a MetroidVania for that matter, at least I can't recall playing one), but this not only looks and sounds awesome, it also gave me very strong Mega Man X 1-3 vibes, and I loved those games. I should probably check it out despite previously saying I wouldn't!

17 min of enjoyment. not just frame-rate and resolution but a review in the game with special features about the game. I only played the game boy version and I am so excited to buy this one on Switch

I'm glad I'm not the only person who was impressed by the audio in Dread. This is one of the few Switch games that I feel like I need to play with headphones/IEMs to get the best experience possible.

I've only played Super Metroid. I played it back in the day and thought it was incredible. Looking forward to picking this one up in the near future.

Hell yeah everything John said here has me drooling. Can't wait to go pick it up later today!

Damn good work, John. Thanks for this.

I thought Mercury Steam died with LOS2. Happy to hear they're still around and working on Metroid!