METROID DREAD

The recent retro-gaming boom owes a real debt to Metroid, since so many of these new titles, built to resemble 80s and 90s video games, were directly influenced by the iconic action-adventure series. So why did it take Nintendo so long to revisit this space and show everybody how it’s really done?

Metroid Dread is the first 2D adventure in the series in almost two decades, and it’s a blast to play, especially when you’re sending Samus Aran into battle with hunter robots that follow her from room to room. Better yet, in an era when too many games are drowning in dialogue, Metroid Dread parcels out just enough story to keep you hooked and lets your imagination run wild from there. (The ending made me yelp!) — KYLE BUCHANAN, Culture columnist, The Projectionist