We’re getting closer and closer to the launch date of the latest 2D Metroid title, Metroid Dread, and Nintendo continues to give us a relentless onslaught of information about the title. Now we have new details about the game’s locations that Samus Aran will explore when she descends into the depths to battle the evil robot E.M.M.I. on October 8.
According to the latest report on Metroid Dread on the Nintendo website, the desolate planet ZDR, where Samus finds herself, is supposedly similar to the planet she visited in Metroid II: Return of Samus. ZDR is separated into multiple layers “each with unique traits and organisms” and with remnants of the Chozo scattered throughout the planet. The first place Samus visits is one of the deepest regions of the planet, called Artaria.
The other regions named in the report include Cataris, the planet’s power plant; Dairon, a Chozo research facility where the power is out and Samus must navigate in the dark; Burenia, the underwater section of the research site; Chavoran, an underground forest section where Samus must fight plants; and Ferenia, the site of ancient Chozo ruins. All of the traditional 2D platforming levels appear to be accounted for.
In addition to the regions, the report also details the enemies that Samus will face in each region. These enemies range from small enemies that lurk in the depths to the robots that are crawling all over ZDR. The developers also note that the game will follow the Metroidvania formula, the original games being the progenitors of the formula: It’s a relatively large area but has many doors that she cannot open at the start of the game. “You can revisit this area after making more progress through the game and acquiring additional abilities, so it may be a good idea to mark those spots on the map.”