TheMetroidseries has seen a renaissance in recent years with the release ofMetroid Dread, its first fully 2D home console release sinceSuper Metroid, the development ofMetroid Prime 4chugging along, and a remaster of the originalMetroid Primereleasing earlier this year. While Nintendo seems to be capitalizing on this renewed interest in the action-adventure series, the future of the franchise may find itself between a rock and a hard place with protagonist Samus Aran. With the events ofMetroid Dreadreaching a logical conclusion for the heroine, her future in the series may be nearing its end.
Since the originalMetroidreleased for the NES in 1986, players have gotten to adventure along with thebounty hunter Samuson her quest to save the galaxy from the Metroid threat. The series wouldn’t be what it is today without the heroics of this stoic female protagonist, and it’s hard to imagine a new entry without her. However, futureMetroidgames will have to get creative with their storytelling to justify the continued role of Samus after the ending ofMetroid Dread.
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Picking up whereMetroid Fusionleaves off,Metroid Dreadfollows Samus to Planet ZDR in search of a possible X Parasite outbreak. During her search, she encounters the Chozo warrior Raven Beak, who is intent on using the E.M.M.I. robots to extract Metroid DNA from Samus so that he can clone the creatures and conquer the galaxy. The ending of the game reveals that the Metroid DNA within Samus has rapidly accelerated, manifesting in her ability to transform into a Metroid-like being.
It’s a logical conclusion for the character who has both hunted and protected the Metroid to inevitably become one herself. With this major twist, there seems like there isn’t a lot of Samus' story left to be told, and topping the power of theMetroid Suitfrom a gameplay perspective will be hard. As such, it’s possible the series could move on from Samus as the protagonist and give the reins to a new character placed in the same universe.
TheMetroidseries has typically placed gameplay ahead of narrative, with a usually silent protagonist in Samus and an emphasis on environmental storytelling. With this formula, it would be fairly natural to put anewMetroidprotagonistwith a similar suite of abilities into an equally dangerous setting. However, the series has tried games without Samus in the role of protagonist in the past, such asMetroid Prime: Federation Force, and that was not particularly well received, perhaps signaling that playing as Samus is more crucial to the success of theMetroidformula that it appears at first glance.
While in terms of the linear timeline, Samus' journey may be nearing its end, futureMetroidgames could tell stories at earlier points on the timeline to avoid concluding her story entirely. There is also the possibility that, due toRaven Beak’s cloning attempts inMetroid Dread, a game set later on the timeline could star a clone of Samus learning to fully realize who and what she really is. Regardless of which direction the series heads next, it’s clear that Nintendo is intent on making more entries in the series as its popularity continues to grow amid the critical success of games likeMetroid DreadandMetroid Prime Remastered.
Metroid Dreadis available now for Nintendo Switch.
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