Today’s Nintendo Direct had many surprises for fans, but perhaps nothing was as shocking as the surprise announcement ofMetroid Dread, a brandnew 2DMetroidgame that’s set to release later this year. The newly announced game wasn’t the only reference to the series, however, asMetroid Prime 4was name-dropped right before its reveal. There was no new information provided aboutPrime 4and its development other than a statement saying that Nintendo is “working hard” on it, but the announcement ofMetroid Dreadwill surely keep fans of the series satisfied for a while.
While there’s stillvery little known aboutMetroid Prime 4, there are many clear distinctions separating it fromMetroid Dread. While both were mentioned in the same breath, the two seem to be different in nearly every way barring, of course, title and genre. Here are the major differences betweenMetroid Dreadand the upcomingMetroid Prime 4.
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Extended Metroid Development Times
Officially announced duringtoday’s Nintendo Direct,Metroid Dreadhas been in development for a long time. Revealed in a brief interview with the game’s producer, Sakamoto Yoshio,Metroid Dreadhas taken many different forms over the years and was even on the verge of being scrapped because of the technological limitations the team experienced.
Even though it may feel like it’s been 15 years sinceMetroid Prime 4was first officially announced, it’s likely that it’s been in development since at least 2017, the year it was revealed. This means that, while a four-year development cycle might seem long, it’s still got quite some time before hitting the 15-year mark. Additionally, despite its announcement in 2017,Metroid Prime 4’s developmentwas rebooted in 2019, so the title has only technically had roughly two years of work done on it.
The Differences in Metroid Story and Canon
Nintendo rarely does direct sequels for its tentpole titles, what’s more, the studio rarely keeps running continuity through multiple games. The one major exception for this is theMetroidfranchise.
All of the games are a part of the larger timeline that’s more directly related game-to-game than other Nintendo series with timelines such asThe Legend of Zelda.TheMetroid Primeseriesis directly related to the rest of theMetroidcanon, but the four main games and two spin-offs stand on their own as a series and don’t have much in terms of connective tissue to the rest of the timeline. It’s likely that the events ofMetroid Prime 4will take place directly afterMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionand have little bearing on the events ofMetroid Dread.
Metroid Dread, on the other hand, was stated to be a continuation of the story fromMetroid,Metroid 2,Super Metroid, andMetroid Fusion. Yoshio said that the game is the final chapter in the story arc of Samus' relationship with the titular Metroids. Because thePrimeseries takes place betweenMetroidandMetroid 2,Prime 4’s storywill most likely be completely separate fromDread’s and not intersect in any meaningful way.
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Perhaps the biggest difference betweenMetroid DreadandMetroid Prime 4is how the two will play.Metroid Dreadis a classic 2DMetroidgame akin to the originals series. Players can expect environmental puzzles and hidden pathways opening new environments through acquired gear. 2D exploration will likely take the wheel forMetroid Dreadin the same way as games likeMetroid FusionandSuper Metroid. A new addition to the gameplay is the E.M.M.I. robots that are constantly pursuing Samus. They’re dog-like creatures who have a similar role as the Xenomorphs inAlien: Isolation— to pursue the player and keep them on their toes.
There hasn’t been any gameplay shown off forMetroid Prime 4, but thePrimeseries sets itself apart from the rest of the franchise because of its first-person perspective.Metroid Prime 4will likely keep that tradition going by translating the classic 2DMetroidexploration into a 3D experience. OtherMetroid Primetitles have been compared to Western first-person shooters, and while that description may be accurate in some regards, the series still has a heavy emphasis on exploration and puzzle-solving.
BothMetroid DreadandMetroid Prime 4will likely share some of theMetroidseries' classic abilities, such as rockets and the Morph Ball, but both will probably introduce new powers never before seen in the franchise. It’s already been confirmed thatDreadhas new abilities like the Phantom Cloak that allows Samus to hide from the E.M.M.I. robots in plain sight, but it’s still to be seen what abilitiesMetroid Prime 4will include.
There are many sci-fi inspirations that theMetroidseries clearly draws from. Despite citing influences likeRidley Scott’sAlienand H.R. Giger’s terrifying monster design, the games usually embrace the fantastical wonder elements of exploring alien worlds rather than existential horror ones.
Metroid Dread’s tone is obvious from the title alone: it’s a darker, more sci-fi horror-inspired entry than any previous games in the series. The constant threat of the E.M.M.I. will likely define the experience and cause plenty of blood-chilling moments. TheMetroid Primeseries definitely has its twisted moments, particularly inMetroid Prime 2: EchoesandMetroid Prime 3: Corruption, but the games rely more on wonder and exploration to help set their tone.
It’s currently unclear how farMetroid Dreadwill lean into the horror elements of its premise, but if the title and the limited gameplay shown following the Direct are anything to judge it by, the game seems to embrace fear more than past entries. IfDreadis received well, it might also influence the tone ofMetroid Prime 4depending on how far along in development the game actually is.
Metroid Dreadlaunches on June 28, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
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