Metroid Dread is just around the corner, bringing with it new enemies and upgrades for Samus Aran to fight with. Fans are already wondering what could be returning and what could be new, as Samus is boasting a new suit with new possibilities. This game takes place after Metroid Fusion, making this the farthest in Metroid’s future players have seen. Also noteworthy is that Samus’ Aeion abilities from Metroid: Samus Returns have made a reappearance, acting as modifiers and special modes Samus can enter that are separate from her usual armory. Players will likely see an exciting mix of new and old upgrades once Metroid Dread arrives.
One weapon, however, may be a source of dread rather than wonder. The Ice Beam and Ice Missiles have been a staple in the Metroid series for a long time, being more useful as a utility power-up that creates platforms out of enemies than as weapons. However, thanks to story developments in Metroid Fusion, these ice weapons now serve a very different role in Metroid’s gameplay. Players will need to watch out for their appearance, as they will likely mark a dramatic turning point in Metroid Dread’s action.
Ice Beams and the Titular Metroids
Ice has always held a special place in the Metroid series, due to it being the weakness of the series’ iconic Metroid enemies. Metroids were incredibly dangerous, both in the series lore and in gameplay due to their ability to rapidly absorb the player’s health. As Metroid 2 was all about exterminating the Metroids on their home world, finding an Ice Beam there was paramount. Freezing Metroids and then shattering them with missiles has been the way to destroy them forever, and the extra platforming opportunities supplied by freezing common enemies is a welcome bonus.
All of that changed when Metroid Fusion came around. Because Samus was infected with the X Parasite, a shapeshifting species that kills its host and mimics it, she had to shed her armour and use an experimental Metroid-based vaccine to survive. Now equipped with partial Metroid DNA and the Fusion Suit, Samus can absorb X Parasites for strength like a Metroid — but also shares their weaknesses. Samus could not handle the extreme cold of the Ice Beam anymore, and it ended up being used against her by her SA-X doppelganger. This invincible and often lethal enemy was what inspired the EMMI robots in Metroid Dread. Samus absorbed the SA-X and its Ice Beam at the end of Fusion, but the final state of her DNA is still unclear.
The Ice Weapons in Metroid Dread
Metroid Fusion director Yoshio Sakamoto stated that the unnamed suit made from the SA-X at the end of Metroid Fusion returned Samus to her normal DNA structure, enabling her to ignore the Metroid weakness to extreme cold. Considering that the X were supposedly wiped out at the end of Fusion, it would make sense to restore things to normal. Metroid Dread starts with a mysterious report claiming that the X have resurfaced on a planet, and Samus and the EMMI are sent to investigate. Currently, it is ambiguous as to whether or not this report is accurate, but it could have severe repercussions if it is, and if Sakamoto’s statement has been retconned.
If Samus can still absorb X Parasites, then she would logically also have some lingering weakness to cold weaponry being used on her. The corrupted EMMI would be able to exploit this, with a hypothetical blue variant being capable of using an Ice Beam like SA-X. This would freeze Samus in place for their instant kill, and would have dealt heavy damage even if she escaped.
Samus could in turn regain her ice beam after destroying that particular EMMI, possibly giving her a way to slow their movements. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Metroid game without the titular beasts themselves returning in some fashion. There is a good chance that Metroid’s signature ice weaponry could play a huge role in Metroid Dread, so fans ought to prepare themselves for the possibility.
Metroid Dread launches October 8, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
