Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 88 | 20 |
| Creator reviews (3 tracked) | – | 98 | 3 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 92 | 750 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 91 | 750 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (120)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 95
“Overall though, Metroid Dread is excellent. MercurySteam has more than proven themselves to be a worthy steward of the 2D Metroid games. They understand the genre and what fans are looking for from Nintendo’s bounty hunter extraordinaire. Metroid Dread is simply a must-play title for newcomers and fans alike.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Metroid Dread isn't a groundbreaking genre piece, and it's not trying to be one. New game lead by Yoshio Sakamoto is aimed at those players, who can appreciate fine-tuned and deep gameplay.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The game perfects the 2D trappings of Metroid’s mechanics and hands players so much freedom when it comes to exploration.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Metroid Dread is a triumphant return for both Samus Aran and developer MercurySteam. This is a super-slick, hugely entertaining and exquisitely designed entry in the Metroid franchise that plays better than anything we've seen from the series so far. With a bunch of fantastic new abilities, super tense and enjoyable stealth sections, plenty of great big boss fights and a story that fans will definitely enjoy, we can't really see how this one could have been any better. Best Metroid game ever? This could be the one.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“There’s little to complain about when it comes to Metroid’s glorious comeback. The game could be longer and introduce a few more innovations, but in every other aspect, it is a long-awaited return to the roots of the beloved franchise. And we love it!”
read full review ↗ - 90
“I won't be surprised if Metroid Dread gets crowned Game of the Year. If that happens, I'll be happy. Dread is a furiously frustrating, extremely challenging, and superbly satisfying game, and probably the best Metroid ever.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“While it may not win over every fan of classic 2D Metroid, MercurySteam’s approach keeps Dread from feeling like a rehash of what we’ve grown accustomed to. The map design and pacing have never been better, and Dread’s stellar combat justifies MercurySteam’s action-heavy overhaul to the series. Ultimately, Dread was worth waiting two decades for. If this is the way forward for Samus, and, with additional accessibility options, I sincerely hope it is, Metroid has a bright future ahead.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“In very much a Metroidvania move, backtracking back to the start of the review with the question, "Is the new adventure worth the wait?" The answer is a resounding yes. Nintendo and MercurySteam have pulled off a sequel that is classic, essential Metroid with a sprinkling of the new; controls, visual direction and a terrifying new threat that sends a space-aged shiver through the spine. Metroid Dread is the evolution to how side-scrolling Metroid should feel and the conclusion to something truly special. A thrilling chapter for players who have been looking up to the stars for decades, and a compelling tale for adventurers new to the series!”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Over the years I’ve heard many people demand a sequel, in terms of gameplay, to one 2D Metroid or another. No matter what sequel you’ve wished for, Metroid Dread is it. It is simply Metroid, in the best way possible. Metroid Dread is the culmination of 2D Metroid in its entirety. It is a testament not only to what the genre has always been, but the potential of what it could become. It is a triumphant return of Samus Aran as the undisputed queen of the genre. Long may she reign.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“In a lot of ways, Metroid Dread is exactly the game that people who’ve been waiting 20-odd years for a new 2D Metroid could want: authentic and mostly true to its roots, but with enough new ideas thrown into the fold that it doesn’t just feel like a retread. Given the pedestal that Metroid gets put on, that’s an impressive achievement in itself. But it’s also uneven in that aim, sometimes clinging too closely to the past, and other times losing sight of what made the older games the classics that they are. Ultimately, what you get out of Metroid Dread will depend on what you expect from Metroid in the first place, but if you want an accomplished exploration platformer and can put up with a bit of frustration and narrative bloat along the way, you’re in good hands here.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I simply don’t think this stands as tall as Super Metroid, Zero Mission, Prime, Fusion, or even Samus Returns. But to a Metroid fan it is worth playing and realize that these are problems I found with the game; other people haven’t had the same issues. However, to anyone who has never played a Metroid game before, I don’t think this is the place to start. I think it feels too different from the rest of the series (neither a good or bad thing) and the moments in the story that hit really well only do so because of everything that has happened before in previous titles.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch is a worthy holder of the title "Metroid 5." Its sprawling world begs you to explore every inch of it, and while it keeps Samus Returns' control elements, they feel much better on the Switch. This is a proper Metroid 5, and that's more than enough to make it an Editors’ Choice pick for Switch games.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
GameMAG
Slant Magazine
Nintendo Life
PLAY Zine
GRYOnline.pl
Gfinity
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
PCMag…and 108 more tracked reviews.