There is little to hold the player in the world beyond the feeling of a perfectly executed attack or dodge.

Metroid Dread is proficient at all of this: it feels good to play, for a while. A limited map you unlock gradually and rewardingly.

T he recipe for a Metroid game is clear and concise: there’s a labyrinthine system of rooms and corridors, an oppressive science-fiction environment, an escalating series of power-ups.