Set after Metroid Fusion (2002), players control the bounty hunter Samus Aran as she investigates the source of a mysterious transmission on the planet ZDR.

The Metroid producer, Yoshio Sakamoto, conceived Dread for the Nintendo DS in the mid-2000s, but development ended due to technical limitations.

Metroid Dread is an action-adventure game in which players control bounty hunter Samus Aran as she explores the planet ZDR.

It retains the side-scrolling gameplay of previous Metroid games, alongside the free aim and melee attacks added in Samus Returns (2017).

[2][3] Dread features stealth mechanics, with Samus avoiding the EMMI robots in certain areas by hiding, reducing her noise, and using the Phantom Cloak, camouflage that makes her invisible but slows her movement.

Players unlock images in an in-game gallery based on their completion time, difficulty level, and percentage of items collected.

[4] The Galactic Federation receives evidence that the X, a dangerous species of parasite that can mimic any creature it infects, survives on the remote planet ZDR.

Underground, Samus encounters a Chozo warrior, who destroys the exit, defeats her in combat and strips her suit of most of its abilities.

Quiet Robe explains that, long ago, two Chozo tribes, the scientific Thoha and warrior Mawkin, banded together to trap the Metroids on the planet SR388.

The Thoha intended to destroy SR388, but Raven Beak, the Mawkin leader, wanted to use the Metroids as a bioweapon to conquer the galaxy.

Quiet Robe opens a barrier to allow Samus to progress before he is assassinated by one of Raven Beak's robotic soldiers.

Raven Beak is infected by an X which had possessed the previously killed Kraid's corpse earlier, and Samus uses her newfound powers to destroy all three of them.

[11][12][13] There was no public announcement at E3 2005, but a plot summary was shown to select members of the press at the event, including IGN journalist Craig Harris.

[30] Thomas East included Dread and its apparent reference in Corruption in their list of "11 amazing Metroid facts and secrets".

[31] Marc Zablotny, a writer for Official Nintendo Magazine, included Dread in his 2013 wishlist, saying he was more interested in what it stood for rather than the specific game itself".

[38] Samuel Claiborn of IGN praised the boss fights, writing that they "range from the traditional big, drooling monsters with patterns and weak points to learn, to almost Smash Bros.-esque encounters with enemies that mimic your move set".

[45] Chris Carter of Destructoid said Dread "masterfully" executed the Metroidvania formula, and that it "doesn't take a lot of big swings, but it rarely bats a foul ball".

[39] Nintendo Life's PJ O'Reilly liked the returning mechanics and the newer additions, saying "it always feels as though you've got a ton of choice in how to explore and move around your richly detailed surroundings".

[50] IGN wrote that it "brings back the legendary exploration and progression and merges it with excellent modern combat and some of the best boss fights ever".

[53] Dread had the highest-grossing physical launch of the franchise in the UK, debuting at number three on the weekly video games sales charts.

[54] In the United States, Dread debuted at #3 and sold 854,000 copies in its first month, making it the fastest-selling Metroid, according to Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser.

[56] Including digital copies, Dread outsold the life-to-date sales of nearly every Metroid game in Japan in its first week.