Metroid Dread shows that 2D games can be scary as highly defined ones.
Metroid Dread has been in the works for over ten years. And if the trailer is any indication, it will be worth the wait.
The trailer of Metroid Dread just released yesterday, and it’s already gone viral–and for a good reason: It shows that 2D games can be just as frightening and action-packed as their 3D counterparts.
They don’t even need to rely on jump scares either, which we all know can get old fast. Instead, this game goes for a more psychological thrill, complete with creepy dark corridors and sound design that will make your skin crawl.
What is this game all about?
Yacht Club Games are developing Metroid Dread, a Miami-based developer comprising a small team of experienced creators. It’s the first game from the studio, and it’s already got a loyal cult following. They’ve been teasing its release for years now but finally took the time to unveil what they’ve been working on all this time–and boy did it pay off.
“The dark intro is scary,” says Dino Patti, one of the leading designers at Yacht Club Games. “I get goosebumps thinking about it. Every game has that one scene that gets you pumped up, and that’s what we wanted to create.”
“It’s not just dark corridors,” Dino adds. “It’s about having this feeling of isolation, getting lost in the dark with your arms reaching out for something you can’t see. It’s unsettling.”
The team spent several months perfecting these themes. They made sure to build everything in Metroid Dread from scratch–from the lighting system down to the sounds–to feel authentic.
“There are tons of different sounds for each monster,” says Yacht Club Games artistic director Chris Birnbaum. “We had to make sure they were creepy and scary without making people jump.”
“It’s not just about the monsters,” Birnbaum adds. “The protagonist is the person you’re trying to save. If we didn’t do a good job on that, then we failed.”
What do the developers have to say about this game?
All the elements come together in an unsettling and terrifying way. “We try and put that into all of our games,” explains Patti. “That’s what separates us from other developers.”
Developers work on games all day long–even non-horror ones–so they can understand what makes them tick. “When you work on a horror game, your goal is to make people feel uncomfortable,” Birnbaum explains. “And we want them to feel their skin crawl.”
The team spent countless hours on the sound effects as well as the atmosphere for this game. “I think that some of the parts of the trailer are scary because you don’t see anything at first,” Patti comments.
“We’re trying to do something different from other horror games, and we don’t want it to be a typical jump scare,” Birnbaum adds. “It’s very much a thing that happens in the dark and dwells on this feeling of isolation.
Image courtesy of IGN/YouTube