Up to this point, Warriors games have mostly been centered around swords, lances, and magic, or fantasy-themed settings in general. While some titles like Persona 5 Strikers have ventured away from this, Metroid and its sci-fi elements would be a true departure from the norm. Rather than getting up close and personal to enemies, Samus and others could take out waves of baddies from afar. There’s a great deal of potential for a Metroid Warriors, and this sort of change could open the door for even more Warriors games.
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The Metroid Universe
If there’s one thing Warriors games have done well, it’s utilizing each IP’s source material. Musou-style games from Koei Tecmo have managed to find a sweet spot between the gameplay of Dynasty Warriors and different franchises. There’s plenty of material from the mainline Metroid games, the Prime trilogy, or even Other M to adapt, and despite Metroid’s isolated gameplay there are still plenty of characters a Warriors game could use. Among the available options are Samus, Zero Suit Samus, the Chozo, Adam and the Galactic Federation, SA-X, the bounty hunters from Prime 3 and Hunters, the Luminoth, or the E.M.M.I. from Dread. All of these characters and their unique designs would make for interesting movesets and variations.
Moreover, the gameplay of Warriors could also benefit from the mechanics of Metroid. Samus Returns and Metroid Dread introduced free-aim and melee-counter mechanics that have been a great fit for the series. These mechanics would fit in a Metroid Warriors too; if approaching waves of enemies get too close, players could defend themselves with counters. Free-aim would also be great for exploring each map for power-ups, which is a key characteristic of any Metroid game. Just as Fire Emblem and Hyrule Warriors borrowed gameplay from their respective source material, so too should a Metroid Warriors.
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Redemption for Other M
There’s an elephant in the room in Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja’s previous work on Metroid: Other M. Other M was poorly received and is commonly regarded as the weakest Metroid title. A Warriors game could redeem this, as even critics of Other M praised some elements like its artwork, character design, and world-building. Reintroducing those parts of Other M in a game featuring the gameplay which Omega Force is familiar with could improve Other M’s reputation. Moreover, the game could take place during Samus’ time in the Galactic Federation, similar to Age of Calamity’s prequel setting.
The Metroid series has seen high highs and low lows. From Super Metroid and the Prime trilogy to Federation Force and Other M, the varying successes of its entries make it easy to see why the series gets so little love. Nintendo-themed Warriors games are fun, casual takes on their IP, though. Metroid’s expanded universe has a lot to offer, and a Musou adaptation could be a celebration of its entire history. Even Other M has something to offer, and fans will most likely respond positively if lesser games are incorporated in the right way.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is scheduled to release June 24, 2022 on Switch.
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