Metroid Dread trailer reveals a returning boss, new abilities, and more

A new Metroid Dread trailer welcomes back an old foe as it reveals a bundle of abilities and weapons, both new and returning.

The trailer begins with Samus facing down a rare foe: a Chozo warrior - or at least something that looks a lot like one. Samus has discovered traces of the nigh-extinct civilization all throughout her travels, but this is the first game that may include a living member of the species. Speaking of familiar faces who are unexpectedly alive, the trailer also reveals a three-eyed giant who looks an awful lot like Kraid. 

Samus has kicked Kraid's ass twice, once in the original Metroid and then again in Super Metroid. The latter time the whole dang planet he was on blew up shortly afterward. Still, it's conceivable the space pirate lieutenant escaped before Zebes was destroyed - and those restraints indicate he isn't any more excited about being trapped on planet ZDR than Samus is. As a side note, the way Samus doesn't even flinch when Kraid lunges at her and she just starts casually charging up her arm cannon instead is sheer perfection.

The accompanying report from Nintendo goes into detail on the moves and equipment featured in the trailer: the Flash Shift looks like it will especially open up Samus' traversal options, as it allows her to teleport a set distance back or forward up to three times in a row. The developers also reveal in the report that you'll be able to keep Speed Boosting while wall jumping and sliding, which should make it quite a bit more flexible than it was in Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion.

Also, those Storm Missiles? Itano Circus vibes in the best way possible. Metroid Dread is headed to Switch on October 8.

See what else we're looking forward to in our guide to the best upcoming Switch games.

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.