Metroid: Samus Returns Reviews

Metroid: Samus Returns is ranked in the 96th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8.7 / 10.0
Sep 12, 2017

Metroid: Samus Returns is more than a brilliant remake of a relatively obscure cult-classic: it's a very significant moment for the whole saga, one that actually marks the rebirth of a beloved heroine after a troubled time.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10
Sep 12, 2017

Metroid : Samus Returns is a powerful remake of the old Game Boy classic. By taking so much freedom from the original, Mercury Steam delivers a solid version, which still suffers from the structure of it. Much more narrowed than other games in the series, Metroid : Samus Returns only becomes a real blast through its last sections, but still offers a good run for every fan of the genre.

Review in French | Read full review

Sep 12, 2017

MercurySteam takes no time at all proving it is the perfect fit for a series overdue a resurgence. Another studio may have recreated Metroid as it was, but the Castlevania veterans modernise the Nintendo franchise with new abilities, freer movement, quality animations and lush alien design brimming with mystery and the unknown.If this remake was a test to see if there's life yet in the franchise, it passes with flying colours, only let down by a lack of the memorable boss encounters the series is known for. Maybe in a sequel the MercurySteam team could address this. They've certainly earned the right to try.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 16, 2017

If you played Metroid on the NES, Super Metroid in the early '90s, or any of the other two-dimensional Metroid games made for Nintendo's handhelds over the years, Samus Returns will be an instant jolt of history, an immediately recognizable old friend that might have picked up a few new tics and traits but is still largely the comforting presence you've known for decades.

Read full review

9.2 / 10.0
Jul 28, 2017

Simply put, Metroid: Samus Returns is an excellent game. It honors the past and adds a lot of great new gameplay elements. The Metroid series strives in 2D, and Samus Returns is another clear demonstration of exactly that.

Read full review

9 / 10
Sep 12, 2017

Metroid: Samus Returns is an outstanding reinvention of Metroid 2 and a great game in its own right. After all these years and missteps, Samus is back.

Read full review

Ben Salter
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Sep 12, 2017

Samus Returns is my favourite 2D Metroid game since Super Metroid, and feels the best to play of any of them, but it's hard to evaluate on that front.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 1, 2017

It's not perfect, but Metroid: Samus Returns is a resounding return to form for the series and a must-play for all 3DS owners.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2017

Metroid: Samus Returns isn't just a simple reimagining that improves on the original game's limitations and notable issues. It's a phenomenal blueprint of the 2D Metroid formula that captures the series' best elements while adding in gameplay refinements and mechanics that feel just right. Some repetition lingers, but that's hardly enough to hold the game back from returning Metroid to the top tier of platforming.

Read full review

GamingBolt
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Sep 28, 2017

Metroid: Samus Returns is a triumphant return to form for the franchise, and its greatest victory is that it makes it feel as though Samus never left to begin with.

Read full review

4 / 5.0
Sep 29, 2017

While not allowing for the subterranean trek through SR388 to fully flourish in its own individual right, Metroid: Samus Returns is nonetheless a highly enjoyable remake of one of the series' more overlooked and forgotten entrants.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2017

The best way to play the Metroid game you never knew existed.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2017

Samus' triumphant return deserves a place on your shelf.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2017

'Samus Returns' brings Metroid back from the dead, and it does so in style

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Sep 12, 2017

A lot could have gone wrong with this remake of Metroid II, since Mercury Steam's last work didn't impress and the franchise was dormant for far too long. Luckily, Samus Returns is a very good metroidvania and an honorable episode of one of the dearest Nintendo franchises.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Ian Howarth
Top Critic
9 / 10
Sep 12, 2017

Simply put – Samus Returns is the new benchmark against which all other games of this genre will be measured against.

Read full review

8.2 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2017

A lot of these more subtle elements were lost in Samus Returns, making the experience feel less weighted than that early Game Boy title. Aside from that though, Samus Returns is a must have on the 3DS, one that’s filled with challenge and truly epic moments.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Sep 24, 2017

Metroid: Samus Returns is a fairly competent game completely neutered by the device it's locked to and lazy design choices.

Read full review

9.1 / 10.0
Sep 12, 2017

Metroid: Samus Returns is one of the best games on the 3DS and it is def more than just a remake. A return to classic Metroid, it is a must play if you have own a 3DS.

Read full review

Nintendo News
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Sep 12, 2017

Breathing new life into Metroid II’s storyline and setting, Samus Returns is a delightful, fully engaging and tense journey back to the depths of SR388. Between the music and bold visuals, the original nostalgia never feels lost amidst the new features. A new twist on an old format, albeit with a few errors, the essence of a Metroid game is firmly found in Samus Returns.

Read full review