After its official reveal this year at E3, Metroid: Dread has been shaping up to be one of Nintendo’s most experimental games coming out this year. Instead of its usual target audience, Nintendo looks to be taking the Metroid franchise in darker direction, leaning into the horror elements which have been present in the game ever since Super Metroid on the SNES. A major part of that tension in Metroid: Dread will reportedly come from the E.M.M.I. robots hunting Samus: terrifying, nigh-unstoppable machines that will hunt the player without remorse. Just recently, Nintendo released a report further detailing just what the E.M.M.I. are and how they’ll integrate into the mazelike world of Metroid: Dread.
The E.M.M.I. were originally designed and deployed by the Galactic Federation in order to investigate and extract DNA from the X parasite: an organism capable of “mimicking capabilities,” according to the official report. However, when Samus lands on planet ZDR, she will find that these robots have seemingly gone rogue. Because of this, players will be tasked with navigating ZDR while also taking care to stay clear of E.M.M.I. robots scattered all over the map in specific E.M.M.I. zones. Be careful, though: If an E.M.M.I. spots you while moving through one of these zones, Samus will be unable to leave the zone until she loses the monstrous machine.
These robots will have three distinct modes as they freely search their zones. The first is their patrol mode, denoted by a blue light, which is their normal state. Simply stay out of the E.M.M.I.’s line of sight and you should be fine. Next is the search mode. The light will turn yellow and the E.M.M.I. will move to investigate any suspicious sounds nearby, so be careful to stay quiet! Finally, if Samus is discovered by the E.M.M.I., it’s light will turn red and the robot will go into pursuit mode, chasing the player at high speeds. Get caught, and it’s game over!
No matter how small, the E.M.M.I. does have some weaknesses, though. When it lunges towards Samus, the player will get a small chance to melee counter and get away. However, according to developers, this window is so small that some players might see it as impossible and should avoid getting into this situation whenever possible. To truly destroy an E.M.M.I., players will need to delve deep into their zones to find Central Units powering the entire area. By dipping into this power source, Samus can temporarily upgrade her weapon to the Omega Cannon, which is capable of hurting and even destroying the E.M.M.I. altogether. Other than that, the E.M.M.I. are functionally invincible, so steer clear if you want to stay alive! Check out the reveal trailer below for a close look at these terrifying drones.
Metroid: Dread releases on Nintendo Switch on October 8th.