Metroid Musing: Would a Remix of a Classic Theme Have Helped Spice Up Metroid Dread’s Soundtrack?
After 19 agonizingly long years, the fabled Metroid Dread was finally released last October. By almost every single metric, it was an absolute homerun.
Best selling game in the series? Yup! Nominated for Game of the Year by multiple outlets? You betcha! Beloved my fans? Almost universally! Metroid Dread was received so well by everyone, that it almost seems unreal that it exists at all!
Of course, nothing is perfect. As good as Metroid Dread is, a common critique among fans is that the music isn’t up to par to the (admittedly high) standards the series usually delivers. While I think the soundtrack isn’t as weak as some may suggest, I also wouldn’t argue that the music you hear throughout your adventure on ZDR is some of Metroid’s best, either.
I think what may have helped it would be some callbacks to previous tracks. While I generally prefer new arrangements in new games, hearing some remixes might have helped the soundtrack, and in turn each area, feel a little more distinct from each other. Imagine hearing a Sector 5 remix during the frozen ZDR section, or perhaps a Green Brinstar mix that plays throughout your time in Ghavoran. A quiet Maridia rearrangement might have helped Burenia feel even more suffocating, and it seems like a no-brainer to include a remix of Kraid’s theme while fighting the big monster.
What do you think? Could Dread have benefited from a few remixes? Or do you love the OST as it is? Let us know in the comments below!
Andy Spiteri is the Webmaster of Omega Metroid and Host of the Omega Metroid Podcast, The Zelda Cast, and Virtual Theater. Probably drinking a Tim Horton’s Double Double as you read this.
