Here, you can check out entries for what you’ve recently accomplished, such as which abilities you’ve recently obtained or which bosses you’ve beat. You can also read messages from Adam and the in-game text tutorials that occasionally appear. Many times, a new ability or a recent message from Adam can be a big hint as to where you need to head next. You might find it worth checking in with your Mission Log whenever you find yourself stumped.

The hidden breakable blocks you’ll encounter on the main story path always have some kind of hint alluding to what’s beyond. It may be an enemy, a glimpse at a passageway, or even a suspicious sound.

You might also come across interactive devices, shown on the map as a white icon in the shape of a hand. When you interact with them, the map will change in some way and a new route may be created.

Your adventure will lead you back and forth between the different areas to explore new paths forward. The navigation features on the map screen can help you identify your next step.

Once you’ve acquired an ability, you can check the map screen for locked doors and destructible blocks that your newly acquired ability can help you pass through. Use the Icon Highlight feature on the map screen to locate specific types of doors and blocks (or even items) in the area you’re in—and elsewhere, too, which makes it an extremely useful tool for exploration. And if you feel you’ve scoured the area but still can’t find a place to leverage your new ability, try exploring a previous area.

In Metroid Dread, the ending rewards are earned based on your play time. The faster you complete the game, the more rewards you can get.

By the way, the clear time does not count time spent on the map screen, so you don’t need to rush your map reading. And, in case you hit the “game over” screen, the time does not continue to add up the more you retry—it will only be counted from the point where you restart the game. You don't need to stress about time mounting up if you taste defeat, so focus on thinking about how to overcome the obstacles ahead instead.

Once you complete the game, you’ll unlock the even more challenging Hard Mode, which has its own set of ending rewards to earn.

Please keep in mind that you’ll need to play on the same save file to collect rewards for both Normal and Hard modes in the same gallery. If you’d like to leave your original save intact for whatever reason, we suggest you copy it to a different slot.

You can also unlock individual Chozo Archive rewards in your gallery. Collecting 100% of the items hidden in each area of ZDR will unlock one.

The Phantom Cloak renders Samus invisible, but that doesn’t mean she can’t get hit by enemies when it’s active. If Samus collides with an E.M.M.I. or if it already has her locked on (look for a red ring surrounding Samus), the Phantom Cloak will be useless. Please be careful!

Try standing close to the wall in a dead end and activating Phantom Cloak. The E.M.M.I. will scout the area and check to ensure Samus is not there. If she isn’t spotted, the E.M.M.I. will go away and Samus will be safe for the moment.

There may be cases where you use the Phantom Cloak in places other than dead ends. If so, try to move yourself somewhere safe while invisible.

The Phantom Cloak is also effective against regular enemies, too. It can be especially useful at times when Samus’ energy is low, allowing her to move forward without being spotted.'

Activate Storm Missile by holding down the R button. If you stand your ground and use Free Aim, it might be easier to lock on to certain enemies—however, it isn’t necessary to use Free Aim to lock on. You can lock on simply by holding the R button. This way, you can target enemies in front of Samus, or aim at enemies while running, which adds a layer of versatility to the ability. Also, you can damage enemies surrounded by electricity that otherwise shrug off attacks.

Flash Shift is an Aeion ability that allows Samus to move forward and backward multiple times at high speed. You can activate it by tilting the Left Stick in the direction you wish to go and then pressing the A button. But if you press the A button first and then tilt in the opposite direction that Samus is facing, you can immediately move away with a back step. When using this technique while confronting enemies, that means Samus can reposition herself away from the enemy without having to turn around.

The timing can be a bit difficult at first, but this can be helpful against strong enemies. Try it out for yourself!

Using the Spin Boost and Space Jump abilities in concert will allow Samus to continuously Spin Jump. Press the B button right as Samus begins to fall from the top of her Spin Jump arc. You can’t do this during a regular jump or before reaching the top of the Spin Jump arc, so please be mindful of Samus’ movements to accomplish this.

Continuous Spin Jumping also works while under water. While Samus can’t go any higher than the first jump in her standard Power Suit or Varia Suit, she can continue jumping along the same height to cross gaps. Certain areas require this technique to successfully explore, so keep a watchful eye on the terrain even when submerged.

Some items can only be obtained after using the Speed Booster and Shine Spark abilities to their fullest. These techniques may seem advanced at first, but with practice come much more naturally.

Clicking the Left Stick while moving will activate the Speed Booster ability—with enough runway, Samus will begin to glow and move at a very high speed. During a Speed Boost, tilting the Left Stick down will allow Samus to hold a Shine Spark. You can then use this by pressing the B Button. If you tilt the Left Stick right after that, you can launch her at high speed in that direction.

Speed Booster momentum can be maintained even after jumping, sliding, and wall kicking. If you launch a Shine Spark against a hill, you will automatically switch to Speed Booster again when you touch the hill and continue on.

At the start of a Shine Spark, you can tilt the Left Stick to determine which of the eight directions in which you want to launch Samus. While Shine Spark can’t be used during a Spin Jump, you can activate it after canceling a Spin Jump via shooting your Arm Cannon or activating Free Aim.

The bosses Samus faces are extremely strong and durable, so there may be times where you find yourself struggling to get through. Please don’t be discouraged—you can prevail!

Even the most intimidating bosses have weaknesses. As you battle them, see if you can spot patterns that signal the type of attack coming up. Knowing what’s coming may make attacks easier to dodge, so try to watch their movements carefully for hints on how to defeat them.

Take Corpius as an example: its attacks include stabbing its tail into the ground, swinging its tail, and spitting acid. If you can identify patterns in its movements before each attack, you can better evade and be one step closer to victory.

Some bosses have attacks that spark light.

If you successfully Melee Counter such attacks and strike during the opening it creates, you can begin the “grab sequence” where you can dish out heavy damage with Missile attacks. You’ll also obtain replenishments for Missiles and Energy, so make sure not to miss your Melee Counter chance! Also, try to rapid-fire Missiles instead of Beams while grabbing the enemy.

Reach new heights with the “bomb jump”

This technique uses the Morph Ball bomb. The blast of an exploding bomb will launch Samus when in Morph Ball form. If you set another bomb while in the air and position Samus over it as it explodes, Samus can go even higher. Continuously doing this will let you reach places that the regular jump cannot.

Speed up ledge climbs with “quick rise”

If you press the jump button at just the right time when climbing up the edge of a platform, you can lift yourself up quicker than usual. This may make just a tiny difference when done once but being consistent with it might help you cut down your clear time somewhat. If you’re aiming for certain ending rewards, we suggest you regularly try to apply this technique.

Reach the unreachable with “slide jump”

If you Slide right before the edge of a platform and then press the jump button right after you slide off the side, you can jump in the air. This technique allows you to reach spots that are otherwise inaccessible and can open the way for new routes through the map.

Shatter enemies in one strike with “Ice Breaker”

You can crush an enemy in one blow by freezing it with Ice Missiles and striking it with a Melee Counter. This technique allows you to shatter enemies while running through them, allowing for an even speedier pace.