A free Metroid Dread demo is available on the eShop

What you need to know

• Metroid Dread is the fifth game in the mainline Metroid series.
• The player follows the bounty hunter Samus Aran as she investigates the planet ZDR.
• Nintendo released a free demo for the game on the Nintendo eShop.

Metroid Dread has received constant critical acclaim since its release alongside the Nintendo Switch OLED model. However, Metroid and other Metroidvania games may not be everyone's cup of tea, so those who are hesitant may want to play it safe instead of risking $60 on a game.

In celebration of Halloween, Nintendo released a free demo for the game. The demo is available for download as of today.

In Metroid Dread, players must don the suit of Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who eradicated the Metroids and their counterparts, the X Parasite. Or so she thought. Samus travels to the planet ZDR, where X activity has been detected. What will she find there? In this action platformer game, players must traverse through a large, complicated map, uncovering secrets and gaining new abilities that can help her breach rooms previously inaccessible. There's a constant threat of the E.M.M.I., too, a type of robot who seems to have it out for Samus. You'll need your wits to survive.

If you're interested in Metroid or any games in the Metroidvania genre, don't hesitate to download this demo from the Nintendo eShop.