Of all of Samus' recurring weapons and suit upgrades, none are quite as iconic as the Charge Beam. It’s appeared in just abouteveryMetroidgame ever madeand shows up once again inMetroid Dread. As the name might suggest, it allows players to charge up Samus' regular attacks so that they dish out additional damage, making it an invaluable tool against certain enemy types.
RELATED:Metroid Dread: How Long to Beat
Sadly, however, players will not have access to the Charge Beam straight away, though they can find it relatively early on inMetroid Dread’s main story. To do so, they’ll need to head to the lowest level of Artaria and then make their way west. As is often the case withMetroidgames, the upgrade is hidden inside a ball that’s being held by a Chozo statue.
How to Find the Charge Beam in Metroid Dread
Not long afterdestroying their first E.M.M.I. robot, players will find themselves in an area with a lot of water. Exiting to the right will lead to another E.M.M.I. zone (the red square on the above map), where players should head one screen over to their right and then make their way down to the bottom left-hand corner of the area.
Once there, players will find a special tile that releases some water and raises the nearby platform, allowing them to slide through a narrow passageway over to the right. They’ll then need to continue heading down a little more from here before leaving the E.M.M.I. zone through the door on their left.
After passing through a small tank of water, players should interact with the statue and then continue onward to the left. Once they’ve cleared the next room of enemies, they should shoot at the organic material beneath the door to reveal a hidden passageway and then slide through it to an area with a door that’s covered by a red dome.
Players should use a rocket to remove the dome and then head through the door and to the bottom of the next area. They’ll again need to slide through a passageway beneath a door, which will lead them to the room containingthe Charge Beam. To collect it, players will simply need to shoot the ball that the statue is holding and then have Samus touch the item.
How Does the Charge Beam Work
The Charge Beam works much as it does inpreviousMetroidgames. Holding the Y button for longer will increase the power of the blast, though there is a limit on how strong it can be. There are certain enemies that can only be damaged by charged attacks and others that will go down much faster when the Charge Beam is used.
Perhaps the most useful thing about the Charge Beam, however, is its ability to open orange doors. Players will no doubt have noticed a number of these on their way down to collect the Charge Beam and will now be able to explore what’s on the other side of them as they make their way back towards the surface ofplanet ZDR.
