You don't have to wait and parry enemies, you can just parry when the opportunity arises. And it's really good versus bosses and leads to some cool alternate attack sequences. Enemies you defeat after a parry also drop more health/ammo if you're desperate for it, so it rewards the wait if you choose that option. Also, it's not just a parry - it's a regular melee attack you can use to finish off some enemies and shatters enemies you freeze with the ice beam.
I didn't mind how Fusion directed you a lot of the time - Zero Mission did that too - but I prefer Dread's approach where you're subtly guided as to where to go. It's even not so subtle sometimes in that it'll block off some areas you definitely don't need to enter, to prevent you from getting too lost. I also think the map is possibly the most helpful one in the series because it has so much information, even telling what the obstacles are and the corresponding power-ups you need to get past them.
I can't really argue against the music being non-existent. There is barely any of it, and while I don't mind the more ambient sound of it I wouldn't have minded some tunes that were a bit catchier.
As for the EMMI parts, a lot of people don't seem to like them. I don't mind them. It's sort of fun trying to avoid them and leading them around so you don't get trapped. After a few playthroughs, I sort of got consistent at the the parry to escape the earlier ones - I think there's a specific timing for each one, and it's a neat touch that there is such an option because it's tough to pull off but you can get the timings down and more reliably escape them.
Squinty wrote:I'm still sort of apprehensive about Dread because I didn't really think the Metroid 2 remake was that great. I'll get it at some point.
For what it's worth Metroid Dread is pretty different. Same engine and physics and all that, but it really feels like it was designed in a way to address most of Metroid 2 remake's shortcomings.
I wasn't in love with the game when I first played it, but I think they did an admirably job in that regard and have made one of the most solid 2D Metroid games.