Upon learning of the existence of a Hard Mode difficulty in addition to Fusion Mode in Metroid: Samus Returns, many are probably wondering what the possible differences between the two modes are. Although details are scarce, an interview conducted by Eurogamer at Gamescom 2017 with co-creator of the Metroid series, Yoshio Sakamoto, helps shed a little light on the difficulty of Fusion Mode.

An excerpt from the interview is featured below.

Which brings me onto my next question, how much harder than Hard Mode is Fusion Mode? Yoshio Sakamoto: I can’t really get into the details, but I can say Fusion Mode is significantly more difficult than Hard Mode. Sorry I can’t go into more detail, but I want fans to experience it for themselves. Well, a very hard mode would be to remove all the save stations… Yoshio Sakamoto: There will be save stations… the nature of the difficulty isn’t that form, it’s more how much damage will be inflicted, and the like.

While the interview doesn’t delve too deeply into the details, we now know that Save Stations will remain intact and that Samus will take more damage from enemy attacks. I would wager that Samus also deals less damage herself, in addition to this. Other games in the series had Missile Expansions grant her fewer extra missiles as well, so that may be possible, but this is just speculation.

Sakamoto’s words sound quite ominous, so I think it’s safe to say that Fusion Mode will provide quite the challenge!