Everybody say “Thank you, Nintendo!” for saving a ho-hum direct with the confirmation that Metroid Ravenous, the next 2D Metroid game, is coming soon. Out January 28th, 2027, Ravenous seems to be a direct sequel to Metroid Dread. It certainly looks the part, featuring flashes of Samus in fully-upgraded armor that’s identical to the chitinous, alien-green suit she got at the end of Dread.
There are other tells that Ravenous is a continuation of Dread. Like the EMMI robots that chased her throughout Dread, Samus seems to be pursued by a mysterious group of hooded aliens that look like a robot tokusatsu squad. After she gets dropped down a deep hole by these jerks, Samus must make her way through a subterranean, labyrinthian superstructure, picking off her assailants in one-on-one battles and taking on other bosses along the way. The notoriously silent Samus also talks a lot in the Ravenous trailer. She spoke briefly in Dread, sharing a short but powerful conversation in the Chozo language at the end of the game. But she hasn’t spoken at length like she does narrating the Ravenous trailer since Other M. Interesting.
It’s been five years since Metroid Dread released, selling 3 million copies and becoming the best-selling Metroid game in the series. Hopefully, Ravenous will follow up on Dread‘s success; it certainly looks like it has the juice to do well.
Ravenous was, unfortunately, revealed long before its official debut at today’s Nintendo Direct. Earlier this year, a Brazilian games rating board leaked the game’s name and rating while including ratings-board-appropriate content descriptors details like “violence (weapons, blood, death) and light sexual content.” Curious what that “sexual content” might entail, especially since Metroid Prime 4 was filled with lots of yonic imagery. We’ll find out what that means when Metroid Ravenous launches in January 2027.