Nintendo Reveals Metroid Ravenous, a 2D Platformer Where Samus Must Eat to Leave This Moon Alive

Nintendo revealed Metroid Ravenous in its September Direct and set a firm date of January 28, 2027, exclusive to Switch 2. Samus Aran is already hurt when the story starts. Unknown attackers drain her energy on an alien moon, then send her tumbling into desert sand. She has to claw her way back to the surface first. Getting off the moon comes second, and the odds look thin.

Samus narrates the setup herself in the trailer, talking more than she has in years. “I was attacked by unknown assailants and sustained grave injuries. I don’t know where I am. Getting back to the surface won’t be easy. My chances of getting off this moon are slim at best. I will survive, and I will make it home, even if I have to feed on my enemies to do so. It’s eat or be eaten.” That last sentence is the whole idea.

The footage shows her siphoning life from her enemies till they fade. A later clip shows her in a green Metroid Suit with a flashing energy blade, implying that the energy she steals can alter her armor and the attacks she can utilize. The first new threat appears to be five cloaked people with wide-brimmed hats and spinning metal blades hunting her in the same way as EMMI forces formerly did, while other views include enormous animals.

Combat appears faster and closer than Dread; parries return. Melee finishers show up more frequently. Samus races across water, dashes through buildings, and rolls in Morph Ball mode amid tight camera cuts. The game’s layout remains 2D, but it incorporates 3D models and dramatic framing, which is the same method MercurySteam took previously. Everything on screen refers back to the Madrid studio that previously produced Samus Returns and Dread. This episode takes place at the end of the 2D chronology, following Dread and years after last year’s Metroid Prime 4.

The Metroid Suit amiibo is included with the Special Edition version of the game. Separate Samus and Chozo Statue statues go on sale on the same day. Pre-orders go live later today, and the four-month wait begins now.