After five years, we're finally getting a new 2D Metroid game. Metroid Ravenous was announced as part of today's Nintendo Direct, it looks like a direct follow-up to Dread, and it's set to launch very soon: January 28.
The first trailer teases plenty, but the key bit seems to be some sort of feeding mechanic. We see Samus repeatedly absorbing energy from her enemies like, well, a Metroid, and the idea of hunger would certainly explain the title. The energy Samus drains from enemies appears to fill a meter in the upper left of the screen, but it's not immediately clear whether that's a health bar or some other sort of power meter.
The story sees Samus attacked and trapped on a mysterious moon by an unknown group of enemies wearing sick space samurai gear. Which, honestly, sounds like a solid setup for a Metroid game. And it's equally fun and terrifying to see Samus's fusion with the Metroids back on the GBA manifest in some new powers.
Nintendo did not confirm the developer in today's announcement, but this sure looks like another MercurySteam joint, as the counter-heavy gameplay of the studio's last effort looks to be very much intact here.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's ill-fitting open-world structure left a poor taste in my mouth last year, but I loved Dread, and I'm hopeful that Ravenous can offer a proper feast. We don't have to wait long to find out, either way.
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