Metroid Ravenous is bringing Samus Aran back into the spotlight, and this time around, this chapter is set to be another 2.5D entry. Serving as a sequel to Metroid Dread from 2021, Metroid Ravenous and its world design are embracing the classic side-scrolling and platforming mechanics that became the foundation of the entire franchise. Compared to last year's Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Metroid Ravenous is a surprising change of pace, especially since the Switch 2 is a much stronger console than its predecessor. Nintendo has been pushing the Switch 2 as not just a great first-party console, but also as a product with a growing third-party roster that continues to impress.
Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and the upcoming 007 First Light Switch 2 port show that the games featured on Nintendo's current-gen console can go even bigger with world design. This has rung even more true for Nintendo's first-party exclusives. Yes, it's cool that an open-world RPG the size of Cyberpunk 2077 can run on a Switch 2, but the real showcase of the console's powers is how it has expanded the possibilities for Nintendo exclusives. The Switch 2 is still in its infancy compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and first-year exclusives like Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World have definitely been intended to showcase the sandbox and open-world capabilities. Metroid Ravenous is changing things, though.
Metroid Ravenous is keeping things more contained, and it's a big breath of fresh air. Metroid 4 Prime: Beyond was the franchise's first Switch 2 exclusive, and it was meant to demonstrate that the console can be just as capable of offering strong open-world exclusives as competing consoles. There are many great things about Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's gameplay, but its approach to an open-world environment felt more barren than engaging. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's open world design is one of the main features in the game that is still quite divisive, despite the great combat and visuals.
Since Nintendo was marketing the Switch 2 mostly on its hardware capabilities, using Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as one of its biggest titles in the console's first few months only makes sense. Open-world game design had come a long way during the time that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was in development hell, though, so the game's attempts to bring a bigger version of Metroid Prime to players wasn't exactly as groundbreaking as many were hoping. It was indeed a strong Metroid Prime game, but it also showed that not every series benefits from expanding in the way that Beyond did.
The Metroid franchise started as a 2D side-scroller, and that is where the series continues to shine. Of course, many of the 3D Metroid games are still great. Metroid Prime on the GameCube marked the first time the series embraced 3D gameplay, and it's a classic. To this day, Metroid Prime is hailed as a fantastic 3D first-person shooter, but the heart of the series will always be in the 2D space.
There are a lot of games coming to the Switch 2 in the coming months, and 2027 is already shaping up to be a big year for the console. Third-party titles like Resident Evil Veronica and Final Fantasy 7: Revelation are heavy hitters that many are looking forward to, but a first-party game like Metroid Ravenous is setting a compelling precedent.
The team at Mercury Steam could have easily gone along the route that other Nintendo first-party games are taking, but it looks like the dev team behind Metroid Ravenous is incredibly confident in crafting a game that is more subdued instead of boundary-pushing. After the success of Metroid Dread, Mercury Stream is fully aware of what the studio does well. Between Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Dread, Mercury Stream has found a 2D sweet spot that doesn't necessarily need to be tampered with.
Taking risks definitely isn't a bad thing, but it isn't something that every single studio needs to do in order to make a great game. Mercury Steam is refining and improving a formula that the team knows it is good at crafting, and sometimes that's a much smarter move than shaking things up just for the sake of doing something unexpected. Nintendo placing the Metroid Ravenous release date early in 2027 also hints that Mercury Steam has a special game on the way. As the first major first-party Switch 2 release of 2027, Metroid Ravenous is setting the tone for the rest of the year.
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