But which metroidvania is perfect for you? We combed through a large library of games in the genre and discovered 15 examples, which we’ve put alphabetically below to help you get started on a 2D animation dive into this elegant realm of games. Though we excluded Metroid Dread from our list because we felt it would be cheating, Switch owners should undoubtedly play through Samus’ next adventure.
Here is the list of Best Metroidvania Games
Hollow Knight
Team Cherry, a modest Australian development team, burst into the spotlight in 2017 with the landmark release of Hollow Knight. Hollow Knight, an instant classic, grabbed the hearts and minds of numerous Metroidvania lovers with its breathtaking visual direction, wonderful soundtrack, and masterful level design. You accompany the Knight as he explores intricate tunnels and once-great towns deep underneath. He confronts terrible animals and mighty soldiers, meets many friendly and unfriendly individuals, and uncovers the tragic past of Hallownest’s once-great empire. Hollow Knight features a vast amount of selected content to enjoy and secret regions to uncover, taking nearly 60 hours to complete everything in the game.
Blasphemous
Nobody anticipates the Spanish Inquisition, particularly in video games! Blasphemous draws a lot of inspiration from old European Catholic imagery to create a world that is both horrific and interesting to explore, while also delivering superb combat and a library of narrative to go through and study. The combat sequences are gorgeously rendered, there are themes of death and rebirth throughout, and the game is a severe challenge that shows no mercy to heretics. Blasphemous, a metroidvania with some unsettling religious material, is an attractive possibility for anyone wishing to branch out from their customary comfort zone in this genre.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
It came as no surprise that Ori and the Blind Forest producers would provide players with another entry in the saga. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is available for purchase for those who enjoyed the first instalment. This title takes place immediately after the events of Ori and the Blind Forest, therefore you should start there first. The gameplay will be similar to the original instalment, but the story will revolve around Ku, a newborn owl that Ori helps raise. The owl was unable to fly due to a damaged wing. That is, until a feather was attached to it. Ori and Ku take out with their new ability to fly, but are separated when a severe storm appears. Ori is now on a quest to find Ku in a strange alien world.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, often regarded as the best in the Castlevania series, was published in 1997 and has since become a legendary classic. Alucard, Dracula’s half-vampire son, explores his father’s castle, collecting various upgrades, tools, and weaponry to confront the army of the damned. Symphony of the Night has an emphasis on exploring and discovering secrets while also incorporating numerous RPG aspects throughout the quest. While there have been many amazing Castlevania games, Symphony of the Night will always be remembered as one of the genre’s forefathers.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
When it first appeared on Kickstarter several years ago, the pitch for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was appealing: a new series led by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night director Koji Igarashi, working to create a spiritual successor to the legendary Konami game for a new generation of platforms. Bloodstained, which was crowdfunded before you could even crack a whip, debuted a few years later and presented a gothic castle with recognisable material. Bloodstained’s fighting never fails to feel great, there’s a secret to discover around every corner, and a smorgasbord of post-launch upgrades converted this game into a must-play entry in the metroidvania genre.
Cave Story+
Cave Story+ is an updated version of the 2004 game that was well appreciated by players. The gameplay is simple, since it consists of travelling large labyrinths, leaping on levels, avoiding traps, and killing opponents. The intense mechanics and unforgettable soundtrack, on the other hand, made the game iconic and engaging until this day. Cave Story+ acquired the ability to choose the difficulty level, as well as six additional modes, an HD visuals update, and a reworked soundtrack, which added to the game’s charm. Overall, we recommend it to anyone looking for SteamWorld Dig-style games. Overall, it is one of the best Metroidvania Games that you can steam from official website.
Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread, in the perspective of many fans, was a return to Metroidvania gameplay. This was a game set after the events of Metroid Fusion, a superb GBA title that has received a lot of accolades since its release in 2002. However, there have been numerous complaints that the game was overly linear. Furthermore, it was a story-driven title, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Metroid Dread, on the other hand, reintroduces the 2D Metroidvania gameplay. At the time of writing, this game is the last title in the Metroid franchise in terms of chronological order. After the events of Fusion, Dread players take on the role of Samus in Metroid. Within the story, the Galactic Federation learns that the X parasite is still alive on a faraway planet. This causes the federation to dispatch EMMI robots to deal with the matter. Unfortunately, the robots are inexplicably turned off, forcing our heroine to explore the planet on her own.
Super Metroid
Super Metroid may have been many gamers’ first exposure to the game franchise. This game was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. It’s one of the games that many franchise fans treasure. The overall plot of the game is around Samus rescuing an abducted Metroid creature from a space pirate. Meanwhile, the gameplay stayed consistent with what we’ve seen in the previous two iterations. It’s a game about exploring, fighting off nasty alien monsters, bosses, and discovering special power-ups to advance farther in the game. Having saying that, this title does introduce several new aspects to the franchise. For example, you could refer to a minimap while playing, and Samus could now fire in different directions.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells isn’t the first game to take a Dark Souls influence and move away from metroidvania stylings and into roguevania territory, but it’s undoubtedly one of the greatest in the genre. Raising the bar and laying the groundwork for other indie games to follow. Dead Cells offers action that ranges from manageable to unrelenting the further you progress in the game, an expansive arsenal of weapons, numerous abilities, and a march forward through some of the genre’s most difficult bosses. You’ll laugh and weep a lot, but the voyage beyond enemy lines is worth it only for the bragging rights.
Owlboy
Owlboy immerses us in the story of Otus, a winged entity who is part boy and half owl. The game was born in agony because there was a 9-year gap between the first announcement and the game’s premiere! Fortunately, no time was wasted, and Owlboy was perfected down to the last detail. While Owlboy fits the description of Metroidvania very loosely, it’s more than adequate to welcome newcomers to the genre and educate them to some of the key principles. You will play as Otus in an universe of floating islands above the skies. After his community is attacked by pirates, this young Owl – a race of humanoid owl-like beings – must embark on a journey with his buddies. Along the way, you’ll have to backtrack and unlock new powers to get to places you couldn’t before. As you go, discover the lost truth of the Owls and enjoy the wonderful tale that comes with this perfect introduction to the Metroidvania genre.
Final Words
Metroidvania video games are quite popular. So, in terms of gameplay, our list of the best Metroidvania Games below is exactly what you should expect. This is an old and well-known subgenre of action-adventure games. If you’re unfamiliar with the word, it comes from two classic video game franchises: Metroid and Castlevania. In general, these are 2D games in which players must traverse a somewhat large territory. However, you will come across other sections that are locked.
