The Best Metroidvanias

[burningdoom]

I LOVE Metroidvanias! It all began with Super Metroid on the SNES, which I still consider the top of the class in Metroidvania. I love the sense of exploration and character progression. So I decided we needed a dedicated thread to this wonderful genre of video games.

What do you consider a Metroidvania? Are you one of those that only consider 2D games Metroidvanias? Or are you open to the idea of 3D games being included, such as King's Field or the Batman Arkham games? Do Resident Evil games count since there's a lot of map unlocking and backtracking (though not much in the sense of character progression)?

What are some of your favorite Metroidvanias?

My list of favorites:

-Super Metroid
-Metroid: Zero Mission
-Metroid: Fusion
-Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
-All the GBA and DS Castlevania games
-Cave Story
-Ori and the Blind Forest (both of these games are absolutely stunning looking)
-Ori and the Will O Wisps
-Shadow Complex Remastered (damn underrated game)
-Axion Verge
-King's Field 1-3 (some of my all-time favorites, as I'm sure some of you already know)
-The Batman Arkham Trilogy
-Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

I really feel like Shovel Knight has many of the Metroidvania qualities to it, and is one helluva game, but thought it didn't count since it is a level-by-level affair.

[monkeyjam]

Nice subject here, Metroidvanias and Roguelikes are two of my favorite genre of games.

Here's my top 15 Metroidvanias on Playstation 4 :


1.  Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition

2.  Bloodstained : Ritual of the Night

3.  Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

4.  Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse

5.  Dust : An Elysian Tail

6.  Guacamelee! 2

7.  Sundered : Eldritch Edition

8.  Strider

9.  SuperEpic : The Entertainment War

10.  Monster Sanctuary

11.  Axiom Verge

12.  The Messenger

13.  Blasphemous

14.  Shantae : Risky’s Revenge - Director’s Cut

15.  Momodora : Reverie Under the Moonlight

[alligo]

It's not really my genre of game but I loved the first Ori.

[burningdoom]

It's not really my genre of game but I loved the first Ori.

Fantastic choice! Gorgeous game.

[Cartagia]

For me Hollow Knight is the absolute apex of the genre.  There are other good and great games, but nothing has come close to this one.

I will say that I have recently learned that I tend to be a bigger fan of the vania titles over the Metroid ones.  I do have the Ori games and need to play those, and I just got the Castlevania Advance Collection and am working my way through Aria of Sorrow for the first time.

[justin8301]

Just finished Dread and holy shit was it amazing. I think it takes the cake for me. But yea, also a huge fan of the genre, I think Hollowknight is actually going to be next on my list. been putting that one off for WAY too damn long.

[ignition365]

-The Batman Arkham Trilogy

Wut?  You're wrinkling my brain...  I guess really... it is a 3D metroidvania game.

I've recently gotten into Metroidvania games.  I don't know if I could say I have favorites as I've only played so many and a few of them are good, but I wouldn't say noteworthy.

Mummy Demastered for instance is good, but I don't know that I'd call it noteworthy.  Axiom Verge was really good, but it's basically a Super Metroid clone.  Super Metroid is the bar.  Strider (PS3/PS4/etc) is good right until the end, then the end stretch kills it.  I didn't enjoy Monster boy, so much so that I sold my copy as soon as I beat it... shame too given how much it would've resold for had I waited.  Metroid Fusion was okay but I didn't enjoy the SA-X sections.  Metroid Dread is great so far, but I've got complaints, it'll probably be the modern standard.

[crazyfox]

My Top 3:
- Batbarian: Testament of the Primordials (the fluid multitasking gameplay, great pixelart/lighting, banging OST & the whole cast of characters are unforgettable)
- Phoenotopia: Awakening (fair to say it's more of a Zelda 2-like but I always had the feeling of playing an enormous metroidvania without map and it's described as metroidvania basically everywhere, what a journey)
- The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human (the atmosphere of TAAotLH is outstanding & those boss fights are some of my favorites in gaming ever)

Other favorites (unsorted):
- F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
- Cathedral
- Astalon: Tears of the Earth
- Yoku's Island Express (the most unique & #1 feel-good metroidvania)
- Monster Boy & The Cursed Kingdom
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night/Aria of Sorrow/Dawn of Sorrow/Portrait of Ruin/Order of Ecclesia
- The Messenger
- Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread
- Full Quiet (metroidvania-ish Open-World Action-Adventure with survival/resource management elements and brainmelting environmental mysteries all over the place, there's a map but keep pen and paper ready, for fans of cryptic La Mulana & Environmental Station Alpha)
- The Mummy Demastered
- Islets
- La Mulana 1&2
- Odallus: The Dark Call (area select with necessary backtracking)
- Environmental Station Alpha
- Hollow Knight
- Axiom Verge 1&2 (once dreamed that the creators of The Expanse announced a show based on AV2, we need that)

Sadly I can't add this title to my favorites for some reasons but If I have to add one metroidvania purely based on artstyle then I'd say the most beautiful metroidvania I've ever seen is Souldiers.

If you ever need a change of perspective from 2D to top-down but still wanna capture EVERY aspect of metroidvania design including backtracking, interconnected world, world map, massive ability-gating and focus on exploration here are my Top 3:

- Kharon's Crypt: Even Death May Die (this game is basically one big classic Zelda dungeon with different floors, incredible lore and interesting Kirby-esque elements)
- Resolutiion (weird, captivating, rewarding)
- Lila's Sky Ark (even weirder in all the good ways, prequel to Resolutiion)

All 3 of those are designed and promoted as metroidvanias and you'll definitely feel that.

[joeq]

I'll throw in a recommendation for Environmental Station Alpha. A game by lone dev Hempuli, now famous for Baba Is You. It's like if Metroid and La-Mulana had an evil baby and it's absolutely fantastic. I'd call it a metroidlike, since it's very obvious what the main inspiration was and there's no Castlevania here.

Just get it on Steam, because at this point console ports are unlikely (engine issues) without extensive rewrites and Hempuli is now more focused on other projects. Maybe ESA2 will get on consoles.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/350070/Environmental_Station_Alpha/

[kamikazekeeg]

My favorite Metroidvanias aren't Metroid or Castlevania related at the moment, but the genre they spawned has led to some pretty great games, like The Messenger and both Ori games.  Hollow Knight had some good stuff to it too.  I know there's one or two others that were also great to me, but I'm drawing a blank at the moment.

[joeq]

In Japan they're often called "search action" games.

[undertakerprime]

Metroidvania might be my favorite genre. I love exploring every nook and cranny for secrets.
However, I’ve learned my taste in that particular genre seems to be very specific.

For example, everyone and their grandma seems to think Hollow Knight is the top of the heap…but I don’t. I find it dark, boring, and far too difficult. I quit 2/3 of the way through because I had no more interest in continuing.

When it comes to the definition of Metroidvania:
When the word started being commonly used, I figured it referred to an actual combination of a Metroid-style game with SotN lite RPG elements like experience points and leveling up. Lately it seems more to refer to any Metroid-style game, even ones that don’t include leveling.
Under that definition, yes I would include Batman Arkham Asylum as part of the genre, because in spite of the 3D you’re still given a more specific direction of where to go. I would NOT include City or Origins because IMO they play more like open-world games.

Anyway, I consider Super Metroid and SotN among my favorite games ever. Just on my PS4 I’ve completed Bloodstained, Blasphemous, Iconoclasts, and Axiom Verge, still working on Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse and, if I ever get back to it, Hollow Knight. I’m looking to try out as many as I can, and thanks to everyone here who has listed suggestions. Ender Lilies looks really good.

[undertakerprime]

I recently finished both Iconoclasts and Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse.

Iconoclasts is pretty good. It’s charming and provides a lot of variety in gameplay. The characters are memorable, mainly through their well-done animations, and the bosses are unique. Occasionally I was confused about what to do/where to go, and figuring out puzzles to find hidden chests usually only rewards you with more raw materials to make upgrades, most of which I made in the game’s first half.

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is 1000% better than Shantae in Risky’s Revenge. RR is OK but far, far, FAR too easy; Pirate’s Curse ramps up the difficulty but isn’t Hollow Knight-hard. The characters are adorable and endearing. I’m looking forward to Seven Sirens.

[telly]

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is 1000% better than Shantae in Risky’s Revenge. RR is OK but far, far, FAR too easy; Pirate’s Curse ramps up the difficulty but isn’t Hollow Knight-hard. The characters are adorable and endearing. I’m looking forward to Seven Sirens.

I felt like Seven Sirens was even more of a Metroidvania than RR because of the interconnected world, but I personally didn't find the level and visual design to be all that exciting. Curious to hear what you think!

[burningdoom]

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is 1000% better than Shantae in Risky’s Revenge. RR is OK but far, far, FAR too easy; Pirate’s Curse ramps up the difficulty but isn’t Hollow Knight-hard. The characters are adorable and endearing. I’m looking forward to Seven Sirens.

Pirate's Curse is my favorite Shantae game.