-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
Polygon/Parish: The 12 best indie metroidvania games
- Thread starter Nocturnowl
- Start date
I didn't hate Chasm but its a bizarre choice for this list. Also this list seems to really favor recent titles. Outland is a fantastic older one, not sure if it counts because i think it was published by Ubi.
Also Toki Tori 2 is fantastic, author is exactly right on that one.
Also Toki Tori 2 is fantastic, author is exactly right on that one.
Getting caught up on what is and isn't Indie is really silly - Ori should have been mentioned.
One game I keep seeing is Steamworld Dig 2, but I bounced off 1 so hard that I never even looked at the 2nd one.
Cave Story is an indie darling that should be covered here. Doesn't get more indie than that Parish.
One game I keep seeing is Steamworld Dig 2, but I bounced off 1 so hard that I never even looked at the 2nd one.
Cave Story is an indie darling that should be covered here. Doesn't get more indie than that Parish.
I thought Toki Tori 2 was brilliant, but at some point I became frustrated with some of the puzzles that require as much luck and timing as anything and decided not to 100% it. That said, the quick "main quest" is as cool as they come and I loved how chill it felt, even when it was hammering away at my patience.
Axiom Verge comes the closest of anything to recreating the look and feel of Metroid 1, and that's about all it really has going for it. The sense of exploration isn't there, and it's weirdly focused on having a huge array of weapons that comes off like the designer threw in literally every idea he had without regard for balance or utility.
Steamworld Dig 2 is bigger and better than the first one, but the puzzle rooms are substantially more interesting than the primary gameplay loop and there's all of two bosses.
Steamworld Dig 2 is bigger and better than the first one, but the puzzle rooms are substantially more interesting than the primary gameplay loop and there's all of two bosses.
Lyle in Cube Sector, perhaps? Definitely still one of the greats.
I disagree with some entries on this list:
I´d also add:
- Iconoclasts: Is this really a Metroidvania? Lost interest and dropped it after a few hours, didn´t see anything Metroidvania-ish about it.
- Steamworld Dig 2: I enjoyed this one a lot, but never understood why it received so much praise. Didn´t feel so special to me.
- Axiom Verge: Lost interest after a few hours. Most upgrades were too samey, so finding secrets ultimately became an underwhelming activity. Also, I feel like it lacked some structure.
- Hollow Knight: This should be #1.
I´d also add:
- Salt & Sanctuary: There´s a case to be made against it being a Metroidvania, but if Iconoclasts made its way in I don´t see why this one can´t.
- Dead Cells: This should be high in the list, it could rival Hollow Knight for #1 but if we´re evaluating the games around their Metroidvania atributes HK gets the lead there, as Dead Cells is more experimental and doesn´t exactly fit the description.
- An Untitled Story: Old free game by Matt Thornston, creator of TowerFall and Celeste. Simple and charming 2D platforming-based metroidvania, with some awesome platforming in the style of Celeste-Jumper, cool and interesting bosses and a great minimalistic story and setting. Very atmospheric as well, it´s amazing how much this game does with so little. You can get it at: http://www.mattmakesgames.com/
I only played a bit of Guac, I like it a lot at first, but when the combat started getting harder I started enjoying it less.
Combat is always the Achilles Heel of Metroidvanias for me, even Metroids I'm not a big fan of the actual combat in them. And as much as I love SOTN, I never loved the combat in it (I grind for a long time to get that super powerful weapon so the rest of the game I can basically ignore the combat).
Combat is always the Achilles Heel of Metroidvanias for me, even Metroids I'm not a big fan of the actual combat in them. And as much as I love SOTN, I never loved the combat in it (I grind for a long time to get that super powerful weapon so the rest of the game I can basically ignore the combat).
Which is why dead cells is so good, absolutely superb combat
Chasm should not be anywhere near that list. The platforming controls don't start to feel good until the final areas when you get the double jump and the combat only feels adequate when I got the claymore-style swords that made enemies less of a pain in the ass. They dole out the upgrades way too slowly so that you spend significant portions of the game with bad combat and platforming.
Toki Tori 2 is a special game for me. You actually have all of your abilities upfront and the game only has two actions you can perform, but how you use those two actions enables those abilities that is incredibly elegant in a way few of these games ever do it. Its sense of discovery for those abilities is so well done.
I haven't played everything on his list, but I'd keep the top 5 in a different order along with Toki Tori 2. I'd add Shadow Complex, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Headlander, VVVVVV, SteamWorld Dig, and Monster Tale. Guacamelee is easily my #1.
Toki Tori 2 is a special game for me. You actually have all of your abilities upfront and the game only has two actions you can perform, but how you use those two actions enables those abilities that is incredibly elegant in a way few of these games ever do it. Its sense of discovery for those abilities is so well done.
I haven't played everything on his list, but I'd keep the top 5 in a different order along with Toki Tori 2. I'd add Shadow Complex, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Headlander, VVVVVV, SteamWorld Dig, and Monster Tale. Guacamelee is easily my #1.
Yeah, that game feels fantastic.
It's metroidvanian elements are light enough that I understand why it's not on a list like this, but it's definitely my favorite feeling combat in a 2D game, possibly ever.
I know people do love Guac's combat too, it was just a little more technically challenging to me than what I tend to play.
I usually like Parish's lists but this one is pretty odd imo.
I dropped Axiom Verge after a couple hours. Found it incredibly disappointing. Steamworld Dig 2 is just a solid 7/10 for me. Hollow Knight is incredible and much, much better. Guacamelee has been completely overtaken by Guac 2, which does literally everything better. And regardless of the definition of indie the list is poorer for not having Ori on it.
I dropped Axiom Verge after a couple hours. Found it incredibly disappointing. Steamworld Dig 2 is just a solid 7/10 for me. Hollow Knight is incredible and much, much better. Guacamelee has been completely overtaken by Guac 2, which does literally everything better. And regardless of the definition of indie the list is poorer for not having Ori on it.
Ori & the Blind Forest and Shadow Complex omissions are criminal.
(I also liked Strider, but i could take it or leave it from the list.)
(I also liked Strider, but i could take it or leave it from the list.)
good list. I too liked steamworld dig 2 much more than hollow knight, though I'd of course place La Mulana 2 in the spot #1, without any contest. It's just the best exploration in a game I've had in years. THIS is how metroidvanias should be like.
One puzzle missed a crucial hint, which was dropped from the translation. That hint changed everything about the puzzle.
Edit: I don't understand the dislike for Axiom Verge here. It's not my favorite at all, obviously, but it did something that few Metroidvanias these days manage: it added mystery. You didn't know what some of the upgrades would do, allowing the return of the old "oh!" feeling for some of them.
Most metroidvanias just use the old super metroid established upgrades, with very little new ones added if at all. Axiom Verge at least tried (and suceeded) in that aspect. That made it feel so much more fresh than many others in the list, Guacamelee for example.
Probably why I like La Mulana best, too - it wasn't always obvious what you had to do to progress past certain places. That mystery drives metroidvanias and exploration in general for me. Just knowing "ok, double jump spot" and "okay, this is where I'm gonna use the grappling hook later" is just a bit of a bore for me. It's going through the numbers, instead of discovering odd utilities of your arsenal and using it accordingly.
One puzzle missed a crucial hint, which was dropped from the translation. That hint changed everything about the puzzle.
Edit: I don't understand the dislike for Axiom Verge here. It's not my favorite at all, obviously, but it did something that few Metroidvanias these days manage: it added mystery. You didn't know what some of the upgrades would do, allowing the return of the old "oh!" feeling for some of them.
Most metroidvanias just use the old super metroid established upgrades, with very little new ones added if at all. Axiom Verge at least tried (and suceeded) in that aspect. That made it feel so much more fresh than many others in the list, Guacamelee for example.
Probably why I like La Mulana best, too - it wasn't always obvious what you had to do to progress past certain places. That mystery drives metroidvanias and exploration in general for me. Just knowing "ok, double jump spot" and "okay, this is where I'm gonna use the grappling hook later" is just a bit of a bore for me. It's going through the numbers, instead of discovering odd utilities of your arsenal and using it accordingly.
Last edited:
Not impossible, just tough. If you approach it, make your own maps and remember to talk to NPCs multiple times (INCLUDING returning to old NPCs if you feel stuck).
Writing down room names and map layouts with notes let me do the game just fine.
it's a 2d roguelike.
Good to see Axiom Verge at 1. One of the few in the genre that really clicked for me the way a real Metroid does.
Steamworld Dig 2 at 2 is a bit surprising though. I know people love that game, but I thought it wasn't that special. I had fun with it, but it was a pretty forgettable expeirence for me.
I'd hardly call Guacamelee a Metroidvania personally, it's more of a challenge platformer like Ori.
Also no Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight? I feel that one's better than most on the list.
Steamworld Dig 2 at 2 is a bit surprising though. I know people love that game, but I thought it wasn't that special. I had fun with it, but it was a pretty forgettable expeirence for me.
I'd hardly call Guacamelee a Metroidvania personally, it's more of a challenge platformer like Ori.
Also no Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight? I feel that one's better than most on the list.
Last edited:
Pretty solid list, and I mostly see myself agreeing with it. I know some people don't consider it a pure "Metroidvania" title, but Cave Story would probably be on my list. It has more than enough backtracking to be classified as one in my brain, and for such an early one, it sure did things impressively. I'd also not have Chasm on mine. It's a pretty game, but I never really got a sense of flow from its world. I don't know how deep the procedural generation goes, because some parts do look deliberately made at times, but I thought it was probably a detriment to the game. It also lacks a strong, appealing hook to carry the title for me.
Glad to see Axiom Verge get some recognition. It's the most overly Metroid game on the list, but it's probably also the game that contributes the most to the genre. A lot of Metroidvania games tend to have pretty samey upgrade paths to unlock the rest of the world. Axiom Verge does bolder things, and left a stronger impression on me because of it.
I haven't played La-Mulana 2, or Yoku's Island Express. La-Mulana 1 was simply too difficult for me, so I'm not going to bother with the sequel. Yoku looks interesting, but the pinball mechanics make me apprehensive. I'll try to look into the latter before year's over.
Glad to see Axiom Verge get some recognition. It's the most overly Metroid game on the list, but it's probably also the game that contributes the most to the genre. A lot of Metroidvania games tend to have pretty samey upgrade paths to unlock the rest of the world. Axiom Verge does bolder things, and left a stronger impression on me because of it.
I haven't played La-Mulana 2, or Yoku's Island Express. La-Mulana 1 was simply too difficult for me, so I'm not going to bother with the sequel. Yoku looks interesting, but the pinball mechanics make me apprehensive. I'll try to look into the latter before year's over.
I don't know. I loved Axiom Verge, but I didn't think it was better than Super Metroid. Better than the original Metroid though.
I've just bought Hollow Knight on PS4 and haven't played it yet, but I loved Axiom Verge. The only thing it really did wrong was having too many weapons, most of which had no bearing on exploration and were pretty forgettable due to them being too weak or impractical to use. I don't think they count towards completion % either. That said, I really hope we get a sequel as the story was very intriguing and the difficulty for the most part was spot on.
It's a real pitty. People don't have enough memory or some just discovered metroidvanias through Ori and Hollow Knight. I'm fine with having more people loving this genre, but it comes with very gratting superlatives.
"Ori is the best metroidvania ever made!"
"Hollow Knight is the best indie metroidvania ever made".
And I feel like it's insulting for the genre. I admit I really don't like these holy cows for various reasons, but the most important one is that the people who discovered the genre remain on a surface level, waiting for next very shiny indie thing. A game like Owlboy is praised mostly for its looks, for Ori it was for the looks and the music, while HK is the king of the deals "wow 40 hours for just 15$, what a bargain!"
Being the contrarian I am, I'd include none of them in a potential top 10 indie metroidvania game list, even if I admit that Ori didn't do anything completely wrong and could take one of the bottom spots.
The simple reason for that is that despite their great visual qualities, none of these games make the map and the level design shine by itself (and when I mean level design, I'm not talking about looks of the levels). What makes a powerful metroidvania is the non linear exploration and how it tries to offer new ways to explore without falling back on already overused mechanics, and I think that Hollow Knight is the opposite of that, as Hollow Knight is a longer copy of Symphony of the Night, without the inverted castle. Sure the fights are good and tighter than in SotN, but it never goes beyond that: a big bug nest with plenty of linear levels very samey from a level design standpoint and a boss at the end of each area. I've read plenty of people calling it "the dark souls of metroidvanias" but too few to actually talk about the level design even though it's one of the real strengths of the Souls games. I had actually numerous flashbacks of the empty castlevania corridors while playing Hollow Knight.
I mean I'm once again fine with a small company getting recognition for an indie game, but it didn't help the metroidvania genre in itself and push toward better level design in those games even though it's one of the key components of the genre.
I mean, a list of the good metroidvanias excluding some great games like La Mulana 1, Valdis Story, Environmental Station Alpha, Rabi Ribi, Rain World, Aquaria, Treasure Adventure Game, VVVVVV but including the chasm, kinda misses the point.
Damn it feels good that Steamworld Dig 2 is getting some love.. It's such a treat of a game.
Also, I need to play Axiom Verge.. I've got it but havnt started it yet.
Yep this is very much an elitist view of the genre. Somehow putting down the views of many by saying they havnt played any other Metroidvanias because they like HK and Ori is not a good outlook.
Also, I need to play Axiom Verge.. I've got it but havnt started it yet.
Yep this is very much an elitist view of the genre. Somehow putting down the views of many by saying they havnt played any other Metroidvanias because they like HK and Ori is not a good outlook.
I'm not hiding it. And I'm not asking for virtual hugs either. But there are great games outside of this list that deserve attention and are constantly forgotten in favour of games that were released in the past 3 years.
You can be inclusive without shunning out other games. Your view comes off as kinda bitter. There's a lot more games outside of the usual to highlight, as your post indicated, but it doesn't have to come with some takedown of why all these other well known games don't fit your standards. Instead of writing about how flawed HK is, share what makes Rain World or Aquaria so good.
I've only played 3 games on the list. Hollow Knight > Guacamelee! > Axiom Verge.
HK is one of my favorite games of all time.
Guacamelee! is a really good game.
Axiom Verge is solid. Amazing soundtrack, no doubt.
Dead Cells is a fantastic game, but what Metroidvania inspired design it has is such a tiny aspect that I don't think of it as belonging to this subgenre. It's definitely more of an action roguelike.
Salt & Sanctuary deserves some more recognition in this field even though I don't love it and it tries so hard to be like a Souls game. It's a fine Metroidvania that I actually enjoyed more than Axiom Verge.
HK is one of my favorite games of all time.
Guacamelee! is a really good game.
Axiom Verge is solid. Amazing soundtrack, no doubt.
Dead Cells is a fantastic game, but what Metroidvania inspired design it has is such a tiny aspect that I don't think of it as belonging to this subgenre. It's definitely more of an action roguelike.
Salt & Sanctuary deserves some more recognition in this field even though I don't love it and it tries so hard to be like a Souls game. It's a fine Metroidvania that I actually enjoyed more than Axiom Verge.
Can someone please explain to me why folks keep calling Axiom Verge a 'Metroidvania'?
Where is the 'Vania' in that game?
After playing through it, I don't see it. The story is nothing to write home about. There are multiple art assets that feel outright stolen (from Metroid). I feel like people are pulling punches because it was made by one guy.
Where is the 'Vania' in that game?
After playing through it, I don't see it. The story is nothing to write home about. There are multiple art assets that feel outright stolen (from Metroid). I feel like people are pulling punches because it was made by one guy.
An Untitled Story got robbed. Should be in over something like Chasm. EDIT: And Treasure Adventure World and Environmental Station Alpha, oh goodness how did I forget those?
I don't mind Axiom Verge at #1, I really enjoyed it. Probably depending on my mood I'd either have it at #1 and Hollow Knight at #2 or the other way round.
I'd also have La-Mulana 1 on that list, albeit lower down simply because it's a little too obscure for it's own good. For people who haven't checked out 2 because of 1, I urge you to play 2. It's a lot more accessible and forgiving than the first and by the time you get to the really crazy shit you'll be too invested to turn back.
I don't mind Axiom Verge at #1, I really enjoyed it. Probably depending on my mood I'd either have it at #1 and Hollow Knight at #2 or the other way round.
I'd also have La-Mulana 1 on that list, albeit lower down simply because it's a little too obscure for it's own good. For people who haven't checked out 2 because of 1, I urge you to play 2. It's a lot more accessible and forgiving than the first and by the time you get to the really crazy shit you'll be too invested to turn back.
I've been interested in Yoku's Island Express since I first saw it. Didn't realize it was a Metroidvania.
I disagree completely. SWD2 feels like a much more robust and complete Metroidvania with a lot more fun and dynamic mechanics and upgrades.
Hollow Knight feels like it wants to be more like a Souls game than a true Metroidvania.
SWD2 is one of the best games I've played this gen.
Well it's a list of 12 games, not a top 50. Doesnt mean they are forgotten.
I really need to play some of these. I've had my eye on Yoku's Island Express. The demo was so jolly. I need to finally get around to playing Axiom's Verge, too.
You sold me on this, I'm installing it as we speak (had it sitting on my backlog forever).
The maps looks like a metroidvania and there are certain items you get permanently that open up more areas of each map but the game is a run-based, sequential set of discrete levels. It's like 10% metroidvania at best.