This thread is to discuss games that belong to the Metroidvania genre, share information and recommendations, maybe even warnings, and finally talk about upcoming titles.
What is a Metroidvania?
The term "Metroidvania" is a portmanteau of the game titles Castlevania and Metroid. It came about as a way to describe mainly action games which are similar to the Castlevania titles created by Koji Igarashi - the first and best known of which is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - and the titles of the Metroid franchise. Another term for this type of game could be "exploratory action", but Metroidvania is the most widely used term for the genre.
These games often are 2D platforming games, but can use other genres as well. Their key features are a large, interconnected world that the player can traverse rather than individual levels, as well as progressing through this world through the acquisition of power-ups, which allow the player to reach previously inaccessible areas, often also leading to return to a previously visited area in order to get past an obstacle with the newly acquired power.
What are some cool recent or upcoming Metroidvania games?
Here is a selection of games that have released in the past 3 years.
Environmental Station Alpha (2015; PC)
Ori and the Blind Forest (2015; PC, XBox One)
Axiom Verge (2015; PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Wii U, Vita)
Salt & Sanctuary (2016; PC, PS4, Vita)
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (2016)
AM2R (2016; PC - fangame)
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human (2016; PC)
Owlboy (2016; PC, Switch, PS4, XBox One)
Hollow Knight (2017; PC, Switch)
The Mummy Demastered (2017; PC, Switch, PS4, XBox One)
Steamworld Dig 2 (2017; PC, Switch, PS4, 3DS, Vita)
Metroid: Samus Returns (2017)
Castlevania: The Lecarde Chronicles 2 (2017; PC - fangame)
forma.8 (2017; PC, Switch, PS4, Wii U)
Prey (2017; PC, PS4, XBox One)
Alwa's Awakening (2017; PC)
Blaster Master Zero (2017; Switch, 3DS)
Sundered (2017; PC, PS4)
A Robot Named Fight (2017; PC)
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (2017; PC, Switch, PS4, XBox One)
Iconoclasts (2018; PC, PS4, Vita)
Dandara (2018; PC, Switch, PS4, XBox One, Android, iOS)
Usurper (2018; PC)
And upcoming ones:
Dead Cells (2017; PC Early Access; 2018 on Switch, PS4, XBox One)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (2018; PC, Switch, PS4, XBox One, Vita)
Death's Gambit (2018; PC, PS4)
Heart Forth, Alicia (2018; PC, PS4, Wii U, Vita)
Chasm (2018; PC, PS4)
Monster Boy and the Cursed World (2018; PC, Switch, PS4, XBox One)
The Messenger (2018; PC, Switch)
Forsaken Castle (2018; PC, Switch, PS4, XBox One, Vita)
Blasphemous (2019; PC, Switch, PS4, XBox One)
Timespinner (TBA; PC, PS4, Vita, 3DS)
Ghost Song (TBA; PC, possibly other platforms)
Bushiden (TBA; PC, possibly other platforms)
La-Mulana 2 (TBA; PC)
Guacamelee! 2 (TBA; PC, PS4)
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (TBA; PC, XBox One)
Jarvis (TBA; PC)
Faeland (TBA; PC, possibly other platforms)
Galaxias (TBA)
Plague Huntress (TBA)
Cenote (TBA)
If I forgot any Metroidvania game that was released since 2015 (and I do mean released, not ported), let me know, and I will put it onto the list.
I disagree with the usage of this term/think that [insert game here] shouldn't classify!
That is perfectly fine, and you're entitled to your opinion. However, this thread is not intended to be an endless discussion of every single person's definition of this or any other genre, and rather a celebration of these games. I think it's fairly clear what people mean when they talk about this genre, even if this may not fit with your perceptions thereof. Don't be pedantic, please.
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