Metroidvanias are a very popular genre in today’s gaming landscape. Classified by their inspiration from the Metroid and Castlevania franchise of games, these 2D platformers emphasize exploration, discovery, and combat which resonate with gamers as much today as they did 30 years ago.
10 Best Castlevania Games, Ranked
It’s time to resurrect some classic video games as we plunge into the gothic world of Castlevania.
What stands out for new metroidvanias is not only their ability to replicate what was so special about these original games, but improve upon the formula for an awesome new experience. Below are the top ten best metroidvanias ever, not including any games from the two franchises that birthed this awesome genre.
10Animal Well
It’s All in the Surprises
Animal Well
Innovation and surprise are key when improving upon a formula that works, andAnimal Wellhas uniqueness to spare. In this world of seemingly cute critters, nothing is at it seems, and exploration is king.
Animal Well: 10 Tips and Tricks We Wish We Knew Sooner
There’s a lot more going on in Animal Well than first meets the eye, leaving lots of room for missables early on. Knowing these tips will help.
Veteran gamers will enjoy the depths of this well, as there is more looming beneath the surface the further you explore. The less a player knows, the better going into the experience, as the game’s fan base can attest to. Metroidvanias are not always about upgrades, power-ups and vampires. It is the exploration and discovery in this genre that brings people in, and the makers of Animal Well crushed this aspect with flying colors.
9Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
As Castlevania as Not Castlevania Can Get
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Castle, check. Monsters, check. Belmonts, well no but close enough.Bloodstained: Ritual of the Nightis as Castlevania as you can get without a lawsuit.
9 Strongest Belmonts in the Castlevania Series
Garlic isn’t the most terrifying thing to a vampire when the Belmonts exist.
Koji Igarashi, the assistant director onCastlevania: Symphony of the Nightran a kickstarter campaign to successfully bring gamers its spiritual successor. Players traverse a spooky castle full of gothic characters, not as Dracula’s son, but as cursed orphan Miriam. Not to worry, cursed orphans are tough too, and while the game does have a high difficulty, lovers of the genre will forgive the difficulty curve fora true metroidvania experience.
8Unsighted
Underrated and Awesome
The least-known entry on this list likely goes toUnsighted, an excellent open-world entry into the metroidvania genre that introduces a ticking clock as your adventure comes with a time limit.
While some players were turned off by the stress of a time limit, the game has many accessibility options to allow any gamer to enjoyits expansive, fascinating world.Go anywhere, do anything, and most importantly, pat your dog. This one flew under most people’s radar, but is one of the greatest new metroidvania’s to be produced ever.
The Least Metroidvania, Metroidvania
Dead Cells
One might struggle to defineDead Cellsas a metroidvania, since its levels are procedurely generated and it has rogue-like elementsthat make it almost fit into a different genre.The game is just too good not to make the list however, and even has DLC featuringCastlevania, so it narrowly slides into the top ten list.
This punishably addictive game is well-known, but for those who were scared away by the rogue-like label, perhaps this ranking can convince them to give it a try. It is not for the faint of heart, but those willing to accept death as a part of the fun will find a gem of a game and an experience like no other with tons of charm.
6Guacamelee! 2
Juan of the Best Metroidvanias Ever
Guacamelee 2
While Metroid and Castlevania are known for being lonely, scary places one wouldn’t visit, this homage to the genre goes in the completely opposite direction with bright colors, hilarious moments, and a much lighter tone.
Don’t let the bright paint distract from the tight controls and difficult platforming however, asGuacamelee 2combines creative beat em’ up moments with challenging moments requiring perfect timing of the luchadore-themed abilities the player gains throughout their journey. Top that all off with the multiplayer option, and you’ve got one of the best Metroidvanias around.
5Blasphemous
Church Has Never Been So Fun
Blasphemous
Immediately preceding the joyous Mexican-themed entry on this list is maybe the most dreary video game ever conceived.Blasphemousfollows the Penitent One, a character battling all sorts of Catholic-inspired horrors with excellent combat and fascinating pixel art design.
The sequel has the better gameplay, but the original gets the win for story and originality points. When people say that this is the dark souls of 2D side-scrolling, believe them. Never has Dark Souls been transferred so well to a different genre.
4Nine Sols
An Instant Classic
The most recent addition to metroidvania culture and maybe one of the greatest ever,Nine Solsis a gem of a game. The art style is captivating, the gameplay is so tight, and the setting of old-world and new-world styles makes this adventure such a fun one to experience.
Cat lovers rejoice as you play as Yi, taking on bosses and enemies in a very wind-swept kimono and parrying for your life. Combat is more focused on in this game than exploration and secrets, but that’s because the combat is just so good and addictive you’ll never get tired of the mechanics.
3Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
Somehow Better Than The First
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
The most recent masterpiece on this list, the sequel to the much-belovedEnder Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, just nudges out its prequel with quality of life changes, a better map system, a better soundtrack, and more fluid combat.
Both games are worth an entry on this list, as they take everything great about the genre and update it for a newer gaming landscape.Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist’s anime-inspired character designs are expertly crafted, and it’s a world worth putting some serious time into.
2Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Disney’s First Metroidvania
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
While Disney was not involved in the making ofOri and the Will of the Wisps, the art style is clearly inspired by the infamous studio, with cute characters, amazing gameplay, and touching story lines.
While the plot of the Ori games are so sad even Disney would be hesitant to tell them, the games give real stakes to these endearing characters, and the beautiful world Ori inhabits is worth exploring in its entirety. The reason everyone is talking about this game is that it is among the greatest, only defeated by the king of this genre.
1Hollow Knight
What Metroidvanias are All About
Hollow Knight
There is little surprise as to the winner of best metroidvania of all time. Team Cherry’s titan of a game has revitalized the entire genre, breathing life into the fallen kingdom that was metroidvanias much like Hollow Knight’s kingdom of Hollownest.
Every piece of the game is perfect. Music, combat, exploration, character-design, epic boss battles. It really is a game which transcends the medium itself. What a special and inventive game Hollow Knight is, and fans are clamoring for the sequel,Hollow Knight: Silksong, for a reason, as most of the sequels to the above games have been even better than the first.
