StarTopic Metroidvania |ST| Navigation Aggregation

[xghost777]

Welcome to the Metroidvania ST! We’ll be using the broadest definition of the term here so if you like games like Super Metroid and Castlevania Symphony of the Night and games similar to them this is the thread for you! The focus of this thread is on discussing the Metroidvania games you are playing, upcoming Metroidvanias you are excited about, and any adjacent games, media, and community stuff you think Metroidvania fans would be interested in!

In addition to establishing our home for discussion, I want to do one other thing with the OP here that I’d like to build and maintain together with all of you! There are a lot of Metroidvanias being made all of the time, but it might be a little harder to keep track of them compared to RPGs for example that regularly have the backing of big publishers with marketing. With that in mind, I want to build and maintain a release calendar of Metroidvanias that have caught our eye! Here’s how it will work, basically just make a single post on one game, with one trailer (you can hyperlink more), the release date / window info, and at least a solid reason or two it looks exciting if not more. It can be as simple as the theme looks really unique or the character movement caught your eye for example. Give me some indication you want it added to the calendar (like “Please add this to the calendar xghost777!”) and I’ll then link your post in the calendar below for easy reference. Multiple posts are highly encouraged especially as we build it out! If anyone notices a release date update down the road, just AT me in the thread

Fami's Upcoming Exciting Metroidvania Release Calendar! - Last updated April 10

Gestalt Steam and Cinder - May 21

Umbraclaw - May 30

Moonlight Pulse - 2024

Metroid Prime 4 - TBD

Hollow Knight Silksong - TBD

Momodora Moonlit Farewell - Consoles TBD

Spoiler: Other Metroidvania STs

Metroid
Castlevania
Metroid Dread
Metroid Prime Remastered
Castlevania Advance Collection
Retro Games

Shoutout to @PixelKnight for the amazing ST subtitle and with everything else now said enjoy the thread everyone!

 

[PixelKnight]

launch trailer for 9 years of Shadows- is it actually out on Switch yet? Struggling to find it on the eshop (edit- out now!)

 

[MissingNo.]

When you find a new ST to geek out in.

 

[PixelKnight]

What’s everyone’s favourites from this year? I’ve played AfterImage (which was a bit tough for me towards the end) and Vernal Edge (which was just right and adds a lot of fun stuff across it’s various islands).

 

[xghost777]

launch trailer for 9 years of Shadows- is it actually out on Switch yet? Struggling to find it on the eshop

Looks like it came out two days ago! (searched "nine years" in the eshop and it came up right away) I like the magical girl transformation for the main character in the trailer. Picked a good first trailer for the thread right there, looks rad overall

 

[PixelKnight]

Oh nice! Yeah I’m sure I couldn’t find it earlier this week but it must have snuck in a couple days before release. Looking forward to this along with The Last Faith this month!

Shame Ebenezer and the Invisible World seems plagued with performance issues.

 

[chocolate_supra]

I really don't wanna sound like a commercial and I know I already said it in General Discussion but there's a two-pack of the Alwa's Awakening/Legacy games on Amazon in the US for $16 right now (normally $28 to buy both separately on the eShop).

They're kinda simple as far as modern Metroidvanias go but I really really enjoyed them. They're also a bit different from each other as Awakening follows more of an 8-bit aesthetic and playstyle and Legacy follows a 16-bit style (and thus has a bit more complex gameplay and a bigger world), so if one doesn't quite work for you the other still might.

Anyway yeah, like I said in GenDisc I recommend the hell outta them if you're into new shit that's styled like old shit that is also still good shit. Especially at nearly half off right now:




Also that subtitle is fantastic.

 

[oomoepoo]

I remember playing the demo for 9 years... last year, I think? Didn't even realise it was out
Might finally check it out once I'm done with Mario RPG.

Also great idea for a ST and a fantastic subtitle!

 

[xghost777]

Better make my two upcoming hype game posts for the calendar (anything else already in the OP is up for grabs )

First one I'm excited about is Yohane The Parhelion Blaze In the Deepblue. I already have this preordered and it's loaded on my Switch for its release on Thursday! I'll definitely be talking about this game here



It's a metroidvania spinoff of the Love Live Sunshine spinoff anime Sunshine in the Mirror that recasts all of the Love Live Sunshine characters in a fantasy world (it's not an isekai). It's being made by Inti Creates so despite how odd it is that it exists, it should be pretty solid! One thing that sounds pretty interesting is that it is directly billed as a Metroidvania in the eshop listing, but it also has random elements to the map so I'm curious to see what that means in practice. Finally you get to hang out with Lailaps more who was the best part of the show, so that's a win right there!

 

[Vookatos]

Recommending everyone play La-Mulana immediately. I'm going to paste my Backloggd review here because I feel like it describest the game quite well, and if you ever feel like it clicks, really, play it!



If you've grown up with games from the 80s, you are familiar with titles like Zelda 2 and Castlevania 2 - needlessly obtuse weird RPGs that feature great exploration among some really horrendous puzzles.
If you wish for a game that does those things well, look no further than La-Mulana.

La-Mulana, aside from being fun to say, is a side-scrolling Metroidvania where you descend into the ruins and search for treasure.

The big thing that sets this game apart are countless stones you come across with hints for progression written on them. They replace various NPCs from aforementioned games that would give you cryptic hints. For example, the first location presents you with some simple stuff, like saying that a courageous man will prevail. Nearby are a spike pit with an unreachable chest. Simple enough, jump onto the spikes, they disappear. Not even worthy enough to spoiler-tag this.

The game grows in scope and complexity very shortly, so if you're not the type to read, think and write, this isn't the game for you. There are no simple puzzle rooms. A hint for a puzzle can be found halfway across the world, and some of them are Fucking Insane. However, that's the charm of this game. It's not shy about its inspirations and isn't afraid of being a dick. Platforming and battle difficulty is quite high, but puzzles are what make it an unforgettable experience. It's one of the few games that actually feel like you're going through an old temple filled with traps, and not just trekking through a bunch of video game levels.

The game will throw everything it has at you, from non-euclidean spaces, hidden doors, and puzzle bosses, to hidden background details that you need to notice. It's filled with surprises. Every boss is so different that some of them feel like playing an entirely different game. Every location has its own gimmicks and an incredible soundtracks. Every single puzzle is memorable.

It's a Metroidvania that keeps surprising you in ways you didn't think were possible. It's not just a game about obtaining double jump to go above a pit, it's a game where getting some items will result in confusion, until suddenly, you remember reading something about using that one thing in front of that one statue. And there are barely ANY games that do that. Too many of them are afraid of you being stuck, while La-Mulana prides itself on it. Just that simple thing made me feel like I was overcoming something unique, and not just going through the motions of solving a Portal Chamber or a Zelda dungeon room.

Unfortunately, sometimes it might be a bit TOO ridiculous. However, I would still recommend experiencing it because there's nothing like it.

Here's a spoiler of a puzzle that gave me hell my first time through as an appetizer: "Simply wandering will not lessen the illusion. Courage will grant thy wish--the courage to jump into the illusion. The courage to search on bended knee for a single fallen item."
So, what the hell is this?

Spoiler: one puzzle in the mid-game

Well, mercifully nearby, there are a bunch of vases you can break. Your usual Zelda-like pots that are all over the place in the game. One of them drops a shuriken. Not uncommon, it's your first sub-weapon, enemies often drop them to replenish your ammo. However, the game usually drops them in fives, and there's ONE there. Not that difficult when spelled out, but when you've been programmed to not care what comes out of the vases, it just doesn't register.
Furthermore, if you haven't played the game, you're thinking, "oh, and then you duck?". Well, no. The game has no "duck" button, as down does something else. HOWEVER, just to fuck with you, down actually works on that single tile, and it drops you through the floor! Like, yeah, it's kinda bullshit, but it's also unforgettable!

Honestly, the closest video game experience that gave me this sort of rush when solving a puzzle was Outer Wilds, and personally, I'd say La-Mulana is better.

 

[xghost777]

The other upcoming Metroidvania I'm excited for this month is Tevi! It hits Switch and PC on November 30th with the PlayStation and Xbox releases next year.



I really enjoyed the developer's prior game Rabi Ribi aside from some of the character design and fan service, so if those get toned down here and it's as good as the last game this will be a pretty wide recommendation from me instead of the more limited recommendation Rabi Ribi is. Like Rabi Ribi, Tevi is a bullet hell Metroidvania so you'll notice tons of projectiles you'll have to dodge in boss fights. No idea if it will feel similar, this looks a lot faster, but Rabi Ribi sort of felt like the Kirby Metroidvanias in game feel at times so I wonder if this will build off that. I think this is my most anticipated game for the rest of the year if it all comes together. Hope so!

 

[PixelKnight]

My current genre fave, and probably one of the few I’ll replay over and over as it’s really tight (~7 hours or so) is Infernax. I love it so much, like Shovel Knight it’s built on the philosophy of ‘NES games as your memory recalls them, not as they were’. It recalls Castlevania II and Zelda II, with crunchy combat, epic boss fights, fun decisions to make, action platforming, and a map that’s perfectly sized.

 

[xghost777]

I remembered one more I'm really excited about! Momodora Moonlit Farewell!



I was a huge fan of Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight which was a Metroidvania with a smidge of Dark Souls influence. This is apparently going to be the final game in the series and at least with minimal googling there hasn't been an update on it in the past year which is a bummer. Hopefully we hear more soon!

Also rewatching the trailer, I like there is a boss just called Very Big Spider lol.

 

[MissingNo.]

So many amazing Metroidvania titles in here. I can't even play all the strategy and RPG games I'm interested in. I used to do fine, until a turckload of indie Metroidvanias started popping up left and right and publishers started to remember strategy games were a thing.

Went from complaining about having not enough that suits my tastes to having too much to handle really fast.

I'll bring them up every time I get a chance, but Axiom Verge and Axiom Verge 2 are easily my favourite indie take on the genre. Amazing games, and I can't really decide which of the two I prefer because they are so different and great in their own right.

 

[Mekanos]

The best Metroidvania is Wario Land 3

 

[Buried In Time]

Five upcoming Metroidvanias to keep an eye on:

 

[meatbag]

Great, another thread where my already obscene backlog can fatten itself up

Awesome subtitle by the way lol

Infernax

I definitely have to try this out, thanks for the reminder.

 

[PixelKnight]

Great, another thread where my already obscene backlog can fatten itself up

Awesome subtitle by the way lol


I definitely have to try this out, thanks for the reminder.

I’m mostly here as an easy way to source genre recommendations too

 

[xghost777]

So many amazing Metroidvania titles in here. I can't even play all the strategy and RPG games I'm interested in. I used to do fine, until a turckload of indie Metroidvanias started popping up left and right and publishers started to remember strategy games were a thing.

Went from complaining about having not enough that suits my tastes to having too much to handle really fast.

I'll bring them up every time I get a chance, but Axiom Verge and Axiom Verge 2 are easily my favourite indie take on the genre. Amazing games, and I can't really decide which of the two I prefer because they are so different and great in their own right.

Axiom Verge is probably my favorite not Metroid, Metroid game. Just a really cool world to explore with some cool weapons and ideas. I was less keen on Axiom Verge 2, but the light world and dark world dynamic was awesome!

 

[PixelKnight]

I remember Xeodrifter being another cool Metroid-style game, short and sweet.

Aliens: Infestation was a good one too, I hope that comes off the DS one day.

 

[MissingNo.]

Axiom Verge is probably my favorite not Metroid, Metroid game. Just a really cool world to explore with some cool weapons and ideas. I was less keen on Axiom Verge 2, but the light world and dark world dynamic was awesome!

I loved the drone segments in AV2. The game felt a bit more cumbersome than AV1 overall, so I see how most would prefer 1.

 

[PixelKnight]

Five upcoming Metroidvanias to keep an eye on:

I really like the look of Emberbane, I hope we get a Switch port!

 

[PixelKnight]

I really don't wanna sound like a commercial and I know I already said it in General Discussion but there's a two-pack of the Alwa's Awakening/Legacy games on Amazon in the US for $16 right now (normally $28 to buy both separately on the eShop).

They're kinda simple as far as modern Metroidvanias go but I really really enjoyed them. They're also a bit different from each other as Awakening follows more of an 8-bit aesthetic and playstyle and Legacy follows a 16-bit style (and thus has a bit more complex gameplay and a bigger world), so if one doesn't quite work for you the other still might.

Anyway yeah, like I said in GenDisc I recommend the hell outta them if you're into new shit that's styled like old shit that is also still good shit. Especially at nearly half off right now:




Also that subtitle is fantastic.

These have been on my wishlist for so long, I should just get around to them. The first one is pretty cheap too

 

[oomoepoo]

Five upcoming Metroidvanias to keep an eye on:

I was just thinnking about Bo but couldn't remember the name of it
That artstyle is so cool!

Also is it just me or does Crowsworn look very inspired by Hollow Knight?

 

[Psamtik]

Interesting timing. I usually don't replay games but Symphony of the Night / Rondo of Blood was $5 on PS.
The section with gears and the flying Medusa heads is just as much BS as I remember.

 

[PixelKnight]

I was just thinnking about Bo but couldn't remember the name of it
That artstyle is so cool!

Also is it just me or does Crowsworn look very inspired by Hollow Knight?

Crowsworn looks very familiar in animation frames and jump arcs etc.

I remember thinking much the same of Gleamlight that ended up with very poor reviews, but I hope Crowsworn is so much more! Gleamlight got 2/10 on NL, but the thing is, I can’t remember many games getting reviews that low as usually, when deciding which of the 1,000+ Switch games released each year to review, there’s an element of curation in what gets covered. But what gave Gleamlight enough interest to review was looking similar to Hollow Knight (plus being on a sizzle reel on a Nintendo marketing video at some point).
https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/gleamlight

I wonder if the developers ever addressed the criticism of Gleamlight? its got a very low user score but only a handful of reviews and users on MC. https://www.metacritic.com/game/gleamlight/
I’m just kinda curious at this point.

 

[ermitron2]

It's a metroidvania spinoff of the Love Live Sunshine spinoff anime Sunshine in the Mirror that recasts all of the Love Live Sunshine characters in a fantasy world (it's not an isekai). It's being made by Inti Creates so despite how odd it is that it exists, it should be pretty solid! One thing that sounds pretty interesting is that it is directly billed as a Metroidvania in the eshop listing, but it also has random elements to the map so I'm curious to see what that means in practice. Finally you get to hang out with Lailaps more who was the best part of the show, so that's a win right there!

There is a demo already , and the random elements is that some rooms will have random generated mini areas (that are clearly marked in the wolrd map) and it add more variety and some replay value.

launch trailer for 9 years of Shadows- is it actually out on Switch yet? Struggling to find it on the eshop (edit- out now!)

This is from a Mexican dev which is located where I live. And if you liked that they actually are working on another new mexican based metroidvania, Mariachi Legends, which looks fucking awesome

 

[Suswave]

oooo hell yeah, can’t get enough of that shit

Hollow Knight is my favorite game of all time

hmm, upcoming games… I think Grime is still supposed to come to Switch?

 

[Suswave]

often overlooked one worth a go — HAAK!

HAAK for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site for Canada

Buy HAAK and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store Canada.

www.nintendo.com

movement is fun and involved here with secrets galore, and progression is very interesting — it’s partially broken into levels on a World Map, but they still connect to each other through the levels themselves. the worldbuilding is great.

it’s extremely well-executed. the story fizzles a tiny bit at the very end for my taste, BUT it got DLC in March that I haven’t played yet — which I’m betting has a better resolution.

Please give it a try — it’s really good!

 

[PixelKnight]

There is a demo already , and the random elements is that some rooms will have random generated mini areas (that are clearly marked in the wolrd map) and it add more variety and some replay value.



This is from a Mexican dev which is located where I live. And if you liked that they actually are working on another new mexican based metroidvania, Mariachi Legends, which looks fucking awesome

I agree, that does look fucking awesome

 

[Suswave]

another one I really enjoy — Islets!

Islets for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy Islets and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store Canada.

www.nintendo.com

small sibling team puts together a bafflingly smooth Metroidvania with beautiful music!

I originally wasn’t as sure about this one — some of the starting enemy animations are weirdly janky, but the oddity of it all really grew on me. the movement + attack options get more and more interesting, and navigating between the titular Islets… well, I’ll let that be a fun surprise!

 

[chocolate_supra]

Five upcoming Metroidvanias to keep an eye on:

whooooooa Akatori got a trailer??? I've been following the character animator for over a year, and weirdly haven't seen anything about it for a while. Guess I aughta do some googlin'

 

[PixelKnight]

often overlooked one worth a go — HAAK!

HAAK for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site for Canada

Buy HAAK and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store Canada.

www.nintendo.com

movement is fun and involved here with secrets galore, and progression is very interesting — it’s partially broken into levels on a World Map, but they still connect to each other through the levels themselves. the worldbuilding is great.

it’s extremely well-executed. the story fizzles a tiny bit at the very end for my taste, BUT it got DLC in March that I haven’t played yet — which I’m betting has a better resolution.

Please give it a try — it’s really good!

Good review on SwitchUp too!

 

[Suswave]

Also is it just me or does Crowsworn look very inspired by Hollow Knight?

Crowsworn really does, down to similar font, etc

so much so that they hired Team Cherry’s marketing manager, lmao

but mechanically it should be interesting, and it feels like it’s trying to stand apart more with each preview!

I’m actually more concerned about Constance in that line up — it’s really leaning into similar color palettes, similar room layouts, similar stylization to Hollow Knight… specifically: similarly grouped colors and mechanics and enemies at the same time

and believe me, by all means, people should be inspired by things

it’s hard enough to make a game at all, and making any game is impressive as hell

I just think important to really build the design language of your own world, or at least bloom from your original frame of reference. mix it up!

 

[ermitron2]

Also this thread is good to mention A Robot named Fight, it is a roguelite metroidvania so every run is different. It is heavily based in the physics of Super Metroid though (mentioning this since I know some people don't like the heaviness of that)

 

[Suswave]

I don’t think this necessarily counts because it’s not really a platformer

but I will say that I’m taking a lot of influence from Metroidvanias for my creature-catcher RPG, Grögol Bonanza

there are a lot of instances of “complete a challenge to get a new player-character power that lets you access entirely new areas”

plus collectibles that strengthen your items, and badges with in-game effects for the player and your Grögols

and I’m hoping to evoke even a scrap of Hollow Knight’s wonderful interconnected world, including surprising ways to get between regions

it’s much more RPG-style though. or, at least, PokéZeldaDrifterTale-ish with many other influences and lots of hopefully fun and surprising mechanics

but yeah, lots of influence from Metroidvanias because I love Metroidvanias!

 

[SammyJ9]

What’s everyone’s favourites from this year? I’ve played AfterImage (which was a bit tough for me towards the end) and Vernal Edge (which was just right and adds a lot of fun stuff across it’s various islands).

This year I've played 9 Years of Shadows, Blasphemous 2, and Gal Guardians. 9 Years of Shadows is beautiful and I love the soundtrack, but I found the gameplay to be a bit iffy overall, though still a good game. Blasphemous 2 is probably the best one this year - it's got great bosses, more movement abilities and platforming than the original, and that same Blasphemous atmosphere!

 

[ermitron2]

This year I've played 9 Years of Shadows, Blasphemous 2, and Gal Guardians. 9 Years of Shadows is beautiful and I love the soundtrack, but I found the gameplay to be a bit iffy overall, though still a good game. Blasphemous 2 is probably the best one this year - it's got great bosses, more movement abilities and platforming than the original, and that same Blasphemous atmosphere!

Yes Blasphemous 2 was very good, I know some people didn't like it went more to the metrdoivania route than the dark souls route, but the exploration and having multiple weapons make the game more fun. I do have to say I missed the biggest bosses, 2 has more simple ones

Also I've never considered Gal Guardians a metroidvania since the level progression isn't really tied to new movesets, it's really just Inti version of bloodstained curse of the moon with their own IP , which feels more like the clasicvanias

Another one I played is Alice Escaped, it's a very short metroidvania with multiple endings but it has very nice combat and 2 character system ala Portrait of Ruin with each character having its own combat style (and you can unlock more techniques). Also since its based on Alice in Wonderland it is very colorful which is something kinda rare now

 

[Stilt Village]

The other upcoming Metroidvania I'm excited for this month is Tevi! It hits Switch and PC on November 30th with the PlayStation and Xbox releases next year.



I really enjoyed the developer's prior game Rabi Ribi aside from some of the character design and fan service, so if those get toned down here and it's as good as the last game this will be a pretty wide recommendation from me instead of the more limited recommendation Rabi Ribi is. Like Rabi Ribi, Tevi is a bullet hell Metroidvania so you'll notice tons of projectiles you'll have to dodge in boss fights. No idea if it will feel similar, this looks a lot faster, but Rabi Ribi sort of felt like the Kirby Metroidvanias in game feel at times so I wonder if this will build off that. I think this is my most anticipated game for the rest of the year if it all comes together. Hope so!

The game got a very extensive demo at the last Steam Next Fest, which is still available btw, so I got to play it. It's Rabi-Ribi 2 in all but name. Several of the major characters in the demo are direct expies of ones from Rabi-Ribi even, but adapted to fit into the new setting.

What they did here was a smart decision I think, because there was really nothing to build off of with that game's setting. The plot and lore was being made up on the fly throughout development and the final product is incomprehensible before you even factor in the pretty poor quality of the writing and the English translation on top of that.

The character designs are also embarassing, to the point where one of them is pretty much blatantly plagiarized from a hentai (they made an alraune, and the design is almost exactly the first image result for alraune). I wouldn't even say it's because they're overly horny, they definitely are, but most of the time they're not even competent enough at it to be bad in the stupid way that overly horny anime designs usually are. Like there was apparently a "no pants policy" for the designs (virgin mindset tbh), but none of the character art in-game even shows the legs.

It's a weirdly high effort Metroidvania that only exists because the developer was horny for bunny girls and remembered that Samus also wore a leotard once. That's kind of the inherent contradiction at the forefront of Rabi-Ribi, and I wonder if without that being so obvious, Tevi will achieve the mainstream success that Rabi-Ribi's glowing reception indicated it should have had.

Tevi is not really any less horny, but it's at least risen in standards to Mass Market Horny like Fire Emblem or Xenoblade. It seems slightly more respectable than those at their most trashy? It doesn't seem to have the problem Rabi-Ribi had where sexuality was always kind of grossly predatory, at least. But I only saw a small slice of the game.

Anyway, yeah, you still play as a bunny girl in a leotard, but it looks like a real game now. The production values are way higher, writing is much more competent, and it now takes place in a gritty steampunk fantasy setting with a lot more edge. Like, the demo got comically dark.

Male characters also exist now, which itself goes a surprisingly long way in not making this feel like a bad porn game. Instead of a fairy companion dressed like a thousand year old dragon, you have a Pyra and Mythra duo of artificial weapon people consisting of an angel with a belt for a bra and a femboy demon. Diversity win?

In terms of gameplay and level design, Tevi seems basically identical to Rabi-Ribi, just with a ton more mechanical complexity added on top of it. Not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I'm never really going to cheer for the addition of a crafting system I think. The combat is edging into character action territory and I'm pretty sure I got more badges in the demo than there were in all of Rabi-Ribi. I was a little overwhelmed, but it was at least a solidly good time, and like Rabi-Ribi there are more than enough difficulty options for anyone to stumble through the game. Think I just went with Normal.

One of the most notable differences is that pretty much all bosses in Rabi-Ribi were duel bosses with a similar size and agility to you, but Tevi seems willing to experiment more. The second boss in the demo was massive and immobile, and almost felt like a play on Cagney Carnation of all things.

Anyway, I've got a couple games I'm looking forward to that haven't been mentioned yet, I'll be sure to post about those later.

 

[SammyJ9]

Excellent ST, @xghost777 ! If I had to pick two favorite genres of game, it's RPGs and Metroidvanias (and Soulslikes, which are kinda sorta the same thing in a way?) so I can see myself spending some time in here .

There's the absolute classics (the Metroids, all the Igavanias, etc.) and probably my favorite of all time is Hollow Knight, which is not really a shocker.

Other great Metroidvanias:

Ender Lilies



I have some quibbles with gameplay and level design, but I ultimately really loved Ender Lilies and it's one of my favorites in recent years. The atmosphere is basically "melancholy piano music in the rain" and that's pretty much 100% my jam.


Tunic



Tunic is a really interesting love letter to games like Zelda 1 with really obscure secrets and finding out mechanics as you go, and it's great! I had a blast figuring out what everything did, and getting more pages of the in-game instruction manual.


Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth



Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is very Symphony of the Night in look and music, but it's a really fun (short!) metroidvania with a cool elemental system. Doesn't require any knowledge of the anime, either.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

It's honestly been quite a while since I've played a proper Metroidvania outside of demo - for some reason nothing has really caught my eye enough for it to be a must-play, so I've been prioritizing other things. I guess I've played a fair bit of Jedi Fallen Order recently, but that's more of your classic cinematic action game with some light Metroidvania elements than a full Metroidvania, imo (still a pretty fun game though)

Might start Grime soon though since I already own it and I'm starting to feel the inkling for a more classic Metroidvania (well, Souls-y Metroidvania I guess). Also really excited for Prince of Persia next year, melee focused Metroid Dread sounds like a blast

 

[chocolate_supra]

Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is very Symphony of the Night in look and music, but it's a really fun (short!) metroidvania with a cool elemental system. Doesn't require any knowledge of the anime, either.

It's also 30% off on the eShop right now

 

[PixelKnight]

Excellent ST, @xghost777 ! If I had to pick two favorite genres of game, it's RPGs and Metroidvanias (and Soulslikes, which are kinda sorta the same thing in a way?) so I can see myself spending some time in here .

There's the absolute classics (the Metroids, all the Igavanias, etc.) and probably my favorite of all time is Hollow Knight, which is not really a shocker.

Other great Metroidvanias:

Ender Lilies


I have some quibbles with gameplay and level design, but I ultimately really loved Ender Lilies and it's one of my favorites in recent years. The atmosphere is basically "melancholy piano music in the rain" and that's pretty much 100% my jam.


Tunic
Tunic is a really interesting love letter to games like Zelda 1 with really obscure secrets and finding out mechanics as you go, and it's great! I had a blast figuring out what everything did, and getting more pages of the in-game instruction manual.


Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth

Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is very Symphony of the Night in look and music, but it's a really fun (short!) metroidvania with a cool elemental system. Doesn't require any knowledge of the anime, either.

I really enjoyed Ender Lillies. I had issues with the story and pacing, in that the pace doesn’t vary much as there’s no more urgency due to all the interesting decisions already having been made by characters that are more interesting than the protagonist, before the story started. Which is something I often find in stories that are about ‘digging around in a post-apocalyptic dead kingdom’s hubris, uncovering what happened bit by bit’, even excellent ones like Dark Souls and Zelda BOTW. It’s something that Hollow Knight and Death’s Gambit and loads of others avoid, but a pit Ender Lillies stumbles into. However! It is a beautiful game, I liked the combat and the soundtrack is haunting.

Tunic and Deedlit are yet more entries on my wishlist!

 

[Number1000DKFan]

PRINCE OF PERSIA

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Just started Disney Illusion Island with my partner. Seems pretty basic so far but the joy of couch co-op is pushing things along nicely

 

[SammyJ9]

Forgot to mention I'll definitely be checking out The Last Faith when it launches, it looks right up my alley. Between that and Lies of P I'll have my Bloodborne influence covered for a while

 

[xghost777]

The game got a very extensive demo at the last Steam Next Fest, which is still available btw, so I got to play it. It's Rabi-Ribi 2 in all but name. Several of the major characters in the demo are direct expies of ones from Rabi-Ribi even, but adapted to fit into the new setting.

What they did here was a smart decision I think, because there was really nothing to build off of with that game's setting. The plot and lore was being made up on the fly throughout development and the final product is incomprehensible before you even factor in the pretty poor quality of the writing and the English translation on top of that.

The character designs are also embarassing, to the point where one of them is pretty much blatantly plagiarized from a hentai (they made an alraune, and the design is almost exactly the first image result for alraune). I wouldn't even say it's because they're overly horny, they definitely are, but most of the time they're not even competent enough at it to be bad in the stupid way that overly horny anime designs usually are. Like there was apparently a "no pants policy" for the designs (virgin mindset tbh), but none of the character art in-game even shows the legs.

It's a weirdly high effort Metroidvania that only exists because the developer was horny for bunny girls and remembered that Samus also wore a leotard once. That's kind of the inherent contradiction at the forefront of Rabi-Ribi, and I wonder if without that being so obvious, Tevi will achieve the mainstream success that Rabi-Ribi's glowing reception indicated it should have had.

Tevi is not really any less horny, but it's at least risen in standards to Mass Market Horny like Fire Emblem or Xenoblade. It seems slightly more respectable than those at their most trashy? It doesn't seem to have the problem Rabi-Ribi had where sexuality was always kind of grossly predatory, at least. But I only saw a small slice of the game.

Anyway, yeah, you still play as a bunny girl in a leotard, but it looks like a real game now. The production values are way higher, writing is much more competent, and it now takes place in a gritty steampunk fantasy setting with a lot more edge. Like, the demo got comically dark.

Male characters also exist now, which itself goes a surprisingly long way in not making this feel like a bad porn game. Instead of a fairy companion dressed like a thousand year old dragon, you have a Pyra and Mythra duo of artificial weapon people consisting of an angel with a belt for a bra and a femboy demon. Diversity win?

In terms of gameplay and level design, Tevi seems basically identical to Rabi-Ribi, just with a ton more mechanical complexity added on top of it. Not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I'm never really going to cheer for the addition of a crafting system I think. The combat is edging into character action territory and I'm pretty sure I got more badges in the demo than there were in all of Rabi-Ribi. I was a little overwhelmed, but it was at least a solidly good time, and like Rabi-Ribi there are more than enough difficulty options for anyone to stumble through the game. Think I just went with Normal.

One of the most notable differences is that pretty much all bosses in Rabi-Ribi were duel bosses with a similar size and agility to you, but Tevi seems willing to experiment more. The second boss in the demo was massive and immobile, and almost felt like a play on Cagney Carnation of all things.

Anyway, I've got a couple games I'm looking forward to that haven't been mentioned yet, I'll be sure to post about those later.

This sums up the problems I had with Rabi-Ribi very well. It just felt gross and embarrassing at certain times too often and yeah I agree the plot/world/story is just kind of there with too many random elements not stitched together in any satisfying fashion. Great game as a game for sure, but a lot of the rest ehhh.

Thanks for the lengthy impressions on Tevi! This sounds better enough where it needed to be. That first shot of all the characters used in trailers had given me hope that the designs are largely better so to hear it’s better in the game too with the demo at least is good (also agree the presence of male characters helps for better balance). I’m glad to hear on the gameplay front they aren’t rocking the boat too much from what worked before. It being more character action-like sounds appealing to me though I definitely share concerns about an unnecessary crafting system. I’m excited to have some boss variety and to move away from just a series of character duels too.

 

[Tangerine_Cookie]

Also this thread is good to mention A Robot named Fight, it is a roguelite metroidvania so every run is different. It is heavily based in the physics of Super Metroid though (mentioning this since I know some people don't like the heaviness of that)

Came to recommend A Robot named Fight, happy someone did it first! It definitely nails the Super Metroid feel super well, and the roguelite implementation is amazing.

Also a pretty interesting soundtrack!

 

[xghost777]

Want to respond to a bunch of people so I’ll do some ATs

@ermitron2 Don’t want to play the demo with the game so close, but that sounds cool how those randomly generated rooms work in Yohane! Mariachi Legends looks super rad! Excited to see how that one turns out for sure! Great name too! I also picked up Alice Escaped this year, but haven’t played it yet. I’m looking to play a few short games before the year is up so I might give that a whirl. Also I hadn’t heard of a Robot Named Fight before, that looks rad!

@Suswave ooh what you shared in hide tags looks cool! Also I’m very excited for Grogol Bonanza! The music drops you regularly share in General Discussion have such a fun, upbeat, and wild style! Definitely cool to talk about the game here too if you have Metroidvania elements you think people will dig

@SammyJ9 Thanks! And yeah Ender Lilies was awesome! Probably my favorite Metroidvania I’ve played in the last few years. Really excited to see their followup game! I also really dug Deedlit, though I did enjoy Ladybug’s prior game Touhou Luna Nights even more. Definitely give it a try if you haven’t

 

[SammyJ9]

Want to respond to a bunch of people so I’ll do some ATs

@ermitron2 Don’t want to play the demo with the game so close, but that sounds cool how those randomly generated rooms work in Yohane! Mariachi Legends looks super rad! Excited to see how that one turns out for sure! Great name too! I also picked up Alice Escaped this year, but haven’t played it yet. I’m looking to play a few short games before the year is up so I might give that a whirl. Also I hadn’t heard of a Robot Named Fight before, that looks rad!

@Suswave ooh what you shared in hide tags looks cool! Also I’m very excited for Grogol Bonanza! The music drops you regularly share in General Discussion have such a fun, upbeat, and wild style! Definitely cool to talk about the game here too if you have Metroidvania elements you think people will dig

@SammyJ9 Thanks! And yeah Ender Lilies was awesome! Probably my favorite Metroidvania I’ve played in the last few years. Really excited to see their followup game! I also really dug Deedlit, though I did enjoy Ladybug’s prior game Touhou Luna Nights even more. Definitely give it a try if you haven’t

I see Touhou Luna Nights on a lot of lists, so I definitely need to pick it up at some point! It’s in the backlog.