Current Events > ITT: I briefly review Metroidvanias I've played recently (MV discussion topic)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Several months ago I made a topic asking for Metroidvania recommendations, from that topic I compiled a list of a few dozen MV games to put in my wishlist and buy as I could get them cheap

in this topic Ill review and discuss them; also taking recommendations for other ones to check out (or if Ive already played and have an opinion Ill share that too)

just finished minoria. pretty good game.

Mindseize

This is the game I played most recently so its freshest. Apparently it was a Kickstarter gameIm not sure what the hook was to get people to pay since its a fairly generic MV in a fairly generic sci-to setting.

Gameplay is very heavily inspired by Super Metroid, with combat also having a dash of Mega Man X (you have a strong sword attack in addition to your gun)

The game makes a strong early impression and combat and movement is fluid, however certain aspects leave a lot to be desired. The game does a very poor job directing you in any way to the next objective, so I found myself wandering a lot and eventually stumbling on the next upgrade. And while there is some sequence breaking seemingly possible, there is a clear order of upgrades youre supposed to get which makes the lack of direction frustrating

there are a wide variety of upgrades, most of them optional, which was cool and unique for this type of game, but many of them are hidden in seemingly arbitrary places, sometimes youd break an obvious hidden wall and find an important upgrade with little effort; sometimes a similar would yield just a couple coins. Likewise sometimes youll find a larger hidden area and make your way to the end only to find the reward is coins.

boss fights in this game are mostly not good, often relying on overwhelming you with random projectiles, or requiring twitch reaction speed to unpredictable attacks. Nothing was super hard but I found myself feeling annoyed with most of the bosses after I beat them.

enemy variety was decent, although a bit too heavy on the main antagonist group which are largely not that fun to fight compared to the variety of alien creatures.

overall, a pretty fun experience but the lack of direction and poor boss fights brought it down. the definition of average.

5/10

tag

I love playing weird obscure janky metroidvanias

I'll track this too, I play a lot of these, indies especially.

Vigil: The Longest Night

This game is on the other end of the MV spectrum from Mindseize, being more souls-like influenced and accordingly having melee and magic-based combat, with leveling up and a skill tree. Combat is fast-paced and based on blocking and dodging. The closest comparison I felt was Muramasa: The Demon Blade.

I read that this game was in rough shape when it released, being a first (?) release from the studio that made it. With patches theyve apparently brought it up to good standards although it is still somewhat janky and rough around the edges. Despite the lack of polish, I thought it was a lot of fun. The game has a dark-medieval setting with some lovecraft influence, and is very big with lots of sidequests that give unique rewards and a bunch of optional areas

Maybe too big, however, as many of the side areas just keep going and going, to their detriment, without any new ideas to keep them going. If you look at a map youll see that most of the dungeons are designed the same way, vertically oriented with a back and forth design and some side paths. Just not that interesting m

Bosses are a strong point, with good variety and challenge, although the mid-section of the game felt like it didnt have enough of them. I found myself spending a ton of time exploring and not coming across any major fights making the game feel like it was missing something

one point of annoyance is that since the game has Souls-influence, sidequest tracking is accordingly minimal (there is a notes section that tracks some clues), and there are two points of no return where any quests you havent finished will failand its not very obvious when these points are.

Also, the game could have used some QOL featuresfor example you have a heal potion button (as in souls games) but the game doesnt auto replenish them from stock at save points. You have to fast travel to the shop and buy them for a pittance15 goldwhich makes you feel like they should have just been free. Load times are also way too long for this type of game

Overall its clear a lot of love went into this game; story presentation and atmosphere are really great, lots of options for exploration and it never felt like I didnt have a direction to go in. Lots of optional flavor text adds to the story (although it isnt all translated the best). However this game has some jankiness that comes from a smaller indie trying to make something with a big scope. With that in mind I had a lot of fun with it and would recommend to fans of more RPG-leaning MV games

7/10

Give Rabi Ribi a shot if you can. One of the best (and hardest) metroidvanias I've ever played.

Xatrion posted...

Give Rabi Ribi a shot if you can. One of the best (and hardest) metroidvanias I've ever played.

I think I have that on my list but i wont be buying until its on deep discount because its fucking embarrassing weeb creeper shit

TheGoldenEel posted...

I think I have that on my list but i wont be buying until its on deep discount because its fucking embarrassing weeb creeper shit

lmao

I probably mentioned it in your previous topic, but Headlander is one of my favorites from the last few gens.

I really enjoyed Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Didnt pay attention to the plot but gameplay was solid

MabusIncarnate posted...

lmao

I probably mentioned it in your previous topic, but Headlander is one of my favorites from the last few gens.

Yeah thats on there

this is the list btw

Blasphemous
Axiom Verge 2
The Mummy Demastered
Apotheon
Ender Lillies
Deaths Gambit
Time Spinner
Outbuddies DX
Gato Roboto
Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight
Vigil The Longest Night
Grime
Shantae Half Genie Hero
Shantae and the Seven Sirens
Iconoclasts
Dandara
Phoenotopia Awakening
Rabi Ribi
Touhou Luna Nights
Kunai
Ghost 1.0
Alwas Awakening
Shinsekai: Into The Depths
Mindseize
Odallus
Record of lodoss war
Headlander
Pronty
The Messenger
Lost Ruins
FIST
8doors
Cathedral
Yoku's Island Express
Supraland
Recompile
Monster Sanctuary
Batbarian
forma.8
Pharaoh Rebirth+
Magicians & Looters
Strider
Wuppo
Indivisible (technically)
Elliot Quest
The Last Faith
Gestalt Steam Cinder
Aeterna noctis

Xerun posted...

I really enjoyed Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Didnt pay attention to the plot but gameplay was solid

Great game! Probably an 8/10

been a while since I played but iirc what brings it down from being an all time great is some of the broken shards and how obtuse some of the progression is

Solid, I played that Record of Lodoss War recently and liked it a lot, it's on top of Headlander so that was probably my rec also. Bloodstained was awesome also.

TheGoldenEel posted...

Great game! Probably an 8/10

bwen a while since I played but iirc what brings it down from being an all time great is some of the broken shards and how obtuse some of the progression is

Yeah thats fair. The swimming one in particular was horrible

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


yeah it is. It was a great game

Tag

TheGoldenEel posted...

Supraland
Recompile

I suddenly feel vindicated, lol. Good luck and have fun getting through the list

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sauceje posted...

I suddenly feel vindicated, lol. Good luck and have fun getting through the list

Supraland was the stick figure one in 3d world right? I played that for a while when it hit game pass, it was fun.

MabusIncarnate posted...

Supraland was the stick figure one in 3d world right? I played that for a while when it hit game pass, it was fun.

Yep, it's great

Blasphemous is all time favorite MV

Blood Stained RoTN was good too, if you like SoTN youll like this.

Salt & Sanctuary is also phenomenal but it also has Soulslike elements too. Very much a 2D Dark Souls game.

Im currently playing Deaths Gambit Afterlife and am enjoying it. The combat and ability system is really fun to experiment with as you advance. I also like how its a game that explores themes of death and immortality but still finds time to have some comedy and not take itself too seriously.

SSJPurple posted...

Blasphemous is all time favorite MV

I played this for about 30min but it came across as really cringey and boring. How long should I give it before I decide whether its not for me?

I bought Blasphemous but haven't tried it yet.

Interesting yall mention Blasphemous because that was always going to be the next game

Blasphemous

This is one of the most metal games of all time, and I love it for that. Some may call it try-hard or over-the-top; but thats the whole pointthe game is nothing if not committed to its brutal Spanish inspired atmosphere.

This is another game thats souls-inspired, with a return-to-where-you-died mechanic (you earn less currency and have less magic until you do) and not much of a focus on power ups. In fact, if Im not mistaken most (if not all?) of the power-ups are technically optional to see the credits. But they are necessary for the many optional sidequests and areas to unlock the various different endings.

the gameplay is fairly varied, with a large variety of difficult enemies and bosses, and a skill tree to unlock new moves for your main sword, plus a ton of hidden items that allow you to use magic and/or grant different combat effects. Boss and enemy designs are brutal, gory, and so much fun, and animations (especially for counter-attacks and executions) are top notch

the map is very large and intricate, with lots of secret paths and interconnected areas. It was a lot of fun to explore and allows a fair degree of nonlinearity (since, as mentioned, power ups arent a huge factor)

there are a couple drawbacks, however. First is the way power ups and equipment is handled. You can only equip three power-ups at a time, which has gameplay implications for certain areas, but this means you have to keep entering the menu and navigating to the power up select screen to change them out. There is a similar annoyance with magic spellsit would be nice if you could quick select these things.

the other annoyance, is that the true ending, as well as several bosses, are only available in new game plusand the true ending is missable to boot, with a missable and obscure interaction fairly early in the game necessary to get the true ending. Now, for me I enjoyed this game enough to play through it again right away and do these, but its a bit frustrating that you basically have to consult a guide to make sure youre not locked out of content.

overall though this is one of the best Metroidvanias Ive played in recent years, with great enemy and environment variety, excellent gameplay, and fantastic (and brutal) atmosphere

9/10

Aggelos was a fun romp. Wonderboy Metroidvania essentially.

@sauceje

Holy shit! I haven't met a single person who's played Supraland. I loved all three of their titles.

I'm glad I'm not alone.

@TheGoldenEel I was able to get the true ending in Blasphemous on a first run. You only need New Game + to face the Stir of Dawn bosses and its rewards.

ZeroX2010 posted...

@TheGoldenEel I was able to get the true ending in Blasphemous on a first run. You only need New Game + to face the Stir of Dawn bosses and its rewards.

Could have sworn the thing you need to do isnt accessible on your first run but I may be wrong

this is the last DLC/update from December?

Eat More Beef posted...

@sauceje

Holy shit! I haven't met a single person who's played Supraland. I loved all three of their titles.

I'm glad I'm not alone.

There's dozens of us... dozens!
I've only played the first one so far, on Game Pass which doesn't have Crash lol. But I'm definitely gonna play the other ones probably eventually.

Did I ever post in that topic? I remember someone here making a topic for MV's and it was right around the time I think I was playing Aeterna Noctis at release. Loved that game.

TheGoldenEel posted...

Could have sworn the thing you need to do isnt accessible on your first run but I may be wrong

this is the last DLC/update from December?

Yes, though I started a second file because I went past one on the points of no return for the that ending on my first saved game. This was on the Switch.

Tag

bumping this so I dont forget to continue

Blasphemous is a really solid game.

You can really melt some stuff with magic, like in Elden Ring. Plus, you can drop multiple bloodstains when you die. So, if you die 3 times, then you gotta go pick up 3 bloodstains if they were far enough apart from each other. Or you can pay a price to rid yourself of your "Guilt" lol

The idea of a guy who tortures himself is a uniquely Blasphemous direction coming from stuff like Demon Slayers, the Undead, the Unkindled, Hunters, etc

10/10

Couldnt recommend enough. As its own thing. If you're a Souls fan and retro gaming.

Outbuddies DX

This game is pretty standard Metroid-style gameplay, with a bit of a twist. You have a buddy that follows you around that you can control by holding down the buddy button to move as an independent character.

Initially it feels like this will set it apart, but ultimately this game feels far too derivative of Metroid. You start off with the buddy able to move blocks, but there are very few block puzzles in the game, and it only gains a couple of moves beyond that (the ability to hack enemies, which functionally is just used to turn them into platforms, and the ability to scan the environment for hidden breakable blocks, which is often used as an excuse to give breakable walls no indicator). The rest of the upgrades are standard Metroid fareblaster, power ball, bombs, missiles, charge beam, double jump, spider ball, etcwhich just made it feel uninspired.

Level and map design is pretty good here, although most of the areas look the same. Which ends up being a problem as backtracking and exploration is a huge aspect of this one. You are gated several times by having to upgrade your hacking ability, which is done by finding hidden (and I mean hidden) collectibles throughout the world, meaning you are expected to be thorough in scanning for breakable blocks and alternate paths. It ends up being a bit tedious as a lot of enemies remain a nuisance even as you power up, and breakable blocks etc respawn upon return to an area.

there is one other main aspect that differentiates it from Metroid, though, which is that a side quest of sorts is finding NPCs locked throughout the world. To save them you have to use another hidden collectiblebut that same hidden collectible can be spent on different that revive you during boss fights, also. However, as you save more and more of these NPCs they will give you health pickups during boss fights as well. Sort of an interesting risk/reward thing, but ultimately I never saw any reason not to just save the NPCs

boss fights, again, are pretty standard Metroid stuff but still fun with responsive and varied design. A couple were pretty damn challenging even with the added health pickups

overall, this was pretty fun. It tried a few interesting ideas although those were ultimately a bit undercooked, and sticks a little to close to the tried-and-true Metroid formula, but hey, that formula is a good one. A good way to spend 10 hours or so of your time if youre looking for a strictly Metroid-like experience

6/10

Only reason I know of Outbuddies is that apparently a second player could control the drone. I played both Guacamelee's in co-op so I appreciate having another option, and tbh I'm fine with meh/underwhelming Metroid clones since I prefer that to Castlevania-esque titles. I played Gato Roboto earlier this year and it was a basic, short, cute game that I don't regret picking up on sale.

MJOLNRVII posted...

Only reason I know of Outbuddies is that apparently a second player could control the drone. I played both Guacamelee's in co-op so I appreciate having another option, and tbh I'm fine with meh/underwhelming Metroid clones since I prefer that to Castlevania-esque titles. I played Gato Roboto earlier this year and it was a basic, short, cute game that I don't regret picking up on sale.

Forgot to mention that, yeah. Seems rather pointless given the limited uses of the buddy but I guess it could be fun for small children or something

def dont regret playing it for cheap. Think of a 6/10 as more of a 3-star review (out of 5) than how most game journalists use it to mean trash

MJOLNRVII posted...

Only reason I know of Outbuddies is that apparently a second player could control the drone. I played both Guacamelee's in co-op so I appreciate having another option, and tbh I'm fine with meh/underwhelming Metroid clones since I prefer that to Castlevania-esque titles. I played Gato Roboto earlier this year and it was a basic, short, cute game that I don't regret picking up on sale.

Spiritfarer was this way, someone could be your co-op cat, it was limited on what it can do, but can jump further than the primary character, so co-op gives you access to some items earlier as a result.

Gato Roboto was on game pass, so I played it when it first came out, and it was a fun, short experience. It goes on sale often, and it's cheap regardless.

MabusIncarnate posted...

Spiritfarer was this way, someone could be your co-op cat, it was limited on what it can do, but can jump further than the primary character, so co-op gives you access to some items earlier as a result.

Gato Roboto was on game pass, so I played it when it first came out, and it was a fun, short experience. It goes on sale often, and it's cheap regardless.

Might have to give that one a try soon

the games I have now say 40-50 hours on howlongtobeat and Im not sure if I want to make that commitment

Whats a good starting class in Deaths Gambit? I liked the idea of a Wizard but I think Id rather roll bows first then spec into magic later if Im gonna do a ranged play through. I just beat the Owl King and explored a tiny bit past that so I dont mind starting over.

A little disappointed that La-Mulana 1 and 2 and environmental station alpha aren't on your list. Still, very interested in this topic. Tag.

warlock7735 posted...

A little disappointed that La-Mulana 1 and 2 and environmental station alpha aren't on your list. Still, very interested in this topic. Tag.

I had already played these when I made the list

La-Mulana 1 - 8/10
La-Mulana 2 - 7/10
Environmental Station Alpha - 7/10

DespondentDeity posted...

Whats a good starting class in Deaths Gambit? I liked the idea of a Wizard but I think Id rather roll bows first then spec into magic later if Im gonna do a ranged play through. I just beat the Owl King and explored a tiny bit past that so I dont mind starting over.

I thought Acolyte of Death was pretty fun. Reap Mastery is a nice buff for Scythes, and since they're Dex weapons you could use Bows in your other weapon slot if you want. Also this is more of a minor gameplay spoiler so I'm tagging it just in case, but you get to pick a second class later. All that's different is you don't get the innate skill that comes with your 2nd class like repairing the save points on Acolyte of Death.

TheGoldenEel posted...

I had already played these when I made the list

La-Mulana 1 - 8/10
La-Mulana 2 - 7/10
Environmental Station Alpha - 7/10

To elaborate on this, I think the gameplay in these games is super solid and I love how many treasures and power-ups La-Mulana has, but the sort of super obtuse puzzles that are basically just designed to have you look up a walkthrough kind of detract from it

Been a while since I played La-Mulana 1 but my gut says I liked it more than 2, the game felt more novel while 2 was kind of more of the same.

Even longer since I played ESA but I recall it being a lot of fun if overly confusing to navigate while also being a little basic

all very fun games though

To all the mentions of Supraland ITT, it's currently free on the Epic Game Store until the 23rd.

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

this is an example of a game that sticks very close to the Castlevania formula but manages to elevate itself by doing basically everything very well

from the start, this game has great presentation and environmental design. The character movement feels good to play as, and the world quickly opens up to give you a ton to explore.

this game has a leveling system much like castlevania, so while combat starts out pretty difficult, its not hard to level up and overcome challenges (without trivializing things). The game also has a ton of combat optionsall of your attacks take the form of summoning a familiar to do some attack, and most of not all major enemies have a mini-boss version somewhere in the world to unlock that enemys attack

Main boss fights are also fun and varied (and challenging), and the game encourages you to experiment with different attacks to properly deal with them. One issue I had with this was weapons had to set at save points, which imo makes experimenting more of a pain than the game obviously wants it to be.

each area of the map feels distinct, with a good variety of level gimmicks and enemies, and each new power up makes it worth re-exploring previous areas and finding new treasures and weapons. I do think this game could have benefitted with a little bit more direction, as there were multiple times where I got a new power up then had no idea which way I was supposed to gothe game lets you get fairly far into certain areas until gating you which I found confusing at times

but gameplay stays rock-solid from beginning to end, bosses and enemies stay exciting and challenging, and the minimalist story nonetheless felt engaging the whole time. This was truly a great game

9/10

Xerun posted...

I played this for about 30min but it came across as really cringey and boring. How long should I give it before I decide whether its not for me?

I meanI was hooked from the opening alone and realized I liked it right after the first boss/area

I love everything about it so idk if you find it cringe and boring I doubt thats gonna change

SSJPurple posted...

I meanI was hooked from the opening alone and realized I liked it right after the first boss/area

I love everything about it so idk if you find it cringe and boring I doubt thats gonna change

Yeah this was the scene where I realized this game was for me

https://youtu.be/RkzEva1mA1k

cool writeups. I definitely want to try Blasphemous

Tag. Been meaning to try a bunch of indie MVs at some point.