Board 8 > Metroidvania recommendations: the return (plus I rank 35 games)

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azuarc 07/07/23 5:17:04 PM #1:	Steam sale going, so I'm gonna ask if anyone wants to suggest any games that either distinctly are, or are in the sphere of metroidvanias for me to check out. I am including below the list of games I own that Steam says are metroidvanias, for reference. (This list makes absolutely no attempt to be objective, and I threw together in a couple minutes just to put them in some kind of order.) Use this to get an idea of what I like, or what you might want to check out. Will do actual write-ups by request. Great: 1. Hollow Knight 2. Astalon: Tears of the Earth 3. Guacamelee! 4. Afterimage 5. Ender Lilies Recommended: 6. Steamworld Dig 2 7. Timespinner 8. 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure 9. Guacamelee! 2 10 & 11. Ori and the Blind Forest / Ori and the Will of the Wisps Good: 12. Control (3D games can be metroidvanias, don't @ me.) 13. Valdis Story: Abyssal City 14. Sundered 15 & 16. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse / Shantae: Half-Genie Hero 17. Iconoclasts Decent: 18. Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth 19. Ato 20. TOMOMI 21. Phoenotopia Awakening 22. Supraland Okay, I guess: 23. Aquaria 24. Gato Roboto 25. Yoku's Island Express 26. Axiom Verge 27. Omega Strike Meh at Best: 28. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night 29. Blasphemous 30. Owlboy 31. Headlander 32. Dandara: Trials of Fear 33. Escape From Tethys 34. La-Mulana Awful, absolute worst, do not go near, I don't care about the stupid 94% positive reviews on Steam, I hate this: 35. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight Other games Steam has tagged as metroidvanias which I'm not counting: Asterigos: Curse of the Stars, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Crystal Project, Death's Door, Dex, The Knight Witch, Patch Quest, Pharaoh Rebirth+, A Robot Named Fight, Rogue Legacy, Rogue Legacy 2, The Vagrant, Wuppo --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974690964] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Steam sale going, so I'm gonna ask if anyone wants to suggest any games that either distinctly are, or are in the sphere of metroidvanias for me to check out. I am including below the list of games I own that Steam says are metroidvanias, for reference. (This list makes absolutely no attempt to be objective, and I threw together in a couple minutes just to put them in some kind of order.) Use this to get an idea of what I like, or what you might want to check out. Will do actual write-ups by request.Great:1. Hollow Knight2. Astalon: Tears of the Earth3. Guacamelee!4. Afterimage5. Ender LiliesRecommended:6. Steamworld Dig 27. Timespinner8. 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure9. Guacamelee! 210 & 11. Ori and the Blind Forest / Ori and the Will of the WispsGood:12. Control (3D games can be metroidvanias, don't @ me.)13. Valdis Story: Abyssal City14. Sundered15 & 16. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse / Shantae: Half-Genie Hero17. IconoclastsDecent:18. Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth19. Ato20. TOMOMI21. Phoenotopia Awakening22. SupralandOkay, I guess:23. Aquaria24. Gato Roboto25. Yoku's Island Express26. Axiom Verge27. Omega StrikeMeh at Best:28. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night29. Blasphemous30. Owlboy31. Headlander32. Dandara: Trials of Fear33. Escape From Tethys34. La-MulanaAwful, absolute worst, do not go near, I don't care about the stupid 94% positive reviews on Steam, I hate this:35. Momodora: Reverie Under the MoonlightOther games Steam has tagged as metroidvanias which I'm not counting:Asterigos: Curse of the Stars, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Crystal Project, Death's Door, Dex, The Knight Witch, Patch Quest, Pharaoh Rebirth+, A Robot Named Fight, Rogue Legacy, Rogue Legacy 2, The Vagrant, Wuppo</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
transience 07/07/23 5:28:09 PM #2:	yeah, you should get Haiku the Robot --- xyzzy <cite>transience posted [p:974691231] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>yeah, you should get Haiku the Robot</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
transience 07/07/23 5:29:05 PM #3:	oh, and tell me about 8doors. I've had it on my wishlist now for like 3 years and it goes on sale every other week, but I've never pulled the trigger on it. --- xyzzy <cite>transience posted [p:974691253] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>oh, and tell me about 8doors. I've had it on my wishlist now for like 3 years and it goes on sale every other week, but I've never pulled the trigger on it. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MacArrowny 07/07/23 5:31:02 PM #4:	I haven't played it myself, but I see a lot of people recommend Aeterna Noctis, particularly for hardcore players. It has a lot of intense platforming though, if that's a turn-off. You've played all the ones I'd call favorites, other than the actual Metroid and Castlevania games. The Castlevania Advance Collection is on Steam, isn't it? --- All the stars in the sky are waiting for you. <cite>MacArrowny posted [p:974691298] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>I haven't played it myself, but I see a lot of people recommend Aeterna Noctis, particularly for hardcore players. It has a lot of intense platforming though, if that's a turn-off.You've played all the ones I'd call favorites, other than the actual Metroid and Castlevania games. The Castlevania Advance Collection is on Steam, isn't it?</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
UF8 07/07/23 5:34:15 PM #5:	extra recs 1. Rabi Ribi 2. probably TEVI 3. probably Love Bunny Metroidvania or whatever the final name for that ends up being 4. Wuppo deserves to count though so i'm putting it in the count just because it's fun even if it's not conventional 5. Environmental Station Alpha OK tier 6. Transiruby 7. Touhouvania (scarlet symphony) 8. touhouvania 2 9. Psycron 10 Alice Escaped weh 11. Luna Nights 12. Bunny Must Die 13. Glimmer in Mirror Not really OK tier: 14. GRIME (ok i'm being a bit unfair but i can't say i really liked it as a metroidvania) 15. Touhou Double Focus Borderline Awful tier: 16. Lost Ruins 17. DragonBell XI yeah i am totally biased putting touhouvanias that high despite their level design <cite>UF8 posted [p:974691366] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>extra recs1. Rabi Ribi2. probably TEVI3. probably Love Bunny Metroidvania or whatever the final name for that ends up being4. Wuppo deserves to count though so i'm putting it in the count just because it's fun even if it's not conventional5. Environmental Station AlphaOK tier6. Transiruby7. Touhouvania (scarlet symphony)8. touhouvania 29. Psycron10 Alice Escapedweh11. Luna Nights12. Bunny Must Die13. Glimmer in MirrorNot really OK tier:14. GRIME (ok i'm being a bit unfair but i can't say i really liked it as a metroidvania)15. Touhou Double FocusBorderline Awful tier:16. Lost Ruins17. DragonBell XIyeah i am totally biased putting touhouvanias that high despite their level design</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
th3l3fty 07/07/23 5:34:48 PM #6:	tell us how you really feel about Momodora --- thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris <cite>th3l3fty posted [p:974691374] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>tell us how you really feel about Momodora</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Kenri 07/07/23 5:36:27 PM #7:	Off the top of my head I'd recommend: Environmental Station Alpha Shadow Complex Rabi-Ribi Lone Fungus But our tastes are rather different aside from Hollow Knight at #1 so your mileage may vary! --- Congrats to BKSheikah, who knows more about years than anyone else. <cite>Kenri posted [p:974691402] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Off the top of my head I'd recommend: Environmental Station AlphaShadow ComplexRabi-RibiLone FungusBut our tastes are rather different aside from Hollow Knight at #1 so your mileage may vary! </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MacArrowny 07/07/23 5:40:31 PM #8:	Rabi-Ribi's main game is good but I didn't like the post-launch content. --- All the stars in the sky are waiting for you. <cite>MacArrowny posted [p:974691489] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Rabi-Ribi's main game is good but I didn't like the post-launch content.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Kenri 07/07/23 5:43:21 PM #9:	It's a real mixed bag but I liked the boss fights, at least. --- Congrats to BKSheikah, who knows more about years than anyone else. <cite>Kenri posted [p:974691533] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>It's a real mixed bag but I liked the boss fights, at least. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
tazzyboyishere 07/07/23 5:44:54 PM #10:	Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight --- http://i.imgur.com/l7xxLh1.jpg PSN/Steam - RoboQuote ; NNID - TazzyMan <cite>tazzyboyishere posted [p:974691568] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
KCF0107 07/07/23 5:50:32 PM #11:	A couple of recommendations off the top of my head that haven't been mentioned: Journey to the Savage Planet (most inspired by Metroid Prime) Batman: Arkham Asylum Mystik Belle Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet KUNAI --- KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy <cite>KCF0107 posted [p:974691715] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>A couple of recommendations off the top of my head that haven't been mentioned:Journey to the Savage Planet (most inspired by Metroid Prime)Batman: Arkham AsylumMystik BelleInsanely Twisted Shadow PlanetKUNAI</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
PrinceKaro 07/07/23 5:55:08 PM #12:	Dust: An Elysian Tail --- https://i.imgtc.com/a6iBg1Y.jpg Congrats to azuarc* on being really good at predicting stuff* <cite>PrinceKaro posted [p:974691829] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Dust: An Elysian Tail</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/07/23 5:59:59 PM #13:	transience posted... oh, and tell me about 8doors. I've had it on my wishlist now for like 3 years and it goes on sale every other week, but I've never pulled the trigger on it. 8. 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure The fact that this was eighth on the list was a happy accident. 8Doors is a game themed around Korean mythology in which you play as a girl, Arum, who travels to the underworld to rescue her father's soul. As a living person in the land of the dead, you're treated as quite remarkable by the people there, and while a few are antagonistic, the not-totally-dead-zombie-ish people are generally helpful. You join what basically amounts to the grim reaper squad in order to get them to help you -- it seems the afterlife is experiencing a bit of a crisis right now with someone creating upheaval and rogue souls going missing. So off you go to do metroidvania stuff. The most striking thing about 8Doors is the art. It's almost all monochrome, with some red mixed in. However, with the fluid animations, this never wore on me, and the different environs have slightly different variations on the color palette. Overall, art is a plus. And speaking of animations, the movement and combat are pretty fluid, too. Arum eventually acquires six different weapons, each of which have their own unique utility. They're also progressively more powerful, so unfortunately, this does not mean you're likely to pick your favorite and stick to it, so much as just use the most recent one, but I don't see this as a bad thing. Your character and their moveset is a bit unique, too, given that half of the ability techs you acquire are related to the frog companion that sits on your head, enabling you to swim, bust through select walls, etc. So typical metroidvania stuff, but the execution is at least interesting. Plus the weapons also add their own flair to what you can do. Secrets mostly feel pretty good. A few are difficult to pull off, but there's at least a decent recourse for being able to generally find them later on if you're trying to 100%. I had a few moments where I was genuinely stuck and had to figure out where to go, but not too bad in that vein. The map has a good bit of interconnectivity to it, and exploration otherwise felt pretty good. All in all, it's just a solid game. There's no one thing I would say is the selling point of the game, other than maybe the mythos, but there's also nothing that I would say it doesn't do well. If you're looking for a metroidvania recommendation, this one's absolutely a solid pick. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974691942] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>transience posted... </cite><quote>oh, and tell me about 8doors. I've had it on my wishlist now for like 3 years and it goes on sale every other week, but I've never pulled the trigger on it.</quote>8. 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife AdventureThe fact that this was eighth on the list was a happy accident.8Doors is a game themed around Korean mythology in which you play as a girl, Arum, who travels to the underworld to rescue her father's soul. As a living person in the land of the dead, you're treated as quite remarkable by the people there, and while a few are antagonistic, the not-totally-dead-zombie-ish people are generally helpful. You join what basically amounts to the grim reaper squad in order to get them to help you -- it seems the afterlife is experiencing a bit of a crisis right now with someone creating upheaval and rogue souls going missing. So off you go to do metroidvania stuff.The most striking thing about 8Doors is the art. It's almost all monochrome, with some red mixed in. However, with the fluid animations, this never wore on me, and the different environs have slightly different variations on the color palette. Overall, art is a plus.And speaking of animations, the movement and combat are pretty fluid, too. Arum eventually acquires six different weapons, each of which have their own unique utility. They're also progressively more powerful, so unfortunately, this does not mean you're likely to pick your favorite and stick to it, so much as just use the most recent one, but I don't see this as a bad thing.Your character and their moveset is a bit unique, too, given that half of the ability techs you acquire are related to the frog companion that sits on your head, enabling you to swim, bust through select walls, etc. So typical metroidvania stuff, but the execution is at least interesting. Plus the weapons also add their own flair to what you can do.Secrets mostly feel pretty good. A few are difficult to pull off, but there's at least a decent recourse for being able to generally find them later on if you're trying to 100%. I had a few moments where I was genuinely stuck and had to figure out where to go, but not too bad in that vein. The map has a good bit of interconnectivity to it, and exploration otherwise felt pretty good. All in all, it's just a solid game. There's no one thing I would say is the selling point of the game, other than maybe the mythos, but there's also nothing that I would say it doesn't do well. If you're looking for a metroidvania recommendation, this one's absolutely a solid pick.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/07/23 6:12:25 PM #14:	transience posted... yeah, you should get Haiku the Robot Haiku doesn't look like much at a glance, but you're not the first person to suggest this. Maybe I should take that as a sign. MacArrowny posted... I haven't played it myself, but I see a lot of people recommend Aeterna Noctis, particularly for hardcore players. It has a lot of intense platforming though, if that's a turn-off. I've heard mixed reviews about AN. Most recently I've heard about it because the last game I finished was Afterimage, which has an enormous map, and people were saying AN was the biggest map they could think of to compare it to. UF8 posted... 11. Luna Nights This has overwhelmingly positive reviews and I've played Deedlit. Interesting that you're not that high on it, though. Also, Glimmer in Mirror didn't turn out that great? I know it had some translation issues when I played the demo, but I had hopes they'd turn out a decent game in the end. Kenri posted... Lone Fungus This is a pretty new release, isn't it? I'm curious to know if it's any good. tazzyboyishere posted... Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight No. KCF0107 posted... A couple of recommendations off the top of my head that haven't been mentioned: Journey to the Savage Planet (most inspired by Metroid Prime) Batman: Arkham Asylum Mystik Belle Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet KUNAI Haven't heard of these besides Kunai. (Well, and BAA, obviously.) PrinceKaro posted... Dust: An Elysian Tail Reminds me I really ought to finish Valdis Story. I keep starting it, playing for 90 minutes, and then coming back later and restarting because I don't remember anything. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974692189] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>transience posted... </cite><quote>yeah, you should get Haiku the Robot</quote>Haiku doesn't look like much at a glance, but you're not the first person to suggest this. Maybe I should take that as a sign.MacArrowny posted... </cite><quote>I haven't played it myself, but I see a lot of people recommend Aeterna Noctis, particularly for hardcore players. It has a lot of intense platforming though, if that's a turn-off.</quote>I've heard mixed reviews about AN. Most recently I've heard about it because the last game I finished was Afterimage, which has an enormous map, and people were saying AN was the biggest map they could think of to compare it to.UF8 posted... </cite><quote>11. Luna Nights</quote>This has overwhelmingly positive reviews and I've played Deedlit. Interesting that you're not that high on it, though.Also, Glimmer in Mirror didn't turn out that great? I know it had some translation issues when I played the demo, but I had hopes they'd turn out a decent game in the end.Kenri posted... </cite><quote>Lone Fungus</quote>This is a pretty new release, isn't it? I'm curious to know if it's any good.tazzyboyishere posted... </cite><quote>Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight</quote>No.KCF0107 posted... </cite><quote>A couple of recommendations off the top of my head that haven't been mentioned:Journey to the Savage Planet (most inspired by Metroid Prime)Batman: Arkham AsylumMystik BelleInsanely Twisted Shadow PlanetKUNAI</quote>Haven't heard of these besides Kunai. (Well, and BAA, obviously.)PrinceKaro posted... </cite><quote>Dust: An Elysian Tail</quote>Reminds me I really ought to finish Valdis Story. I keep starting it, playing for 90 minutes, and then coming back later and restarting because I don't remember anything.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
andylt 07/07/23 6:19:54 PM #15:	Tag to get recs for myself. Seconding the Arkhams, if Control counts as the genre they definitely count too. And I'll highly recommend The Messenger myself, but our tastes aren't always aligned. Requesting info on Timespinner, a brief look has me intrigued. --- No longer becoming a Final Fantasy aficionado. <cite>andylt posted [p:974692352] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Tag to get recs for myself. Seconding the Arkhams, if Control counts as the genre they definitely count too. And I'll highly recommend The Messenger myself, but our tastes aren't always aligned.Requesting info on Timespinner, a brief look has me intrigued.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
GTM 07/07/23 6:20:00 PM #16:	What's wrong with momodora? --- GTM - Boko United survivor and dillos and nintendo and you are awesome <cite>GTM posted [p:974692354] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>What's wrong with momodora?</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Mobilezoid 07/07/23 6:28:19 PM #17:	In terms of Metroidvanias, I enjoyed Ghost 1.0 quite a bit. Also Aquaria is amazing, how dare you rank it merely okay --- R.O.B.A.Z.O.I.D (On mobile) <cite>Mobilezoid posted [p:974692510] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>In terms of Metroidvanias, I enjoyed Ghost 1.0 quite a bit.Also Aquaria is amazing, how dare you rank it merely okay</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
catesdb 07/07/23 6:31:42 PM #18:	saw HK at the top of the list and that was all the endorsement needed to immediately buy Astalon --- Pronouns - she/her FFXIV - Ultros [Primal] - https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/39263879/ <cite>catesdb posted [p:974692572] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>saw HK at the top of the list and that was all the endorsement needed to immediately buy Astalon</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
GOGZero 07/07/23 6:53:06 PM #19:	I recommend --- Aggelos A Robot Named Fight Alchemist's Castle Spooky Ghosts Dot Com Xeodrifter --- The reason why you couldn't see my Signature before is because it was Invisible <cite>GOGZero posted [p:974693007] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>I recommend ---AggelosA Robot Named FightAlchemist's Castle Spooky Ghosts Dot ComXeodrifter</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/07/23 6:57:51 PM #20:	I keep forgetting The Messenger is a thing. And maybe I should look at Batman. I just have this "eww, AAA" going in my head, but I'm sure they're cheap enough by now. (In fact, it's $9 for the full trilogy atm.) GTM posted... What's wrong with momodora? Challenge is out of whack, the game goes out of its way -- in the starter area -- to place the enemies in the most challenging positions, I felt punished every time I tried to explore, visually harmless enemies absolutely CHUNK your health, and then they insult you on the difficulty screen by saying that easy difficulty is for "people who have never played a video game before." If I wanted to go back to Atari-era "we only know how to make games like the quarter munchers in the arcade" titles, there's tons of retro games I could be playing instead. And I don't feel like Momodora had anything over those games from the 80s. I don't normally return games because I respect developers. I returned Momodora so freaking hard. There was pretty much nothing about that game I liked. Mobilezoid posted... Also Aquaria is amazing, how dare you rank it merely okay I haven't played it in ages, I didn't get too far with it, and I do remember having some issues with it. I might feel differently if I tried it again. I was toying with picking up Prunty, which is another underwater move-in-any-direction metroidvania, and so revisiting Aquaria was actually in the back of my head. catesdb posted... saw HK at the top of the list and that was all the endorsement needed to immediately buy Astalon TBF, I wouldn't say Astalon is the closest game on the list to HK. If you want something closer, I'd need to know what you liked best about HK, but I'd say maybe Afterimage. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974693117] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>I keep forgetting The Messenger is a thing. And maybe I should look at Batman. I just have this "eww, AAA" going in my head, but I'm sure they're cheap enough by now. (In fact, it's $9 for the full trilogy atm.)GTM posted... </cite><quote>What's wrong with momodora?</quote>Challenge is out of whack, the game goes out of its way -- in the starter area -- to place the enemies in the most challenging positions, I felt punished every time I tried to explore, visually harmless enemies absolutely CHUNK your health, and then they insult you on the difficulty screen by saying that easy difficulty is for "people who have never played a video game before."If I wanted to go back to Atari-era "we only know how to make games like the quarter munchers in the arcade" titles, there's tons of retro games I could be playing instead. And I don't feel like Momodora had anything over those games from the 80s. I don't normally return games because I respect developers. I returned Momodora so freaking hard. There was pretty much nothing about that game I liked.Mobilezoid posted... </cite><quote>Also Aquaria is amazing, how dare you rank it merely okay</quote>I haven't played it in ages, I didn't get too far with it, and I do remember having some issues with it. I might feel differently if I tried it again. I was toying with picking up Prunty, which is another underwater move-in-any-direction metroidvania, and so revisiting Aquaria was actually in the back of my head.catesdb posted... </cite><quote>saw HK at the top of the list and that was all the endorsement needed to immediately buy Astalon</quote>TBF, I wouldn't say Astalon is the closest game on the list to HK. If you want something closer, I'd need to know what you liked best about HK, but I'd say maybe Afterimage.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/07/23 7:11:07 PM #21:	andylt posted... Requesting info on Timespinner, a brief look has me intrigued. 7. Timespinner Timespinner sees you play as Lunais, a blue-haired member of a tribe of people who work with a machine that can send them through time. They live in constant fear of being attacked by, among other things, a fictional version of the Roman empire, and so they have people living in various places whose sole purpose is to find out if they are going to be attacked and then travel to the town with the machine to warn them, and then pick up and relocate. Except something goes wrong on the day Lunais is preparing to become one of those advance scouts of sorts, the town is attacked, and her mom and everyone else is killed. In addition, the machine is damaged after sending Lunais to the "past." In the past, she finds a few of the machine parts -- just enough to get it functioning to let her flip back to the future and try to take revenge. Except, as she discovers, many aspects of her journey will require her to slip between past and future to progress. IIRC, this can be done at any save point? I don't remember. But exploring in one time period often begets progress in the other, which is the main gimmick of the game. She meets some rebels in the past and joins their cause in order to strike back against the empire, and discovers the truth behind the assault once she eventually infiltrates their bases, both past and future. Beyond that, one of the most noteworthy aspects of Timespinner is the way Lunais attacks. As a sort of mage, she can equip an orb in each hand, which will perform alternating attacks. You can get two of the same and consistently launch fireballs or ice shards or short-range melee blades or what have you, or you can mix them up if the circumstances call for it. You can also swap these at any time in the inventory, if you're the extremely tactical sort. There's also leveling, both for her and for her acclimation to the weapon orbs. The last mechanic to mention is that she does have a sort of time stop skill that she can use sparingly. You have a gauge of sand that you can run down to hold enemies in place briefly. I usually forgot to use this, or it was a last ditch oh-shit card, but I'm sure there are clever uses for it in combat. The pixel art for the game is good, Jeff Ball's music is fantastic, movement and combat are solid. Other than the existence of a few "collect 10 bear asses" quests, there's not much to complain about except for getting stuck...which I did a couple times because I failed to notice something or recognize how it worked. Mostly, it's a pretty solid game with a few very distinct endings. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974693358] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>andylt posted... </cite><quote>Requesting info on Timespinner, a brief look has me intrigued.</quote>7. TimespinnerTimespinner sees you play as Lunais, a blue-haired member of a tribe of people who work with a machine that can send them through time. They live in constant fear of being attacked by, among other things, a fictional version of the Roman empire, and so they have people living in various places whose sole purpose is to find out if they are going to be attacked and then travel to the town with the machine to warn them, and then pick up and relocate. Except something goes wrong on the day Lunais is preparing to become one of those advance scouts of sorts, the town is attacked, and her mom and everyone else is killed. In addition, the machine is damaged after sending Lunais to the "past."In the past, she finds a few of the machine parts -- just enough to get it functioning to let her flip back to the future and try to take revenge. Except, as she discovers, many aspects of her journey will require her to slip between past and future to progress. IIRC, this can be done at any save point? I don't remember. But exploring in one time period often begets progress in the other, which is the main gimmick of the game. She meets some rebels in the past and joins their cause in order to strike back against the empire, and discovers the truth behind the assault once she eventually infiltrates their bases, both past and future.Beyond that, one of the most noteworthy aspects of Timespinner is the way Lunais attacks. As a sort of mage, she can equip an orb in each hand, which will perform alternating attacks. You can get two of the same and consistently launch fireballs or ice shards or short-range melee blades or what have you, or you can mix them up if the circumstances call for it. You can also swap these at any time in the inventory, if you're the extremely tactical sort. There's also leveling, both for her and for her acclimation to the weapon orbs. The last mechanic to mention is that she does have a sort of time stop skill that she can use sparingly. You have a gauge of sand that you can run down to hold enemies in place briefly. I usually forgot to use this, or it was a last ditch oh-shit card, but I'm sure there are clever uses for it in combat.The pixel art for the game is good, Jeff Ball's music is fantastic, movement and combat are solid. Other than the existence of a few "collect 10 bear asses" quests, there's not much to complain about except for getting stuck...which I did a couple times because I failed to notice something or recognize how it worked. Mostly, it's a pretty solid game with a few very distinct endings.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
transience 07/07/23 7:22:44 PM #22:	thanks for the summary on 8 doors. maybe one day. Messenger is great and absolutely worth playing but it's not really a metroidvania, even when it 'transforms'. edit: oh, and I also can't stand momodora. --- xyzzy <cite>transience posted [p:974693570] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>thanks for the summary on 8 doors. maybe one day.Messenger is great and absolutely worth playing but it's not really a metroidvania, even when it 'transforms'. edit: oh, and I also can't stand momodora.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
an0nym0usrex 07/07/23 7:53:23 PM #23:	Majority of the ones Ive played are already mentioned,so I just have these. Castle in the Darkness Strider Outland Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Mindseize <cite>an0nym0usrex posted [p:974694134] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Majority of the ones Ive played are already mentioned,so I just have these.Castle in the DarknessStriderOutlandMonster Boy and the Cursed KingdomMindseize</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
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azuarc 07/07/23 8:22:25 PM #25:	an0nym0usrex posted... Majority of the ones Ive played are already mentioned,so I just have these. Hearing ones already mentioned has value. If 3 people all recommend the same game, I'm more likely to give it attention. Not familiar with any of the ones you've mentioned besides Monster Boy. GOGZero posted... I recommend --- Aggelos A Robot Named Fight Alchemist's Castle Spooky Ghosts Dot Com Xeodrifter Aggelos is on my wishlist. I have A Robot Named Fight, but didn't consider it a metroidvania. I played it for all of like 10 minutes, though. Xeodrifter, I remember the trailers, vaguely, and that it was something I should check out at some point. DragonGargoyle posted... Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is my favorite Metroidvania <snip> That's a very enthusiastic recommendation. And it has a demo. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974694660] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>an0nym0usrex posted... </cite><quote>Majority of the ones Ive played are already mentioned,so I just have these.</quote>Hearing ones already mentioned has value. If 3 people all recommend the same game, I'm more likely to give it attention. Not familiar with any of the ones you've mentioned besides Monster Boy.GOGZero posted... </cite><quote>I recommend---AggelosA Robot Named FightAlchemist's CastleSpooky Ghosts Dot ComXeodrifter</quote>Aggelos is on my wishlist. I have A Robot Named Fight, but didn't consider it a metroidvania. I played it for all of like 10 minutes, though. Xeodrifter, I remember the trailers, vaguely, and that it was something I should check out at some point.DragonGargoyle posted... </cite><quote>Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is my favorite Metroidvania <snip></quote>That's a very enthusiastic recommendation. And it has a demo.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
KCF0107 07/07/23 9:24:21 PM #26:	I ranked Outland among my top 100 games, but it is not a metroidvania. It is a linear game, but you can go back and collect masks that do nothing in previously completed areas if you feel like it. --- KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy <cite>KCF0107 posted [p:974695825] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>I ranked Outland among my top 100 games, but it is not a metroidvania. It is a linear game, but you can go back and collect masks that do nothing in previously completed areas if you feel like it.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Chaeix 07/07/23 9:30:40 PM #27:	Nobody has mentioned Convergence yet --- we're all buds~jc~ <DeathChicken> you are my hero for being the first person to cite National Geographic in Mercs <cite>Chaeix posted [p:974695963] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Nobody has mentioned Convergence yet</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Kenri 07/07/23 9:31:50 PM #28:	GOGZero posted... Aggelos Spooky Ghosts Dot Com I liked Aggelos a lot but it definitely skirts the line between Metroidvania and traditional action-platformer. Kinda like Shantae, I guess. Spooky Ghosts Dot Com, I must regretfully anti-recommend because I kinda hated it. I'm not sure if I preferred it to Iconoclasts or not but those are probably my two least favorite MVs that I've played. On the bright side it was in one of the big itch.io bundles so a lot of people probably own it already and don't have to spend extra money to try it out. DragonGargoyle posted... Woah, I've never heard of this one before. It is very aesthetically distinct from othrgames.ofthe genre I've seen, looks neat Yeah, it's from 2009 and for better or worse, that definitely shows. I'm not a big fan of its aesthetics personally but it's executed well, and as you say it's unique for the genre. Gameplay-wise it's very very heavily Super Metroid inspired, but with gunplay more like a modern shooter (i.e. you aim with RS and shoot with RT). There was a lot of hype for it before its release because new Metroidvanias were not common back then like they are now, and IMO it actually lived up to the hype. The only unfortunate thing is that Orson Scott Card wrote the game's story and it kinda sucks to give money to anything associated with him. azuarc posted... This is a pretty new release, isn't it? I'm curious to know if it's any good. IIRC it was in early access for a while but the full release was late last year? I might be wrong. I posted a mini write-up about it in the post-everytime-you-beat-a-game topic: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80296938/974678062 azuarc posted... I was toying with picking up Prunty, which is another underwater move-in-any-direction metroidvania, and so revisiting Aquaria was actually in the back of my head. For what it's worth I liked Aquaria more than Pronty (everything except the story, because Aquaria's story suuuucks). However Pronty is good and I'd still recommend it. --- Congrats to BKSheikah, who knows more about years than anyone else. <cite>Kenri posted [p:974695989] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>GOGZero posted... </cite><quote>AggelosSpooky Ghosts Dot Com</quote>I liked Aggelos a lot but it definitely skirts the line between Metroidvania and traditional action-platformer. Kinda like Shantae, I guess.Spooky Ghosts Dot Com, I must regretfully anti-recommend because I kinda hated it. I'm not sure if I preferred it to Iconoclasts or not but those are probably my two least favorite MVs that I've played. On the bright side it was in one of the big itch.io bundles so a lot of people probably own it already and don't have to spend extra money to try it out.DragonGargoyle posted... </cite><quote>Woah, I've never heard of this one before. It is very aesthetically distinct from othrgames.ofthe genre I've seen, looks neat</quote>Yeah, it's from 2009 and for better or worse, that definitely shows. I'm not a big fan of its aesthetics personally but it's executed well, and as you say it's unique for the genre.Gameplay-wise it's very very heavily Super Metroid inspired, but with gunplay more like a modern shooter (i.e. you aim with RS and shoot with RT). There was a lot of hype for it before its release because new Metroidvanias were not common back then like they are now, and IMO it actually lived up to the hype. The only unfortunate thing is that Orson Scott Card wrote the game's story and it kinda sucks to give money to anything associated with him.azuarc posted... </cite><quote>This is a pretty new release, isn't it? I'm curious to know if it's any good.</quote>IIRC it was in early access for a while but the full release was late last year? I might be wrong. I posted a mini write-up about it in the post-everytime-you-beat-a-game topic:https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80296938/974678062azuarc posted... </cite><quote>I was toying with picking up Prunty, which is another underwater move-in-any-direction metroidvania, and so revisiting Aquaria was actually in the back of my head.</quote>For what it's worth I liked Aquaria more than Pronty (everything except the story, because Aquaria's story suuuucks). However Pronty is good and I'd still recommend it.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/07/23 9:36:18 PM #29:	Okay, went through and checked the Steam page on all of these. Some of these were definitely hidden gem type games -- the kind that cost a couple bucks and only 20 people have reviewed. And others I recognized but forgot the name of. (Strider, i.e.) I've added seven games to my wishlist so far, and I'll probably make some kind of purchase tomorrow after I give this topic a little more time to percolate. A couple games I haven't heard mentioned that I thought I'd bring up for input if anyone has any: Islets Pronty (edit: was typing when the previous post went up) Grime Souldiers (preferably from someone who didn't play it on release) Alwa's Legacy --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974696083] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Okay, went through and checked the Steam page on all of these. Some of these were definitely hidden gem type games -- the kind that cost a couple bucks and only 20 people have reviewed. And others I recognized but forgot the name of. (Strider, i.e.) I've added seven games to my wishlist so far, and I'll probably make some kind of purchase tomorrow after I give this topic a little more time to percolate.A couple games I haven't heard mentioned that I thought I'd bring up for input if anyone has any:IsletsPronty (edit: was typing when the previous post went up)GrimeSouldiers (preferably from someone who didn't play it on release)Alwa's Legacy</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
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MacArrowny 07/07/23 9:40:28 PM #31:	Here's my review of Islets: For the most part, it's a perfectly competent game. Solid visual style, beautiful backgrounds, good area design, fluid controls. What makes it a bit special is its gimmick. The MC's quest is to unite five islands in the sky that were separated long ago. Traveling to the different islands makes the game feel less Metroidvania-y at first, since there's no connection between them, but then you actually DO bring the islands together, and it's magical. Each island you join unlocks new areas that can be accessed through other islands. The first time I made it happen was pretty mind-blowing. I'm not sure I've seen a Metroidvania grant access to new areas like this before. Other than the gimmick, the upgrade system is pretty solid. You get the standard 'movement/progression upgrade after a boss' and you also collect little hidden items that give you a choice from three power-ups every time you get one. Those power-ups are generally QoL or combat related, like increasing your damage/health slightly, making enemies drop more currency, or giving your attacks more range. You're basically getting a constant drip of minor upgrades (you can buy minor combat upgrades as well) between the big ones, so progression feels good. Bosses are fun, usually being tough the first time and easy once you figure out their patterns, though I struggled with the first or second boss for a while, since I hadn't really figured out the dodge roll (it feels good and makes you invincible). There's some story stuff, which is pretty alright, and can be extremely funny. Particularly excellent comedy comes from the henchmen for the bad guys, like the ~~tour guide who keeps trying to sacrifice you to the evil spirits, or the guy who gets laid off so he decides to become an assistant to the three dark gods~~. The biggest flaw of the game was the bad music. It's mostly alright atmospheric stuff, but the boss music is ass. Strangely cheerful. Lastly, the game has some parts where you fly around exploring and fighting bosses in a flying ship. The bosses are like shmup bosses, but you have a homing shot so you can attack them from all directions as you dodge. One of these was a bit tough for me, but they were a fun way to mix it up, and the last two felt amazing, since you get an ability that lets you dodge their attacks in a super fun way. Good game overall. --- All the stars in the sky are waiting for you. <cite>MacArrowny posted [p:974696180] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Here's my review of Islets:For the most part, it's a perfectly competent game. Solid visual style, beautiful backgrounds, good area design, fluid controls. What makes it a bit special is its gimmick. The MC's quest is to unite five islands in the sky that were separated long ago. Traveling to the different islands makes the game feel less Metroidvania-y at first, since there's no connection between them, but then you actually DO bring the islands together, and it's magical. Each island you join unlocks new areas that can be accessed through other islands. The first time I made it happen was pretty mind-blowing. I'm not sure I've seen a Metroidvania grant access to new areas like this before.Other than the gimmick, the upgrade system is pretty solid. You get the standard 'movement/progression upgrade after a boss' and you also collect little hidden items that give you a choice from three power-ups every time you get one. Those power-ups are generally QoL or combat related, like increasing your damage/health slightly, making enemies drop more currency, or giving your attacks more range. You're basically getting a constant drip of minor upgrades (you can buy minor combat upgrades as well) between the big ones, so progression feels good. Bosses are fun, usually being tough the first time and easy once you figure out their patterns, though I struggled with the first or second boss for a while, since I hadn't really figured out the dodge roll (it feels good and makes you invincible). There's some story stuff, which is pretty alright, and can be extremely funny. Particularly excellent comedy comes from the henchmen for the bad guys, like the tour guide who keeps trying to sacrifice you to the evil spirits, or the guy who gets laid off so he decides to become an assistant to the three dark gods. The biggest flaw of the game was the bad music. It's mostly alright atmospheric stuff, but the boss music is ass. Strangely cheerful.Lastly, the game has some parts where you fly around exploring and fighting bosses in a flying ship. The bosses are like shmup bosses, but you have a homing shot so you can attack them from all directions as you dodge. One of these was a bit tough for me, but they were a fun way to mix it up, and the last two felt amazing, since you get an ability that lets you dodge their attacks in a super fun way. Good game overall.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
UF8 07/07/23 11:03:03 PM #32:	azuarc posted... Glimmer in Mirror didn't turn out that great? tbh i do like it and consider it good overall, it's just that i don't find the gameplay style as satisfying in direct comparison with other metroidvanias. it's why i have still recommended it a few times, and still do here too (also i will say it is definitely an improvement compared to the demo, and obviously it still is in early access) <cite>UF8 posted [p:974697656] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>azuarc posted... </cite><quote>Glimmer in Mirror didn't turn out that great?</quote>tbh i do like it and consider it good overall, it's just that i don't find the gameplay style as satisfying in direct comparison with other metroidvanias. it's why i have still recommended it a few times, and still do here too (also i will say it is definitely an improvement compared to the demo, and obviously it still is in early access)</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Kenri 07/08/23 12:38:06 AM #33:	azuarc posted... Alwa's Legacy This one and Alwa's Awakening are both quite good imo. They feel a lot like lost gems from the NES/SNES eras. I liked one a bit more than the other but honestly I forget which is which, and also forget which one I liked more. I'll have to settle for just recommending them both, with the caveat that they're not particularly combat-heavy so if that's what you want you might be disappointed. --- Congrats to BKSheikah, who knows more about years than anyone else. <cite>Kenri posted [p:974699064] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>azuarc posted... </cite><quote>Alwa's Legacy</quote>This one and Alwa's Awakening are both quite good imo. They feel a lot like lost gems from the NES/SNES eras. I liked one a bit more than the other but honestly I forget which is which, and also forget which one I liked more. I'll have to settle for just recommending them both, with the caveat that they're not particularly combat-heavy so if that's what you want you might be disappointed.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Xtlm 07/08/23 1:37:25 AM #34:	Unepic --- I'd Rather Be A Savage Little Elephant, than be a big Bald Bull "I claim one line in your sig" = TheKnightOfNee <cite>Xtlm posted [p:974699723] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Unepic</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Anagram 07/08/23 3:08:53 AM #35:	azuarc posted... 35. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight What makes it so bad? I actually just picked this up, but haven't played it yet. --- Not changing this sig until I decide to change this sig. Started: July 6, 2005 <cite>Anagram posted [p:974700465] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>azuarc posted... </cite><quote>35. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight</quote>What makes it so bad? I actually just picked this up, but haven't played it yet.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
KCF0107 07/08/23 3:30:41 AM #36:	azuarc posted... GTM posted... What's wrong with momodora? Challenge is out of whack, the game goes out of its way -- in the starter area -- to place the enemies in the most challenging positions, I felt punished every time I tried to explore, visually harmless enemies absolutely CHUNK your health, and then they insult you on the difficulty screen by saying that easy difficulty is for "people who have never played a video game before." If I wanted to go back to Atari-era "we only know how to make games like the quarter munchers in the arcade" titles, there's tons of retro games I could be playing instead. And I don't feel like Momodora had anything over those games from the 80s. I don't normally return games because I respect developers. I returned Momodora so freaking hard. There was pretty much nothing about that game I liked --- KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy <cite>KCF0107 posted [p:974700642] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>azuarc posted...</cite><quote>GTM posted...What's wrong with momodora?Challenge is out of whack, the game goes out of its way -- in the starter area -- to place the enemies in the most challenging positions, I felt punished every time I tried to explore, visually harmless enemies absolutely CHUNK your health, and then they insult you on the difficulty screen by saying that easy difficulty is for "people who have never played a video game before."If I wanted to go back to Atari-era "we only know how to make games like the quarter munchers in the arcade" titles, there's tons of retro games I could be playing instead. And I don't feel like Momodora had anything over those games from the 80s. I don't normally return games because I respect developers. I returned Momodora so freaking hard. There was pretty much nothing about that game I liked</quote></quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MacArrowny 07/08/23 3:55:26 AM #37:	Man, I didn't find Momodora particularly challenging at all. I had way more trouble with, say, Hollow Knight. Or Ender Lilies. It's cool how short it is too, giving the full Metroidvania experience in only a couple hours. --- All the stars in the sky are waiting for you. <cite>MacArrowny posted [p:974700801] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Man, I didn't find Momodora particularly challenging at all. I had way more trouble with, say, Hollow Knight. Or Ender Lilies. It's cool how short it is too, giving the full Metroidvania experience in only a couple hours.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Kenri 07/08/23 3:59:00 AM #38:	I would call Momodora a hard game but yeah, I didn't find it unreasonably hard. Hollow Knight is definitely much, much more challenging. --- Congrats to BKSheikah, who knows more about years than anyone else. <cite>Kenri posted [p:974700829] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>I would call Momodora a hard game but yeah, I didn't find it unreasonably hard. Hollow Knight is definitely much, much more challenging.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
VintageGin 07/08/23 4:14:41 AM #39:	The only thing I remember about Momodora was how short it was --- Ginhyun http://i.imgur.com/t7G7uoU.gif <cite>VintageGin posted [p:974700937] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>The only thing I remember about Momodora was how short it was</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
andylt 07/08/23 7:49:07 AM #40:	I appreciate the write-up! Adding Timespinner to my list. I just realised Dead Cells hasn't been mentioned, so here I am mentioning it now. Unless you despise roguelies, it's a really cool combo of the two genres. --- No longer becoming a Final Fantasy aficionado. <cite>andylt posted [p:974702407] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>I appreciate the write-up! Adding Timespinner to my list. I just realised Dead Cells hasn't been mentioned, so here I am mentioning it now. Unless you despise roguelies, it's a really cool combo of the two genres.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/08/23 8:55:35 AM #41:	I died like 10 times in Momodora in the first 30 minutes. The only period of base game HK I died that much that fast was trying to beat Watcher Knights. (Traitor Lord wasn't much better.) It felt like I was learning a precision platformer because I had to do everything just so or I lost 40% of my health, 80%, dead. I can handle dying in a game if I know I need to be prepared for it. There was one boss of Ender Lilies that killed me 30 or 40 times until I learned him. But I knew he was supposed to be hard. Momodora was just yard trash being super punishing and awkwardly placed. And then a boss with a one-shot move. (Ironically, the boss was otherwise the easiest thing I encountered because getting hit at any other point only took around 10% of my health.) And then this town overrun by monsters where I fell down a hole and it autosaved, and both directions I could go led to screens of enemies that were much more difficult to combat rather than just being placed super awkwardly. Most games on this list I didn't finish, it's because I just randomly stopped. I do that a lot. I pick up a game, play it once, and then mysteriously never return to continue the game. But Momodora? No, I ragequit Momodora. Seriously fuck that shit. I struggle to remember a more aversive full-game experience I've had with a game in the last ten years. The only other game here I walked away from because I was angry or upset with it was Ori 2, and that was a specific part of the game. (That experience was worse than what I dealt with in Momodora, but at least I'd had hours of appreciating the game before that.) --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974702977] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>I died like 10 times in Momodora in the first 30 minutes. The only period of base game HK I died that much that fast was trying to beat Watcher Knights. (Traitor Lord wasn't much better.) It felt like I was learning a precision platformer because I had to do everything just so or I lost 40% of my health, 80%, dead.I can handle dying in a game if I know I need to be prepared for it. There was one boss of Ender Lilies that killed me 30 or 40 times until I learned him. But I knew he was supposed to be hard. Momodora was just yard trash being super punishing and awkwardly placed. And then a boss with a one-shot move. (Ironically, the boss was otherwise the easiest thing I encountered because getting hit at any other point only took around 10% of my health.) And then this town overrun by monsters where I fell down a hole and it autosaved, and both directions I could go led to screens of enemies that were much more difficult to combat rather than just being placed super awkwardly.Most games on this list I didn't finish, it's because I just randomly stopped. I do that a lot. I pick up a game, play it once, and then mysteriously never return to continue the game. But Momodora? No, I ragequit Momodora. Seriously fuck that shit. I struggle to remember a more aversive full-game experience I've had with a game in the last ten years. The only other game here I walked away from because I was angry or upset with it was Ori 2, and that was a specific part of the game. (That experience was worse than what I dealt with in Momodora, but at least I'd had hours of appreciating the game before that.)</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/08/23 9:01:37 AM #42:	Sidenote: Why do people call Hollow Knight a hard game? Most of the people giving it that label aren't doing Grimm and Godhome. There are brief difficulty spikes in HK where you have to be competent rather than just sleepwalking through it, but the overwhelming majority of the game is perfectly manageable. A few specific bosses are hard, and Deepnest is harrowing because of the atmosphere, but the only region I felt was overall "hard" was Queen's Gardens and the game is just barely generous enough with healing to be able to lump along through that or individual challenges. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974703039] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Sidenote: Why do people call Hollow Knight a hard game? Most of the people giving it that label aren't doing Grimm and Godhome. There are brief difficulty spikes in HK where you have to be competent rather than just sleepwalking through it, but the overwhelming majority of the game is perfectly manageable. A few specific bosses are hard, and Deepnest is harrowing because of the atmosphere, but the only region I felt was overall "hard" was Queen's Gardens and the game is just barely generous enough with healing to be able to lump along through that or individual challenges.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/08/23 9:06:11 AM #43:	Oh yeah, and one other game I meant to inquire about earlier: Vernal Edge andylt posted... I just realised Dead Cells hasn't been mentioned I noticed, but I wasn't going to be the one to bring it up because it tends to be divisive over whether it counts as a metroidvania. (OTOH, I included Sundered on my list.) Dead Cells always looks like a game that's great...for someone else. I could be persuaded to play it, but I'd need to be talked into it. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974703095] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Oh yeah, and one other game I meant to inquire about earlier: Vernal Edgeandylt posted... </cite><quote>I just realised Dead Cells hasn't been mentioned</quote>I noticed, but I wasn't going to be the one to bring it up because it tends to be divisive over whether it counts as a metroidvania. (OTOH, I included Sundered on my list.) Dead Cells always looks like a game that's great...for someone else. I could be persuaded to play it, but I'd need to be talked into it.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MZero 07/08/23 9:43:41 AM #44:	Anyone play Rusted Moss? I remember someone talking about it in the last topic I've gone back and forth on picking up Rabi Ribi but I don't like lolis so I feel like I'm going to hate it --- MZero, to the extreme https://www.twitch.tv/kabazame <cite>MZero posted [p:974703600] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Anyone play Rusted Moss? I remember someone talking about it in the last topicI've gone back and forth on picking up Rabi Ribi but I don't like lolis so I feel like I'm going to hate it</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MacArrowny 07/08/23 12:16:10 PM #45:	azuarc posted... Sidenote: Why do people call Hollow Knight a hard game? Most of the people giving it that label aren't doing Grimm and Godhome. There are brief difficulty spikes in HK where you have to be competent rather than just sleepwalking through it, but the overwhelming majority of the game is perfectly manageable. A few specific bosses are hard, and Deepnest is harrowing because of the atmosphere, but the only region I felt was overall "hard" was Queen's Gardens and the game is just barely generous enough with healing to be able to lump along through that or individual challenges. I found some of the bosses tough, and losing your resources on death adds a frustration factor. azuarc posted... Vernal Edge my review: Vernal Edge focuses on a couple things that I can see appealing to some people. There's a decent amount of puzzles in its exploration, so you're not just going out there adventuring like in a lot of Metroidvanias. I didn't particularly enjoy these puzzles, but I get liking them. Its other strength is its combat. The game gives you a lot of options, with a wide variety of spells, tons of combos (there's juggling and stance breaking of enemies), and plenty of optional moves. Most combat encounters take place in rooms where you're locked in with enemies until you beat them, and enemies don't respawn. Feels like they wanted to put character action game-style combat into a Metroidvania, and I guess they succeeded. I didn't personally enjoy the combat that much though. All the battles take a really long time, and after the first few I got bored of them. There isn't much enemy variety either, and the combat environments are usually just plain rooms, so that aspect wasn't that interesting to me. My biggest problem with the game, however, is how easy it is to get lost. The map doesn't keep track of what areas you haven't been to, so it's not very useful for backtracking. It takes place on a series of floating islands you can go to in any order, much like last year's Islets, but they're completely separate here, so there's not much for cool interactions between them. There's a neat world that connects some of them, but using those connections is a linear experience rather than something you'd traverse repeatedly to explore. One of the stronger things it does is let you explore a lot of places even without having movement upgrades, but it can be hard to tell when you need a movement upgrade you don't have because of that. And there's no indication of when you've completed an area or have more stuff to find, so it's a real pain to keep track of. --- All the stars in the sky are waiting for you. <cite>MacArrowny posted [p:974705769] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>azuarc posted... </cite><quote>Sidenote: Why do people call Hollow Knight a hard game? Most of the people giving it that label aren't doing Grimm and Godhome. There are brief difficulty spikes in HK where you have to be competent rather than just sleepwalking through it, but the overwhelming majority of the game is perfectly manageable. A few specific bosses are hard, and Deepnest is harrowing because of the atmosphere, but the only region I felt was overall "hard" was Queen's Gardens and the game is just barely generous enough with healing to be able to lump along through that or individual challenges.</quote>I found some of the bosses tough, and losing your resources on death adds a frustration factor.azuarc posted... </cite><quote>Vernal Edge</quote>my review:Vernal Edge focuses on a couple things that I can see appealing to some people. There's a decent amount of puzzles in its exploration, so you're not just going out there adventuring like in a lot of Metroidvanias. I didn't particularly enjoy these puzzles, but I get liking them. Its other strength is its combat. The game gives you a lot of options, with a wide variety of spells, tons of combos (there's juggling and stance breaking of enemies), and plenty of optional moves. Most combat encounters take place in rooms where you're locked in with enemies until you beat them, and enemies don't respawn. Feels like they wanted to put character action game-style combat into a Metroidvania, and I guess they succeeded. I didn't personally enjoy the combat that much though. All the battles take a really long time, and after the first few I got bored of them. There isn't much enemy variety either, and the combat environments are usually just plain rooms, so that aspect wasn't that interesting to me.My biggest problem with the game, however, is how easy it is to get lost. The map doesn't keep track of what areas you haven't been to, so it's not very useful for backtracking. It takes place on a series of floating islands you can go to in any order, much like last year's Islets, but they're completely separate here, so there's not much for cool interactions between them. There's a neat world that connects some of them, but using those connections is a linear experience rather than something you'd traverse repeatedly to explore. One of the stronger things it does is let you explore a lot of places even without having movement upgrades, but it can be hard to tell when you need a movement upgrade you don't have because of that. And there's no indication of when you've completed an area or have more stuff to find, so it's a real pain to keep track of.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Kenri 07/08/23 12:28:38 PM #46:	azuarc posted... Sidenote: Why do people call Hollow Knight a hard game? Most of the people giving it that label aren't doing Grimm and Godhome. There are brief difficulty spikes in HK where you have to be competent rather than just sleepwalking through it, but the overwhelming majority of the game is perfectly manageable. A few specific bosses are hard, and Deepnest is harrowing because of the atmosphere, but the only region I felt was overall "hard" was Queen's Gardens and the game is just barely generous enough with healing to be able to lump along through that or individual challenges. I got walled hard on several bosses: Mantis Lords, Watcher Knights, Traitor Lord, ~~NKG, Radiance.~~ White Palace was also pretty tough for me and I had no issues with Arena 3 but I can see how lots of people do. And yes Godhome though I tapped out on the every-single-boss pantheon. And I play lots of 2D games like this! All my friends who saw it were like "you play this for fun???" and they weren't always even saying that about a particularly tough area/boss. Admittedly I didn't know the ideal strategies and didn't always have the appropriate upgrades that would have made things easier but that's playing a game blind, baby! azuarc posted... Dead Cells always looks like a game that's great...for someone else. As someone who loves roguelikes and Metroidvanias I still hated Dead Cells so yeah I agree with this. MZero posted... I've gone back and forth on picking up Rabi Ribi but I don't like lolis so I feel like I'm going to hate it sometimes we all gotta make sacrifices. like tolerating shitty character art for great gameplay. --- Congrats to BKSheikah, who knows more about years than anyone else. <cite>Kenri posted [p:974705942] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>azuarc posted... </cite><quote>Sidenote: Why do people call Hollow Knight a hard game? Most of the people giving it that label aren't doing Grimm and Godhome. There are brief difficulty spikes in HK where you have to be competent rather than just sleepwalking through it, but the overwhelming majority of the game is perfectly manageable. A few specific bosses are hard, and Deepnest is harrowing because of the atmosphere, but the only region I felt was overall "hard" was Queen's Gardens and the game is just barely generous enough with healing to be able to lump along through that or individual challenges.</quote>I got walled hard on several bosses: Mantis Lords, Watcher Knights, Traitor Lord, NKG, Radiance. White Palace was also pretty tough for me and I had no issues with Arena 3 but I can see how lots of people do. And yes Godhome though I tapped out on the every-single-boss pantheon. And I play lots of 2D games like this! All my friends who saw it were like "you play this for fun???" and they weren't always even saying that about a particularly tough area/boss.Admittedly I didn't know the ideal strategies and didn't always have the appropriate upgrades that would have made things easier but that's playing a game blind, baby!azuarc posted... </cite><quote>Dead Cells always looks like a game that's great...for someone else.</quote>As someone who loves roguelikes and Metroidvanias I still hated Dead Cells so yeah I agree with this.MZero posted... </cite><quote>I've gone back and forth on picking up Rabi Ribi but I don't like lolis so I feel like I'm going to hate it</quote>sometimes we all gotta make sacrifices. like tolerating shitty character art for great gameplay. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/08/23 12:45:37 PM #47:	Kenri posted... I got walled hard on several bosses: Mantis Lords, Watcher Knights, Traitor Lord, ~~NKG, Radiance~~. White Palace was also pretty tough for me ...I, uh, beat Mantis Lords first try. =x Got destroyed by those others, though, and I did struggle with a few that people don't usually have issues with, like Mawlek and Nosk (sans cheese). I even died a couple times on Flukemarm because that's a boss that rewards aggression and I'm a very defensive player. (Which is probably why I was able to beat Mantis Lords without difficulty.) --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:974706187] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Kenri posted... </cite><quote>I got walled hard on several bosses: Mantis Lords, Watcher Knights, Traitor Lord, NKG, Radiance. White Palace was also pretty tough for me</quote>...I, uh, beat Mantis Lords first try. =xGot destroyed by those others, though, and I did struggle with a few that people don't usually have issues with, like Mawlek and Nosk (sans cheese). I even died a couple times on Flukemarm because that's a boss that rewards aggression and I'm a very defensive player. (Which is probably why I was able to beat Mantis Lords without difficulty.)</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Kenri 07/08/23 1:00:46 PM #48:	Yeah I think I beat Mawlek, Nosk, and Flukemarm all first try, but I got to every one of them very late. Like post-game clean up late. IIRC the Mawlek was dead during its initial animation, haha. --- Congrats to BKSheikah, who knows more about years than anyone else. <cite>Kenri posted [p:974706440] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Yeah I think I beat Mawlek, Nosk, and Flukemarm all first try, but I got to every one of them very late. Like post-game clean up late. IIRC the Mawlek was dead during its initial animation, haha. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
foolm0r0n 07/08/23 1:34:26 PM #49:	Momodora 4 is one of my favs so I guess I can't follow this list (and I don't remember it being that hard). I would swap it out with Iconoclasts tbh. Absolutely useless game. Also Yoku and Axiom Verge are one of my favs, but it's clear that your top games are more SOTN style than Metroid. If you do like Metroid then those 2 are must play. Timespinner is super underrated too. It's the 1 metroidvania that feels exactly 50% Metroid and 50% SOTN. It really takes the best of both and is just great from start to end. --- _foolmo_ he says listen to my story this maybe are last chance <cite>foolm0r0n posted [p:974707052] in Metroidvan... [t:80502239]...</cite> <quote>Momodora 4 is one of my favs so I guess I can't follow this list (and I don't remember it being that hard). I would swap it out with Iconoclasts tbh. Absolutely useless game.Also Yoku and Axiom Verge are one of my favs, but it's clear that your top games are more SOTN style than Metroid. If you do like Metroid then those 2 are must play.Timespinner is super underrated too. It's the 1 metroidvania that feels exactly 50% Metroid and 50% SOTN. It really takes the best of both and is just great from start to end.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Board 8 > Metroidvania recommendations: the return (plus I rank 35 games) (+) Yeah! (+)

Board 8 > Metroidvania recommendations: the return (plus I rank 35 games)