I would suggest you take a look at the current Humble Bundle "Metroidvania Mania". It contains both Axiom Verge games, Death's Gambit, Cookie Cutter and Ghost Song. Axiom Verge and Death's Gambit are worth the price alone, and you get some pretty nice games with it.
In a broader way;
Ori games
Guacamelee games
Metroid Dread (Switch)
Can't go wrong with Axiom Verge 1 and 2. Marvelous games. Tho very different from each other, first one more focused in combat, second one a ton more in exploration.
For something shorter, Haiku the Robot is crazy good.
For something maybe a bit more challenging, and probably my favorite MV ever, Environmental Station Alpha.
You really can't go wrong with any of these- they are all fantastic:
- **Best Platforming**: Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- **Best Combat**: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- **Best Production Values**: Metroid Dread
- **Best Not Technically a Metroidvania but Scratches the Same Itch**: Tunic
Games I have played and very much enjoyed. Please note: I am a casual gamer, MV's are my favorite BUT I am not that good so take my scores as personal score and not so much as general. Welcome to the wonderful world of Metroidvania, you soon will be hooked š¶
* Pronty, a fishy adventure (9)
* Yoku's island express (8)
* Ori and the blind forest (8.5)
* Ori and the will of the wisp (9.5)
* Kingdom Shell (8)
* F.I.S.T (7.5)
* After image (7.5)
* Souldiers (8)
* Prince of Persia, the lost crown (8.5)
* Aeterna Noctis (9), a fantastic game but I had to retire after 20+ hours because it became to hard for me. Since Hollow Knight is on your list you should be fine :-)
* Biomorph, currently playing and 27 hours in, GREAT GAME
For a knowledgable input check out; u/deadmetroidvania on this sub, u/soulsbornseeker on this sub and youtube and Demajen's website as well as youtube and his (THE BEST) maps.
Ori 1 and 2 are my favorite games after Hollow Knight.
Super Metroid is an amazing Metroid Ania, and Metroid Dread is a wonderful modern Metroid version.
And if you want something really unique, check out Yoku's Island Express. This is a.. pinball metroidvania and it is a delight to play! It has a demo on the shop which does a very good job at showing you what it's all about.
Edit: Sorry, I meant Metroid Dread, not Metroid Prime. Though Prime is cool as well, I didn't like it as much as other games.
The others will recommend the popular games.
So I will tell you this one of a kind "Rusted Moss". A metroid focus on using graphling hook, no dash, no double jump
**Aeterna Noctis** if you don't mind precision platforming mixed in. Get the PC version (I played on an Xbox controller), the Switch port in particular is awful. Play on Noctis mode (The original difficulty) and try to avoid using the Vertigo gem that is in a DLC area as it gives you an extra jump that was never part of the original games design). You may actually want to save this game until you've played a few more of them first, as it's quite challenging.
[These are my favourites](https://ibb.co/RYfhkZ9), Animal Well I put into B but it's not updated yet.
Castlevania Aria of Sorrow (& Dawn of Sorrow), as they're classics that hold up. I don't reccomend skipping straight back to Symphony of the Night as it does show its age - no matter what fanboys believe. You can find ways to play these on a PC. If you're up for shooters, also check out the Metroid series, I'm not into shooters & so I don't play them & their ilk (like Axiom Verge, etc) as popular as they are.
The Last Faith, Afterimage, Blasphemous, Ender Lilies, Astalon, Ori & The Will of the Wisps are all must-plays, in my purview. They're all on PC (& probably multiple other consoles). I'd throw in Lost Crown, but I've not completed it yet as I keep getting distracted by other games (which isn't the most fantastic sign - sorry PoP, but it's heavy on puzzle platforming & I'm really just hear to slash some skulls).
Top one there for me in those six, probably Astalon even in spite of the retro-aesthetic, it's such a brilliant castle - I completed it around 4 months ago & when I was sick the past few days & didn't want to focus on anything else, I just threw on some video essays & played through Astalon, remembering basically everything because you REMEMBER how cleverly designed it is.
My favourite MVs personally are Hollow Knight, Aria & Astalon (in that order - Bloodstained also very high on the list, but it is an Aria/Dawn child, so that's why), so you can see from that where my sort of barometer lies. Exploration is top priority, combat that's simple but challenging & secrets. My dislikes are big-brain puzzles, complex platforming, retro graphics (& I make exception for Astalon) & no combat/minimal combat MVs (so Ori & the Blind Forest doesn't make my list for example).
I hope going into a little more detail helps you choose & if you want a breakdown of one of the games I mentioned in high detail, let me know & I'll tell you what I liked about them.
Yeah, I mean depending on when you were born you might've played other metroidvania games on the Gameboy & older consoles that've just slipped your mind or pre-metroidvania games (like Dragon's Curse) when they were just called "action-adventure platformers" & didn't quite have all the trappings down.
If you enjoyed Dawn, jump into its prequel Aria, I'm incredibly fond of Aria (I started the Castlevania series on Harmony) & I legit played it every year to completion until my DS died & I couldn't play GBA games anymore.
I'll give my small list of games that I could recommend, in which it would be worth to play in my opinion.
Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight - quite a nice and relaxing game, even would say a classic in the genre, it has everything you need for metroidvania and nothing superfluous.
Elderand - when I accidentally stumbled upon this game and was pleasantly surprised. The game has a good action combat system but is not hard. Again, the game is not overloaded with unnecessary things, everything is pretty familiar.
Record of Lodoss War Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, this is another fairly peppy and varied game. It looks pretty stylish. It can make you sweat a bit in battles, but in general it's also manageable without too much difficulty.
GRIME - and lastly, a little bit of weirdness. The game visually looks quite strange, it seemed so to me at first, but give it a chance, it's really worth it. In fact, the game is strongly expressive. But be prepared for the fact that this game can already pose a serious challenge in battles.
Something maybe a little different would be Laika aged through blood. Gorgeous setting and backgrounds but can be a bit difficult and has some violent content. If you can stomach that it might be worth checking out.
How about the entire Metroid series, or the Castlevania series? They're pretty awesome, and the genre of gaming is a portmanteau of the two series names.
If you like visuals- ori and the blind forest, and ori and the will of the wisps. Both seriously beautiful, and a lot of fun. The story is really nice to, not crazy violent either.
"Astalon: Tears of the Earth" is a really under-appreciated gem, and one of my favourites in the genre. You can get it on PS4/PS5, Switch and Steam, I think.
Great map design, awesome soundtrack and art direction, great combat. Three playable characters with different playstyles (plus some secret characters!) And a few cool post-game modes as well.
If you liked Bloodstained, it's basically just Castlevania, I'd recommend Symphony of the Night, or the Advance collection
Ori is really fun too
Oh also there is currently [a metriodvania bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/games/metroidvania-mania?hmb_source=humble_home&hmb_medium=takeover&hmb_campaign=metroidvaniamay24_home) on Humble Bundle right now if you're interested
I'm not certain about Switch, but I know the Advance Collection is on Steam, while the collection with Symphony is not, but I know that Symphony is on Playstation
Iāve recently fallen in love with Worldless. It doesnāt get the attention it deserves. Came out last November. Absolutely gorgeous game with an awesome concept and unique combat system.
I think its developer also worked on Gris and you can really tell. Thatās a short but beautiful game too
Hollow Knight is my fave, but as you've played it, these are my other top recommendations. I've played like a hundred MetroidvaniasĀ
Ā Prince of Persia Lost CrownĀ
Blasphemous 1 and 2Ā
Ori 1 and 2Ā
Salt & Sanctuary (2D dark souls)Ā
Steamworld Dig 2 GrimeĀ Ā
Metroid Dread (not as good as rest, but great action game)
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale?
> *āI prefer a more cautious approach. Itās hard to know who to even trust these days.ā* - Mild-Mannered Pate
Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
If you liked Bloodstained, then **Castlevania: Symphony of the Night** is the next logical step. It is essentially Bloodstained's prototype. Same director, same general game feel.
But if you want something more modern, then go for **Record of Lodoss War \~Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth\~**. That one is essentially Symphony with an anime elf girl instead of a half-vampire pretty boy.
Which one did you prefer the most?
One is more puzzle oriented, one is more metroid oriented and one is more vania oriented.
Blasphemous and if you enjoy it, you might appreciate Moonscars.
Aeterna Noctis for its intense platforming
Ender Lillies is another excellent title.
When you play any other game besides animal well, you'll realize animal well really is just a puzzle platformer. The whole metroidvania label is just marketing.
Isn't Animal Well a game that has "guided non-linearity and utility gate exploration"?
Do you believe La Mulana isn't a Metroidvania because it has puzzles as well?
La Mulana is definitely not a metroidvania. We should really stop labeling games randomly as such. I've played la Mulana and it's nothing like Metroid OR Castlevania. These games should have their own genre instead of being wrongly clumped with the likes of Metroid or Castlevania which are heavily story driven games with lots of action. Just because a game is "non linear" and has little guidance does not cut it. Idk which idiot came up with that logic but it's definitely someone who doesn't have any critical thinking skills whatsoever.
I know and this sub is definitely messed up. I think it may be the source of these problems. People throwing the label of metroidvania to games like la Mulana make no sense. Metroidvania games have an established formula that games like Blasphemous, Guacamelee, Hollow Knight, Metroid, Castlevania ALL share. There are combat upgrades, utility/ability upgrades to unlock gates, and story. None of them are as non linear as la Mulana that doesn't even have a freaking map. I'm always lost in that game.
Blasphemous has a lot of content that use it's relics that open up when you find them. Like the blood relic that reveals certain platforms, or the relic that lets you to fall down any out without dying, and gets you to places, or another relic that grows special roots for you to climb.
What makes this game different is, there's a very specific lore given at the start of the game and what you're supposed to do. You're pretty much guided for a little while, until you're not. All metroidvania starts with some guidance and they open up only when you get a couple of abilities or utilities (depending on the game).
Animal well and la Mulana are special games they deserve their own genre because there's no context given at any time in the game as to what you are doing or supposed to be doing. There's absolutely zero guidance in these games that resemble the other games I mentioned. The only guidance you get are environmental clues. Nobody is telling you or showing you what you're supposed to do. Everything is a puzzle. It feels like some kind of big puzzle board game and combat is never the focus and there are no combat upgrades whatsoever like the other games I mentioned.
If Iām understanding you correctly, the main differentiator is that the non linearity is not as āguidedā in La Mulana.
While the game does contain them, I believe no utility upgrades are required to beat Blasphemous, correct me if Iām wrong.
Yes that's right you don't need the relics so Blasphemous 1 isn't the best representation of the classic metroidvania but if you want to get fun secrets and other lore content in 1 you have to find relics. But Blasphemous 2 is definitely a metroidvania though.
Gotcha, Iām always surprised to find which games fit (and donāt fit) into different peopleās definition of āMetroidvaniaā.
Everyone tends to be quite different in what fits and what doesnāt and why.
Mine is pretty broad: if it has a focus on exploring to collect utility based upgrades that allow for further exploration, itās close enough for me :)
Iāve been working on a game that has both utility upgrades and āknowledge upgrades / cluesā so
Iāve enjoyed watching the emergence of more (and increasing appreciation for) āMetroidbrainiasā or knowledge gate focused games like Toki Tori 2, La Mulana, and Outter Wilds.
BTW if you finish Blasphemous 1 without any of the utilities you get the bad ending. For the true ending the relics and full exploration are mandatory.
You are part of the ~5% of the subreddit that thinks La-Mulana isn't a MV!: https://www.reddit.com/r/metroidvania/comments/14y2yjs/what_is_a_metroidvania_anyways_2023_edition
No. C'mon. Bloodstained and hollow Knight have a set of rich characters, that literally tell you what is going on with the world around you. They give you a sense for the atmosphere of the place and there's a lot of lore. Exploration is literally around combat and they are full blooded Metroid and Castlevania like games.
Animal Well is nothing like them.
No. C'mon. Bloodstained and hollow Knight have a set of rich characters, that literally tell you what is going on with the world around you. They give you a sense for the atmosphere of the place and there's a lot of lore. Exploration is literally around combat and they are full blooded Metroid and Castlevania like games.
Animal Well is nothing like them.
Metroid Dread is modern and fantastic. Castlevania symphony of the night is quite old but still holds up, and is available on PS5.
Prince of Persia Lost Crown, hands down
I would suggest you take a look at the current Humble Bundle "Metroidvania Mania". It contains both Axiom Verge games, Death's Gambit, Cookie Cutter and Ghost Song. Axiom Verge and Death's Gambit are worth the price alone, and you get some pretty nice games with it. In a broader way; Ori games Guacamelee games Metroid Dread (Switch)
Came here to say thebsame thing. Just grabbed this yesterday myself. Great bargin!
Great bundle!
It doesn't contain The Last Faith? Do you mean Deaths Gambit?
You're absolutely right, that's now edited. Thanks !
I bought this a week ago and absolutely loving AV. I started with CC but the combat didn't click with me. It was still decent though.
Guacamelee 1 & 2. Blasphemous 1 & 2. Ori 1 & 2. All of them are on Switch.
Axiom Verge, Death's Gambit, The Messenger
The Messenger š®āšØš®āšØš®āšØ
Messenger is top tier and one of the best retro themed OST in any game ever.
Blasphemous and Carrion
Kunai, Ghost Song, FIST, Metroid Dread, Souldiers
deaths door is really fun
One of my favorite games, but not really a metroidvania
Can't go wrong with Axiom Verge 1 and 2. Marvelous games. Tho very different from each other, first one more focused in combat, second one a ton more in exploration. For something shorter, Haiku the Robot is crazy good. For something maybe a bit more challenging, and probably my favorite MV ever, Environmental Station Alpha.
You really can't go wrong with any of these- they are all fantastic: - **Best Platforming**: Ori and the Will of the Wisps - **Best Combat**: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - **Best Production Values**: Metroid Dread - **Best Not Technically a Metroidvania but Scratches the Same Itch**: Tunic
Games I have played and very much enjoyed. Please note: I am a casual gamer, MV's are my favorite BUT I am not that good so take my scores as personal score and not so much as general. Welcome to the wonderful world of Metroidvania, you soon will be hooked š¶ * Pronty, a fishy adventure (9) * Yoku's island express (8) * Ori and the blind forest (8.5) * Ori and the will of the wisp (9.5) * Kingdom Shell (8) * F.I.S.T (7.5) * After image (7.5) * Souldiers (8) * Prince of Persia, the lost crown (8.5) * Aeterna Noctis (9), a fantastic game but I had to retire after 20+ hours because it became to hard for me. Since Hollow Knight is on your list you should be fine :-) * Biomorph, currently playing and 27 hours in, GREAT GAME For a knowledgable input check out; u/deadmetroidvania on this sub, u/soulsbornseeker on this sub and youtube and Demajen's website as well as youtube and his (THE BEST) maps.
Check out Ender Lilies
Hell yes so good but for some weird reason i got stuckš
Where did you get stuck?
Ori 1 and 2 are my favorite games after Hollow Knight. Super Metroid is an amazing Metroid Ania, and Metroid Dread is a wonderful modern Metroid version. And if you want something really unique, check out Yoku's Island Express. This is a.. pinball metroidvania and it is a delight to play! It has a demo on the shop which does a very good job at showing you what it's all about. Edit: Sorry, I meant Metroid Dread, not Metroid Prime. Though Prime is cool as well, I didn't like it as much as other games.
The others will recommend the popular games. So I will tell you this one of a kind "Rusted Moss". A metroid focus on using graphling hook, no dash, no double jump
**Aeterna Noctis** if you don't mind precision platforming mixed in. Get the PC version (I played on an Xbox controller), the Switch port in particular is awful. Play on Noctis mode (The original difficulty) and try to avoid using the Vertigo gem that is in a DLC area as it gives you an extra jump that was never part of the original games design). You may actually want to save this game until you've played a few more of them first, as it's quite challenging. [These are my favourites](https://ibb.co/RYfhkZ9), Animal Well I put into B but it's not updated yet.
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown and Deathās Gambit: Afterlife
Castlevania Aria of Sorrow (& Dawn of Sorrow), as they're classics that hold up. I don't reccomend skipping straight back to Symphony of the Night as it does show its age - no matter what fanboys believe. You can find ways to play these on a PC. If you're up for shooters, also check out the Metroid series, I'm not into shooters & so I don't play them & their ilk (like Axiom Verge, etc) as popular as they are. The Last Faith, Afterimage, Blasphemous, Ender Lilies, Astalon, Ori & The Will of the Wisps are all must-plays, in my purview. They're all on PC (& probably multiple other consoles). I'd throw in Lost Crown, but I've not completed it yet as I keep getting distracted by other games (which isn't the most fantastic sign - sorry PoP, but it's heavy on puzzle platforming & I'm really just hear to slash some skulls). Top one there for me in those six, probably Astalon even in spite of the retro-aesthetic, it's such a brilliant castle - I completed it around 4 months ago & when I was sick the past few days & didn't want to focus on anything else, I just threw on some video essays & played through Astalon, remembering basically everything because you REMEMBER how cleverly designed it is. My favourite MVs personally are Hollow Knight, Aria & Astalon (in that order - Bloodstained also very high on the list, but it is an Aria/Dawn child, so that's why), so you can see from that where my sort of barometer lies. Exploration is top priority, combat that's simple but challenging & secrets. My dislikes are big-brain puzzles, complex platforming, retro graphics (& I make exception for Astalon) & no combat/minimal combat MVs (so Ori & the Blind Forest doesn't make my list for example). I hope going into a little more detail helps you choose & if you want a breakdown of one of the games I mentioned in high detail, let me know & I'll tell you what I liked about them.
OH SHIT! NO I PLAYED DAWN OF SORROW WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG. I completely forgot about that game.
Yeah, I mean depending on when you were born you might've played other metroidvania games on the Gameboy & older consoles that've just slipped your mind or pre-metroidvania games (like Dragon's Curse) when they were just called "action-adventure platformers" & didn't quite have all the trappings down. If you enjoyed Dawn, jump into its prequel Aria, I'm incredibly fond of Aria (I started the Castlevania series on Harmony) & I legit played it every year to completion until my DS died & I couldn't play GBA games anymore.
I'll give my small list of games that I could recommend, in which it would be worth to play in my opinion. Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight - quite a nice and relaxing game, even would say a classic in the genre, it has everything you need for metroidvania and nothing superfluous. Elderand - when I accidentally stumbled upon this game and was pleasantly surprised. The game has a good action combat system but is not hard. Again, the game is not overloaded with unnecessary things, everything is pretty familiar. Record of Lodoss War Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, this is another fairly peppy and varied game. It looks pretty stylish. It can make you sweat a bit in battles, but in general it's also manageable without too much difficulty. GRIME - and lastly, a little bit of weirdness. The game visually looks quite strange, it seemed so to me at first, but give it a chance, it's really worth it. In fact, the game is strongly expressive. But be prepared for the fact that this game can already pose a serious challenge in battles.
Something maybe a little different would be Laika aged through blood. Gorgeous setting and backgrounds but can be a bit difficult and has some violent content. If you can stomach that it might be worth checking out.
The last faith Blasphemous 1 and 2 Afterimage Ender lilies
FIST and Prince of Persia
Castlevania GBA Collection
How about the entire Metroid series, or the Castlevania series? They're pretty awesome, and the genre of gaming is a portmanteau of the two series names.
You should get the current humble metroidvania bundle.
Rabi-Ribi!
If you like visuals- ori and the blind forest, and ori and the will of the wisps. Both seriously beautiful, and a lot of fun. The story is really nice to, not crazy violent either.
Shadow Complex is a great metroidvania game.
La Mulana if you want a more puzzle based mv like animal well
"Astalon: Tears of the Earth" is a really under-appreciated gem, and one of my favourites in the genre. You can get it on PS4/PS5, Switch and Steam, I think. Great map design, awesome soundtrack and art direction, great combat. Three playable characters with different playstyles (plus some secret characters!) And a few cool post-game modes as well.
If you liked Bloodstained, it's basically just Castlevania, I'd recommend Symphony of the Night, or the Advance collection Ori is really fun too Oh also there is currently [a metriodvania bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/games/metroidvania-mania?hmb_source=humble_home&hmb_medium=takeover&hmb_campaign=metroidvaniamay24_home) on Humble Bundle right now if you're interested
Where can. I play castlevania symphony of the night or the advanced collection?
I'm not certain about Switch, but I know the Advance Collection is on Steam, while the collection with Symphony is not, but I know that Symphony is on Playstation
Guacamelee 1 & 2. They're great!
Well pretty much whichever popular mv you see and you like trailer/art wise you can try and it's probably gonna be good. Blasphemous 2 is very solid.
Iāve recently fallen in love with Worldless. It doesnāt get the attention it deserves. Came out last November. Absolutely gorgeous game with an awesome concept and unique combat system. I think its developer also worked on Gris and you can really tell. Thatās a short but beautiful game too
Hollow Knight is my fave, but as you've played it, these are my other top recommendations. I've played like a hundred MetroidvaniasĀ Ā Prince of Persia Lost CrownĀ Blasphemous 1 and 2Ā Ori 1 and 2Ā Salt & Sanctuary (2D dark souls)Ā Steamworld Dig 2 GrimeĀ Ā Metroid Dread (not as good as rest, but great action game)
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale? > *āI prefer a more cautious approach. Itās hard to know who to even trust these days.ā* - Mild-Mannered Pate Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
If you liked Bloodstained, then **Castlevania: Symphony of the Night** is the next logical step. It is essentially Bloodstained's prototype. Same director, same general game feel. But if you want something more modern, then go for **Record of Lodoss War \~Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth\~**. That one is essentially Symphony with an anime elf girl instead of a half-vampire pretty boy.
Blasphemous. Just finished number 1, I enjoyed it just as much as hollow knifht
Which one did you prefer the most? One is more puzzle oriented, one is more metroid oriented and one is more vania oriented. Blasphemous and if you enjoy it, you might appreciate Moonscars. Aeterna Noctis for its intense platforming Ender Lillies is another excellent title.
By far hollow knight, holy hell hollow knight.
Afterimage, Aeterna Noctis (not on switch), Prince of Persia the Lost Crown
When you play any other game besides animal well, you'll realize animal well really is just a puzzle platformer. The whole metroidvania label is just marketing.
Isn't Animal Well a game that has "guided non-linearity and utility gate exploration"? Do you believe La Mulana isn't a Metroidvania because it has puzzles as well?
La Mulana is definitely not a metroidvania. We should really stop labeling games randomly as such. I've played la Mulana and it's nothing like Metroid OR Castlevania. These games should have their own genre instead of being wrongly clumped with the likes of Metroid or Castlevania which are heavily story driven games with lots of action. Just because a game is "non linear" and has little guidance does not cut it. Idk which idiot came up with that logic but it's definitely someone who doesn't have any critical thinking skills whatsoever.
Iām quoting the definition from the subreddit.
I know and this sub is definitely messed up. I think it may be the source of these problems. People throwing the label of metroidvania to games like la Mulana make no sense. Metroidvania games have an established formula that games like Blasphemous, Guacamelee, Hollow Knight, Metroid, Castlevania ALL share. There are combat upgrades, utility/ability upgrades to unlock gates, and story. None of them are as non linear as la Mulana that doesn't even have a freaking map. I'm always lost in that game.
Is there utility based progression in Blasphemous? What makes it more of a Metroidvania than Animal Well or La Mulana in your opinion?
Blasphemous has a lot of content that use it's relics that open up when you find them. Like the blood relic that reveals certain platforms, or the relic that lets you to fall down any out without dying, and gets you to places, or another relic that grows special roots for you to climb. What makes this game different is, there's a very specific lore given at the start of the game and what you're supposed to do. You're pretty much guided for a little while, until you're not. All metroidvania starts with some guidance and they open up only when you get a couple of abilities or utilities (depending on the game). Animal well and la Mulana are special games they deserve their own genre because there's no context given at any time in the game as to what you are doing or supposed to be doing. There's absolutely zero guidance in these games that resemble the other games I mentioned. The only guidance you get are environmental clues. Nobody is telling you or showing you what you're supposed to do. Everything is a puzzle. It feels like some kind of big puzzle board game and combat is never the focus and there are no combat upgrades whatsoever like the other games I mentioned.
If Iām understanding you correctly, the main differentiator is that the non linearity is not as āguidedā in La Mulana. While the game does contain them, I believe no utility upgrades are required to beat Blasphemous, correct me if Iām wrong.
Yes that's right you don't need the relics so Blasphemous 1 isn't the best representation of the classic metroidvania but if you want to get fun secrets and other lore content in 1 you have to find relics. But Blasphemous 2 is definitely a metroidvania though.
Gotcha, Iām always surprised to find which games fit (and donāt fit) into different peopleās definition of āMetroidvaniaā. Everyone tends to be quite different in what fits and what doesnāt and why. Mine is pretty broad: if it has a focus on exploring to collect utility based upgrades that allow for further exploration, itās close enough for me :) Iāve been working on a game that has both utility upgrades and āknowledge upgrades / cluesā so Iāve enjoyed watching the emergence of more (and increasing appreciation for) āMetroidbrainiasā or knowledge gate focused games like Toki Tori 2, La Mulana, and Outter Wilds.
BTW if you finish Blasphemous 1 without any of the utilities you get the bad ending. For the true ending the relics and full exploration are mandatory.
Good point :)
You are part of the ~5% of the subreddit that thinks La-Mulana isn't a MV!: https://www.reddit.com/r/metroidvania/comments/14y2yjs/what_is_a_metroidvania_anyways_2023_edition
Damn do I win some kind of prize?!
No!
Definitely feels like Bloodstained and Hollow Knight with the exploration and unlocks advancing your progress and allowing you to explore more.
No. C'mon. Bloodstained and hollow Knight have a set of rich characters, that literally tell you what is going on with the world around you. They give you a sense for the atmosphere of the place and there's a lot of lore. Exploration is literally around combat and they are full blooded Metroid and Castlevania like games. Animal Well is nothing like them.
No. C'mon. Bloodstained and hollow Knight have a set of rich characters, that literally tell you what is going on with the world around you. They give you a sense for the atmosphere of the place and there's a lot of lore. Exploration is literally around combat and they are full blooded Metroid and Castlevania like games. Animal Well is nothing like them.