Ranking Every Metroidvania I've Played - TIER LIST
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 17. 05. 2024
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00:00 Intro
00:55 Ranking Criteria
04:04 Hollow Knight
07:19 Bloodstained: RotN
11:48 Gato Roboto
14:45 CHASM
17:15 Axiom Verge
18:56 Vampire Survivors
19:51 Monster Sanctuary
21:30 TouHou Luna Nights
24:02 Deedlit in Wounder Labyrinth
26:35 Dead Cells
27:30 Ori and the Blind Forest
28:30 Every Castlevania
31:15 Castlevania Curse of Darkness
32:09 Metroid Fusion
33:07 Every Darksouls
35:33 Blasphemous
37:51 Momodora 4
39:06 THE GOATS
#metroidvania #indie #castlevania - Hry
Please let me know how you like the video and if you want to see more like it in the future. I am really trying to take all feedback and criticism seriously so don't be shy to let me know how you felt about this video.
For me, the only real nitpick I have is mic quality. Not the actual mic itself. It's totally fine for streaming. And it's good for an on-stream, shoot the sh*t style of video.
But for highly-edited, scripted videos, the viewer is paying attention to YOU, and the on-screen stuff is backing what you say.
I would say adjust the mic settings to make your voice feel... i don't know how to describe it... more authoritive? Like you can't help BUT listen to you. Maybe a bit of a middle or bass boost?
I'm not saying your voice is too high. I've listened to a LOT of essay-style videos with people with higher pitch voices that I have no problems with their VO. They just have like a chest voice (edited or not) that makes them feel like they have a more full voice.
And I'm NOT saying "DB, yOuR vOiCe SuX 4 dEeZ kInDs Of ViDs". Nor am I telling you to change how you speak. I'm just saying, if you DO go into scripted videos, keep that in mind.
Otherwise, this is a great video for a hardcore Metroidvania player! I am REALLY excited for what you have in store for us.
I gave my feedback in a comment. I'm a new subscriber, but please, make videos of these tier lists more often. The explanation and details were really insightful in most of the games you listed.
Some of them I didn't even know they existed!
You đclick batted me â€
Definitely recommend playing Ghost Song
Thank you for blessing us with this fire video man â€ïž
Giving a C to Blasphemous is blasphemous
i was devastated, blasphemous is my favorite metroidvania of all timeđ
well guess there's nothing we can do but respect other opinions hey thinking of good things, there're still many people who love this miracle Game! Such as me! And i hope High Wills bless you....
Guy put in Vampire Survivors in a Metroidvania tier list and rates it higher than fusion.
You have chosen death.
Wait seriously?! How tf did he put VAMPIRE SURVIVORS in a metroidvania list?? Wt actual f?
Scratching my head to figure out how it fits in the list beyond a visual similarity to Castlevania.
Elden a Metroidvania is the biggest joke
The messenger was really cool and unique. It starts out linear(stage clears) but then turns into your classic metroidvania.
I Loved the messenger...! Until it became a metroidvania , I just wasn't feeling it. I really loved the first half of the game though
@@nok4799I donât know why everyone seems to hate the second part of it. Personally thatâs when I started to really love the game, re-exploring all the areas and new ones with the ability to travel through time was amazing.
After getting 100% completion I kinda feel mixed about it mostly the second part. I felt the game delivered way better at the first part.
The thing about "Ori and the Blind Forest" is that it's not a game focused around combat, but rather around acrobatic movement. Personally, it's one of my favourite games of all time
That and will of the wisp too. The music is also absolutely beautiful, probably the best in video game history
I agree, it's more of a platformer, and it's an amazing game
Right with you dude ori 1 is fantastic and great exploration and platforming
@@Harmzz have yet to experience the second game - I was unable to play it due to a weak graphics card, haha
Dude gave Chasm a D and Ori an F.
Whut?
Blind Forest is a little rough around the edges for sure, but Will of the Wisps is a masterpiece. You might have more fun with that one. For one, the combat is a lot more varied, it has weapons. Both games also go from 0 to 100 as soon as you get Bash as an ability. The movement options it gives you are so fun it is insane.
I agree, but I think both games are just amazing and great from the very beginning. But it's true the ability to re bounce is the best thing ever made in a video game.
Facts đ
Amen, Bash is one of the most creative and fun abilities in a platformer ever.
Played the first one and it was both beautiful and amazing, but also INCREDIBLY frustrating and pissed me off more than probably any other game haha
Forest is a masterpiece and Wisps moved away from what made the first one so good in my opinion.
I think you would really enjoy metroid dread. It has plenty of upgrades, well made exploration that not only guides you while making it feel natural but most the time, backtracking is not some "repeat the same thing you did already" task but changes things on each time around, and movement gets a clear upgrade over the course of the story. Right up your alley I think.
The movement in Dread feels so freaking good. The controls are tight as hell. I loved it.
@@MrEmptyKay it straight up rewards mastery of the controls and timings. It's a hot hot take from me, but Dread challenges the throne Super Metroid sits upon, it's that good, and I love Super Metroid with all my heart
@@shasta_creates Sometimes there is truth in a hot take. Super has aged really, really well, but the controls for Dread are just that much better. When I was playing through Dread for the first time, I remember thinking that this was the first time we got anything that felt like a true spiritual successor to Super; Dread even payed homage to the glass tunnel, which got my brother and I stuck as shit on our first Super playthrough.
@@thatonespooder1513 10 hours puts it at the long end of the spectrum of 2d Metroid titles.
Blasphemous is probably my S tier along with Hollow Knight. Definitely revisit it, very rewarding exploration and scenery as well as challenging boss fights and platforming. Have beat it 3 times and enjoyed each play through. Fantastic game and looking forward to the 2nd in development!
I love it, although the best part for me were always the art style and worldbuilding. Some of the late game bosses were too challenging for me, but I normally play these games more for the exploration and plattforming than the boss fights.
Game is tooooo sick! just beat it after 25 hours. going to star up the 2nd game soon.
@@meatbasedvegan4859 Second one was great too! Beat it. You will enjoy đ
i love hollow knight but how Blasphemous is that good i didnt play the game much but it diffuctly for no point like and it s slow u go all the way back just by dying from spikes
@@MarWan-hp6lx dont die...
So basically the easier the game is, the more u like it
oooooo. catty.
Ori is super fun once you unlock the Bash move, there's also a lot more variety for attacks in the sequel
The thumbnail is a hot take, for sure. There is some legitimate criticism in its relative lack of intrinsic connections between areas, limited/repetitive enemy types and _especially_ that damned escape from the Forlorn Ruins, but as letter grading goes I can't see justifying any worse than C tier.
(Personally I'd give it a B)
@@Stratelier Id give you a B tier and I'd give your favorite game, Fortnite, a C Tier. (Personally)
Ori at F is crazy to me lol it's special! Not as special as HK but man
Ori at F is clickbait material, why you think its in the thumbnail?
people will only click on the video to comment "OMG ORI?! BRUH ITS ATLEAST X TIER!"
Edit: click/view + comment is great for algorithm, just to be clear
Idk if attack variety really helps ori since even in will of the wisps the bosses were insanely easy
The movement is fun though but I feel like if there were some hard platforming, besides me finding some of the running away sections hard, it could've been even better
Ender lillies was a pretty solid metroidvania i've played recently, the combat is godd, and the music and ambience were awesome.
-spoiler a little bit to whoever havent play this game-
Yet the Backtracking part is total headache, you can spend hours to see which backtracking is the correct path without walkthrough
Sometimes endgame backtracking needs you to do multiple trick (Double Jump - Dash - Ulv's Grappling - Using Spirit for secondary Jump and Dash)
I even defeated Hoenir, even Unlock Subterranean Lab first before defeating Ulv and Julius on my first gameplay, lol
Note: yes, gou can get past Gate before Subterranean Lab after you getting Silva's dash buff, using Movement + Dash Speed boost trinket and jump dash)
But not protest for me, The atmosphere, ambience, design, graphic and bgm dispelled it
Ender Lilies is beautiful. But navigating through the world without any visual clues or area names in the world map, plus no maps for each room, is a pain in the butt in your first playthrough, I wish the map was more Hollow Knight-esque and that you also had a map for each room, beacuse some of them are a f-ing huge labyrinth.
ender lillies is amazing. Love it
Yeah it's in my top 10 for sure not sure if it breaks top 5
Its a little slow and the map is just fugly which is weird because the game was made to be aesthetically pleasing
I played the Ori sequel, "Ori and the Will of the Wisps", and I highly recommend it! The movement abilities are my fav part!! The major rewards/upgrades you get as you go are new movement abilities. I like the time trials in each area where you can compete against the runs of other Ori time trial runners. Also, with pixel perfect moment you can even get into places you shouldn't be yet which made the exploration very fun for me.
Itâs amazing how incredibly influential Metroid and Castlevania were back in the 80s lol I remember them and beat them both. But look how incredible the genre has become, itâs my favorite type of game without a doubt. So good!
Ori and the Will of the Wisps corrects some of the issues you mentioned with The Blind Forest, particularly the combat. I definitely prefer it over the first game. I'd recommend that you check it out.
Blind forest at F though? I feel like it's hard to put it below B but yeah it's his tier list
I am nearly through Will of the Wisps and I agree about the combat, it definitely feels more intentional rather than an auto aim attack. That said if you play with a mouse and keyboard the attacks in the Blind Forest it is not auto aiming, that's a product of playing with a controller. I think their combat system had to be meant for a mouse and they were like "Having controller users aim while jumping and moving would be impossible, make it auto aim". It just has that kind of feeling.
I had such high hopes for the will of the wisps and for the most part I'm enjoying it, but it feels overly padded and unintentionally confusing. Thankfully the art style and the platforming and over all movement of the game is what I love about Ori. I love the escape sequences, I love the traversal through the world. I just wish it didn't feel like they forced more story in when in reality there didn't need to be that much. Even though I am enjoying will of the wisps I think I enjoyed the blind forest more.
It's sad he didn't even get to the movement options before completely quitting
An F for Blind Forest is criminal. Sadly, he may never give Will of the Wisps a chance after writing off the prequel.
@@0uz01 which is hilarious cause he played the chasm to completion and yet Ori he plays 2 hours and gives up. I am betting cause he wanted it to be HK, which it is not.
From Hollow knight hate to the S tier. True character development right there
Where did you get that he was hating? I think his opinion was very well constructed. The game is kinda obscure and slow at the start and it takes a while to really grab you. That C+ as a first impression is pretty accurate I'd say. Maybe a B-
@@samy29987It definitely depends on the person. I thought that it was an S tier game the moment I started pogoing on spikes and I felt the movement was quite precise even with no dash. Fast forward 300 hours and after radianting every boss I believe it is one of the best games ever made.
@@onionbroisbestwaifu5067 I certainly didn't think that about pogoing spikes. I thought it was cool, but nothing mind boggling to make you jump out of your seat either.
The start is very slow and you only get a taste of a real movement upgrade like 2-3 hours in, depending on how good you are. And that upgrade is pretty basic (dash). After that and a couple more hours in, I definitely thought it grabbed me. But that took a while.
Tbh I couldnât get into it. Itâs map system personally is one of the worst
I didn't love it, the map system was tedious and there was very little variety with the different areas, everything was real dark
I had the exact same experience as you with Ori and the Blind Forest. I still haven't gone back to it after my first session, and perhaps never will. I did, however, play the sequel Will o' the Wisps to completion, and I highly recommend giving it a shot. Taking just a few pages out of Hollow Knight's book made all the difference, and allowed me to stay engaged long enough to also appreciate the strengths that are uniquely Ori's own.
Bro happened the exact same for me, a couple of hours and thats it. Then i played hollow night and became a fan, i dont know why that happened.
I'd recommend Guacamelee 1 and 2, love those games. Great maps, movement and upgrades, hilarious and awesome combat!
I'd like to point out the insane soundtrack too!!
Fun games but not a great metroidvnias
Blasphemous is worth it. With the updates, highly recommend trying again. Especially for the HollowKnight esque NG+ and the proper ending and bonus bosses that are harder than anything in the base game.
Top 3 for me next to ori and HK
Dude is literally to dumb to play it and it shows
Talking about wall climbing and double jumps??
Bones literally reward you, you only need to bring it into Albero?!
Footage of him dashing into enemies and bouncing off and not using riposte...
What did they update? I tried it months ago and couldn't believe how clunky it felt.
@@AaronCarp right??? i thought i was going crazy with how much love everyone has for the game while i absolutely hated playing it. sure, it looks gorgeous but spikes being an instakill with how absolutely *awful* the platforming feels is a massive dealbreaker.
Blasphemous is fun until u get lost for 7 hours.
Another great metroidvania you might wanna give a try to is the guacamelee series. A wrestling metroidvania with a REALLY good artstyle, great movement options and really fun exploration
Amazing experience. The movement is pretty solid, the combat is incredibly varied and fun, and the exploration is very rewarding specially when you're going for the good endings. It has secrets behind some very challenging platforming sections that are fun and rewarding. I never thought I was going to have as much fun with the guacamelee series as I did. Can't wait to see where it lands on the tier list.
I Further recommend it, I had such a fun time with the movement in guacamelee. Phenomenal art direction as well. 10/10
Good Mexican lore and humor as well.
Man I wish I could get into those games but something about it doesn't click with me
Man I canât get into those games, Iâve tried. Donât like em for some reason.
Subscribed. Love your insight on all the games you listed.
I am curious on your take of Metroid Dread. It may not be as rewarding as Super Metroid but the combat, bosses and especially the movement are incredible. I would say the movement alone sets a new standard on what I want out of a Metroidvania.
Overall fantastic video!
Would've been interesting to see commentary on Metroid games besides Fusion. Super Metroid is at the top of his tier list but I didn't get a feel of his thoughts for Super Metroid. Dread, Zero Mission, and the Metroid Prime series would have also been interesting to hear about. I feel like Metroid Prime is one of the first attempts of bringing the Metroidvania formula to 3D, even before games like Dark Souls.
Good list. I also recommend:
- Aeterna Noctis
- Alwaâs Awakening
- Aquaria
- Astalon: Tears of the Earth
- Blaster Master Zero 1-3
- Cave Story+
- Death's Gambit
- ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights
- F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
- Ghost 1.0
- Ghost Song
- GRIME
- Guacamelee!
- Haiku, the Robot
- The Iconoclasts
- Infernax
- The Knight Witch
- La-Mulana 1-2
- The Messenger
- Monster Boy And The Cursed Kingdom
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Owlboy
- Phoenotopia: Awakening
- Pronty
- Souldiers
- SteamWorld Dig 1-2
- Subbania (game WWW)
- Timespinner
- Treasure Adventure Game
- Vigil: The Longest Night
- Wuppo
- Yoku's Island Express
and a lot more. I wish all good health and funny day. ;)
Absolutely criminal he didn't have Cave Story on the list. Also Wuppo is a true 10/10 game! Iconoclasts is a superb 10/10 too, but I never saw it as much of a metroidvania, it's very story driven and linear in places.
Just finished grime. Its surrealistic story and universe is extremely unique for the genre. 10/10 game imo.
Dear god thereâs just too many games
@@opaljk4835 And they will be a lot. There was a lot of promising metroidvania games. XD
@@xanxenon1934 if I donât limit myself I buy way too many games and records, so Iâm trying to make sure a few for every 1 I get
"I only picked it up cuz it's supposed to be like Symphony of the Night, and honestly, it is! Just look at this walk animation!"
That got me good
Bruh. I always want tier lists. Even if I don't agree. Fascinating to see other peoples' opinions on stuff and their thought process on how they got there.
Blasphemous is exactly the kind of game you need to go trough at least 1time with a guide for the many subquest. It is very rewarding afterward and this quickly became one of my best games ever played. Story also is fire
I just started it and boy oh boy is the movement clunky. You would recommend I follow a loose guide for spoilers? I typically enjoy playing everything blind, but I doubt I'll be replaying this so I'm curious what your suggestion would be for getting the most out of the game without spoiling it too much.
@@das6109 I'm usually not that kind of guy either. With blasphemous tho, what I needed to know before the fun began was the current step of sidequest when i'm a bit lost, where is the place to get more rosary knots (I didn't found it in my first playthrough lol) and some easy move technique on CZcams. There is a video explaining everything in like 10 minutes or so, then you can get started and have the basic informations with cool movement and useful easy tech.
The first month I had this game I hated it. Now i've beaten the game countless times afterward and I love it even more with the good lore that's hiding in this gem.
Plus blasphemous 2 is in production stage, we need to be sharp in order to experience it at his best !
@@kishin116 Thanks for your input. Smoother movement sounds great as does a little bit of guidance on character quest reqs. Do you happen to remember what short video you're talking about?
czcams.com/video/tDGBO8BXs44/video.html
This one !!
Okay. Ori and the Blind Forest is one of the best games I've ever played. It's not for everyone for sure, but it tells a beautiful story with beautiful audio and visuals, and the gameplay is so much fun if you enjoy the dynamic, acrobatic movement, which is done extremely well in this game. And it gets even better in Will of the Wisps.
I tried playing it, and the opening and its ridiculous and cheap emotional manipulation just skeeved me out so hard I dumped it pretty much right there.
@@WAHa06x36 wdym cheap emotional manipulation bro you're in the opening, ofc you aren't attached to the characters yet, your opinion is already irrelevant
â@@WAHa06x36What's cheap about it? That opening sets the stage for the rest of the game and isn't even that long. You wouldn't be calling it cheap if you actually play through the game and see the story to its end. I think it is unfair to put the game down quickly. If you want an example of something truly emotional manipulative, watch the awful movie Patch Adams.
@@josephjoe4180 It is cheap because it tries to elicit emotions it has not earned. It tries to be tragic but it's only melodramatic.
On top of that, there is a massive gulf of emotional disconnect between the end of the opening and the beginning of the game that just makes the failings of the opening even more stark.
@@WAHa06x36 I mean, you haven't even played the game fully. You don't know what you are talking about. The opening feeds into the rest of the game, but you wouldn't know because you aren't patient enough to wait for the payoff. It's like calling the opening of the movie Up cheap.
Bro this guy put Scrimblo's Adventure in D Tier?!?!?!?! WHAT A FRAUD!
You should take another record from this guy for his insolence!
Yeah I know! And Hollow Knight is SSS+ĂSSS BETTER THAN EVERYTHING ELSE IN GAMING TIRE AT WORST!!!!1,11!1
@@mach95a113 hollow knight is goat though.
It'll be interesting to see this list get updated over time as other games get added to it. Are you planning on playing every metroidvania game out there? Have you played the La Mulana games or Rabi Ribi yet? I know the latter one isn't everyone's cup of tea in the character design department but I think it's a fun game overall.
I gotta disagree on Bloodstained, I felt like the game felt a bit empty in terms of NPCs, but I really liked the variety of designs of enemies, and how even a reskin of a previous enemy always had a twist with the attack patterns or weapon used. I really loved the castle as a whole too, it was pretty memorable to me with the broken bridge in Garden of Silence, the room with the red moon, the train station that takes you to a boss fight, the tower you climb from both inside and outside where you also fight two dragons, etc. And the music was fantastic, to the point I'm trying to learn the melody of "Luxurious Overture" on the guitar, which is the theme from when you first enter the castle.
I do respect and understand your opinion though, I explored nearly the entire castle and still had to grind for better shards before the last couple of boss fights, the rewards for exploring should've been better. I just wanted to share my own experience with the game, keep up the good content!
Ori and the Blind Forest: Didn't hook me on the first two hours, so I'll give it a F.
Hollow Knight: I didn't enjoy the first 15 hours, so I'll give it a S.
Death's gambit is a truly underrated gem...one of the best metroidvanias and I've played them all
The afterlife version is better improved on the many issues people had with the game
which one is death's gambit? the one where you play as a dead knight or the one you play as a bird?
@@marcosdheleno The bird one is Death's Door. And said bird's a crow.
@@acedias12 yeah, i always get them confused with each other due to the similar names.
I tried it twice with the afterlife update and just found it OK! I felt like it had everything for me to enjoy it more but I just couldn't.
Definitely interested in an analysis video on SotN and Super Metroid's design philosophy. Brilliant games. Grats on the vid, DragonBlitz!
The amount of people getting triggered by Ori's tier is hilarious đ€Ł Good job db!
Its cheap clickbait/trolling. How hollow must a personality be to applaud that? I mean there must be nothing left Inside you.
â@@gunnarschneider5573Lmao get jebaited đ
@@wavefile1674 as i said.... Completely hollow. Instead of replying anything of value you only type acronyms and emojis.
Which really proves the point I was trying to make. Man if your life is just about trolling and never about statements of value it's a waste
@@gunnarschneider5573 đ€
Loved the video, it was great! Hope to see more metroidvania stuff :)
I dig this DB.. i love the SOTN stuff... but my favorite part is hearing your perspectives and you trying new games
You should play Yoku's island express!
It's a really unique metroidvania-pinball mix more on a cutesy side, it's full of character
I think everyone has to experience that
Great video, definitely gonna try some of the recomendations!
You put into words how some of the games I played "felt" like, so I trust in your judgement for the rest haha
Have you tried Salt and Sanctuary? It's one of the "2D souls-like" games you described, but in my opinion is one of the most polished ones. I also like the movement options (at least in the later parts of the game) and some level designs are amazing (there is a mechanic to reverse gravity that's really well used)
Some metroidvanias that Iâve personally enjoyed that you might as well are âTimespinnerâ, âIconoclastsâ and â9 years of Shadowsâ.
Between the three of those, Iâm sure youâll fine one to your liking
My recommendation to try is Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. Itâs unusual in that itâs focus is on puzzles, but itâs very much a metroidvania where are you unlock abilities, and do some backtracking to get power ups
Wao, i was not expecting see someone mentioning soul reaver. This is really nice.
I feel like in dragonblitz's heart hollow knight isn't an S rated game and he doesn't want to piss of the hollow knight community by giving it an A rank. To me its not S rank if the initial experience is flawed.
One of my favorite Metroidvania games was Shadow Complex. Such a great game!
Based on the games you selected for this tier list, you don't even know what a metroidvania is...
Definitely enjoying this produced type of content. Your editing is very engaging.
I also like how you show footage of the games youâre talking about. Definitely adds to the tier list format, and I think it could be applied to other tier lists. Some of previous item tier lists had great commentary etc. but actual footage could have greatly benefited them
I'd love to see that video about the similarities and differences between SotN and SM
First video im se eing of you and I love it all. I loved how you waited to show the tier list at the end but you gave rating at the end and actually explained your thought process while still acknowledging its bias. Please do a video on the Super Metroid and SOTN.
I think the video is awesome! I do agree with some of the rankings but ofc itâs personal pref. for the most part. †keep the videos coming my man! LFGGGG!!
Hey man, good choices!
I'd like to recommend a couple of interesting titles you might dig. First is Carrion. You play as a monster, killing the marines trying to take you down. You evolve as you progress until you become an absolute force of nature. Second, I'd recommend you check out Death's Door. You play as a cute as f*ck crow, who works for Death, collecting souls until someone rubs you wrong and you have to clean up the pieces. You progress by obtaining new spells, weapons (which both allow the "gate-opening" Metroidvania trope), and other fighting upgrades. It's absolutely a blast, and it has some of the greatest dark humor you could imagine. Third is a VERY indie game, called The Messenger. You play as a ninja, tasked with delivering a message to the Gods to help the world get rid of some super powered demons. You progress through these levels and get upgrades as you collect them or from a vendor-like guy in an alternate dimension, who's hilarious, by the way. Also, you're followed around by a life/soul/demon/whatever thing that teases you when you mess up. Lastly, I'm sure you've heard of it, but I like to recommend it because it's just a lot of fun. That's the Darksiders game. The original was awesome. You play as War (one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse), who's woken up early when angels and demons start ripping each other apart, and you're blamed for it happening, so you've gotta kick some ass and set the record straight. The game also follows REALLY close to Zelda games, where you're given some pretty cool "gadgets" along the way, but they lock the path forward until you get it.
Anyways, I hope you find one of them interesting! I love all four of them (Death's Door is highest, though), and I hope you do, too!
I love the genre as well. One game that blew my mind was Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. Starts off a bit slow, but the more you play, the better it gets. And the music is absolutely fantastic. Definitely give it a go. One major thing that I forgot to mention is that exploration is heavily rewarded, there is a lot of secrets in game.
Yeah, I had a lot of fun playing it as well. You get more transformations as you go that grant more movement and exploration capabilities, with a fair amount of rewards hidden throughout.
Bought it on switch deep sale recently can't wait
Damn, good to hear that. I think the initial look of it is what made me hesitate, but it's status and recommendations should've been enough for me to try it. Your comment might've been enough to talk me into it though!
Great video. You outlined what appeals and what you look for in the genre. You also explained why a game you didnât like might appeal to others, which is really helpful!
About Blasphemous what made the game so memorable for me was the Biblical and Christianity references, the Spanish guitar soundtrack, the absolutely insane NPC dialogue, the horrifying effects of the Miracle. From a movement perspective, I agree with you that the game basically just doesnât bother trying to compete.
Other games considered partial MetroidVania you may be interested in:
- Metroid Prime 1, 2, 3
- Star Wars: Jedi - Fallen Order
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Prey (2017)
- Batman Arkham Asylum and City
Btw Rain World is somewhat of a metroidvania as well, and it's like the greatest gaming experience I've had in years
YES
Good list. I have a couple suggestions as well. Environmental Station Alpha starts as a pretty solid Metroidvania, and then gets deeper and deeper into puzzle mechanics (VERY deep into puzzle solving). Worth a look! I also enjoyed UnEpic, which is a sometimes crude, but amusing take on the genre. There's another that just came out of Early Access not long ago that I played an earlier build of that I enjoyed well enough. Dungeon Munchies. Not sure if that's "Metroidvania enough", or would be THAT high on the list, but something to consider. Finally, something I picked up recently thanks to Humble Bundle and have thoroughly enjoyed is 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure. The artwork may invoke Hollow Knight at first, but it is its own game, and some good fun.
Oh yeah! A based ESA enjoyer!
Seriously once you unlock ending C - It just goes full Spelunky on you. Heck, I had a screen shot of Alien language alphabet to decode messages.
Ghost Song is a really good one too. First couple of hours are kinda slow, but once you get a couple of upgrades it really starts to shine.
All of the game sin this thread are either A or S. 8doors -Amazing. ESA -Fantastic. Ghost Song - Awesome. And try HAAK - S+++!
@@shaunmartinell5825 I personally felt that Environmental station alpha is by far the worst metroidvania I have ever played. It was confusing in a bad way.
Rabi-Ribi is definitely worth a try. It blends the genre with bullet hell, especially with the bosses. So the combat is very good. It heavily rewards exploration. The movement is great as well. There is one issue though that either attracts people or heavily put people off. The character art style is very lewd. If you can get past that, its a very enjoyable experience
I'd call it more risqué than lewd. Like, you definitely wouldn't want people to watch you playing, but it also doesn't feel like the designer was constantly wanking.
Yeah, personally speaking, it wasn't the artstyle that made me never want to try this game. It was the game's anti-piracy system. Basically, what it does is it opens the game's steam page. Every single frame. At 60 FPS. This will, in the best case scenario, crash your PC, and in the worst case scenario, could fry one of your parts.
Now, I am very aware that the way the system is coded, it SHOULD never trigger if you have the game legitimately... but i personally don't feel comforable buying a game where the creator intentionally put in software that can harm your computer, especially since i don't trust that there's no way the anti-piracy system doesn't trigger on a legitimate copy due to a glitch
Also, it's probably the most unreasonably difficult metroidvania ever created at its peak unintended artbook difficulty (Bunny-X). It delves into the art of abusing s and understanding when to get hit all while dealing optimal amounts of damage with tight windows of comboing with the hammer and using Ribbon at the same time. I love it, it's a beautiful piece of art and for anyone with hundreds or thousands of hours of metroidvania who's willing to be challenged by such a game can very very easily be humbled by such (unnecessary) difficulty.
Pretty nice review. For Ritual of the Night, I am surprised you didn't mention other modes specifically zangetsu and it's speedrun. I was pretty curious on that note. Zangetsu plays pretty identical to richter from SOTN by being execution heavy character and never slow downs at all.
Stopping time and throwing daggers, that seems so familiar.
If you don't mind a little more storyline and story-based progression, Cave Story is absolutely worth a few playthroughs. The movement is uniquely floaty and (similar to gato) you can use some weapons to give yourself a floating technique. It's got some hidden systems that add huge complexity to the structure of the game, where you can completely change the structure of the last act by performing certain steps throughout the game. The weapons are tons of fun and it's hard to pick a favorite early on due to how unique they feel and the way they level up.
Loved Cave Story
Cave Story is excellent! It also helps that it is still free on Pixel's site too
Cave Story isn't really a metroidvania. But then, neither is Dark Souls.
â@@ASNS117Zeroneither is a lot of shit this guy put on the list TBH
I'm really liking this format. You present solid points and make it quite clear that you are passioinate about the discussed subject. Would've liked to be more detailed about certain games, but that would make it a 4h video, which is insane, but I think you presented the tier list quite well.
Havenât actually watched the video yet so idk yet if thumbnail is clickbait or not.
But seeing Symphony of the Night and Hollow Knight in the S tier ALREADY had me so happy.
Thank you for this, bud! I really need some new metroidvanias to play
gonna put Timespinner in the 'metroidvanias you should play' hat
Hollow Knight has come the closest out of all to recreating the magic of symphony of the night and Super Metroid. I hope Silk Song can raise the bar đ€
We just have to live long enough to see it.
@@swordguy8 I'd come back from the dead just to play it.
that game is never coming out dude
@@bingchillin5341 They actually have a release date(ish). Before the end of June of this year.
Too bad the souls esq system ruins any fun I try to have in it
The lack of Lost Ruins and Minoria disturbs me greatly.
Great video. I agree with most of your ratings except Blasphemous. I feel like it's more of an A- or B+. I definitely agree about the movement options feeling blocked off or getting them late. That was the one thing I didn't like either.
I actually did the same thing you did initially. I played the game for several hours but then got bored. I finally picked the game back up again sometime last year and finally beat it. It got much better once you unlock certain things to allow more movement. The fact that certain equippable items were tied to platforming and movement instead of it being tied to the character and environment was weird.
I think you'll enjoy playing Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. It really fun. I also like Aeterna Noctis, but that game runs horribly and crashes so much that it's hard to play it in any enjoyable amount of time. I really wish the devs would fix it because that game was fun. It's challenging but fun.
Agree Blasphemous is one of the best out at the moment
You should definitely give Ori and the blind forest another try. It does start off pretty slow, but as you progress and gain abilities the movement starts to feel incredibly satisfying and fluid
(The sequel also addresses the initial slowness, and generally improves on the first in just about every way)
It saddens me he put it so.low! It's one of the only Metroidvanias that I can compare to hollow Knight with the feeling it gives me to play it with the areas and music.
I don't get that "I hate walking forwards" thing with Castlevania players, I wouldn't be surprised if they jump dive kick in real life too to avoid walking
interesting video! first time Ive heard of most of these, but definitely going to check some out. if you have a chance, i recommend Ender lilies: quietus of knights. in my opinion is at least as good as bloodstained if not better
I suggest to you Grime, Souldiers, Ender Lilies and Haiku the robot, they are all super good and they are pure metroidvanias, I also suggest to you Aeterna Noctis which has the best movement ability in any metroidvania but it can be very frustrating and it is like 50 hours long
Grime demo convinced me to buy it but I'm still waiting for switch release.
Movement is the Leap Stone of any Metroidvania. It just feels off without it, and atmosphere is often not enough.
Leap stone? What do you mean by that? Is it similar to a key stone
@@RaifSeverence double jump in sotn
I noticed near the beginning you had footage of Minoria but that game didn't get a score. Where would you put it compared to Momodora? I thought it had some slight QoL improvements but overall equal to Momodora, another short and solid vania.
I live for videos like this so I'm down for more if you want to do more of them! Also I dunno if you've ever talked about them but Salt and Sanctuary has a sequel now and if you get a chance you should check out both. If you can only do one though, I'd say the first was way better than the second.
Iconoclasts is worth a thorough playthrough. Not an overly complicated and slightly more story heavy, but still a lot of secrets to find and was one of the better indie-vanias I had the pleasure of playing.
ive heard there is a ton of story. Is that true? I think a ton of story could kill a metroidvania for me. I feel like they are all about their momentum.
I'm not sure if I'd call Iconoclasts a Metroidvania, it's not really structured like since you go to areas based on where you are in the plot
It's closer to Cave Story
Agreed, but only the first half, you can kind of tell the poor dev got burned out and rushed the last half T_T.
Agree, Iconoclasts is amazing
@@MantisGiant is tehre really a lot of story?
Def gotta get some more metroid under your belt cause I'm really interested what you'll think of Prime, Dread, and Zero Mission.
I think he wouldn't like dread because it's rather linear and locks you into areas frequently, this only changes at the the end of the game.
Good breakdown on what makes them fun I think. As someone who agrees with pretty much everything here, I recommend Tres-Bashers for a breath of fresh air on metroidvanias (or exploration action). Pretty short and original game
Aquaria is my favourite Metroidvania of all time, sadly not well-known today but definitely worth playing and sticking with!
Also
Bloodstained offers options for you to get stuff early if you know how to do it. The Galleon platform that's barely high enough for you to jump, normally you need double jump for it but you can get there by jumping, activating Kung Fu Boots technique (qcf attack) pressing backdash button in the air and firing Flame Cannon directional, which gives you another jump. Provided you have the mp for it, it's basically unlimited jumps.
Felt the same way at first about Blaphemous, and I really, really wanted to like it. And I did. The way you described Hollow Knight's beginning set of hours is very similar to my experience with Blasphemous. Also, updates have come out for the game that do change some core elements and functions a little bit, making the overall experience less... tedious? It was smoother on try #2. After a certain point, you learn what the "quest" items are for, the few upgrades you get become more meaningful and the combat starts to actually get harder. Definitely not as complex as a lot of the others on this list, but there is replay value in this title. I would like to see another attempt at it at some point, I do really enjoy the game and feel you might too.
I agree. I would personally give it a B+
I also agree, the rosary beads you get that improve movement somehow unlocks the potential the game has. Not only that, but the way you can mix and match different rosary beads and spells (which for me are the greatest rewards for exploration) can totally change your playstyle and really opens up the combat variety. And the way the game opens the map for further exploration upon backtracking is wholly unique. My mind was blown when I got The Linen of Golden Thread. At first I didn't understand its purpose, but I remember at the rightmost end of The Sleeping Canvasses noticing that there should be a room where I would otherwise fall to death, and then I reread the item description and it just clicked. I think a lot of the rewards from Blasphemous are not in items or upgrades but on figuring things out by yourself, overcoming the challenges the game throws at you with what you got. It's big on that Souls philosophy of not guiding you by the hand and expecting the player to read item descriptions and pay attention to details to achieve victory. And damn, the endings are amazing... (not the dlc one, that one I'm not so fond of). For my money Blasphemous is one of the better modern metroidvanias, behind only Hollow Knight.
Good video. But have you looked at Time Spinner? Kind of a sotn feel with time travel craziness
"Carrion" could be a nice addition to this list as it plays very much like a Metroidvania and it's one of the few games of this style that lets you play as a monster. Worth around an A or B tier for sure.
Momodora A+ and blasphemous as C was hilarious. The latter deserve a spot along side SM, SoTn and HK for it's uniqueness and complexity, high replay value and probably the best lore/story for the genre, excellent and progressive boss fight, a very large enemy diversity and so on.
Blasphemous as a Metroidvania is BAD. As a platformer (2D) souls-like is does its thing pretty well, I like it. But as a metroidvania it feels like you shouldn't even bother. Don't explore, don't try to go everywhere, focus on the task at hand and fucking hell is it infuriating walking through the same spaces over and over. At no point did I ever felt stronger, faster, more agile than before, everything was always a grind. This is the staple of a Souls-like, it's terrible as a metroidvania. Souls-like: A/A+; Metroidvania: F.
@@MrFreakHeavy I disagree with every point. I'm sorry you didn't had the same joyful experience as I did. One of the best game that was every created.
"The first 15 hours are rough, S rank." I'm sorry what?
Nice video đ
Your hollow knight opinion litterally dont make sense. It cant be a C then become a S after 15 hours it has to be somewhere in between which makes me feel like this ranking was only awared to shut the diedhard fanboys up.
If it's takes 15 hours for a game to become good it might not be that great of a game, at that point you forced yourself to like it.
Branching out and adding some less related games like the Soulsborne games really adds to the video, even though platforming, while still important, is less relevant in those games. The tier list is solid, and the editing was very clean. Keep putting out the great content, and you should try out Metroid Dread. It's not in the same class as SM, but it really tries to stand next to it as opposed to trying to be better.
No the messenger? That's like a cardinal sin , I feel like this perfectly fits the last category of the S+ ranked games.
I simply don't understand why so many people see 'Dead Cells' as a Metroidvania. It's a roguelike platformer. While you do technically re-visit certain areas you are locked out within the same playthrough once you advance from one area to another. The only way to re-visit an area is via your death, and even then the area is now different due to the procedural generation which forces you to re-map an entirely new layout that is once more unique to only that playthrough, and you are locked out of the area once you proceed to the next. It also encourages rapid progression through the area for better rewards locked behind a timed gate, discouraging full exploration of any one area in lieu of finding the exit as quickly as possible, The gameplay is very linear, forcing you in one direction with the only option for reset being death.
I feel this goes against a major tenet of the Metroidvania genre, being the ability to map out, explore, and re-visit a familiar map with new paths opening to you via new abilities. Dead Cells has none of these things. Rogue Legacy is far more of a Metroidvania.
And by this I don't mean to say that 'Dead Cells' is not a good game. It's clearly very well made and has been well received, but it's not a Metroidvania.
Will of the wisps is a serious contender for one of the best metrdoidvanias put onto the market!! Also fist forged in shadowtorch and ender lillies are surprisingly fantastic titles!
Touhou Luna Nights had two things that made an absolute BANGER for me: time stopping mechanics and the graze system. It felt so fun to play riskier so you could benefit from grazing, and the way time stop worked in the game also felt really good. T:LN biggest flaw is being too short imo
Appreciate the list as I've just started getting back into gaming and picking around the lists of games I never tried can get daunting. Will look some of these up. A recommendation from me, FIST: forged in shadow torch. Great combat and music. Decent exploration and movement.
Another to keep an eye out for: Nine Sols. Releasing mid 2023 and you can try the demo.
Iâd recommend checking out unsighted, it does have some of the dark souls inspiration going on but it also does have 3 dimensions and quite a few interesting explorations of ideas of metroidvainias
I was so drawn into the world building of Blasphemous it made me worth for me. I personally really enjoyed the souls-likeness of the game, in the combat and in the storytelling/atmosphere.
I LOVE Ori and the blind and the sequel as well.
Just absolutely LOVE those games. The combat is far from the best, but the movement sure is. Just totally in love with these games.
Nice video but what under your left eye?
I thought I had something on the screen đ
Tell me you didnât unlock bash without telling me you didnât unlock bash
Never trust a guy with pink hair and putting blasphemous at "C Rank" . Can't make good choices with his life why bother with his mid tierlist .
This list is terrible. Some of these games arenât metroidvanias and you are missing far too many games. Try again.
agreed, why people keep saying that dark souls and elden ring are metroidvanias?
The thing that made me feel weird and uneasy with chasm is just how much it lives from Symphony of the Night. The attack, falling, back dash, and jumping animations almost feel like somebody just drew their Sprites over Alucard Sprite sheets and it just felt kind of uncanny and kind of blurred the line between inspiration and copy when it came to those things
Definitely give Ori 2 a shot. Fixes the whole buttonmash combat style and has some really cool movement mechanics I haven't seen in other Metroidvania games. Also the Shantae series, specifically Pirate's Curse
Saying a metroid game isnt a metroidvania is the most controversial thing to say ever
Love the content!
I really enjoyed The Messenger, Timespinner, and Metroid Zero Mission.
Might be not fully metroidvanias - but the original NES Blaster Master is one of my childhood favorites. Also Cave Story, though a little bit more linear than the rest.
Thanks to you man, I went and bought all packs of Ori series) You the best of the best if the best)
Hi, very nice vĂdeo it's good to see that somebody nailed the main problems of some of the most popular metroidvanias in the market, and for recommendations maybe just salt and sanctuary and the new The Las Faith, very good games with some problems but very enjoyable.
I don't have a tier list, just a list of my favorites. Super Metroid, Zero Mission, Dread, SOTN, Aria of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, Hollow Knight, Blasphemous 2 and Ender Lilies. Patiently awaiting Silk Song and Crowsworn.