I’m more surprised he didn’t include more Igavanias like Aria or Dawn of sorrow. His tastes seem to lean more towards action and the soulsvanias side of the spectrum. I used to be more Vanias side but I’ve since learned to love the exploration and sequence breaking of Metroid and Metroid likes (ESA so good) I’m also a little surprised that he’s strict enough not to include unsighted dead cells or dark souls as MVs but includes blasphemous. Really great video and I hope the CZcams algorithm gods pick up your channel soon
Ah see, I liked HK's map system, and also the silliness. I enjoyed how the map system forced you to explore more naturally and with a genuine sense of lostness (with no Ariadne's yarn to show you where you came from). There is something fun about getting a little too deep into an area, not having found map-dude yet, and then desperately trying to find your way back to something more familiar (e.g. a certain unexpected drop from a certain place, into a certain other 'deeper' place). I loved the silliness and art style too, as it made it feel like the Devs were purposefully having a fun and good-natured little troll at you - but I get how the execution of that can vibe differently according to people's different tastes. I always was curious about blasphemous, but something about the grotesque catholic-inspired visuals felt too 'wrong'. I feel like I'm starting to get over that now though, I may try it soon.
Yeah, a lot of people like that about HK’s Map system, and the aesthetic isn’t my jam, but so many people love our, so I know I’m in the minority. You should definitely give Blasphemous a try. It’s SOOO good.
So many people say hey hated hollow knight and came back after a long break and loved it? This must be a failure. I liked it at first but by the end I hated it 😂
Your number one choice and reasoning for such is such an immaculate respect and appreciation for more than gaming, but emotional narrative expressed through Living artwork
MoonScars REALLY grew on me. Once I started getting good at parrying, and figuring out where to actually go, it became a very fun game in this genre. It is well worth checking out.
Nice to see Astalon get appreciation. I just recently played through it, myself and like you I appreciated the exploration options that kept me from feeling like I only had one path to take at any given time.
i don't usually care to 100% most games - i'm not an achievement hound and i have a big ass backlog, so my main goal is to usually just finish a game rather than complete it - but i adored every minute of astalon and did absolutely everything. such a fun, well-made game.
@@blankenstein1649 My favorite aspect of it was rarely feeling like I had to go in a single specific direction. Any time I obtained a new ability multiple paths suddenly became accessible, each with their own rewards.
Your channel is underrated asf found u yesterday and been going through your catalog. Definitely agree on your metriodvania criteria. An I love how u throw in the short comedic video clips this video should be in the hundreds of thousands views instead of where it's at keep grinding u make great content.
Gotta love the fact that, while not being Metroidvanias (although they have some backtracking), two games that came out about 30 years ago are so influential to this genre because of the mechanics they introduced still blows my mind: *Megaman X* and *X2* with *Wall Jumping* and *Air Dash.* These two simple mechanics have been replicated so many times in so many games (including titles in this video) it really is astonishing how to this day it still holds up. Btw, Batman Arkham Asylum is a 3D Metroidvania😆.
Nice channel! I love sidescroller platformers, especially metroidvania games. Your channel started about the time i got distracted by Remnant 2. Not so long after Vernal Edge. Time to get back to it, with the insights of this channel! Exploring and discovering new games with the Guru on the subject!
You've inspired me to give Ender Lillies another shot.. its the only one on your list I got about an hour or so into and just put down. I didn't connect with it - can't even remember the reason. I apparently own Death's Gambit but have never fired it up so that will be another one I need to get through this coming winter.. Thanks for the recommendations.
I hope you enjoy both games! I really do think Ender Lilies is special, but if I redid this list right now, I'd probably rank it lower (and some other ones higher).
I find Death's Gambit superior to Ender Lillies, personally and in generally dispise "dark souls" inspired games. Ender Lillies just kept making me want to pay Hollow Knight.
Nice vid, really enjoyed it. Loved the music inbetween rankings, nice touch. One of my all time faves is Aeterna Noctis... also recently played and enjoyed Afterimage (I think your vid may have came out before release ?).
Glad you enjoyed the vid! Yeah, I only recently played Aeterna Noctis, and After Image came out a little after this vid was made. I can't wait to udpate the list next year to see what I'll add onto it. I've played some pretty good ones since this vid :)
I like watching lists like this bc of how unique each person's choices are & bc of how many new cool games I discover. Out of this list I played Castlevania SotN, Steamworld 2 & Blasphemous, all are masterpieces imo especially Blasphemous. I added few from the video to my wishlist 👍🏼
Great video! I love metroidvanias, I look up reviews whenever there’s a PS sale lol, and you haven’t showed up in the results until today. This is great work and had my attention throughout. Thank you so much. I sincerely appreciate you communicating your metroidvania criteria. This is so important. Genre names get thrown around carelessly during reviews, so it’s nice to know where you’re coming from and what you’re talking about. As a general response to some of the comments here (and the video mentions it at 15:48 lol): If a metroidvania lover asks for a recommendation from that genre, and you say Dead Cells, you are sinning against God Almighty. Dead Cells is primarily a roguelite, with an element of metroidvania in the different runes you collect. It’s a procedurally generated world, different every playthrough, with meta-progression. It’s an excellent game, and it’s a roguelite. Edit: You make an important distinction: Ability-gating is an integral part of what makes a metroidvania. If finding the key to a locked door is a metroidvania ingredient, then the original Resident Evil is a metroidvania. At that point, of what use is the word? The broader the definition the less helpful and more meaningless “metroidvania” becomes.
So glad to see The Messenger as an HM here. I also highly recommend it to any fans of not only Metroidvanias, but platformers in general. Outstandingly catchy music, fun traversal, clever mechanics, and great sense of humor.
I actually loved Hollow Knights map system. At first I admit I didnt but as the game went on I began to appreciate it. Really feels like an adventure as you try to mentally map where you are as your going and sometimes falling down and ending up deeper than you intended and then you hear that little map dude and the sense of relief knowing hes nearby is awesome. I love it. Cool list and a very pleasant surprise to see Ender Lillies as number 1 as its one of my all time favorite metroidvanias too. Perhaps number 3 on my list. Hollow Knight, Metroid Prime, Super Metroid and Ender Lillies are probably my top 4. Hope you get to try Ghost Song soon. That was great.
Another outstanding production. Funny and detailed. Lists are subjective so I’m not going to argue, but I will say that you are pretty spot on overall. Having said that, I couldn’t really get into Ender Sillies. Nah. Hollow Knight was definitely a masterpiece. Great work.
Interesting list. I found a few games i need to play from it, so it's certainly appreciated, and no ones list is right or wrong, but I found myself surprised. I'm not sure how Super Metroid didn’t make the cut. Anyhow, keep up the work! I might not agree, but you convey your opinion quite well.
Just discovered your channel a few days ago, so I'm late to this one, but I wanted to add some thoughts on Ender Lilies. First off, it's one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. Last year, I started exploring metroidvanias more and am coming from JRPG's moreso, so when I played Ender Lilies the thing that stood out to me the most was how the spirits Lily purifies and saves throughout the game seem so much like adding party members in an RPG. When you "craft" your two groupings of three skills, it's almost like you're selecting two groupings of your party with Lily being the constant party member. The spirits you use help make it feel less isolating, too, as every time you stand still or rest at a save bench, they hang out with you. I got the game initially digitally, but saved up to buy the collectors edition second hand just so I could have a copy of it. For me, it's an interesting blend of metroidvania and JRPG. I love this game.
I really like your videos and the content but something you may want to consider making a community poll about is the use of loud meme clips every 20-30 seconds. I might just be old (30s) but it sorta screws with my appreciation for the rest of the vid. I have nothing against loud irreverent memes but not so much in gaming vids. The person who I think strikes the best balance is Grim Beard. It also helps that he doesn't just shove in the memes he adds a lot of unique twists and little skits. Another good example would be Flaw Peacock.
Great video. Will agree with others that leaving Super Metroid out feels entirely wrong, but to each their own. After quite literally 100%ing Ender Lillies moments before coming to watch this video, I cannot in good conscience put it above Hollow Knight & Blasphemous. Even with recency bias, those two are better in my opinion. Good list overall though!
Great video! I played most of the games on the list and heard of all the others. I would have included Super Metroid on the list though. I play it every few years and it still holds up although HK is my favorite. The art style of Ender Lillies annoys me (I don't know what it's called, but I think it's something about how the animation seems interpolated instead of actually hand drawn), but it is on my list. And I've owned Blasphemous and Deaths Gambit for a while, but they haven't grabbed me. I think I chose the wrong starting weapon in DG (it just didn't feel good to play) and while I can appreciate where Blasphemous is coming from art and theme-wise, it's too religiously grimdark for little old atheist me lol.
What I really liked about Ender Lilies is how tightly designed it was. As difficult as parts of it were, the whole game was designed to be accomplished without making you grind hard for its own sake. Also, am I the only one who found movement in Blasphemous clunky?
I’ve played a lot of metroidvanias, but Ender Lillies really hit all my switches. I was legitimately sad when I 100% the game because it was over. The music, the story and the graphics I thought were top notch. Blasphemous is really clunky, it’s amazing how smooth blasphemous 2 was though.
movement in Blasphemous1 is not clunky. your character has insane mobility+ responsiveness and that leads to combat being super fast paced. it is just that your character has actual "Inertia" in its general movement. it definitely is not "Clunky" which is inherently bad, your character always has a sense of momentum and inertia which requires getting used to and one might even learn to appreciate or utilize it once you get used to it. think of it like the movement in Doom 2, BL00D, SW:Dark Forces, Hexen etc classic retro fps, all these old school fps they also have a certain sense of momentum in the movement which feels odd at first but once you get used to it and you learn how to utilize it and realize that it is advantageous to the player than the modern gritty fps controls. So much so that once i went back to modern indie retro fps after these classics i kinda missed the slipperiness of the movement btw they changed it in the sequel tho, in the 2nd game the movement is pretty Gritty and tight
Well, I hardly ever comment on a video, not that I'm anything special but because I'm too introverted to do so... but your video made me come out of my shell and take my hat off. Your scoring system was almost covering everything... It also made me happy to see "Blasphemous" on top 3... "Blasphemous" is the best that could happen to the MetroidVania genre!
Whilst I agree Dark souls isn't a metroidvania I would like to see fromsoft develop a proper one. They already have the backtracking and certain items required to access places, all they need is to have the ability upgrades!
As someone who had never played a metroidvania before but fell in love playing through and platinuming Ender Lilies a few years back, I was both pleased and disappointed to find it a the top of this list. I struggled quite a bit at some areas, but it made my progression all the more satisfying. Watching a few videos of others playing after I beat it, I enjoyed seeing how others used different strategies with different abilities to traverse and defeat bosses. I really hope the developers work on a sequel or successor in a similar vein with improvements (yes that map was quite ugly, but I was so grateful for how useful it was) I really wish more metroidvanias had different or more visually-appealing looks than the super-pixelized look so many go for. Any game that's more pixelized-looking than SOTN really has to make up for it by having amazing gameplay and/or story to interest me. Anyway, thanks for the vid! It definitely put some games on my radar!
ender lilies really shouldnt be this high on the list. so no worries, there are tons of great metroidvanias for you to discover that will just outshine Ender Lilies. but i personally really really adore Ender Lilies, the artstyle, Aesthetics, Atmostphere, Music, Character designs, melancholic cut scenes are so good, i love the story lore , the music and the hyper emotional narrative. so even if i didnt like the combat (animation, hit feedback, impact effects , sound effects etc were really unsatisfying) or the map i still cant but adore the game. Again, there are tons of great metroidvanias such as Hollow Knight, Afterimage, Blasphemous, Rusted Moss, Blasphemous 2, Momodora RutM, Touhou lunar nights, Salt n Sanctuary, Last Faith, Laika aged through Blood, Worldless, Vernal Edge, Minoria , Souldiers, Tevi, Lost ruins etc and every one of them outshines Ender Lilies in most aspects. so yeah, if you are a new fan of the genre, dont worry. there are tons of great games to choose from regardless of your personal taste
I wish I could like Ender Lilies more. My issue with it is the same with a bunch of more recent 2D games, it feels weightless. Its hard to describe the feeling exactly, but the characters dont feel like they have any weight to them. They feel floaty, or stick figurey. Like the characters are made out of paper. It feels like the characters and the backrounds are on two separate planes of existence and dont really interact. When you attack it doesnt feel like it has any umph behind it. I think its the difference between sprites and mesh models? Im not sure if I am making any sense, but in essence, its just how it feels that I cant get into it.
I couldn't even finish Ender Lilies, I got bored of it. HK is my personal favorite by a long shot. Regardless great video, i always like hearing others opinions on Metroidvanias 👍
What did you like about HK I finished it 67% I really found it a chore as in I was enjoying it but finished it only hoping it would get better. Wish it clicked with me.
@@Crazyoldman84 HK for me was immersive in its world/story and the exploration feels "real" compared to how contrived it can feel in other MVs. The combat and movement is also super smooth and the bosses very well designed and enjoyable. Especially when you later get access to the boss rush mode the skill cap raises to the near infinite and the mode replaces the thrill of the world exploration that you've now exhausted. IMO the boss rushes are really where the best of the game is at. I wish there were far more challenging platforming puzzles like the White Palace (since I have it on console I can't download mods for more advanced platforming). Did you find the game too easy or too hard or was difficulty not what turned you off from it? What aspects felt like a chore? Depending on your answers I could recommend other games or ways of approaching HK that might make it more enjoyable (like checking out a lore video if just how intricate it is didn't become self evident while playing, optimizing goals, unlocking boss rush etc)
Its funny because the way you felt about Hollow Knight I felt about Ender Lilies, It just was really hard to get into the story for me that I stopped it planing to go back but never did. On the other hand Hollow Knight I was hooked into from the beginning and until its end. I will say this vid made me want to go back to Ender Lilies, though I will probably need to start from the beginning.
Really good reminder to finally get around to playing Axiom Verge 2 and Ori 2. Good list other than I think we fundamentally disagree about whether or not Dark Souls is a good thing for Metroidvania's since at this point I auto skip anything that I realized ahead of time is going to be a souls-like.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru yeah I get that it is personal preference but at this point in my life I don't like any game that either has me losing big chunks of progress for failing or is just flat difficult enough to have me dying a lot on each and every boss fight and/or summoning the bonfire of profanity. I don't mind a challenge I just prefer the exploration, loot and puzzle solving aspects more and just enough challenge to keep it from being boring or even make things a bit spicy. Speaking of which, I sure did like Steam World 2 so I was glad it made your list.
@@PM-xc8oo I totally understand. We’re all adults here with lives outside of video games. Nothing wrong with valuing exploration and puzzle solving over everything else. There’s plenty of games in the genre for all of us. SWD2 is so good. I think I might replay it soon.
Hey bub! Good video! Do you consider Ender Lilies, Vernal Edge, Flynn: Son Of Crimson, Souldiers and Aeterna Noctis better games compared to Hollow Knight?
Thanks! I haven’t played Flynn. I had heard it wasn’t an MV. I’ll have to check it out! As for the others being better than Hollow Knight, I’d say the only contender from that list is Ender Lilies, and even as I think through things, I think Hollow Knight might be a better MV than EL, even though I personally like EL better.
@@awakenedsoul2638 I actually posted a video last week about my feelings on Aeterna Noctis. You should check it out if you want my complete thoughts :) But, bascially, I just felt Aeterna Noctis was too long and exhausting. I liked it and finisthed it, but it was tough. I never felt that way about Hollow Knight. HK had me hooked from beginning to end.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru Okay that is your opinion. Both are tough but I find the platforming of Aeterna Noctis is a lot better and it was underrated. Looks like you are also a Hollow Knight Fan Boy who will always put it above other metroidvanias that can match it.
@@awakenedsoul2638 Well, I wouldn't say I'm a Hollow Knight fanboy. I like it, but it didn't hit #1 on my list. And I have my criticisms for it, but I'll save those for when I get around to making a video. And I like Aeterna Noctis, too. I encourage you to watch my video for my complete thoughts on it. I found the platforming to be exhausting; you loved the platforming. More power to you! AN has its fans, and it totally deserves the love.
Great list. I don't know if you've played Vernal Edge yet but I gave it a try some time ago and felt so meh about it. Combat is great, but like... Exploration is a lot of empty rooms with nothing to do. Every time you fight is a sort of miniboss spectacle. It's like they tried to do something interesting but it ended up being a boring exploratory experience with frustrating combat bits interspersed. I just got back into Hollow Knight and I'm enjoying it more now than I did before, but again it's backburnered because of the Zelda 2 remaster that HoverBat made.
@@jdarokhajiit9153 You're not wrong. Fluid controls for any game is crucial. I didn't feel it was necessary to mention it. If the a game's controls were butt, I wouldn't have put it on the list. Labyrinth is super easy. And Ikaruga meets SOTN is pretty spot on lol Yeah, a lot of people give me crap for not putting a Metroid game on here. But they lack the -Vania part of Metroidvania (RPG elements, equipment/item management, etc.) and that's my favorite part. Love me some Super Metroid/Fusion/Dread, but not enough to put them on the list lol
@@MetroidvaniaGuru I definitely got the vibe your style seems to be more heavily on the Vania side, I personally am more on the Metroid side of MV. You are not wrong about the controls, I see your point about since this is the best the controls being right should be a given. I think I saw you and your family are on vacation, if so enjoy my guy
Well if you are looking for obscure metroidvanias, I'll see if i could surprise you. * SMT Synchronicity Prologue (created by the same team behind Luna Nights and RoLW: Deedlit) * Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King (an odd licensed metroidvania) Though i am stumped. Since the latest Prince of Persia was a metroidvania, were their other PoP games that were metroidvanias?
My Top 10 as of 2024: 10. Ori and the Will of the Wisps 9. HAAK 8. Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights 7. Salt and Sanctuary 6. Super Metroid 5. Blasphemous 4. Afterimage 3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 2. Hollow Knight 1. Aeterna Noctis
I haven't played that many mvs as you; I loved EL and HK, but HK has so much content and so much detail in the combat that I think makes it take the win, even if EL atmosphere is superb.
That’s fair. Honestly, it really comes down to personal preference between the two. They’re both absolutely phenomenal. For me, I preferred the combat in EL because there’s so many more options. Your combat capabilities in HK tap out pretty early on, maybe midway through.
oh EL definitely has more combat variety, but HK really makes you feel like a god gamer when you properly beat the hardest bosses because of the limited set and precision required (funny, I hate precision platforming). Now if there'd be more bosses and crazy 'ascended' versions of them in EL... who knows. It's been a while since I've played both, but I think EL combat didn't feel as smooth as HK; it's possible that it's harder to master as well, having so many different attacks and patterns.
@@pRIderzaur Grime is good. There’s a lot to love about it, but the platforming challenges, especially near the end, really started grating on me. Plus, I’m not the biggest fan of parry-heavy combat. Solid yet challenging game. I’m excited for the sequel.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru oh wow sorry I forgot to reply. Thanks for answering, first of. The parry part really took me the most to get used to. About half-way into it I think I really started using it properly, but the combat gets much better once that part 'flows' naturally into your moves. I actually liked the bosses a lot after that, adding an extra key element to the fights. Heck, I liked it so much I played NG+ pretty much immediately after I finished my first run and I rarely play NG+. I also didn't find the platforming that hard and I absolutely hated like half of the Astral Gates in Lone Fungus (and 3-4 Ladybugs). I'm not getting Aeterna Noctis simply because I'm afraid I'll drop it after getting the Teleport Arrows and the only reason I did Path of Pain (while constantly questioning my life choices) is because I loved HK too much and I wanted to have it fully completed. Oh right, one pseudo-MetroidVania I played recently is Dark Light. No idea if you know about it, just want to make you aware of it as you also seem to review some games that aren't really considered MV. I have my own issues with it but I don't want to start a discussion about that.
How do you feel about Aeterna Noctis? Definitely in my top 5, if not, top 3.. the platforming, combat, boss fights, puzzles, upgrade tree, enemy design, and level design are ALL top knotch.
I liked HK but not Godmaster. It's like biting on a grain of sand in the last mouthful of a good meal. It doesn't stop the meal being good but the grain of sand sticks in your mind more.
what's ur opinion on the last faith? I'm on the fence..ps I did enjoy axiom verge 2, albeit a little on the short side.. that map was hot garbage tho... not sure why Thomas happ just didn't use a regular MV style map.. its just really hard to read.. ps def glad I didn't wind up buying that witch game lol..
Blasphemous's combat is fast-paced? Did we play the same game? There's a reason it would be on my dishonorable mentions, and that would be the entire game outside the atmosphere, but especially the movement and handling. Edit: Wait, WHAT? ENDER LILIES at #1? I mean, I'm here for it, but wow *that* is a surprise.
I look back at this list and can see some definite improvements I could make, either to overcome my bias, articulate my points better, or evaluate differently. One day I’ll redo it. But, yeah, EL is my personal favorite MV of all time.
you can melt boss HP bars in seconds just with basic melee+mobility and absolutely style on the enemy mobs in blasphemous 1, its combat is really fast paced. just cuz its general movement has an inertia and a sense of momentum doesnt mean its combat is slow, sluggish or clunky. you can cancel animation with dodge, then also cancel your dodge with jump, and have absolute control over how much high you jump, and increase your air time if you hit enemies while holding down. this leads to really effective traversal and efficient mobility around boss, enemy, obstacles in general and a combat that allows relentless DPS. the combat is anything but slow, it is surprisingly fast paced
I thought this was a very good list. I have to ask though, have you ever played "Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night" or "Metroid Dread?" These are 2 of the all-time greatest Metroidvanias for sure imo.
I have. I made a video in Bloodstained if you’re interested. I thought both games were very good. Bloodstained has a lot of cool stuff to do and Dread has fantastic gameplay.
Say, do you count rom hacks? Have you considered looking into Metroid and Super Metroid hacks? They're basically brand new games! Gotta say, kinda funny to include the first Castlevania game that actually played enough like Metroid to the point it became the -vania of Metroidvania... but no Metroid games. I dunno if it's because you're not into sci-fi (I mean, pretty much all games in this list are dark fantasy games, it's hard not to see a pattern of preference, I may simply be making assumptions tho), or if it's because you don't like the games' combat due to it not being as engaging as most of your other favorites (to be fair, Fusion is the one that started putting more emphasis on harder enemies, and Samus Returns and _especially_ Dread were the ones that actually put more emphasis on combat). Hmm, y'know, it's funny. While I've always wanted to play Axiom Verge 1 (which I did, and I loved it), I haven't felt as drawn on by the sequel. I think it's purely due to the aesthetic - less emphasis on areas inspired by the tiled caverns of Metroid 1, and the bio-mechanical and alien vibes they sometimes gave off. Axiom Verge 1 ran with that bio-mechanical aesthetic, the vibe that you were on a truly weird and foreign alien environment, while Axiom Verge 2 seemed to doal that down a lot more. I'm sure I'd love the game if I played it, but hey, one can't buy them all, right?
Hollow Knight is some sort of propaganda, at first most people will say it sucks, but then once you go on the internet and hear about it again, and again, and again, you convince yourself it's good and rewarding and hop on the hype train. Peer pressure aside it's ultimately a painful game to play, and thanks for being honest about it requiring 4 tries for you to get into it. You had to reprogram your brain over 4 iterations to make it click, and yet it makes it so high on your list with a nearly perfect score. I tried 3 times so far, but I'm thinking "hmm, let's just wait for Silksong which will hopefully be more approachable".
My list goes like this ( haven't played many metroidvania tho,) 10 touhu Luna night 9 the last faith 8 salt and sanctuary 7 ender lilies ( hard disagree with you being number one) 6 grime 5 blasphemous 1 4 blasphemous 2 ( yeah I like the second more than the first despite the flaws of the second ) 3 afterimage ( super underrated) 2 death gambit afterlife 1 hollow knight ( obviously) Still haven't played ori and the will of wisps and I am planning to Also I don't consider dead cells a metroidvania it's rougelite game at its core with some souls and metroidvania elements just like how hollow knight is a metroidvania game at its core with a few souls elements which aren't enough to call it a soulslike in my opinion
Hot Take: After replaying it on Switch I think Aria of Sorrow is better than SOTN. Symphony has a lot of filler content and I feel like Aria is just a much cleaner execution of the same concept. The answer to your question about Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is the level design in my eyes, just many long hallways filled with monsters and no real environmental storytelling like you might see in a game like Metroid or Blasphemous.
ok dude chill with the sudden volume ups for a single word, it´s fun the first 3 times. you don´t need to overuse it so much. Enjoyed the video tho. keep it up!
Ender lilies is one of the only metroidvanias I have Platinumed. But it is far from the best MV I've played. The bosses start out challenging and get progressively easier at the last couple being exceptionally easy to the point of disappointment. My other main gripe was just that there is no hit feedback when striking enemies so it feels like you are swiping through mist and it is very annoying
I don't agree with some of the placements here but this was a damn fine TOP Metroidvania list to get through and watch! I'm still waiting for The Mummy Demastered to get some love but it seems like a lot of MV players have missed out on that one *(or saw it as overrated /womp. I respect it tho lol) Also THANK YOU for your Dead Cells comments. Its still a good game but MAN I've been saying that it ISN'T a Metroidvania for years and it grinds my gears seeing it on TOP MV lists lol
I don't understand why there is ANY love for mummy demastered haha, nothing about it stands out... very short, very easy, very uninspired.... The final boss, I stood in one fucking spot and defeated her! Lol
I dont see why you'd put Symphony on the list. Its great is amazing. I replay it all the time. Feature some other castlevania so other games can get some light. But all in all its your video.
Really? Number one came out of left field. And no Super Metroid? Very interesting indeed. Ender Lillies was good with great combat, but had some issues for me and the exploration was a bit boring at times. I wasn’t even into it enough to get the true ending. But, we all have our opinions of course. Hollow Knight, FTW!
Yes, I also can't get into hollow knight because of the high skill entry. If you don't understand how to read enemies, pogo, bait attacks, use magic, then you will just get shafted like a bug on a collector's pin. Sure, let me cancel an appointment because next room has an enemy 3 times my size that needs to be stabbed 714 times to kill, while I die in 2.
As a player of underrated metroidvanias or barely metroidvanias (Momodora Valdis story pharoah rebirth+) I find your list okay I personally wouldn’t put hollow knight that high because of the combat and floatiness Haven’t played most of your list which is why I say it’s okay as it has some titles I’m not aware of or haven’t played yet
I recommend all of 'em. You're not the first person I've heard who complained about HK's floatiness. I don't mind it as the game was designed with the floatiness in mind. Use the floatiness to your advantage, and it kicks the combat up a notch.
Castlevania SoTN stops being difficult really early in… idk about Ender Lilies being better than Hollow Knight. I’d rank it lower than a lot of other entries but to each their own
So because the genre is called METROIDVANIA, it is redundant to put the games that spawned the genre ON THE LIST.... but since you put symphony of the night on the list, how the fuckin fuck is super metroid not on here!!!??? THAT SHOULD BE #1 HANDS DOWN
@@MetroidvaniaGuru Haha...indeed. perhaps give guac2 an excellence score in a future upload...of course i probably would be the only guy interested, being that gauc2 is the most disrespected/underrated metroidvania in present day...only in decades to come will the consensus be understood of the magnitude of this masterpiece!
I'm new to Metroidvanias... So Metroidvania is basically a EMO / GOTH genre? Almost every one of your games is like gothic themed and there's not much diversity or other ideas being explored. Is that just because you prefer EMO / Goth or is it just that all the games are like that?
😆 Pretty perceptive. Metroidvanias are very diverse. I just tend to prefer the EMO/Goth ones. These MVs typically fall under the sub-genre “Soulsvania.” If you’re looking for diversity, check out LAIKA: Aged Through Blood, Yoku’s Island Express, Worldless, and Monster Sanctuary. Each of these games are wildly different and mix up the MV formula. If you’re looking for more cheerful MVs, check out Islets, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, the Shantae series, and Guacamelee. Lots of MVs out there to play if you wanna dive in 😊
Salt and sanctuary is awesome so much Replay value wih different builds. Oh and hollow knight sucks 4.5 story? I finished it without having a clue what the story was.
It sucks people trash so much on La Mulana just because they are bad at problem-solving and ESPECIALLY taking notes (or tons of screenshots of in-game hints, like I did)... you don't deserve the title of Metroidvania Guru if you can't face the likely reality you haven't tried hard enough and blame it on the game, sorry. To me that one is S tier game. And it does so much right that the few puzzles that are REALLY out there can be easily forgiven. The players and their pre-conceptions about how the game is supposed to be are the problem, not the game. To put it another way, would you give sh*t to darksouls for being too unforgiving in testing people reflexes and eye/hand coordination? Would you give sh*t to a classic turn-based roguelike for being too unforgiving in testing one's strategies and planning? If you answered NO to both, then why giving sh*t to La Mulana for being too unforgiving in testing an individual problem-solving/observation/deduction? (also note-taking) It's just a new game recipe of which we need more of. Might not be your cup of tea, but is objectively a mastepiece, and the story lore is a 5/5 as well
![Eminem - Houdini [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/22tVWwmTie8/mqdefault.jpg)
Not a single Metroid game? Not even a mention? Pfft!
Told you I'd disappoint you somehow LOL
I’m more surprised he didn’t include more Igavanias like Aria or Dawn of sorrow. His tastes seem to lean more towards action and the soulsvanias side of the spectrum. I used to be more Vanias side but I’ve since learned to love the exploration and sequence breaking of Metroid and Metroid likes (ESA so good)
I’m also a little surprised that he’s strict enough not to include unsighted dead cells or dark souls as MVs but includes blasphemous.
Really great video and I hope the CZcams algorithm gods pick up your channel soon
Super Metroid is number 1
Metroid is a Metroidvania? Is water wet? 😂
@@GJPGAMESvideosHuh?
When you revealed the number one mv I teared up man. The implications in that story tears the heart out. Thanks for making this video.
Ah see, I liked HK's map system, and also the silliness. I enjoyed how the map system forced you to explore more naturally and with a genuine sense of lostness (with no Ariadne's yarn to show you where you came from). There is something fun about getting a little too deep into an area, not having found map-dude yet, and then desperately trying to find your way back to something more familiar (e.g. a certain unexpected drop from a certain place, into a certain other 'deeper' place). I loved the silliness and art style too, as it made it feel like the Devs were purposefully having a fun and good-natured little troll at you - but I get how the execution of that can vibe differently according to people's different tastes.
I always was curious about blasphemous, but something about the grotesque catholic-inspired visuals felt too 'wrong'. I feel like I'm starting to get over that now though, I may try it soon.
Yeah, a lot of people like that about HK’s Map system, and the aesthetic isn’t my jam, but so many people love our, so I know I’m in the minority.
You should definitely give Blasphemous a try. It’s SOOO good.
So many people say hey hated hollow knight and came back after a long break and loved it? This must be a failure. I liked it at first but by the end I hated it 😂
Your number one choice and reasoning for such is such an immaculate respect and appreciation for more than gaming, but emotional narrative expressed through Living artwork
MoonScars REALLY grew on me. Once I started getting good at parrying, and figuring out where to actually go, it became a very fun game in this genre. It is well worth checking out.
Nice to see Astalon get appreciation. I just recently played through it, myself and like you I appreciated the exploration options that kept me from feeling like I only had one path to take at any given time.
Astalon is so good. I have a sealed copy of its collector's edition. If I were to remake this list, I guarantee it'd be higher.
i don't usually care to 100% most games - i'm not an achievement hound and i have a big ass backlog, so my main goal is to usually just finish a game rather than complete it - but i adored every minute of astalon and did absolutely everything. such a fun, well-made game.
@@blankenstein1649 My favorite aspect of it was rarely feeling like I had to go in a single specific direction. Any time I obtained a new ability multiple paths suddenly became accessible, each with their own rewards.
Your channel is underrated asf found u yesterday and been going through your catalog. Definitely agree on your metriodvania criteria. An I love how u throw in the short comedic video clips this video should be in the hundreds of thousands views instead of where it's at keep grinding u make great content.
Appreciate your kind words! The grind is real, but I’m enjoying myself 😆
Gotta love the fact that, while not being Metroidvanias (although they have some backtracking), two games that came out about 30 years ago are so influential to this genre because of the mechanics they introduced still blows my mind: *Megaman X* and *X2* with *Wall Jumping* and *Air Dash.* These two simple mechanics have been replicated so many times in so many games (including titles in this video) it really is astonishing how to this day it still holds up.
Btw, Batman Arkham Asylum is a 3D Metroidvania😆.
Nice channel! I love sidescroller platformers, especially metroidvania games. Your channel started about the time i got distracted by Remnant 2. Not so long after Vernal Edge. Time to get back to it, with the insights of this channel! Exploring and discovering new games with the Guru on the subject!
You've inspired me to give Ender Lillies another shot.. its the only one on your list I got about an hour or so into and just put down. I didn't connect with it - can't even remember the reason.
I apparently own Death's Gambit but have never fired it up so that will be another one I need to get through this coming winter.. Thanks for the recommendations.
I hope you enjoy both games! I really do think Ender Lilies is special, but if I redid this list right now, I'd probably rank it lower (and some other ones higher).
I find Death's Gambit superior to Ender Lillies, personally and in generally dispise "dark souls" inspired games. Ender Lillies just kept making me want to pay Hollow Knight.
Nice vid, really enjoyed it. Loved the music inbetween rankings, nice touch.
One of my all time faves is Aeterna Noctis... also recently played and enjoyed Afterimage (I think your vid may have came out before release ?).
Glad you enjoyed the vid!
Yeah, I only recently played Aeterna Noctis, and After Image came out a little after this vid was made. I can't wait to udpate the list next year to see what I'll add onto it. I've played some pretty good ones since this vid :)
I like watching lists like this bc of how unique each person's choices are & bc of how many new cool games I discover.
Out of this list I played Castlevania SotN, Steamworld 2 & Blasphemous, all are masterpieces imo especially Blasphemous.
I added few from the video to my wishlist 👍🏼
Great video! I love metroidvanias, I look up reviews whenever there’s a PS sale lol, and you haven’t showed up in the results until today. This is great work and had my attention throughout. Thank you so much.
I sincerely appreciate you communicating your metroidvania criteria. This is so important. Genre names get thrown around carelessly during reviews, so it’s nice to know where you’re coming from and what you’re talking about.
As a general response to some of the comments here (and the video mentions it at 15:48 lol): If a metroidvania lover asks for a recommendation from that genre, and you say Dead Cells, you are sinning against God Almighty. Dead Cells is primarily a roguelite, with an element of metroidvania in the different runes you collect. It’s a procedurally generated world, different every playthrough, with meta-progression. It’s an excellent game, and it’s a roguelite.
Edit: You make an important distinction: Ability-gating is an integral part of what makes a metroidvania. If finding the key to a locked door is a metroidvania ingredient, then the original Resident Evil is a metroidvania. At that point, of what use is the word? The broader the definition the less helpful and more meaningless “metroidvania” becomes.
“Sinning against God Almighty” 😆
Amen!
So glad to see The Messenger as an HM here.
I also highly recommend it to any fans of not only Metroidvanias, but platformers in general. Outstandingly catchy music, fun traversal, clever mechanics, and great sense of humor.
I actually loved Hollow Knights map system. At first I admit I didnt but as the game went on I began to appreciate it. Really feels like an adventure as you try to mentally map where you are as your going and sometimes falling down and ending up deeper than you intended and then you hear that little map dude and the sense of relief knowing hes nearby is awesome. I love it. Cool list and a very pleasant surprise to see Ender Lillies as number 1 as its one of my all time favorite metroidvanias too. Perhaps number 3 on my list. Hollow Knight, Metroid Prime, Super Metroid and Ender Lillies are probably my top 4. Hope you get to try Ghost Song soon. That was great.
Another outstanding production. Funny and detailed. Lists are subjective so I’m not going to argue, but I will say that you are pretty spot on overall. Having said that, I couldn’t really get into Ender Sillies. Nah. Hollow Knight was definitely a masterpiece. Great work.
Interesting list. I found a few games i need to play from it, so it's certainly appreciated, and no ones list is right or wrong, but I found myself surprised. I'm not sure how Super Metroid didn’t make the cut.
Anyhow, keep up the work! I might not agree, but you convey your opinion quite well.
Just discovered your channel a few days ago, so I'm late to this one, but I wanted to add some thoughts on Ender Lilies. First off, it's one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. Last year, I started exploring metroidvanias more and am coming from JRPG's moreso, so when I played Ender Lilies the thing that stood out to me the most was how the spirits Lily purifies and saves throughout the game seem so much like adding party members in an RPG. When you "craft" your two groupings of three skills, it's almost like you're selecting two groupings of your party with Lily being the constant party member. The spirits you use help make it feel less isolating, too, as every time you stand still or rest at a save bench, they hang out with you. I got the game initially digitally, but saved up to buy the collectors edition second hand just so I could have a copy of it. For me, it's an interesting blend of metroidvania and JRPG. I love this game.
Well put. I never even thought of it being like a JRPG. That’s pretty cool
keep going. i'm happy find your channel
Appreciate it!
Great List. Maybe give Haiku the robot and Lone Fungus a shot as well
Also try Haak and Islets
I really like your videos and the content but something you may want to consider making a community poll about is the use of loud meme clips every 20-30 seconds. I might just be old (30s) but it sorta screws with my appreciation for the rest of the vid. I have nothing against loud irreverent memes but not so much in gaming vids. The person who I think strikes the best balance is Grim Beard. It also helps that he doesn't just shove in the memes he adds a lot of unique twists and little skits. Another good example would be Flaw Peacock.
Have you played the follow-up to Salt and Sanctuary? Any good?
Great video. Will agree with others that leaving Super Metroid out feels entirely wrong, but to each their own.
After quite literally 100%ing Ender Lillies moments before coming to watch this video, I cannot in good conscience put it above Hollow Knight & Blasphemous. Even with recency bias, those two are better in my opinion.
Good list overall though!
Great video! I played most of the games on the list and heard of all the others. I would have included Super Metroid on the list though. I play it every few years and it still holds up although HK is my favorite. The art style of Ender Lillies annoys me (I don't know what it's called, but I think it's something about how the animation seems interpolated instead of actually hand drawn), but it is on my list. And I've owned Blasphemous and Deaths Gambit for a while, but they haven't grabbed me. I think I chose the wrong starting weapon in DG (it just didn't feel good to play) and while I can appreciate where Blasphemous is coming from art and theme-wise, it's too religiously grimdark for little old atheist me lol.
What I really liked about Ender Lilies is how tightly designed it was. As difficult as parts of it were, the whole game was designed to be accomplished without making you grind hard for its own sake.
Also, am I the only one who found movement in Blasphemous clunky?
Nah, Blasphemous's movement takes some getting used to.
I’ve played a lot of metroidvanias, but Ender Lillies really hit all my switches. I was legitimately sad when I 100% the game because it was over. The music, the story and the graphics I thought were top notch. Blasphemous is really clunky, it’s amazing how smooth blasphemous 2 was though.
movement in Blasphemous1 is not clunky. your character has insane mobility+ responsiveness and that leads to combat being super fast paced.
it is just that your character has actual "Inertia" in its general movement. it definitely is not "Clunky" which is inherently bad, your character always has a sense of momentum and inertia which requires getting used to and one might even learn to appreciate or utilize it once you get used to it.
think of it like the movement in Doom 2, BL00D, SW:Dark Forces, Hexen etc classic retro fps, all these old school fps they also have a certain sense of momentum in the movement which feels odd at first but once you get used to it and you learn how to utilize it and realize that it is advantageous to the player than the modern gritty fps controls. So much so that once i went back to modern indie retro fps after these classics i kinda missed the slipperiness of the movement
btw they changed it in the sequel tho, in the 2nd game the movement is pretty Gritty and tight
Well, I hardly ever comment on a video, not that I'm anything special but because I'm too introverted to do so... but your video made me come out of my shell and take my hat off.
Your scoring system was almost covering everything...
It also made me happy to see "Blasphemous" on top 3... "Blasphemous" is the best that could happen to the MetroidVania genre!
Gotta love the appreciation for Salnd & Sanctuary, that game was so good. It was the only reason I still used my PS Vita for a good while.
Unsighted looks good. Thanks for the recommendation.
I know this is an old video, but anyone that can see this should check out game rant 11 best metroidvanias. Good for a chuckle.
nice to see symphony of the night in this top 10 metroidvanias list in all of newer video games
Symphony is still amazing after all these years.
1. Super Metroid
2. Symphony of the Night
3. Hollow Knight
I fixed it for you.
Whilst I agree Dark souls isn't a metroidvania I would like to see fromsoft develop a proper one. They already have the backtracking and certain items required to access places, all they need is to have the ability upgrades!
Bloodborne might as well be a full on metroidvania tbh
As someone who had never played a metroidvania before but fell in love playing through and platinuming Ender Lilies a few years back, I was both pleased and disappointed to find it a the top of this list. I struggled quite a bit at some areas, but it made my progression all the more satisfying. Watching a few videos of others playing after I beat it, I enjoyed seeing how others used different strategies with different abilities to traverse and defeat bosses. I really hope the developers work on a sequel or successor in a similar vein with improvements (yes that map was quite ugly, but I was so grateful for how useful it was)
I really wish more metroidvanias had different or more visually-appealing looks than the super-pixelized look so many go for. Any game that's more pixelized-looking than SOTN really has to make up for it by having amazing gameplay and/or story to interest me.
Anyway, thanks for the vid! It definitely put some games on my radar!
ender lilies really shouldnt be this high on the list. so no worries, there are tons of great metroidvanias for you to discover that will just outshine Ender Lilies.
but i personally really really adore Ender Lilies, the artstyle, Aesthetics, Atmostphere, Music, Character designs, melancholic cut scenes are so good, i love the story lore , the music and the hyper emotional narrative. so even if i didnt like the combat (animation, hit feedback, impact effects , sound effects etc were really unsatisfying) or the map i still cant but adore the game.
Again, there are tons of great metroidvanias such as
Hollow Knight, Afterimage, Blasphemous, Rusted Moss, Blasphemous 2, Momodora RutM, Touhou lunar nights, Salt n Sanctuary,
Last Faith, Laika aged through Blood, Worldless, Vernal Edge, Minoria , Souldiers, Tevi, Lost ruins etc and every one of them outshines Ender Lilies in most aspects. so yeah, if you are a new fan of the genre, dont worry. there are tons of great games to choose from regardless of your personal taste
I wish I could like Ender Lilies more. My issue with it is the same with a bunch of more recent 2D games, it feels weightless. Its hard to describe the feeling exactly, but the characters dont feel like they have any weight to them. They feel floaty, or stick figurey. Like the characters are made out of paper. It feels like the characters and the backrounds are on two separate planes of existence and dont really interact. When you attack it doesnt feel like it has any umph behind it. I think its the difference between sprites and mesh models? Im not sure if I am making any sense, but in essence, its just how it feels that I cant get into it.
Have you played Monster Sanctuary? Its like metroidvania with off brand Pokémon
I couldn't even finish Ender Lilies, I got bored of it. HK is my personal favorite by a long shot. Regardless great video, i always like hearing others opinions on Metroidvanias 👍
That’s unfortunate. As you can tell, I think that game’s outstanding.
What did you like about HK I finished it 67% I really found it a chore as in I was enjoying it but finished it only hoping it would get better. Wish it clicked with me.
@@Crazyoldman84 HK for me was immersive in its world/story and the exploration feels "real" compared to how contrived it can feel in other MVs. The combat and movement is also super smooth and the bosses very well designed and enjoyable. Especially when you later get access to the boss rush mode the skill cap raises to the near infinite and the mode replaces the thrill of the world exploration that you've now exhausted. IMO the boss rushes are really where the best of the game is at. I wish there were far more challenging platforming puzzles like the White Palace (since I have it on console I can't download mods for more advanced platforming).
Did you find the game too easy or too hard or was difficulty not what turned you off from it? What aspects felt like a chore? Depending on your answers I could recommend other games or ways of approaching HK that might make it more enjoyable (like checking out a lore video if just how intricate it is didn't become self evident while playing, optimizing goals, unlocking boss rush etc)
Totally agreed with Ender Lillies - what an incredible game. I've never met anybody IRL who has played it.
Have you tried Blasphemous 2 yet? i would be interested in what you think about it.
Loved it. I have a video on it if you're interested.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru ok gonna check that out
New sub and like when saw Blasphemous there . When you know, you know.
Ender lilies is so underrated that your comments barely mentioned anything about it
I love Enderlillies. However im stuck. I have been for quite a while. but what ive played was really good.
Its funny because the way you felt about Hollow Knight I felt about Ender Lilies, It just was really hard to get into the story for me that I stopped it planing to go back but never did. On the other hand Hollow Knight I was hooked into from the beginning and until its end. I will say this vid made me want to go back to Ender Lilies, though I will probably need to start from the beginning.
For what it's worth, going back to Hollow Knight was such a great idea LOL
I love your definition.
Heck yeah i agree with the number 1, didnt Saw It commig but i agree with It.
I feel like Super Metroid should have gotten a spot personally
Really good reminder to finally get around to playing Axiom Verge 2 and Ori 2. Good list other than I think we fundamentally disagree about whether or not Dark Souls is a good thing for Metroidvania's since at this point I auto skip anything that I realized ahead of time is going to be a souls-like.
Not a “Soulsvania” fan? That’s a bummer. That’s like half my list 😆
Definitely put AV2 and Ori 2 at the top of your list. They’re fantastic.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru yeah I get that it is personal preference but at this point in my life I don't like any game that either has me losing big chunks of progress for failing or is just flat difficult enough to have me dying a lot on each and every boss fight and/or summoning the bonfire of profanity. I don't mind a challenge I just prefer the exploration, loot and puzzle solving aspects more and just enough challenge to keep it from being boring or even make things a bit spicy. Speaking of which, I sure did like Steam World 2 so I was glad it made your list.
@@PM-xc8oo I totally understand. We’re all adults here with lives outside of video games. Nothing wrong with valuing exploration and puzzle solving over everything else. There’s plenty of games in the genre for all of us.
SWD2 is so good. I think I might replay it soon.
Blasphemous is my favourite game of all time, I played it 3 times. The DLCs are great too, btw.
Hey bub! Good video! Do you consider Ender Lilies, Vernal Edge, Flynn: Son Of Crimson, Souldiers and Aeterna Noctis better games compared to Hollow Knight?
Thanks!
I haven’t played Flynn. I had heard it wasn’t an MV. I’ll have to check it out!
As for the others being better than Hollow Knight, I’d say the only contender from that list is Ender Lilies, and even as I think through things, I think Hollow Knight might be a better MV than EL, even though I personally like EL better.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru
Why not consider Aeterna Noctis to be a Hollow Knight Murderer?
@@awakenedsoul2638 I actually posted a video last week about my feelings on Aeterna Noctis. You should check it out if you want my complete thoughts :)
But, bascially, I just felt Aeterna Noctis was too long and exhausting. I liked it and finisthed it, but it was tough. I never felt that way about Hollow Knight. HK had me hooked from beginning to end.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru
Okay that is your opinion. Both are tough but I find the platforming of Aeterna Noctis is a lot better and it was underrated. Looks like you are also a Hollow Knight Fan Boy who will always put it above other metroidvanias that can match it.
@@awakenedsoul2638 Well, I wouldn't say I'm a Hollow Knight fanboy. I like it, but it didn't hit #1 on my list. And I have my criticisms for it, but I'll save those for when I get around to making a video.
And I like Aeterna Noctis, too. I encourage you to watch my video for my complete thoughts on it.
I found the platforming to be exhausting; you loved the platforming. More power to you! AN has its fans, and it totally deserves the love.
Great list. I don't know if you've played Vernal Edge yet but I gave it a try some time ago and felt so meh about it. Combat is great, but like... Exploration is a lot of empty rooms with nothing to do. Every time you fight is a sort of miniboss spectacle. It's like they tried to do something interesting but it ended up being a boring exploratory experience with frustrating combat bits interspersed.
I just got back into Hollow Knight and I'm enjoying it more now than I did before, but again it's backburnered because of the Zelda 2 remaster that HoverBat made.
I feel you missed a crucial component for rating a metroidvania, and that is how tight and fluid the controls are
Labyrinth was a cake walk was my issue, it felt too much like ikaruga meets sotn
And your list is wrong you don't have a single Metroid game on there lol
@@jdarokhajiit9153 You're not wrong. Fluid controls for any game is crucial. I didn't feel it was necessary to mention it. If the a game's controls were butt, I wouldn't have put it on the list.
Labyrinth is super easy. And Ikaruga meets SOTN is pretty spot on lol
Yeah, a lot of people give me crap for not putting a Metroid game on here. But they lack the -Vania part of Metroidvania (RPG elements, equipment/item management, etc.) and that's my favorite part. Love me some Super Metroid/Fusion/Dread, but not enough to put them on the list lol
@@MetroidvaniaGuru I definitely got the vibe your style seems to be more heavily on the Vania side, I personally am more on the Metroid side of MV. You are not wrong about the controls, I see your point about since this is the best the controls being right should be a given. I think I saw you and your family are on vacation, if so enjoy my guy
Yep. Ori and Will of the Wisps getting a 2.5 for combat and exploration is just completely missing how incredible moving around that map feels.
Well if you are looking for obscure metroidvanias, I'll see if i could surprise you.
* SMT Synchronicity Prologue (created by the same team behind Luna Nights and RoLW: Deedlit)
* Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King (an odd licensed metroidvania)
Though i am stumped. Since the latest Prince of Persia was a metroidvania, were their other PoP games that were metroidvanias?
Infernax is awesome definitely play it
No Ultros? Nice video though. Subscribed!
Thanks for the sub! Can't wait to get my hands on Ultros.
Salt and Sanctuary better be on this list.
Mwhahahahaha! 🎉🎉🧂 🧂
All fair criticisms btw. But the talent tree was my favorite. It made so much sense for me.
My Top 10 as of 2024:
10. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
9. HAAK
8. Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
7. Salt and Sanctuary
6. Super Metroid
5. Blasphemous
4. Afterimage
3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
2. Hollow Knight
1. Aeterna Noctis
subscribing because of just how strongly i disagree with your opinions. great video!
I haven't played that many mvs as you; I loved EL and HK, but HK has so much content and so much detail in the combat that I think makes it take the win, even if EL atmosphere is superb.
That’s fair. Honestly, it really comes down to personal preference between the two. They’re both absolutely phenomenal.
For me, I preferred the combat in EL because there’s so many more options. Your combat capabilities in HK tap out pretty early on, maybe midway through.
oh EL definitely has more combat variety, but HK really makes you feel like a god gamer when you properly beat the hardest bosses because of the limited set and precision required (funny, I hate precision platforming).
Now if there'd be more bosses and crazy 'ascended' versions of them in EL... who knows. It's been a while since I've played both, but I think EL combat didn't feel as smooth as HK; it's possible that it's harder to master as well, having so many different attacks and patterns.
oh btw, what do you think about Grime?
@@pRIderzaur Grime is good. There’s a lot to love about it, but the platforming challenges, especially near the end, really started grating on me. Plus, I’m not the biggest fan of parry-heavy combat. Solid yet challenging game. I’m excited for the sequel.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru oh wow sorry I forgot to reply. Thanks for answering, first of.
The parry part really took me the most to get used to. About half-way into it I think I really started using it properly, but the combat gets much better once that part 'flows' naturally into your moves. I actually liked the bosses a lot after that, adding an extra key element to the fights. Heck, I liked it so much I played NG+ pretty much immediately after I finished my first run and I rarely play NG+.
I also didn't find the platforming that hard and I absolutely hated like half of the Astral Gates in Lone Fungus (and 3-4 Ladybugs). I'm not getting Aeterna Noctis simply because I'm afraid I'll drop it after getting the Teleport Arrows and the only reason I did Path of Pain (while constantly questioning my life choices) is because I loved HK too much and I wanted to have it fully completed.
Oh right, one pseudo-MetroidVania I played recently is Dark Light. No idea if you know about it, just want to make you aware of it as you also seem to review some games that aren't really considered MV. I have my own issues with it but I don't want to start a discussion about that.
Damn. If the sidescrolling rule wasn't there I would suggest Shadow Man Remastered as a 3d Metroidvania
I’ve changed my stance on this. The game doesn’t have to be a sidescroller, necessarily, but it does have to be a platformer.
How do you feel about Aeterna Noctis? Definitely in my top 5, if not, top 3.. the platforming, combat, boss fights, puzzles, upgrade tree, enemy design, and level design are ALL top knotch.
I have a vid on it if you’re interested. I liked it, but I think it’s too hard and too long.
I liked HK but not Godmaster. It's like biting on a grain of sand in the last mouthful of a good meal. It doesn't stop the meal being good but the grain of sand sticks in your mind more.
what's ur opinion on the last faith? I'm on the fence..ps I did enjoy axiom verge 2, albeit a little on the short side.. that map was hot garbage tho... not sure why Thomas happ just didn't use a regular MV style map.. its just really hard to read.. ps def glad I didn't wind up buying that witch game lol..
Blasphemous's combat is fast-paced? Did we play the same game? There's a reason it would be on my dishonorable mentions, and that would be the entire game outside the atmosphere, but especially the movement and handling.
Edit: Wait, WHAT? ENDER LILIES at #1? I mean, I'm here for it, but wow *that* is a surprise.
I look back at this list and can see some definite improvements I could make, either to overcome my bias, articulate my points better, or evaluate differently. One day I’ll redo it.
But, yeah, EL is my personal favorite MV of all time.
you can melt boss HP bars in seconds just with basic melee+mobility and absolutely style on the enemy mobs in blasphemous 1,
its combat is really fast paced. just cuz its general movement has an inertia and a sense of momentum doesnt mean its combat is slow, sluggish or clunky.
you can cancel animation with dodge, then also cancel your dodge with jump, and have absolute control over how much high you jump, and increase your air time if you hit enemies while holding down. this leads to really effective traversal and efficient mobility around boss, enemy, obstacles in general and a combat that allows relentless DPS. the combat is anything but slow, it is surprisingly fast paced
While I personally never got into Hollow Knight I can see why it's love, Enders Lillie on the other hand I just found dull
Hollow Knights title screen music immediately makes me smile every time. GOAT
It really is a fantastic game. It reinvigorated the genre.
I thought this was a very good list. I have to ask though, have you ever played "Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night" or "Metroid Dread?" These are 2 of the all-time greatest Metroidvanias for sure imo.
I have. I made a video in Bloodstained if you’re interested. I thought both games were very good. Bloodstained has a lot of cool stuff to do and Dread has fantastic gameplay.
Glad I am not the only one that gave up on Greak I tried to do a playthrough of it but it became annoying really quick
Say, do you count rom hacks? Have you considered looking into Metroid and Super Metroid hacks? They're basically brand new games!
Gotta say, kinda funny to include the first Castlevania game that actually played enough like Metroid to the point it became the -vania of Metroidvania... but no Metroid games. I dunno if it's because you're not into sci-fi (I mean, pretty much all games in this list are dark fantasy games, it's hard not to see a pattern of preference, I may simply be making assumptions tho), or if it's because you don't like the games' combat due to it not being as engaging as most of your other favorites (to be fair, Fusion is the one that started putting more emphasis on harder enemies, and Samus Returns and _especially_ Dread were the ones that actually put more emphasis on combat).
Hmm, y'know, it's funny. While I've always wanted to play Axiom Verge 1 (which I did, and I loved it), I haven't felt as drawn on by the sequel. I think it's purely due to the aesthetic - less emphasis on areas inspired by the tiled caverns of Metroid 1, and the bio-mechanical and alien vibes they sometimes gave off. Axiom Verge 1 ran with that bio-mechanical aesthetic, the vibe that you were on a truly weird and foreign alien environment, while Axiom Verge 2 seemed to doal that down a lot more. I'm sure I'd love the game if I played it, but hey, one can't buy them all, right?
Timespinner had better be on this list.
Ender Magnolia already announced, it should be out this year.
his channel would be better named at "Vania Guru"
Hollow Knight is some sort of propaganda, at first most people will say it sucks, but then once you go on the internet and hear about it again, and again, and again, you convince yourself it's good and rewarding and hop on the hype train.
Peer pressure aside it's ultimately a painful game to play, and thanks for being honest about it requiring 4 tries for you to get into it. You had to reprogram your brain over 4 iterations to make it click, and yet it makes it so high on your list with a nearly perfect score. I tried 3 times so far, but I'm thinking "hmm, let's just wait for Silksong which will hopefully be more approachable".
❤❤❤part 4❤❤❤
My list goes like this ( haven't played many metroidvania tho,)
10 touhu Luna night
9 the last faith
8 salt and sanctuary
7 ender lilies ( hard disagree with you being number one)
6 grime
5 blasphemous 1
4 blasphemous 2 ( yeah I like the second more than the first despite the flaws of the second )
3 afterimage ( super underrated)
2 death gambit afterlife
1 hollow knight ( obviously)
Still haven't played ori and the will of wisps and I am planning to
Also I don't consider dead cells a metroidvania it's rougelite game at its core with some souls and metroidvania elements just like how hollow knight is a metroidvania game at its core with a few souls elements which aren't enough to call it a soulslike in my opinion
exactly my top 4 xD
So, uh... no Metroid games?
Hey i totes noticed that Rondo bit
Hot Take: After replaying it on Switch I think Aria of Sorrow is better than SOTN. Symphony has a lot of filler content and I feel like Aria is just a much cleaner execution of the same concept.
The answer to your question about Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is the level design in my eyes, just many long hallways filled with monsters and no real environmental storytelling like you might see in a game like Metroid or Blasphemous.
ok dude chill with the sudden volume ups for a single word, it´s fun the first 3 times. you don´t need to overuse it so much. Enjoyed the video tho. keep it up!
Thanks for the feedback. This was my first ever vid. I'd like to think I've learned a lot since LOL
Damn if I took a shot everytime you use Dark Souls in this video I would be dead of alcohol poisoning glad I didn't lol
Ender lilies is one of the only metroidvanias I have Platinumed. But it is far from the best MV I've played. The bosses start out challenging and get progressively easier at the last couple being exceptionally easy to the point of disappointment. My other main gripe was just that there is no hit feedback when striking enemies so it feels like you are swiping through mist and it is very annoying
I don't agree with some of the placements here but this was a damn fine TOP Metroidvania list to get through and watch!
I'm still waiting for The Mummy Demastered to get some love but it seems like a lot of MV players have missed out on that one *(or saw it as overrated /womp. I respect it tho lol)
Also THANK YOU for your Dead Cells comments. Its still a good game but MAN I've been saying that it ISN'T a Metroidvania for years and it grinds my gears seeing it on TOP MV lists lol
I think about doing this all the time. I might some day.
I don't understand why there is ANY love for mummy demastered haha, nothing about it stands out... very short, very easy, very uninspired....
The final boss, I stood in one fucking spot and defeated her! Lol
I dont see why you'd put Symphony on the list. Its great is amazing. I replay it all the time. Feature some other castlevania so other games can get some light. But all in all its your video.
Super Metroid is still the best, in my honest opinion!
still waiting for silksong rofl!!!
It's an urban legend.
Anyone here played Aeterna Noctis?? Pretty damn good game
It’s a good ‘un
Really? Number one came out of left field. And no Super Metroid? Very interesting indeed.
Ender Lillies was good with great combat, but had some issues for me and the exploration was a bit boring at times. I wasn’t even into it enough to get the true ending.
But, we all have our opinions of course.
Hollow Knight, FTW!
Yes, I also can't get into hollow knight because of the high skill entry. If you don't understand how to read enemies, pogo, bait attacks, use magic, then you will just get shafted like a bug on a collector's pin. Sure, let me cancel an appointment because next room has an enemy 3 times my size that needs to be stabbed 714 times to kill, while I die in 2.
Hollow Knight might be the toughest MV to get into ever.
Great list... I think modern metroidvanias better than castlevania games. Grime, Aetarna vs. And I'm glad I didn't see metroid games on this list.
Thank you!
This video rules
3/5 for progression to Hollow Knight? wtf?
Ender Lillies is a fucking stellar game
And deserves top 3, but it’s not better than HK
As a player of underrated metroidvanias or barely metroidvanias (Momodora Valdis story pharoah rebirth+)
I find your list okay I personally wouldn’t put hollow knight that high because of the combat and floatiness
Haven’t played most of your list which is why I say it’s okay as it has some titles I’m not aware of or haven’t played yet
I recommend all of 'em.
You're not the first person I've heard who complained about HK's floatiness. I don't mind it as the game was designed with the floatiness in mind. Use the floatiness to your advantage, and it kicks the combat up a notch.
Don’t worry, none of the ones you haven’t played make it into top 10 in my opinion.
Where's Metroid Dread?
Castlevania SoTN stops being difficult really early in… idk about Ender Lilies being better than Hollow Knight. I’d rank it lower than a lot of other entries but to each their own
I plan on revisiting this list. I have so many amendments.
Hmm some of the same things you praised Death's Gambit for, you knocked SoTN for
Really? Do you remember any examples? It’s been like a year since I made this vid 🥸
So because the genre is called METROIDVANIA, it is redundant to put the games that spawned the genre ON THE LIST.... but since you put symphony of the night on the list, how the fuckin fuck is super metroid not on here!!!??? THAT SHOULD BE #1 HANDS DOWN
Am i the only one that has guacamellee 2 as a top tier masterpiece?
The Chicken Illuminati have gotten to you, too! 😆
@@MetroidvaniaGuru Haha...indeed.
perhaps give guac2 an excellence score in a future upload...of course i probably would be the only guy interested, being that gauc2 is the most disrespected/underrated metroidvania in present day...only in decades to come will the consensus be understood of the magnitude of this masterpiece!
I'm new to Metroidvanias... So Metroidvania is basically a EMO / GOTH genre? Almost every one of your games is like gothic themed and there's not much diversity or other ideas being explored. Is that just because you prefer EMO / Goth or is it just that all the games are like that?
😆 Pretty perceptive.
Metroidvanias are very diverse. I just tend to prefer the EMO/Goth ones. These MVs typically fall under the sub-genre “Soulsvania.”
If you’re looking for diversity, check out LAIKA: Aged Through Blood, Yoku’s Island Express, Worldless, and Monster Sanctuary. Each of these games are wildly different and mix up the MV formula.
If you’re looking for more cheerful MVs, check out Islets, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, the Shantae series, and Guacamelee.
Lots of MVs out there to play if you wanna dive in 😊
Salt and sanctuary is awesome so much Replay value wih different builds. Oh and hollow knight sucks 4.5 story? I finished it without having a clue what the story was.
It sucks people trash so much on La Mulana just because they are bad at problem-solving and ESPECIALLY taking notes (or tons of screenshots of in-game hints, like I did)... you don't deserve the title of Metroidvania Guru if you can't face the likely reality you haven't tried hard enough and blame it on the game, sorry.
To me that one is S tier game. And it does so much right that the few puzzles that are REALLY out there can be easily forgiven.
The players and their pre-conceptions about how the game is supposed to be are the problem, not the game.
To put it another way, would you give sh*t to darksouls for being too unforgiving in testing people reflexes and eye/hand coordination?
Would you give sh*t to a classic turn-based roguelike for being too unforgiving in testing one's strategies and planning?
If you answered NO to both, then why giving sh*t to La Mulana for being too unforgiving in testing an individual problem-solving/observation/deduction? (also note-taking)
It's just a new game recipe of which we need more of.
Might not be your cup of tea, but is objectively a mastepiece, and the story lore is a 5/5 as well
Dead Cells is great... but its not a Vania. Like a metroid rogue.