The 10 BEST Metroidvania Games Ever
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VOICE OVER: Aaron Kline
WRITTEN BY: Aaron Kline
The Metroidvania subgenre has given us some incredible games over the years. For this list, we'll be looking at games that had us backtracking all while exploring a huge map. However, we won't be including any "Metroid" or "Castlevania" games, instead focusing on the best games inspired by those franchises' design and gameplay. Our list includes “Steamworld Dig 2” (2017), “Ori and the Blind Forest” (2015), “Yoku's Island Express” (2018), “Hollow Knight” (2017), and more!
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Metroidvania games. For this list, we’ll be looking at games that had us back tracking all while exploring a huge map. We won’t be including any Metroid or Castlevania games as “Super Metroid” and “Symphony of the Night” put the genre of Metroidvanias on the map. There are so many indie Metroidvanias games out there, so we might have missed your favorite. Let us know which one you think is best in the comments below!
Pinball is one of the earliest forms of gaming, so how can you take this old concept and add Metroidvania elements? For starters, we have a rather large island we have to make our way around, full of secrets and side quests. Exploring the island is done by playing pinball. We can't jump, so there is no traditional platforming, but we use the flippers to get where we need to go. Each section of the island is almost set up like its own pinball table, each having unique puzzles and themes. As we progress, we unlock more abilities that will help us get to new areas and find new secrets.
Combine a Metroidvania with a Souls-like - and you’ve got “Blasphemous”. While exploring is usually the main focus in Metroidvanias, the combat in “Blasphemous” is probably its strongest feature. Waiting to strike a foe at the right time and pulling off parries are how most fights will play out, each with unique and grim animations. This is also one of the darkest Metroidvanias in recent memory, with ghastly imagery inspired by the Spanish Inquisition mixed in with the supernatural. You’ll certainly do a lot of backtracking, but the slew of haunting bosses makes it all worthwhile.
This thing treads the line of traditional platformer and Metroidvania so nicely we couldn’t help but include it. At first glance you’ll most likely see the map and think of classics like “Super Metroid” and you’ll even get abilities similar to that game as well - speed boost, higher jumping, and different weapons. The highlight of “The Mummy Demastered” has to be its death mechanic. You can go back to your corpse and retrieve all your equipment… Once you take out a possessed version of yourself, that is. It’s certainly a great jumping off point for those wanting to dip their toes into the genre.
A Metroidvania full of charm and jokes. “Guacamelee 2” has some tough yet rewarding platforming sections that will test all your abilities, with each ability feeling unique as you leap all over the place like a lucha. Just like your classic Metroidvania games, blocked doors are color coded and only certain abilities will allow you to progress, so you’ll be doing some good old backtracking to see 100% of the map. Speaking of which, if you want to go for 100% completion, “Guacamelee 2” doesn’t try to hide any of its “secret” treasures, you’ll simply see them as soon as you enter the room, but figuring out how to get to them is the real challenge.
A wonderful blend of tight pixel perfect platformer and fun combat, “Ori and the Blind Forest” was a delightful experience through and through, one that follows the Metroidvania format to a tee. You’re given a huge map to explore with sections blocked off until you get the required abilities. The more abilities you unlock, the more challenging platforming and combat you’ll run across. Both the Blind Forest of Will of the Wisps could be considered great Metroidvania games, but Blind Forest felt far fresher upon its debut. The Ori series takes the Metroidvania genre and adds some much needed beauty to the world that most in the genre lack, along with an outstanding soundtrack
One of the first indie Metroidvania games that has been re-released over and over again. “Cave Story” is a pretty simple Metroidvania game, it's not full of hidden paths and has some basic abilities to help you explore. Over the course of exploring, you’ll unlock new weapons which are upgraded by simply using them, along with plenty of health and missile power ups scattered throughout the world. Even after all this time, it holds up magnificently well, and likely served as a benchmark for many recent entries in the genre.
Set up into layers, this game is all about shoveling your way as deep into the earth as possible. Players will be able to dig down until a certain point, and must find the powerup needed to continue their holey escapades. The further down you go, the more enemies and platforming puzzles will appear to impede your path. The biggest thing that sets “Steamworld Dig 2” apart is how it lets players create their own path, essentially forming their own map, flipping a Metroidvania staple on its head to great effect!
Taking the classic trope of starting with nothing and slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with, “Axiom Verge” has us playing the part of a scientist in an alien world we’re not familiar with. Guided by a mysterious voice, we discover we must destroy the Breach. While on our quest to take out the Breach, we’ll be traversing a maze-like map full of unique areas with just as unique baddies. Just like the classic Metroidvania games we love, while scouring for a way out of the maze, we’ll unlock a new ability which will open up the map to grant us shortcuts to easily get around the labyrinth of a world.
Possibly one of the most beloved Metroidvania games of all time, “Hollow Knight” took difficult platforming and intense combat and threw them into a cohesive world full of unlockables and baddies to fight. As we descend into the Forgotten Kingdom that many travel to in hopes of finding riches and glory, our Knight hopes to cure the world from The Infection. To do this, we will travel through the diverse map to take out the Dreamers. Along the way we’ll be granted new abilities and charms to help fight the evil that lies in the darkness.
“Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” is what we would’ve gotten if Knomai would have continued making “Castlevania” games and not pachinko machines. “Bloodstained” gives us everything we want in a Metroidvania game, basically being a carbon copy of one of the most iconic games in the genre, “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night”. “Bloodstained” is full of hellish demons in an atmospheric English castle littered with rooms full of secrets. As we make our way through the castle, we’ll unlock more weapons and magic to help us with our journey to retorse peace and rid the world of demons.
“Yoku’s Island Express” (2018)
Pinball is one of the earliest forms of gaming, so how can you take this old concept and add Metroidvania elements? For starters, we have a rather large island we have to make our way around, full of secrets and side quests. Exploring the island is done by playing pinball. We can't jump, so there is no traditional platforming, but we use the flippers to get where we need to go. Each section of the island is almost set up like its own pinball table, each having unique puzzles and themes. As we progress, we unlock more abilities that will help us get to new areas and find new secrets.
“Blasphemous” (2019)
Combine a Metroidvania with a Souls-like - and you’ve got “Blasphemous”. While exploring is usually the main focus in Metroidvanias, the combat in “Blasphemous” is probably its strongest feature. Waiting to strike a foe at the right time and pulling off parries are how most fights will play out, each with unique and grim animations. This is also one of the darkest Metroidvanias in recent memory, with ghastly imagery inspired by the Spanish Inquisition mixed in with the supernatural. You’ll certainly do a lot of backtracking, but the slew of haunting bosses makes it all worthwhile.
“The Mummy Demastered” (2017)
This thing treads the line of traditional platformer and Metroidvania so nicely we couldn’t help but include it. At first glance you’ll most likely see the map and think of classics like “Super Metroid” and you’ll even get abilities similar to that game as well - speed boost, higher jumping, and different weapons. The highlight of “The Mummy Demastered” has to be its death mechanic. You can go back to your corpse and retrieve all your equipment… Once you take out a possessed version of yourself, that is. It’s certainly a great jumping off point for those wanting to dip their toes into the genre.
“Guacamelee 2” (2018)
A Metroidvania full of charm and jokes. “Guacamelee 2” has some tough yet rewarding platforming sections that will test all your abilities, with each ability feeling unique as you leap all over the place like a lucha. Just like your classic Metroidvania games, blocked doors are color coded and only certain abilities will allow you to progress, so you’ll be doing some good old backtracking to see 100% of the map. Speaking of which, if you want to go for 100% completion, “Guacamelee 2” doesn’t try to hide any of its “secret” treasures, you’ll simply see them as soon as you enter the room, but figuring out how to get to them is the real challenge.
“Ori and the Blind Forest” (2015)
A wonderful blend of tight pixel perfect platformer and fun combat, “Ori and the Blind Forest” was a delightful experience through and through, one that follows the Metroidvania format to a tee. You’re given a huge map to explore with sections blocked off until you get the required abilities. The more abilities you unlock, the more challenging platforming and combat you’ll run across. Both the Blind Forest of Will of the Wisps could be considered great Metroidvania games, but Blind Forest felt far fresher upon its debut. The Ori series takes the Metroidvania genre and adds some much needed beauty to the world that most in the genre lack, along with an outstanding soundtrack
“Cave Story” (2004)
One of the first indie Metroidvania games that has been re-released over and over again. “Cave Story” is a pretty simple Metroidvania game, it's not full of hidden paths and has some basic abilities to help you explore. Over the course of exploring, you’ll unlock new weapons which are upgraded by simply using them, along with plenty of health and missile power ups scattered throughout the world. Even after all this time, it holds up magnificently well, and likely served as a benchmark for many recent entries in the genre.
“Steamworld Dig 2” (2017)
Set up into layers, this game is all about shoveling your way as deep into the earth as possible. Players will be able to dig down until a certain point, and must find the powerup needed to continue their holey escapades. The further down you go, the more enemies and platforming puzzles will appear to impede your path. The biggest thing that sets “Steamworld Dig 2” apart is how it lets players create their own path, essentially forming their own map, flipping a Metroidvania staple on its head to great effect!
“Axiom Verge” (2015)
Taking the classic trope of starting with nothing and slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with, “Axiom Verge” has us playing the part of a scientist in an alien world we’re not familiar with. Guided by a mysterious voice, we discover we must destroy the Breach. While on our quest to take out the Breach, we’ll be traversing a maze-like map full of unique areas with just as unique baddies. Just like the classic Metroidvania games we love, while scouring for a way out of the maze, we’ll unlock a new ability which will open up the map to grant us shortcuts to easily get around the labyrinth of a world.
“Hollow Knight” (2017)
Possibly one of the most beloved Metroidvania games of all time, “Hollow Knight” took difficult platforming and intense combat and threw them into a cohesive world full of unlockables and baddies to fight. As we descend into the Forgotten Kingdom that many travel to in hopes of finding riches and glory, our Knight hopes to cure the world from The Infection. To do this, we will travel through the diverse map to take out the Dreamers. Along the way we’ll be granted new abilities and charms to help fight the evil that lies in the darkness.
“Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” (2019)
“Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” is what we would’ve gotten if Knomai would have continued making “Castlevania” games and not pachinko machines. “Bloodstained” gives us everything we want in a Metroidvania game, basically being a carbon copy of one of the most iconic games in the genre, “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night”. “Bloodstained” is full of hellish demons in an atmospheric English castle littered with rooms full of secrets. As we make our way through the castle, we’ll unlock more weapons and magic to help us with our journey to retorse peace and rid the world of demons.
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