Any good metroidvania recommendations?

[Modron]

Has anybody played Phoenotopia? Never heard of it before. Looks interesting.

It's got a demo on steam store page, blue Download Demo button in the right side menus instead of the big green one so you might have missed it.

 

[spekkio]

Monstrous Bat

Did you play Elderand by any chance? I've picked it up after giving up on Afterimage, and I'm liking it a lot. And funny thing is, the game is VERY similar to Afterimage, at least "conceptually". Multiple types of weapons which all work differently, constant & complex combat (every "hard" enemy requires different approach), huge areas...

But also very good area design, very nice and actually "readable" graphics (0 problems with identifying enemies and "graphical fluff"), no potion spam, great bosses, simple and fun RPG elements, some crafting and more.

2 things I love:
- Great bosses: very mobile and with variety of moves - so you can't just "rush" them:



- Skill system. You get 1 point after levelling up (which heals HP and MP as well). Which you can spend on HP (obv), STR (swords & axes), DEX (daggers, whips & bows + CRIT chance) or WIS (MP + staffz damage). So you can specialize in 1-2 types of weapons (the ones with damage scaling related to STR for exmple) and ignore other two "types" (DEX / WIS dependant).

STR:

DEX:

WIS:

 

[J1M]

How about Savage Planet? I thought it was pretty good and wrapped up before it overstayed its welcome.

 

[Visperas]

I'm playing Afterimage as well, 10 hours in, and I'm having a lot of fun. The previous posters are more or less right in their criticism but the game plays very smoothly, it has a lot of enemy variety and item progression... It's a good metroidvania and I definitely recommend it.

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Monstrous Bat

Did you play Elderand by any chance? I've picked it up after giving up on Afterimage, and I'm liking it a lot. And funny thing is, the game is VERY similar to Afterimage, at least "conceptually". Multiple types of weapons which all work differently, constant & complex combat (every "hard" enemy requires different approach), huge areas...

But also very good area design, very nice and actually "readable" graphics (0 problems with identifying enemies and "graphical fluff"), no potion spam, great bosses, simple and fun RPG elements, some crafting and more.

2 things I love:
- Great bosses: very mobile and with variety of moves - so you can't just "rush" them:



- Skill system. You get 1 point after levelling up (which heals HP and MP as well). Which you can spend on HP (obv), STR (swords & axes), DEX (daggers, whips & bows + CRIT chance) or WIS (MP + staffz damage). So you can specialize in 1-2 types of weapons (the ones with damage scaling related to STR for exmple) and ignore other two "types" (DEX / WIS dependant).

STR:

DEX:

WIS:

No, and probably won't in a few years considering how much I have on the plate. I'll wishlist it though, thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Valestein]

I finished Elderand with the best ending the other day, good game. I dug how you can customize the look of the PC at the start(you can make him look like Geralt even).

 

[spekkio]

Elderand devs telling it how it is in like every 'vania:

 

[spekkio]

Ladies, I've finished Elderand.

Good:

• Successful mix of ideas taken borrowed from other games. Combat-heavy and platforming-lite 'vania, with extensive itemization (SOTN), violence + occult themes (Blasphemous) and complex "soulsy" combat (stamina, shields / dodge, STR/DEX/WIS builds).

• EXP + stats done right. You have 3 "combat-related" stats + VIT, and the game is created around the idea of "clever" builds. Mix MP-stealing bow (damage scales with DEX) with strong staff (damage scales with WIS). Or go swords (STR) + bows (DEX). Just don't try to keep all 4 stats @ equal level (like I did), 'cuz your damage will be low.
• Almost every regular enemy (esp. late game) requires different AND methodical approach. Rushing in will only get you killed.
• Good bosses: fast, agile, with multiple attacks and phases (new attacks when low on HP).
• Only up to 5 "potions" at a time. Either git gud at parrying / dodging, or GTFO.
• Big + confusing gaming area. Enjoy spending hours trying to "clear" each zone.
• Interesting approach to upgrades (double jump, grappling hook, etc). Most of the time bosses don't drop these, you have to hunt for them in more / less obscure areas. So you can kill a boss, and still spend minutes / hours in the zone, exploring every nook and cranny.
• Free-roaming. There's no hand-holding on where to go next, only your current upgrades decide which area is accessible and which is not.
• Great "readable" graphics, you can easily distinguish between background, breakable things and enemies. Which isn't that easy for example in Afterimage.
• Three different endings, with the "best" one requiring some exploring and thought.
• Areas looking great and distinctive:

Bad:

• Writing and story are way too "cryptic" for their own good. Most of the time you don't have a clue where to go next, or (without finding and reading all texts) who was the guy / gal you just killed. I much prefer "clear" writing, with characters talking like regular people, instead of the constant biblical cryptic nonsense (even Blasphemous was better in this area).
• Violence feels "forced" - there are some violent animations, but that's p. much it. It felt much more "organic" in Blasphemous.
• Game's very low on "real" platforming. Except some item hunting, there are no difficult jumps or complex "jumping puzzles". 99% of the game is combat.

Ugly:

• You can't sell equipment. Enjoy going through a long list of shit in equipment screen / shops / upgrade guy menu.
• Equipment is sorted differently in "equip menu" (strongest on top) and "upgrade fag menu" (weakest on top). Why exactly?
• Some enemies (fukken archers!) can be "pushed out" of rooms (you can't hit them, yet they can hit you).
• Items which allow you to warp between savepoints and reset stats are well-hidden.
• Map could've been better. I mean you have "points of interests", but I would've preferred manual markers - had to make screenshots anyway, to identify what is where.
• Some design decisions you simply have to accept:
  • Shields >>> Dodge (of which I've learned way too late). Some enemies hit so fast, that blocking their attacks is 10x easier that dodging.
  • Bows kinda suck. Low damage, require arrows, good ones can be found only late game...
  • Swords kinda suck too. Late game you only get strong broadswords, which are slow and can't be used midair. I ended up stuck with Getzansu, which I got like mid-game and was unable to replace.
  • Accessories kinda suck as well. Knowing how much HP enemy has left is CRUCIAL (should I block, or go for the kill), so one slot is always occupied by the Exposing Ring.
  • VIT is actually a dump-stat. +5 HP increase per EXP point is a joke, when enemies can take ~50 HP with one hit. And they can't hit you if you kill them first... OFC bosses can be a different story, but that's what resetting stats is for...
  • Secret areas are scarce. Except ~4 areas blocked by "thorns", there are only a couple of "hidden zones" which can be found by jumping into a wall. No wall-breaking secrets as well, don't waste your time hitting walls. As you can see, I missed only few zones during my first playthrough:

Despite all the shit described above, had great fun with the game - recommended. Unless you're one of the "platforming >>> combat" guys.

Verdict:

 

[HansDampf]

I took the plunge and played through Phoenotopia: Awakening, with 100% completion, in just under 50 hours. If you don't care about 100% completion, you can cut this time in half.

I like this game a lot, but it's hard to recommend, mainly because of the combat which can feel awkward when you are used to the more fast-paced combat of most Metroidvanias. There are also a few other things that annoy me, mostly graphics and writing issues. But I'm a gameplay-fag, so these aren't as important to me.
You could also debate whether this game even counts as a Metroidvania. If you strictly follow the main quest, you'll never have to revisit previous areas. You also don't get a map (not that you need one). It's more like Zelda II, mixed with Metroidvania elements, more complex combat, excellent puzzles, and lots of NPCs.

Most complaints I see are about the combat system. You have a stamina bar... Every attack costs stamina. Shooting the crossbow costs stamina. Pulling bombs out of your ass costs stamina (throwing them doesn't). And the melee range of your bat is very short. But you get infinite ammo for everything, you just have to wait for your stamina to regenerate. It's less about twitchy skills and more about positioning and using the right tools at the right moment. There is no dodge roll or parry. And mistakes can be very punishing since you can only heal by consuming food, which takes a few seconds (depending on the food item) and can be dangerous during combat. You can cook food at a fire with a small minigame to increase the amount of health and shorten the time it takes to eat it. Save points do not heal.
This is not an easy game. And it's one of those cases where the developer saw himself forced to add difficulty options later in order to appease casuals in Steam reviews.
If this sounds fun to you, then I recommend this game.

The puzzles can be summed up in 3 categories:
1) Interaction of your tools with game elements, game physics, and platforming. These are all great. Use bomb explosions to move crates you otherwise can't reach. Set up small rube goldberg machines to open and close doors from afar. Guide an enemy and make it shoot an item down for you. Stuff like that.
2) Optional music riddles where you have to interpret clues to figure out which notes to play to open a door. These often don't make sense in the game world (why would the clues be there?) but are still fun to work out. Be ready to take notes.
3) Optional "GEO Dungeons" where you have to solve 3 puzzles around a certain theme. Most of these are meh. They often have a high work/think ratio and try to turn the game into something else. Like one dungeon has you solve Sudoku puzzles to get the correct music notes. But I don't want to play Sudoku. Sudoku is boring.

More things I liked:

• Exploration. Secrets everywhere. And there are several cool and large areas and dungeons that are entirely optional.
• Unlockable teleporter hub for faster travel.
• No crafting or item bloat.
• No questlog. If an NPC wants something from you, you have to remember and keep track of it yourself.
• Enemies don't respawn when you leave the room (only when you leave the area).
• An oracle NPC helps you find the remaining health and stamina upgrades for a small fee (basically nothing in late game).

Problems:

• Faux pixel graphics. Here is an indie trend I hate: Pixel graphics assets thrown together, scaled and rotated, as if they weren't pixel graphics. I don't know if there is a term for this. Stardew Valley does the same thing. Even when the individual assets in Phoenotopia look good (especially the backgrounds, the characters not so much), there is something off about the composition. This is also a remake of a Flash game, so there is some typical Flash look residue. No proper scaling. Pixel aliasing. I'm still not over it.
• The writing. I think this story is pretty good for a Metroidvania (if this game is one). Many games have the problem that they take themselves too seriously. This game has the opposite problem. Most of your village gets abducted at the beginning. Earth gets infiltrated by aliens. There is some bodysnatching going on. Cool backstory about an ancient war, radioactive fallout, rebuilt earth, etc. And there is a new war coming. But the characters are constantly quipping silly jokes, right up to the very end. The humor just didn't work for me at all.
• Cooking doesn't add much to the game. It would have been nice if the game did more with it, like combining different ingredients to get different results. But the way it is, it just ends up wasting time. The minigame is so trivial, I never failed it unless it was intentional to get burnt food for a quest.

Weird:

• There is an extra tough, optional boss at the end. A really cool boss. But you can only access it after you have collected all health and stamina upgrades. It's probably intended as a reward for 100% completion. But getting all the upgrades is a huge undertaking. I only did it because I wanted to see the boss. Otherwise, I would have stopped at around 90% and finished the game. The good thing is, this boss is designed for max upgrades and equipment, and poses a proper challenge. Took me a few attempts.

What's left? I'd like to play this again at some point. There is a built-in achievement/badge system, and one of the badges asks you to play through the game without getting any health and stamina upgrades. That sounds really tough but could be fun. Maybe gives it more of a survival aspect. Then I could also ignore most of the optional content and breeze through the game.

Overall: Hidden gem nobody has heard of / 10

more screens

Monsters spawn on the overworld that look exactly like their Zelda II counterparts.

The only level that gives you a diegetic map. It's needed to solve a navigational puzzle.

the optional boss

It shoots Revenant missiles.

 

[spekkio]

BROs, started Vigil - The Longest Night, and I'm liking it a lot.

Great 2D art (but not so great animations) disregard that:

Complex "soulslike" combat system (stamina-based + stats, resistances, etc.) and itemization:

Decent writing & lore:

Quests, which require our heroine to find various items and speak with multiple characters to complete:

Big areas, separated into 3 "planes" (regular, buildings' interior and underground):

Bonus: equipment is visible on character, you can also undress her and go melee:

Interesting writeup ITT by Lautreamont posted 2 years ago.

 

[Sukhāvatī]

^ Shame Vigil - The Longest Night is no longer on Steam for some reason.

 

[Modron]

^ Shame Vigil - The Longest Night is no longer on Steam for some reason.

Neon Doctrine the publisher was afraid the game's dlc expansion would offend the chinese so they removed the game from all platforms. Things the chinese are afraid of the numbers 0, 4, 13 and Formosans apparently. See here:
https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/random-non-japanese-asian-rpg-news-thread.119765/post-8611138

 

[spekkio]

Blasphemous 2 is out:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2114740/Blasphemous_2/

DISCUSS!!!

 

[HansDampf]

I binged some more Metroidvanias and have opinions!

Trash Quest

2 hours for 100% completion.
It's a Quickievania with tricky platforming, pew pew, and some boss fights. There's nothing wrong with it, except that you can't rebind keys. Solid game with no filler, just pure gameplay. That's it. Nothing more to say about it.

Pseudoregalia

5 hours to finish.
This released just a few weeks ago. It's a PS1-style 3D platformer with a thick furry protagonist, and was made by one person in just one month for some gamejam. It's funny how this game got so much attention so quickly, with over 2000 steam reviews and 98% positive. I would never suggest that this has anything to do with the combination of retro and furry bait.

Gameplay consists of 90% platforming and 10% filler combat. But platforming and movement are excellent, including slides, backflips, wallkicks and wallruns. There is lots of potential for sequence breaking if you experiment a bit.
I was forced to play this with KB because there is no proper lock-on/center view button, which means I had to control the camera manually all the time. It works great with the mouse, though, and I didn't feel hampered by the digital movement input.
I didn't bother 100%ing this for two reasons. 1) The game doesn't keep track of %, at least not in my version. 2) The castle layout is confusing as hell, and I have no idea where the last few items could even be hidden. There is also no map. And I'd bet money that the different areas wouldn't line up properly.
Overall, I enjoyed it. And I'd recommend it for the platforming because it's cheap. But there isn't much more to it. Story is basically non-existent. And in general, it feels like a foundation for a bigger game I would want to play.

Iconoclasts

13 hours for 100% completion on hard mode.
This game puts a strong emphasis on its story with many long and often verbose dialogue cutscenes that feel like they should have been shorter. Pls, stfu already! I'm also not quite sure what to make of the story. But let's talk about gameplay first.

This plays mostly like a puzzle platformer. You get a pistol with different ammo types and a wrench. The wrench is your universal tool for everything: Open doors, manipulate platforms, hit enemies, reflect projectiles, or use it for platforming by swinging around on screws. You can also charge it up for additional effects. This leads to some fun puzzles, especially for optional collectibles.
One thing that Iconoclasts values above all (besides story) is variety, for better and worse. You'll rarely do the same thing for long. A bit of puzzle-platforming here, followed by a mini game there, then a forced stealth section. Occasionally, you take control of a different character. You even have to fight some bosses as different characters. I never liked those because they always felt inferior to control. I prefer my wrench.
Every boss also has some unique gimmicks, often turning them into multiphase spectacles. They are generally fun and fair, though I've also often found them to be a tiny bit unintuitive. I usually died during my first attempt because I didn't know wtf I was supposed to do. Second attempt: gg ez. It's often more about the spectacle than the challenge. This doesn't mean all of them are easy, though. Mother's Corners would want to have a word. They were also my favorite boss fight which just so happens to not rely on any gimmicks at all.
Meanwhile, the Metroidvania aspect is dialed back so much that I'm wondering why this had to be a Metroidvania at all. There is no interconnectivity between the different regions other than the fast travel hub. And you'll spend the majority of the game being locked into one region for story purposes. Then you get a bit of freedom until you are locked in the next region.

The story was the most irritating part for me, though. It actually made me angry. The graphics style and character art suggest this would be a lighthearted, family friendly game, with a spreadsheet diversity cast, possibly also targeted at elementary school girls. Or is it? I don't even know. Do I simply lack a sense of humor, or is the story a complete tonal disaster?
There is a potentially interesting backstory or lore that you can piece together. But the characters are all either annoying or batshit insane (or both). They don't seem human to me. And then, there is the violence...
The bad guys are getting killed with these magic seeds that rapidly grow trees inside of them. They vomit some blood (which is white in their case) before they burst into a tree-monstrosity covered in this white goo or something, to the shock and disgust of everyone around them. Others get injected with a poison that melts them from the inside while they're desperately screaming for help. Then they explode into a purple mist in the arms of their friends. I get that these are the Bad Guys™. But the way this is presented is just...

spoiler examples

The good guys don't get off easy either, going through one traumatic experience after another. One guy gets his arm ripped out as torture, and later his leg shot off with a shotgun. He ends up being a cripple for nothing, as it turns out. Another one completely loses his will to live because he finds out that everybody hates him, and then you have to leave him behind to die. It's all misery for long stretches of the game while everybody is forced to deal with the fact that the world is going to end, and that they are all going die within the next few hours. But at the same time, I'm also getting signals that this is supposed to be a fun and humorous adventure, interspersed with some over the top silly moments. Somehow? The ending is also the most happily-ever-after ending imaginable. It just doesn't mix well.

But hey, at least it wasn't boring.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth

12 hours for 100% map and item completion.
You control 3 characters with different abilities, and you can switch between them at campfires which also serve as save points. There is the melee fighter, the mage with mid-ranged attacks, and the archer with walljumps and infinite range but slower firing speed. The characters are used well for exploration. Each character can get past different obstacles that will lead to different paths. Then you can unlock shortcuts for the other characters. Sometimes you have to go 3 times through the same section, each time with a different character. Eventually, you will find an upgrade that allows you to switch characters everywhere instantly, granting you a lot more freedom. But the game follows this up with more fitting challenges.
Sounds like a cool game. But after the first few hours, I began to notice more and more flaws. And it gets even worse for completionists.

First, there is a big problem with how death is handled. After every death, you get an opportunity to buy upgrades for your characters (like health, attack, defense, special moves, etc.). Then you respawn with full health at the beginning of the dungeon. That's it. No further punishment. The game is also nice and gives you an elevator right next to the entrance. And with the many elevator stops scattered throughout the dungeon, you can always get back to where you were relatively quickly. This leads to stupid situations where your best option is to kill yourself! Have accumulated enough money to buy some juicy upgrades? Guess it's time to kys. Want to quickly get to an elevator? The shortest path is to kys. Want to recover health? Health pickups are rare and weak. Saving at a campfire also won't restore your health. Just kys! This also makes saving at campfires rather pointless because, in case of death, you'd respawn at the entrance anyway. Saving is only useful if you want to quit the game.

Second problem is the poor balance. After getting some secret upgrades, my mage eventually became so op, his attack hit like a machine gun and would even shred through bosses in seconds (including those optional bosses you can only reach with secret upgrades). Boss fights in general are pretty lame, very basic stuff, even if you aren't op. The biggest crime here is that they don't properly utilize the abilities of the different characters.

And lastly, there are 2 additional secret characters that you can rescue. That's a really bad design choice, considering you have only one button to switch characters, meaning you have to cycle through them. That's not a big deal with 3 characters. But try switching to, say, the fighter in the middle of combat to quickly reflect incoming projectiles when you have 5 characters to cycle through. How many times do I have to press the button again? Oh shit, I went one step too far. Now I have to cycle through everyone again!
The new characters don't even add anything meaningful. Each of them gets a unique ability that is required for some secrets. But those abilities could have easily been given to the other 3 characters.

It's so disappointing. The more I think about this game, the less I like it. You'll probably have a better time if you ignore most of the optional stuff and just play to finish the game. Or you don't care about being op.

More screens of all the games here. May contain some spoilers.

 

[Grauken]

Interesting, Astalon was probably one of my favorite MV in 2019, though the game is def on the easy side. But the world design and exploration are top-notch

 

[spekkio]

Ladies, I've finished Vigil - The Longest Night

Spoiler

On the surface, yet another "derivative" 'vania, which can also be said about Afterimage (didn't like) or Elderand (liked). I mean:

- General 3D aesthetic silimilar to Bloodstained:

- "Heavy" gothic mood kinda similar to Blasphemous (but less "crazy christian" and more "WTF cryptic"):

- Combat / weapons system similar to Dark Souls:

But!

It combines all these elements perfectly, and adds at least two important things.

1) Game's size. This is one of the biggest 'vanias (or even games in general), that I've played. Explorationfags will jizz their pants. I did.

2) Bizarre story enhanced with fantastic quests system:

(other) Pros:

- Billions of hidden areas, secrets, optional things, etc.

- Very useful "spells" (arcane): stealing stuff from enemies (even bosses), blocking their movement, familiars - you name it.

Good luck finding some of them, though. Unless you get your dirty girly hands on this baby first:

- Hard and interesting bosses. Mostly of the "filling up the entire screen" kind. But as often, the "smaller" ones can be the worst ones:

- Very good EXP + skills system (no "automatic" stat increases after level up, only skill points to distribute):

- Equipment enhancing (better stats) & enchanting (additional effects) plus crafting (blueprints + materials):

- Loved some "technical" aspects of the game. Like the fact, that every piece of equipment is visible on the character:

Or fantastic character's animations:

- Very C&C heavy. You decide who lives and who dies (in a painful way). From regular villagers to the goddesses of dark / light.
- Well-hidden and hard to pull off "true" ending. Fortunately, I was able to get it during my 1st playthrough (being an exploration sperg helped):

Cons:

- Engine (Unity) sometimes can't handle all the assets (visible slowdowns in "effects-heavy" areas).
- Kinda jumpy vertical screen scrolling.
- After some point, "regular" enemies become a joke (even when they can poison / bleed / burn / curse you). Fortunately, some bosses (esp. optional ones) are a different story...
- You can fall to your death in this game. A lot. Until you find this little baby:

- Can be too big for some little boys & girls. It took me over 24 hours to complete (level 70), but it felt much longer. In a good way (I've enjoyed every minute), but it's def. not a "short" game.
- Quicksaves require the usage of special items, which are scarce and can't be bought in shops. Save often.
- Rewards for most quests are meh, which is realistic I guess (what can you get as a reward from some poor schmuck?).

Bonus: anti-vaxxers' wet dream:

Verdict:

One of the best games I've played in recent years. Too bad you can't buy it ATM...

 

[Modron]

Too bad you can't buy it ATM...

Too bad the publisher pulled it while they were working on a dlc expansion.

 

[gabel]

Opinions on Ender Lilies?
I iked it at first, nice difficulty curve and art style, but about one third in (guessing a bit here), the game seems to go nowhere, I'm kinda lost and not really motivated to push on. Am I missing out if I drop it?

 

[JarlFrank]

Bonus: equipment is visible on character, you can also undress her and go melee:

Yes, she remained barefoot throughout the entire game on my playthrough

 

[JarlFrank]

Been playing Environmental Station Alpha. No screenshots because for some reason Steam's screenshot function doesn't work with this game, nothing happens when I hit F12.

It's a very simple-looking game with chunky pixels, but it manages to look pretty atmospheric regardless.
The gameplay is pure Metroid style. You explore a vast space station and have to get upgrades to get past previously impassable barriers.

Very good, classic, purist stuff.

 

[Grauken]

Been playing Environmental Station Alpha. No screenshots because for some reason Steam's screenshot function doesn't work with this game, nothing happens when I hit F12.

It's a very simple-looking game with chunky pixels, but it manages to look pretty atmospheric regardless.
The gameplay is pure Metroid style. You explore a vast space station and have to get upgrades to get past previously impassable barriers.

Very good, classic, purist stuff.

Also lots of post-ending secrets with some extremely difficult levels and bosses

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

Been playing Environmental Station Alpha. No screenshots because for some reason Steam's screenshot function doesn't work with this game, nothing happens when I hit F12.

It's a very simple-looking game with chunky pixels, but it manages to look pretty atmospheric regardless.
The gameplay is pure Metroid style. You explore a vast space station and have to get upgrades to get past previously impassable barriers.

Very good, classic, purist stuff.

It's great. Totally agree.

 

[JarlFrank]

I was a bit wary when starting the game because a lot of reviews claim it's "needlessly convoluted" and has "too much backtracking even for genre standards" but... no, it's just a really well-made metroidvania that applies the Metroid formula well.

If you like the core gameplay of Metroid, you will like this game.

 

[HansDampf]

ESA has great bosses, secrets, and the best hookshot of all metroidvanias. Can't find many flaws with the game.

 

[Abu Antar]

Playing Alwa's Awakening via GOG (freebie). It's decent, so far. I'm vibing with the music.