I’m on a massive Metroidvania kick at the moment despite never actually playing an entry in either the Metroid or Castlevania franchises. This year, I’ve played a lot, from going back to Hollow Knight in anticipation of Silksong (WHERE IS IT?!?!) to finally starting the brilliant Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights.
I love ‘em.
They scratch an exploration itch that isn’t as overfacing as an open-world game. Some of them have challenging combat, some of them have ridiculous boss fights akin to a souls game, and some of them are more puzzly, without a focus on fight-fight-fight bosh-bosh-bosh things.
This year has been an excellent year for the genre, so let me tell you about five that were released this year that you should at least give a go!
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is perhaps the most polished Metroidvania of the year. The combat is awesome and varied, the music is fantastic, and the exploration is just plain fun. Some sections of platforming can be hardcore, but those sections are mostly optional (I am a glutton for punishment so I can’t get enough).
This game also had a game-changing feature that should be present in EVERY Metroidvania going forward: the ability to screenshot rooms so you can remember what is stopping you from collecting a secret or progressing further. No more forgetting, going back to a panel, and then realising you still can’t progress! It’s so good.
Ubisoft for the win, for once. I know, right?! It feels odd saying it. What’s that? They disbanded the team so any prospect of a sequel is dead? Ahhhhhhhhh, that’s the Ubisoft we know and… know. Yes, one of the critic’s darlings of the year didn’t reach sales expectations, so see ya Prince of Persia. It’s very disappointing.
When Abubakar Salim stood on the stage of The Game Awards and told us all about this deeply personal story about loss and grief, I was instantly interested in Surgent Studios’ debut game, Tales of Kenzera: Zau. A Metroidvania set in a world inspired by traditional African myths and folktales, Zau, a young shaman, is on a quest to revive his recently deceased father. To do this, he must gather offerings to the God of Death and, therefore, go through trials. You know, video game-y stuff.
While not as polished as Prince of Persia (and why would it be? It’s from an indie studio, not a AAA monstrosity), Tales of Kenzera: Zau excels in its storytelling and worldbuilding. The narrative really gets to you, as it should for everyone who has ever lost anyone close to them.
The gameplay is solid with its hook of having different masks, which give you different sets of powers. One mask gives you a ranged build, allowing you to throw projectiles, while the other is more of a melee build. It’s a challenge to decide if and when to swap masks in the middle of intense battles. The cherry on top is the African-inspired music by Nainita Desai, which is absolutely bangin’ and worthy of listening to without playing the game.
But play the game.
Why, like the Sojourner in this game, are people sleeping on Ultros? I said in my review back in March that I had never played a game like this before, and I doubt I ever will again. This game having a psychedelic art style and gardenvania gameplay is the “I-have-no-idea-what-this-is-but-I-love-it” hit of the year. It’s sort of a Metroidvania, but it’s also sort of a roguelike, a garden simulator, and a farming sim. WHAT THE ABSOLUTE HECK?!
This game asks you to uncover the secrets of a weird space station that is also kind of a demon’s prison. Are you helping or hurting the demon by trying to escape? Who knows! However, this Ratvader-accompanied squishy journey actively wants you to strive for peace despite creatures trying to kill you everywhere you go.
Some people will roll credits on Ultros and dip. I’m gonna be that guy now, and I hate myself for it. The real work happens in the post-game toward the true ending. That is some of the most fun I’ve had in a game all year. And with the game’s overall vibe, it was also some of my least stressful.
Ultros is freaking great.
This one seemed to come out of nowhere… and steal my heart. Animal Well is possibly the strangest game on this list. You are this blob in a well full of animals (well, whadduya know, huh?), where the only way out is to traverse the world, solving puzzles while collecting tools to help you on your way. Even though you are not able to fight back, there are enemies in this game, although not everything in the well is out to get you.
After a very brief tutorial section, the world is your oyster! You can travel in any direction and are able to make progress if you’re smart enough to figure out what the puzzle is asking you to do without any language to tell you how to approach it. Everything is communicated visually, and it’s astoundingly done.
However, there is SO MUCH MORE in this game than you can imagine. They’ll be finding new secrets in Animal Well for years to come. Finishing the base game to the credits is one thing, but then there are the bunny collectibles, squirrels, whatever the moth easter egg is, and why the heck is that groundhog hiding?!
This game is a tour de force in game design, and it took over my life for weeks.
Another game I reviewed this year, Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is a hand-drawn 2D metroidvania that will instantly remind you of Hollow Knight. You play as Bo, the fox-like yokai, as you work to save the world from a towering demon. How the heck are you gonna do that? You’re just this cute little dude working your way through a Japanese-inspired world, armed only with a magical earring and a teapot!
Some of the platforming sections in this game are no joke, and if that’s not your jam, maybe this one may not be for you. However, if you can handle it, the combat is deep and challenging, and the visuals are daaaaaaamn pretty. If you haven’t given this game a try yet, definitely pick this one up.
After all of the problems Squid Shock has had since its publisher, Humble Games shut up shop, I’m sure they’d be appreciative! Support awesome indie games like this one!
I’ll keep this one brief because I’ve not actually played this myself… yet.
Nine Sols looks f*cking amazing, and with a very favourable 83 on Metacritic, it seems to be exactly what it looks like. Red Candle Games describes this as a Taopunk 2D action-platformer. Reviewers have compared its combat to Sekiro, FromSoftware’s parry-centric samurai game. With hand-drawn designs and a cool art style, where do I sign up?
Nine Sols is next on my backlog of Metroidvanias from 2024.
