@Robert Abounader its like you think making games is easy, dude this game is made by like 2 people, 3 on a good day so play something else and wait, your spoilt for choice right now, wanna loot? outriders. wanna better looter? monster hunter, there are also a myriad of other 2D indie platformers for you, as well as fantastic other indie titles to sate your appetite, maybe hades. the wait is hard, but it'll be worth it in the end. I'd rather silk song come out when i least expect it than be hyped so hard that it ultimately disappoints. Rushing games is also ALWAYS bad, we don't want another cyberpunk in our hands.
@@ilikecookies230 tbh is not an excuse that is made by 2 or 3 people I understand they had to make hollow knight with only 3 people because of the money but now they can have a big team to make the game
Hollow knight is hands down one of the best games i've ever played.. it's a master piece.. the culmination of gameplay, lore, music, art style is just on another level.. i cant wait to play silk song.. tbh, i wasn't even fan of the genre and only picked up the game coz it was free recently on ps+ and im so glad I did..
yes but ı dont think silksong gonna be good as the hollow knight bc it ruines the classic hollow knight fight style just you your enemy and your nail but dang hornet have a buzz saw
The Ori games bring such a good amount of emotion which hits even harder as you usually finish a very difficult challenge before being rewarded with more story
@@forestflood5338 and it can be argued that the flaws are done on purpose I love the game for trying to break all the rules every other game follows a cookie cutter formula but rain world throws that all to the side and dares to try something so different that the thing's you often complain about or rage about in gameplay you end up respecting because it feels so natural in the world everything is done on purpose to implicate immersion even dying and restarting is worked into the story and lore seemlessly and I gotta respect it for making basic game functions part of the immersion
@@boochtron I highly recommend it it's truly like nothing else I've ever played a true unique type of metroidvania if it can even be called that check it out you my end up surprised it's for everything but xbox and usually runs only about 20$
Blasphemous, Bloodstained, and Axiom Verge are some of my absolute favourite games of all time. If I show these games to someone who isn’t into metroidvanias, they want to play these titles.
My favorite game from this list is Ori and The Will of The Wisps. That games is such an amazing game. It have really difficult but Satisfying platforming combined with puzzles, combat and amazing soundtrack and sound effects.
@@leopardosss You should stop comparing the two. Ori 2 takes a lot from Hollow Knight but it's a platformer w/ momentum and beautiful art and puzzle design, HK is combat focused and has 10x the amount of bosses w/ much more in depth lore and more challenge. There is no better game, one game will always be better for specific people.
the mummy sucks, even the last boss can be cheesed easy, i bought it for the mummy girl that you dont even fight, super metroid is much better every day of the week
and Aliens Infestation but I dunno if it counts but it sure feels like a metroidvania with a survival flair to it and it stands alone as a great under the radar game, what a gem.
Yup. That game is almost as close to SOTN as Bloodstained. Same with TimeSpinner. I'd easily knock off Yoku to include one of those. Yoku was fun, but there were MANY times where you're just rolling around super slow or bouncing around an already puzzle just to get the right angle and progress. I didn't think it was all that great, but did like the idea and presentation.
Can't believe The Messenger isn't on this list. Would have thought for sure that one of either The Messenger or Dead Cells would have made a list like this.
Sup! Its because you are guided for the most part of the game and get all your abilities but 1 before the game opens up and lets you back track. Even the devs were not calling it that. Dead cells is also not a metriodvania.
Yes or cyber shadow, but then I guess they aren’t true metrovania’isk. Second mentions is katana zero. Maybe they should have a ninja gaiden like top 10. Though I’m not sure there are 10 game’s hitting that. Can’t wait for the messenger part 2.
It's pretty good but I'm not sure it counts as a metrodivania. More of a straight-up action sidescroller, kinda like Muramasa (though not as good IMO).
I feel it’s important to reiterate that YOKU’S ISLAND is no joke. Don’t let its cutesy look fool you; it’s not just for kids. It’s a great game. Music is solid, physics are solid, art style is phenomenal. Even if you don’t like pinball, it’s still great. If you love pinball and haven’t played this, you should be downloading it now.👍🏽
Great list but a few points worth mentioning. Cave Story: Also had a + and 3D version. I didn't know it started as freeware, but its a classic for a reason. Spelunky or Spelunky 2: Everything I've seen and played puts Spelunky slightly ahead of the Steamworld series. Both are great series, but Spelunky lets you fight/rob shopkeepers by accident. Hollow Knight: The sequel Silksong is on the horizon and worth a mention, as it features regular boss and frenemy Hornet as your main character. Advice for New Hollow Knight Players: I'm 10 hours in and the biggest suggestion I have for new players is, buy the maps, map icon and navigation charm, FIRST before anything else and then force yourself to confront the bosses. Otherwise you'll explore the whole of the Forgotten Caverns and realize those bosses (and mini-bosses) have to go down before you get the the next area (Greenpath) and then it branches out a lot more from there (Fog Canyon, 2nd half of Greenpath and 2nd half of Forgotten Caverns).
I didn't get the hype for Hollow Knight and just thought it's just a run-of-the-mill action platformer. A few weejs ago, out of boredom I decided to watch speedruns, tier list, lore documentaries and other stuff about the game. It got my interest a bit and finally decided to try it out. And boy was I wrong this whole time. Even though I pretty much had everything spoiled from watching the videos, exploring the depths of Hollownest was still a entrancing, breath-taking and beautiful adventure. I didn't notice the time as hours suddenly passed without even noticing it, something I haven't experienced with a game for some time now. What I would give to experience the game fresh but silver-lining though, I wouldn't have to wait for too long for Silksong whenever that one releases.
I love me some symphony of the night and super Metroid, but hollow knight just stands out so much that I think it’s the best game in this entire genre to date. The atmosphere, the music, the combat, the absolutely gorgeous visuals and art design and the boss fights are all some of the best I’ve ever seen in any video game.
Hollow Knight is amazing, a modern masterpiece, and an absolute boon to the genre. But what drags it down a bit to me is that the overworld is almost too big, and exhuasting to traverse and backtrack through. What makes Super Metroid still stand out to this day, is its absolute meticulous design - the world is big enough, but not too big where backtracking is a pain in the ass, and every area is connected in some way. It's like a perfectly designed puzzle.
@@Crichjo32 Super Metroid is not as good as Zero Mission in my opinion, although I think they're tied in terms of quality. A bunch of areas in Super Metroid are so easy to sequence break or just skip that there's very little actual structure to it. You have to restrain yourself from going down certain paths, some dead ends are a pain the ass, etc. Zero Mission is structured in a way that you can get most upgrades and fight most bosses out of order. There are no dead ends, if you sequence break to a powerup, there won't be some arbitrary door in the way that you need another upgrade for and you can't access. Kraid's lair and Ridley's lair along w/ the entirety of Norfair are some of the best designed levels in all of gaming.
@@gu3z185 Zero Mission is amazing also, and as close to perfection as you can get. I often debate which of the two is the best, but you make a good case with ZR being better because you can do things slightly out of order if you really know how, which gives it tons of replay value. I wish Nintendo would remake some of the other classic NES Nintendo titles in the same mold.
Even though they are universally critically acclaimed, I still feel like the Ori games are underrated, or, at least, don't get enough time in the limelight. They are the kind of titles that justify video games as an art form, not just a business.
I feel like the second ori game is soooo underated but the the 1st ori wasnt underated or overrated since the design and soundtrack was good but the combat was bad
One of my favourites is Valdis Story: Abyssal City. It have a very fun combat, multiple characters (each one with their own weapons and skill trees) and interesting story.
If there is one missing game that deserves to be here, it is Environmental Station Alpha. Truly one of the greats. (love this list and am not complaining, just had to mention ESA)
Happy to see Guacamelee. Still my fav. Metroidvania to this day, because its heavier on the platforming side...could be the reason my fav. part in Hollow Knight was the white palace.
It took me three hours straight to defeat the first hornet on Hollow Knight.. I love the game but I think I'm too old and lack the reactions to progress past some of the earlier bosses to make it an enjoyable adventure :(
The bosses are brutally hard in that game. When I saw what it takes to beat the final boss to get the good ending, I decided I was happier watching other people do it.
The only down side about hollowknight for me is how it effected the way some people see the genre to the point some people treat the genre like certain games are copying hollowknight, while not realizing holowknight itself borrows from many before it. But that's pretty much my only gripe with it. The game itself is amazing, id say can't wait for silk song, but imma be honest. Once metroid dread got announced I was like "what's a silk song?"
Hollow Knight is a criminally underplayed, underrated, marvel. It's insane how many ppl undervalue this gem. Played it a week ago on ps5 and reminded myself how wonderful it is. It's right behind celeste IMO. Both are miles ahead of anything ubisoft has done the last 2 gens. Mastapiece sss
What are you talking about? It's usually always the one Metroidvania everyone mentions other than Metroid and Castlevania. If anything, it might be a bit overrated. (And I love it, don't get me wrong, but saying it's underrated or underplayed when it's probably the most popular Metroidvania out there right now is ridiculous lol.)
It is a masterpiece. It’s a very challenging game but I never felt it was unfair. I can’t believe I didn’t play it when it came out. I got it when it was free on ps plus. I’m definitely getting silksong whenever it releases
@@The_RedVIII as a metroidvania and talking this video sure.. its well rated and well understood. im talking big picture gamers. In its audience it's pretty fitting I'd say.
For the longest time, I thought and part of me still thinks that Hollow Knight doesn't get enough praise for how utterly fantastic it is. Have I been wrong in thinking so since it is number 1 on this list? It doesn't get talked about on the level of BOTW, GOW, Halo, Marios, TLOU, final fantasy, Half life etc. I think it is deserving of being in that echelon of video games. No?
I agree. Hollow Knight was the first metroidvania I played and loved it. I went back to try the old classics of the genre (games released before I was born) like Symphony O’ Night and Super Metroid, and they were not as good as Hollow Knight in any way gameplay, story/lore, etc
Hollow Knight is one of the best-selling metroidvanias of all time, in fact it probably passed the best selling Metroid game, Metroid Prime, by now. It's just that the metroidvania genre is small.
@@sunionbro8806 Metroid, Castlevania, Ori, and HK are equals, you just need to know where to look. It's easy to find Metroid dull because the best one is not as well known as the genre defining one. It's easy to stop caring about Castlevania because of it's ugly UI or RPG elements, w/ more facetanky bosses, but these mechanics are polished to a mirror sheen later in the series. It's easy to mistake Ori for a needlessly artsy platformer with terrible combat and a cheap reliance on emotion, but this is fixed by approaching the game from a different perspective, or by just playing the sequel. People who think Hollow Knight is the best Metroidvania are stupid, just because it's one genre doesn't mean that they're comparable. They shine in different aspects.
Why is no one talking about Blasphemous? I think it deserves to be higher on the list, easily top 3 metroidvanias I've played. Hollow Knight is stunning but Blasphemous has just as unique a visual style, world building, combat, and exploration.
I completely agree. That game is so good. I had no idea how much I would love it. It was a pleasant surprise. I love the grim, dark, gothic setting and visuals.
I agree. I just played it fir the first time when it was free on ps plus. I can’t believe I overlooked this gem. I’m proud to say that I beat it 112%. I didn’t beat the last pantheon or beat ever boss without being hit. Looking forward to silksong!
I also grew up with castlevanias and metroids and I just don't know why I did not enjoy hollowknight very much. I think it was pretty tough to me, as I lost so much exploration when I died. I know it's a game so many enjoy, but I just could not have fun with it. Monster Boy in the Cursed Kingdom is my game.
Songs of the deep deserves a bit more love imo. Not the most intense platformer being based underwater, but it does all the core elements well, and has some nice puzzling. One to check out for a slightly more laidback metroidvania
I like the Ori games better than hollow knight. I just finished hollow night and it is AWESOME, but I really didn’t care about the story. Ori nearly had me in tears a few times… And ori is arguably one of the most visually beautiful games ever created. But, I have a feeling the hollow knight sequel is going to be freakin amazing
Shadow complex is the best one of them. It's the closest to original super metroid, tons of upgrades and exploration. Dunno how it's dead last on the list. It was metroidvania when they weren't that popular.
I think that the first Ori game was a better game, but the second one was a better Metroidvania. The first is more focused on the platforming whereas the second was a more revolved around combat. I love them both.
Try Ori 1 and 2! theyre just as if not more beautiful and definitely also rly good. Go with hard mode tho if you like HK:s brutal difficulty; normal mode Ori is considerably easier. Or maybe its just because it's more platforming focused which I'm more used to. Or better yet, go for a new genre as a palette cleanser. A story focused or a puzzle game that's less about rapid twitch reactions and more about experiences or brain teasers to sweep you along instead 😔✌️ For a random recommendation: the Stanley Parable is a hilarious experience.
Paying $15 for Hollow Knight in the Nintendo eshop is a crime so I went ahead and bought the physical version which comes with a beautiful map of hollownest, game manual, reversible cover art, and the 4 dlcs already on cartridge. I recommend anyone who loves this game and appreciates having a classic in their library to do the same!
I haven't played some of the lower games on this list, to know for sure if it should be on here, but it was really good. Not Bloodstained, Ori, Hollow Knight good, but very good none the less.
My secret little favourite is Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight. It's no Ori or Hollow Knight, but it's charming, its pixel art is gorgeous and the combat is fun with a nice crunch to it.
Hollow Knight made me emotional. It is, to me, the best game ever in the genre by a good distance. I have played the Castlevania series, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden series, Contra series, Super Mario series, Mega Man series, Double Dragon series. I could name so many classics (some don't count as metroidvania) but NONE compares to Hollow Knight. The presentation and depth of the game is absolutely stunning. Any true gamer that doesn't own or hasn't played Hollow Knight is missing what this hobby is all about. I guess it's unfair considering the technology that was available to developers in the past but Hollow Knight is the new diamond standard of the genre and I imagine it will be for years to come. It is definitely in the top 10 or 20 overall videogame experiemces of all time for me. A B S O L U T E M A S T E R P I E C E! I only watched to see if there were any new games in the genre I have yet to discover.
Honestly one of my favourite things about hollow knight compared to a lot of other metroidvanias is that your character in hollow knight doesn’t move at a the pace of a glacial land mass. I can’t speak for every game on this list, particularly ori and guacamalee look to be quite fast, but god hollow knights movement is sooooo satisfying
Ori games are absolutely stunning! I love the new Metroid Dread, but I feel Ori and the will of the wisps was better! That's saying a lot given how good Dread is!
I'd like to have seen La Mulana (or its sequel) make the list. They may not be for everyone, but they are by far the best out there at what they're trying to be. Partly because nobody else is trying.
Glad that Shadow Complex is on PlayStation Now. Cave Story+ was free on the Epic Game store. Picked up Axiom Verge from my local Dollar Store. Will be keeping it sealed because of obvious reasons. Glad we got Hollow Knight as a PlayStation Plus "free" game. #PlayStation4 #SONY #PlayStationNow #PlayStationPlus
I agree, the first definitely felt kinda short. Honestly, I've never played the second one (yet) so I couldn't tell you, but I've heard it's pretty good.
These lists that include Steamworld Dig 2 never put 1 and 2 together like they should. Not only is the first one a good metroidvania, the stories are directly connected, like back to the future. The second one picks up right after Rusty disappeared and Dot runs to the next town while looking for him. Plus the first one is always on sale for a buck or two.
I want to feel the joy again when I beat nightmare king Grimm. Sadly, I couldnt beat absolute radiance yet, but at least, there is still something to do
Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Hollow Knight are my two favourite games of all time. I didn’t even think I liked metroidvanias until I played Ori. Then that lead me to Hollow Knight. They are games that make you wish you could wipe your memory and be introduced to them again.
@@dmcarter1512 Two different visual styles though. Ori was supposed to convey a kind of lush and vibrant feeling while Hollow Knight had these slightly depressing and solemn tone to it. I think Ori's platforming was better, but HK's worldbuilding and combat was better. Both great games.
Blasphemous doesn't get enough respect. That game took me to a mental place that I have craved finding again since I played it. Not even sure how to describe it. It was like a weird dream I had one weekend.
You can really feel all the Spanish vibes, the oniric wonders and world building (and it keeps adding dlcs). And even if mute and masked, the Penitent One is a vibrant character.
@@jinnans_gd to more information, check on the Holy Week, a spanish holiday that is most relevant in Andalusia (south of spain), and the art of Goya, whose Black Paintings heavily inspired the monsters and weird stuff going in the game.
@@AxLWake Maybe? I live in California, so olive oil ice cream for me is like maybe an hour’s drive away for me at most. I know it exists in other major US cities, but I don’t know if it exists outside the US. That being said, I know for a fact that most countries have unique ice cream flavors that Americans would balk at, so it goes both ways.
@@ziqi92 Sure, every country and culture has its food habits that seem weird or disgusting to other people. It was an honest question, not an attempts to make fun of American people. Stills sounds insane to me though... ;)
Happy blasphemous was on the list but I feel like it should be further up there, it’s such a great game, has an amazing world that makes you want to explore every inch
Ori and the Will of the Wisps got snub so hard in 2020. I played all the big games of that year and Ori is still my game of the year. It had the best visual style, the best soundtrack, one of the best story and a very solid gameplay. A masterpiece. (I'm still okay with Hollow Knight being #1. Hollow Knight is absolutly incredible on every level)
100% agree with you. It was by far my favorite game last year. And interestingly, I think what made it great are all the ideas they took from Hollow Knight and incorporated into the game lol
