If you read the title of this piece, and you are coming in here mad aboutHollow Knightcatching a stray, let me start by extending an olive branch of sorts: you don’t come for a game because it is irrelevant - you come for the king. Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight has established itself as the big dog of the genre at this point, and this list is here to offer a lineup of challengers who I think have what it takes to take that crown.
Will you agree with all my picks? I mean, it would be great if you did, honestly. But yeah, I suspect that won’t be the case. At the very least, I hope I can peak your curiosity when it comes to a few of these games. I do earnestly believe, in my heart of hearts, that they are some of the finest Metroidvanias ever crafted. So good, in fact, that they may even be better than the mighty Hollow Knight.
Please don’t hurt me, gamers. I have a wife and kids!
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
WHERE TO PLAY
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a cult entry in the legendary series, and a direct sequel to Rondo of Blood. As Alucard, you must explore Dracula’s castle, facing off against the sinister Shaft.
I frequently oscillate between what I thinkthe best Metroidvania-style Castlevania game is. In fact, I originally had Aria Of Sorrow written down here. However, while I think Aria Of Sorrow is a less messy game, at the end of the day, Symphony of the Night does one thing better than any of the other games: it packs in an unimaginable amount of variety. From its spells to its familiars to its massive number of weapons, many of which offer unique gameplay opportunities, Symphony of the Night just has so much stuff you may mess around with.
Add to the immense variety, the incredible soundtrack, the memorable characters, and great spritework (even if half of it was ripped from Rondo of Blood), and it isn’t hard to see why so many people cling to this game thirty years after it invented the genre. Symphony of the Night is unquestionably a messier game than Hollow Knight, but it offers nearly endless replayability, which is why people like me have beaten it a dozen times and still find themselves coming back for more. This classic is more than a miserable pile of pixels, it will steal your soul and make you its slave!
The SteamWorld games have spanned a number of genres, but it was with SteamWorld Dig where they really struck gold. While so many Metroidvanias have been borrowing elements from FromSoftware’s Souls series, and cranking up the difficulty in turn, SteamWorld Dig went in a cozier direction. SteamWorld Dig 2 is a sequel that builds upon all of that.
The core gameplay loop still sees you digging, nabbing gems, and then heading back to town. As you build your pile of loot, you’ll be able to upgrade Dorothy. Of course, since you are always looking for that next upgrade, you’ll find yourself pushing your luck, which gives that loop a little extra spice. The biggest upgrade over the original is how well designed the world is this time around. It has been built to always entice you a little further, even as your lamplight is dying down.
However, outside a few challenge rooms, difficulty isn’t really emphasized in SteamWorld Dig 2 - especially once you start unlocking some of the more potent upgrades. But that’s sort of the point. SteamWorld Dig 2 isn’t about boss battles, it isn’t about traversing treacherous dungeons filled with battalions of baddies, it is about exploration, acquiring goodies, and, well,digging. SteamWorld Dig 2 is an ideal game to just chill out with. If that sounds like a good time to you, then this Metroidvania may just be your new favorite. Cozy gamers will almost certainly dig it.
Returnal
Returnal marries the roguelike and third-person shooter genres in Housemarque’s PlayStation 5 exclusive. You play Selene, an explorer stranded on the planet of Atropos, and must battle both hostile aliens and a time loop to discover what happened.
I know this is a contentious choice. Many people argue that Returnal isn’t a Metroidvania. Some argue it isn’t because of the randomly generated levels, though randomized stages aren’t actually new to the genre. Others say it is too combat-oriented, though I’d argueHollow Knight itself is a combat-first Metroidvania. The funny thing is, both of those arguments highlight two of the standout features of Returnal.
Returnal has the best randomly generated maps I’ve ever encountered. Bar none. They don’tfeelrandomized because thedevelopers at Housemarquehandcrafted many of the components that get swapped in and out. The end result is a shifting map that’s always engaging to explore, even on your hundredth run. Then there is the combat. It is part bullet hell, part third-person shooter, and all heart-pumping action. There is nothing like it. If a Metroidvania rogue-like that mashes Ikaruga with Doom and Gears of War sounds enticing to you, then I promise Returnal will keep you coming back. Looping. Over and over again.
Haiku the Robot feels a lot like Hollow Knight, but distilled down into its purest form. Hollow Knight is undoubtedly an inspiration for Haiku, that becomes apparent the moment you swing your little sword around. However, it is so much more than a Hollow Knight clone. This is the zippiest Metroidvania you willeverplay. We live in a world filled with games that seem to sprawl out endlessly. Haiku, instead, is densely packed. It feels like you are acquiring a new ability or encountering a new lovable NPC every time you blink.
But it is zippy in another way, too. One of the upgrades is a grappling hook, which absolutelyslingsyou across the room. Pair that with your ball form (taken directly from Metroid), your double jump (a staple), and your air dash (which feels very Hollow Knighty), and you’ll find that Haiku has one of the mostviscerally satisfying movement systemsin a Metroidvania. All of these tools seem built around allowing you to maintain momentum, so you never feel like you are losing speed. HaIku would make Sonic blush.
Haiku is the shortest game on this list, but it is also one of the few games I’ve played in the last decade that felt allergic to wasting my time. Add to that the fact that it is drop-dead gorgeous, and you have the best all-kiler-no-filler Metroidvania ever made.
Animal Well
Shared Memory’s Animal Well is a Metroidvania with exploration, puzzles, and platforming. Billy Basso’s game takes place in a dense labyrinth filled with animals.
Animal Well is among the more recent breakout successes in the Metroidvania world. It was able to bring in a larger audience by doing things a little differently. Instead of focusing on combat, Animal Well is all about traversal and puzzle solving. But while you might think that would make things pretty chill, and it can be at times, there are also quite a few moments of palpable tension, especially since other things can still attackyou.
The core of the game is solving puzzles, and those puzzles range from being fun, novel challenges that will make you stop and think for a second, but probably won’t stump you, topuzzles that are almost certainly too intricate and obtuse to be solved by you alone. You won’t have to complete any of these puzzles to complete the game; they are meant to be optional, additional content that requires collaboration with others. Animal Well is a fantastic experience and a testament to how much room there is to experiment within the Metroidvania genre. If puzzle solving is something you appreciate, then this is a Metroidvania you’ll be able to get behind.
Owlboy is the heartfelt journey of Otus, the titular Owlboy. Otus will venture forth through a beautifully realized world of sky pirates and owlfolk. One of Owlboy’sstandout features is its narrative. It pairs a silly, slapdash sense of humor with a stunning sincerity. While that could have been a recipe for tonal whiplash, Owlboy deftly balances these two aspects, leading to them complementing each other.
On the gameplay side of things, Owlboy features tight platforming sections that take advantage of Otus' limited flight. One of the standout systems is how Otus recruits friends along the way, each of whom provides Otus with a unique ability. While Otus has a flying shoulder tackle, themajorityof the combat plays out more like a shmup. You’ll be zipping all around the screen, maneuvering between projectiles, all while laying down a steady stream of your bullets.
While the boss battles are quite good, they aren’t better than Hollow Knight’s fantastic boss encounters. However, Owlboy’s strong level design, engaging world, and powerful narrative are enough, in my opinion, to make Otus worthy of the crown.
Nine Sols
With its striking hand-drawn art style, Nine Sols is an action platformer from RedCandleGames that follows Yi, who must become one with the way of Tao to defeat the fearsome 9 Sols.
If Hollow Knight took inspiration from Dark Souls (and it very clearly did), then Nine Sols took inspiration from Sekiro. What is the end result? A visually stunning Metroidvania, with super-solid level design, and the best boss fights in the genre. Period.
While it is true thatparries are quickly becoming a staple mechanicin video games, it has rarely been done as well as Nine Sols, and never in a 2D game (unless you count Third Strike). Nine Sols' bosses demand that you nail those parries, while simultaneously dodging around the arena, bouncing off projectiles, and charging your big attacks. In line with its Sekiro inspiration, the final boss in Nine Sols is among the best I’ve ever fought in two-dimensions. If intense boss fights are what you want in a Metroidvania, then Nine Sols is the Metroidvania for you.
1Yoku’s Island Express
The Most Baller Metroidvania Of Them All
There is an unrelenting number of indies releasing every year. Some of those games are going to slip through the cracks. Unfortunately, that includes games like Yoku’s Island Express, which is among the most joyful, creative, beautiful games I’ve ever played. Yoku’s Island Express took the classic Metroidvania setup and said,‘but what if it was also a pinball game?’ The fine people at Villa Gorilla are visionaries. Visionaries!
Fast travel is done by way of the Beeline, which will fire you from cannon to cannon, Donkey Kong Country-style across the map. Your upgrades include an exploding slug vacuum, which allows you to hold onto an explosive slug, and then use it to blast through obstacles, as well as a whip you may use to cling to certain objects and swing from. These tools are necessary to traverse the labyrinthine island, which is, at its core, a massive, elaborate pinball table.
And don’t worry, Yoku’s Island Express isn’t just the unbelievably tight gameplay and gorgeous graphical style; there is also a story here filled with lovable characters. There’s even a mystery to solve. I don’t want to give anything away, but it involves a cult, hidden deep within the bone-laden core of the island. This game iswild! Hollow Knight is a great game, but Yoku Island Express is easily the best Metroidvania I’ve played. I quite sincerely think that it is about as close to a perfect game as you’ll see.
If you end up digging Yoku’s Island Express, Metroid Prime Pinball scratches a very similar itch and is absolutely worth tracking down.
