Support NeoGAF

[HYDE]

Simple…list the ones you love & your fellow gaffer recommends some to play.

Favorites:
Metroid- Zero Mission, Samus Returns, Super, Fusion, Dread
Castlevania- SOTN, AOS, DOS, OOE, COTM, POR, HOD
Hollow Knight
Ori 1 & 2
Blasphemous 1 & 2
Guacamelee 1 & 2
Steamworld Dig 1 & 2
Bloodstained ROTN
Prince of Persia Lost Crown
Yoku’s Island Express

Interested in & not sure on or no release date:
*Crypt Custodian
*Eternal Life of Goldman
*F.I.S.T.
*Islets
*Nine Sols
*Silk Song

Really want recommendations for consoles as I have all the game systems. Please mention any I haven’t listed also, especially if they’re similar to any of my favorites.

There is a Part 1 but I was banned for a while, and didn’t want to necro my old thread.

 

[LectureMaster]

Heard good things about those two:

 

[TommyCronin6969]

Short enough game and is pretty good.

 

[jufonuk]

Isn’t hyper light drifter out? Am I missing something ?

 

[diffusionx]

My favorite non-Metroid and non-Castlevania are Axiom Verge 1 and Shadow Complex. I feel like those two "get it" more than any other ones.

Lost Crown is really good too.

 

[simpatico]

Last Faith is a Bloodboidia (true genre) that somehow panned out about as good as you could expect. The boss art is worth a run through in itself. Tremendously cool set-piece stuff.

Dominus is a GOTY frontrunner btw

 

[Knightime_X]

If you're into fan games, I recommend Castlevania: ReVamped
It's essentially Castlevania 1: Metroidvania edition.

pretty cool, honestly
not a romhack either

 

[TheAtomicPile]

My favorite non-Metroid and non-Castlevania are Axiom Verge 1 and Shadow Complex. I feel like those two "get it" more than any other ones.

Lost Crown is really good too.

Haven't played Lost Crown but I was actually going to say Axiom Verge and especially Shadow Complex are the best. Maybe Guacamelee fits in as well.

Most of the other copycats just focus on things like big maps and spreading out/hiding important items, but forget to actually be fun to play.

 

[Punished Miku]

Last Faith is a Bloodboidia (true genre)

Don't do this.

 

[diffusionx]

Haven't played Lost Crown but I was actually going to say Axiom Verge and especially Shadow Complex are the best. Maybe Guacamelee fits in as well.

Most of the other copycats just focus on things like big maps and spreading out/hiding important items, but forget to actually be fun to play.

I think most of them screw up the pacing. They don’t get it. Lost Crown does this too unfortunately but makes up for it with some really well done combat and platform challenges.

 

[DrMano]

Replying to bump and save the thread in my feed. Great recommendations so far

 

[El Muerto]

Imagine a Metroid game built for the Sega Genesis, that is what this one is like. Downside is it's a roguelike.

Great gameplay and exploration. Map wasnt too big or too small.

I can't get enough of the Blaster Master games.

 

[T4keD0wN]

F.I.S.T. and Nine Sols have the best combat imo, dont sleep on those.
This one also has pretty good traversal and combat.

 

[DrMano]

Simple…list the ones you love & your fellow gaffer recommends some to play.

Favorites:
Metroid- Zero Mission, Samus Returns, Super, Fusion, Dread
Castlevania- SOTN, AOS, DOS, OOE, COTM, POR, HOD
Hollow Knight
Ori 1 & 2
Blasphemous 1 & 2
Guacamelee 1 & 2
Steamworld Dig 1 & 2
Bloodstained ROTN
Prince of Persia Lost Crown
Yoku’s Island Express

Interested in & not sure on or no release date:
*Crypt Custodian
*Eternal Life of Goldman
*F.I.S.T.
*Hyper Light Drifter
*Islets
*Nine Sols
*Silk Song

Really want recommendations for consoles as I have all the game systems. Please mention any I haven’t listed also, especially if they’re similar to any of my favorites.

There is a Part 1 but I was banned for a while, and didn’t want to necro my old thread.

I've played F.I.S.T recently. You play as an edgy vigilante anthromorphic rabbit wearing a gigantic fist (that can change to other things as you play) on his back lol. It was a solid game letting to chain combos and juggle enemies in a really fantastic manner. Voice acting and character designs were top notch too. Can't remember anything about the story.

Overall I'd say its a fantastic playthrough especially as a metroidvania.

 

[HYDE]

Isn’t hyper light drifter out? Am I missing something ?

Oh I put interested in and not out yet

 

[digdug2]

Heard good things about those two:

I just tried out Ender Lilies this weekend. I only played for about an hour, but I found the story boring and the minimap is atrocious.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

 

[DrMano]

I also recommend this, since no one else has yet:

Its a very cozy side scroller hub-based fighting game where you build your town up as you progress the game. its very pleasant to play, and you play as three characters simultaneously each assigned to a button; you can chain the attacks together for a very fun gameplay loop.

 

[ssringo]

A few that haven't been mentioned that I enjoyed to completion.

 

[EruditeHobo]

Isn’t hyper light drifter out? Am I missing something ?

Either way I don't think HLD is a Metroidvania is it? Good game, but surely has more in common with Zelda.

 

[PonyStation4]

One of the best games I've ever played

 

[Sorcerer]

Heres one that probably flew under the radar. Hope it was not covered it part 1

https://video.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_trailers/256776894/movie480.webm?t=1583419045

You do not walk or run, you zip to and fro. I liked the game quite a bit.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Recommendations:
Animal Well
Axiom Verge
Carrion
Convergence (League of Legends)
Ender Lilies
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (TBH, all the Shantae games but I prefer this one most)

 

[abstract alien]

Animal Well is some of the most insane shit I've ever experienced in my gaming life. I chose the word experience on purpose, because outside of being a great game, the "experience" was beyond wild. Don't believe me? Check this video out. It's great if you just watch it through, but you can skip to nearly any point in here and say what the actual fuck.

 

[HYDE]

Can I get some opinions on Crypt Custodian & Islets?

 

[jufonuk]

Either way I don't think HLD is a Metroidvania is it? Good game, but surely has more in common with Zelda.

Yeah I think it does have more in common with Zelda but also some dark souls I guess.
It’s harder than I thought it would be.

 

[Little Chicken]

Loved this until the final boss.

 

[Branded]

This is my current list of Metroidvanias (or MV adjacent) games I've played recently:

Recommended
GRIME (2021)
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (2014)
Hollow Knight (2017)
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (2016)
Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)
Shantae: Risky's Revenge (2010)
Steamworld Dig (2013)
Steamworld Dig 2 (2017)

Okay
Blasphemous (2019)
Blaster Master Zero (2017)
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (2018)
Dead Cells (2017)
Elderand (2022)
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (2012)
Minoria (2019)
The Swapper (2013)

Meh
Dust: An Elysian Tail (2012)
Haiku the Robot (2022)
Metroid: Samus Returns (2017)
The Mummy Demastered (2017)
Source of Madness (2022)
Tres-Bashers (2021)

Avoid
9 Years of Shadows (2023)
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus (2022)
Cookie Cutter (2023)
ICEY (2016)
The Knight Witch (2022)
The Last Case of Benedict Fox (2023)
Metroid Dread (2021)
Seasons After Fall (2016)
Skelattack (2020)

 

[joeygreco1985]

Timespinner

 

[Guilty_AI]

 

[TintoConCasera]

I always recommend SMT Synchronicity Prologue. It's a nice metroidvania that serves to prologue to Strange Journey, featuring many demons from the SMT games as well as a "change color" mechanic like the ones seen on games like Ikaruga or the already mentioned above Deedlit game.

It's short, sweet and best of all, free. Just google it up and make sure to get the translation too.

One of the best games I've ever played

I've seen this being hyped left and right, but whenever I look at it I see the art being kind of a mess and the gameplay looking kinda jank. What makes it so good?

 

[Roxkis_ii]

I see it on the list but I recommend Nine Sols.
Great game. Nine Sols and Stella blade really make parry mechanics accessible imo. Nine Sols also has some hard ass bosses, and interesting story with some decent mystery.

I haven't beat the game yet (Stuck on one of them hard ass bosses lol), but it's still good enough to recommend.

 

[ssringo]

I've seen this being hyped left and right, but whenever I look at it I see the art being kind of a mess and the gameplay looking kinda jank. What makes it so good?

The combat is fairly straightforward with a mix of combos, abilities and magic but the gameplay loop is incredibly addictive. You find/craft/buy gear which grant various abilities/buffs while wearing it and as you use it in combat you gain experience with the gear until you "master" it which then permanently unlocks various abilities/buffs. Swap gear out and repeat. As you progress through the game you'll gain the ability to equip more and more of those skills you've unlocked to become a powerhouse. There's a massive tree for upgrading stats, unlocking items and learning more spells. The spells also gain xp as you use them and get more powerful as they level up. The story is also fairly straightforward but is well told and the characters are quite likeable. There are some nice twists and revelations along the way. In general the game's story is about time travel and the consequences of messing with the past.

Of note is that the game is a passion project largely created by a single dev over like 16 years. It's also quite long. I've 100% the game 3 times and the DLC twice and am sitting at about 160 hours playtime.

There is a demo to give you an idea but its fairly early in the game and this is one that gets better the more you play due to unlocking lots more. The very early game is a little mundane because you're literally starting out as a dude that's lived most his life in the woods and knows nothing except how to swing a stick.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Thanks ssringo for the lengthy replay, sounds great and right up my alley. Adding it to my wishlisht, seems like nice fuel for my Steam Deck.

 

[PanzerCute]

Last Faith is a Bloodboidia (true genre) that somehow panned out about as good as you could expect. The boss art is worth a run through in itself. Tremendously cool set-piece stuff.

Dominus is a GOTY frontrunner btw

The Last Faith is insanely good. I have no idea why this game is so underrated. Stellar game.

 

[Holammer]

I will *always* simp for Souldiers. The game was robbed by a failed launch with crazy difficulty and bugs.
Amazing music and absolutely insane pixel art. Just look it! Backgrounds have multiple layers of parallax and animation, the artistic flourishes are bonkers and the entire game looks like that, every screen a painting.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills because the game does not get the credit it deserves.

(Using a CRT Reshade)

Batbarian is similarly flawed but I love it. It also gets uncomfortably difficult and confusing to navigate later into the game, but I like the art, gameplay and Monkey Island'ish humour.

... and the classic, I have gifted it to three of my friends. That's how much I like it.
You need to earn the "Return the Favor" achievement/trophy for your life to be complete.

Yoku's is an amazing pinball/metroidvania platformer, like Cave Story I gifted it to three of my friends. In fact, I'll gift two more copies now because it's dirt cheap.

 

[Lunarorbit]

Last Faith is a Bloodboidia (true genre) that somehow panned out about as good as you could expect. The boss art is worth a run through in itself. Tremendously cool set-piece stuff.

Dominus is a GOTY frontrunner btw

I googled bloodbodia and the only thing that showed up was a another neo thread.

What is that a mash up of?

 

[MagnetoWasRight]

Timespinner

Second for Timespinner. Deedlit was also great. Just finished another playthrough of Steamworld Dig 2.

 

[Arcane0ne]

Add Timespinner,i love the game and the ost is magnificent.

 

[SolidQ]

Add Timespinner

That really nice game, w8ing for 2nd part. Hope it's gonna be longer, than 1st

 

[ssringo]

I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the sequel but I really hope the writing is better. It was one of the earlier games that leaned into the whole representation thing and it's poorly done. Very amateur writing. The rest is fairly good.

 

[Sevyne]

I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the sequel but I really hope the writing is better. It was one of the earlier games that leaned into the whole representation thing and it's poorly done. Very amateur writing. The rest is fairly good.

Amateur is putting it really nicely. I loved the game itself, but the writing was worse than a teen fanfic. I had so much to say about it and and none of it good, but anything I can say would be spoiler (if that actually matters).

Regardless of its atrocious character writing, I do recommend the game though. Skipping every dialogue box makes that game 1000% times better.

Another one I enjoyed a bit (even though it's story was a bit mid) was Iconoclasts

It did drag a little, but I had fun with it.

 

[Calverz]

 

[R6Rider]

Yoku's is an amazing pinball/metroidvania platformer,

Yoku is so good.

 

[Grizzled Ghost]

Can I get some opinions on Crypt Custodian & Islets?

They're both really good. For what I think is basically a 1 man operation, that dude's turnout is amazing. 3 solid games in 4 years.

 

[Ibara]

Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus was really great, just be aware it’s got a lot of mechanics that require you to stay airborne for a lot of fights, it’s quite challenging.
Also runs like crap on the switch

 

[jufonuk]

This is my current list of Metroidvanias (or MV adjacent) games I've played recently:

Recommended
GRIME (2021)
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (2014)
Hollow Knight (2017)
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (2016)
Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)
Shantae: Risky's Revenge (2010)
Steamworld Dig (2013)
Steamworld Dig 2 (2017)

Okay
Blasphemous (2019)
Blaster Master Zero (2017)
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (2018)
Dead Cells (2017)
Elderand (2022)
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (2012)
Minoria (2019)
The Swapper (2013)

Meh
Dust: An Elysian Tail (2012)
Haiku the Robot (2022)
Metroid: Samus Returns (2017)
The Mummy Demastered (2017)
Source of Madness (2022)
Tres-Bashers (2021)

Avoid
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus (2022)
Cookie Cutter (2023)
ICEY (2016)
The Knight Witch (2022)
The Last Case of Benedict Fox (2023)
Metroid Dread (2021)
Seasons After Fall (2016)
Skelattack (2020)

I really like Metroid Dread

 

[U n i o n 0015]

I will *always* simp for Souldiers. The game was robbed by a failed launch with crazy difficulty and bugs.
Amazing music and absolutely insane pixel art.

Yoku's is an amazing pinball/metroidvania platformer, like Cave Story I gifted it to three of my friends. In fact, I'll gift two more copies now because it's dirt cheap.

Is Souldiers still crazy difficult or did the dev balance it?

Playing Yoku's now and generally loving it.

 

[The Cockatrice]

I will *always* simp for Souldiers. The game was robbed by a failed launch with crazy difficulty and bugs.

Nah it was a pos and it got abandoned. I had a game breaking bug and couldnt advance anymore. Devs just ignored me and some other folks who had to exact same issue.

Is Souldiers still crazy difficult or did the dev balance it?

Avoid it.

 

[Holammer]

Is Souldiers still crazy difficult or did the dev balance it?

Playing Yoku's now and generally loving it.

It got a balance & bug fix patch pretty quickly. The old difficulty setting is now "Master" difficulty level if you want to experience it.
If a souls game is the occasional punch in the gut, Souldiers was constant teeth pulling.