The 10 Best Metroidvania Games of All Time
Metroid? Castlevania? Why not both? And thus, the metroidvania genre was born. But what exactly is a metroidvania? It’s kinda like if you turned Mario from Super Nintendo into a gorgeous vampire and dressed him up in a sick space suit, then made him platform his way through a labyrinthian version of the Mushroom Kingdom while fighting monsters with an arsenal of cool weapons and gadgets. It’s a genre that’s part puzzler, part platformer, part adventure, and part RPG. Like a Walt Whitman poem or a Lana Del Rey song, the metroidvania contains multitudes, and these are the 1o best metroidvania games of all time.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Credit where credit is due, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is responsible for putting the “vania” in “metroidvania”—it’s that iconic. This is the story of Alucard, the fabulously stylish son of Count Dracula himself. When it comes to vampires, the apple really does fall far from the tree—Alucard is half human, impervious to sunlight, and raring to stick a stake in his dad’s heart. Often hailed as the greatest installment in the Castlevania series, Symphony of the Night is responsible for codifying many of the metroidvania genre’s defining traits. The puzzle-platforming, the RPG-like weapons system, the narrative complexity—it’s all there. Despite having hit the shelves in 1997, the game more than just holds up. Like Alucard himself, it hasn’t aged a day.
Blasphemous
The Dark Souls of the metroidvania genre, Blasphemous‘s sickening difficulty level could be interpreted as an affront to the divine order. Set in Cvstodia, a land that feels like a curated Pinterest board mashup of Catholicism, dark fantasy, and BDSM, the story follows the Penitant One—a silent knight with a big sword. On a quest to rid the world of a spiritual affliction that causes humans to mutate into tortured monsters, the Penitant One slays his way through horrors both demonic and divine. Playing this game feels like taking hallucinogens and wandering into a Renaissance Art museum, then fighting the paintings because, after all, they’re trying to kill you. Nightmarish and nightmarishly difficult, Blasphemous takes a serious amount of spiritual fortitude to complete. Some would call beating this game a miracle.
Hollow Knight
The other Dark Souls of metroidvanias, don’t let Hollow Knight‘s cute character designs fool you—like a swarm of locusts, this game will eat you alive. Set in a subterranean kingdom of bug people, you take control of an insectoid warrior attempting to rid your homeland of an alien plague. Like something out of an H.P. Lovecraft novel, The Infection is an environmental threat that’s slowly taking over the minds of insects, warping them into undead horrors. The only way to deal with them? An introduction to the business end of your needle-sized sword. Like Blasphemous, Hollow Knight is infamous for its unforgiving combat and merciless platforming. You might throw your controller at the wall in frustration, but you’ll pick it up again in due time. After all, the bugs are counting on you.
Super Metroid
The “metroid” of “metroidvania,” Super Metroid created the genre almost singlehandedly. It’s the story of Samus Aran, a superhuman soldier of the far future whose full-time job is thwarting the plans of a group of space pirates captained by an alien pterodactyl. The pirates steal a dangerous extraterrestrial parasite with the hopes of turning it into a bioweapon. Samus says, “Not on my watch.” The blueprint for all other metroidvanias, Samus’s quest to save the galaxy from evil aliens is arguably one of the most important narratives in video game history. On top of that, the franchise is also responsible for creating one of the most iconic female characters in all of gaming, the Power Suit-sporting Samus herself.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the direct sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest, a puzzle-platformer about a spirit tasked with protecting their forest world. While the original game was more focused on exploration, Will of the Wisps fleshes out the combat system into full metroidvania territory. Picking up where the first game left off, Ori is tasked with tracking down a young owl named Ku, who was separated from them in a storm. Ori’s search brings them to Niwen, a distant land suffering corruption and decay. While the sequel’s melancholic narrative certainly ruffled some feathers, the gameplay improvements upon the original are undeniable. As for the vibe of the game? If Studio Ghibli took a crack at making a metroidvania, it would look a little something like this.
Animal Well
From the mind of solo developer Billy Basso comes Animal Well, a metroidvania that is light on narrative and heavy on vibes. There’s no exposition. After waking up inside a flower, you, an adorable little ball of slime, are left to explore a subterranean jungle all on your own. There’s no map, no “hey, listen!” style helper telling you where to go. Like chocolate cake fresh from the oven, this moist and steaming world is all yours to devour. Puzzles upon puzzles are solved with the help of some unorthodox tools, including yo-yos, slinkys, and bubble wands. For what purpose? The love of the game. With a loose-to-almost-nonexistent story, Animal Well feels like a digital version of a Rubik’s Cube—you wanna solve it just because it’s there.
Yoku’s Island Express
The most adorable metroidvania ever conceived, Yoku’s Island Express is the story of Yoku, a dung beetle with a job to do. A postmaster on the island of Mokumana, Yoku rides around on a pinball to deliver mail far and wide. A metroidvania with old-school pinball mechanics, Yoku bounces around with the help of flippers and bumpers. Light on combat, Yoku makes up for the game’s minimal violence with a steady supply of good vibes. Look at that joyful face! That’s a lover, not a fighter if I ever saw one. Infectiously fun, it’s impossible to play this game without cracking a big ol’ grin. If you’re looking for a break from the grimdarkness and difficulty of modern metroidvania games, this island getaway is the vacation you deserve. But don’t slack off too hard. Yoku is employed, after all.
Nine Sols
The cat-like protagonist of Nine Sols might look like a sweet little Animal Crossing character, but Yi can kill you with a flick of his highly trained wrist. A mashup of Taoist and cyberpunk imagery, the game follows an alien species called The Solarians, who are fleeing from a deadly virus on a civilization-carrying spaceship. The cure for the disease? Human brains. On the way to Earth, our hero Yi learns that his own kind’s leaders were responsible for the affliction and decides to defend the very homo sapiens that he once sought to harvest. How? With a combination of swords, bows, and magical bombs that use the spiritual power of Qi. Like many modern metroidvanias, combat is unforgiving and revolves almost entirely around counterattacking enemies. More interested in the sci-fi vibes than the brutal battles? Thankfully, the game allows you to adjust the difficulty. If only Blasphemous were so merciful.
SteamWorld Dig 2
Tired of punishing combat? Unwind after a hard day with a little hard labor! SteamWorld Dig 2 puts you in the boots of Dorothy, a robot who came to the mining town of El Machino to look for a long-lost friend. Like a metroidvania Minecraft, the meat of the game takes place underground—Dorothy explores mining tunnels while digging for resources and fighting monsters. Stuck on a tough enemy? Schlep your cold, hard minerals to the surface and sell them for cold, hard cash, then use that cash to make your cold, hard robot body even more powerful. When you’re fighting mutant humans hopped on moonshine, you’ll need all the augmentations you can get. But don’t be intimidated! The game’s low difficulty makes it feel like a breezy minecart ride, letting you focus on hunting for shiny objects under the dirt.
Metroid Prime
Who says that a game has to be 2D to be a metroidvania? Don’t let Samus hear you, or you’re gonna take a Power Beam to the face. Recently remastered for the modern era, Metroid Prime is arguably the pinnacle of the franchise. Sent to investigate a distress signal from her mortal enemies, the Space Pirates, Samus lands on a derelict frigate overtaken by the parasitic results of the Pirates’ genetic experimentation. The resulting battle sends her to the planet of Tallon IV, a labyrinthine world full of ancient ruins and horrible monsters. Like a sci-fi Legend of Zelda, Metroid Prime revolves around collecting items and abilities that allow Samus to advance through the alien world, and defeat the extraterrestrial menace at its heart. Platforming, backtracking to unlock previously inaccessible areas, combat with a slew of weapons—all the metroidvania staples are there. Besides, Samus herself is the biggest genre staple of all.
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