Best metroidvania to buy | April 2021
It is no coincidence that the best metroidvania of recent years have often become among the most popular and played video games, also allowing for an increase in investments linked to them and the production of high quality titles. Even in the double and triple A market, several video games have adopted a playful philosophy similar to metroidvania, confirming the goodness of their game formula. In this guide, therefore, we want to try to recommend those that, in our opinion, are the best metroidvania released in recent years, bearing in mind that they are often very different video games. Before starting, we remind you that on our pages you will also find a guide dedicated to the best platformers, one to the best shooters, one to the best Western RPGs and one to the best JRPGs.
The best metroidvania
Control: Ultimate Edition Hollow Knight Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Ori and the Will of the Wisps Dead Cells The Messenger Guacamelee 2Control: Ultimate Edition
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, Nintendo Switch Control is a bit of a watershed in its genre: developed by Remedy Entertainment, the authors of Max Payne and Alan Wake, it is a very special title, which blends the basics of a third-person shooter with a three-dimensional metroidvania game structure, all with a strongly narrative approach and a deliberately cryptic and extravagant story, which is inspired by the literary current of the new weird and, from aesthetic point of view, to the geometries of brutalist architecture. Originally released on older generation consoles, at the beginning of 2021 it also arrived on PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S, with support for 60 FPS and ray tracing. The Ultimate Edition for PS4 and Xbox One, in addition to including the two DLCs, is the only one to offer a free upgrade to the next gen. In any case, whether you play on PC or console, you will have one of the best narrative metroidvania in your hands.» Click here to buy Control Ultimate Edition (PS5 / Series X) on Amazon
» Click here to buy Control Ultimate Edition on Instant Gaming
Hollow Knight
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Literally out of nowhere and funded thanks to a crowfunding campaign, Hollow Knight is one of the main architects of the rebirth of metroidvania in recent years: it was developed by Team Cherry, a tiny Australian software house that in a very short time has earned the admiration of a huge group of fans, who have also grown thanks to the public administration ssaparola. Featuring exceptional art direction, Hollow Knight throws you into the shoes of a small, insect-like knight battling a mysterious plague plaguing Hallownest's world. Given that the sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, is due to arrive in 2021, this is a great time to finally catch up and play one of the best metroidvania of recent years.» Click here to buy Hollow Knight on Instant Gaming
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch In recent years, metroidvanias have often resorted to crowfunding to be able to finance themselves: it is the case , for example, of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, by the legendary Koji Igarashi (known for the Castlevania series). Bloodstained is literally a modern version of Symphony of the Night, arguably the most popular Castlevania of all, and is something of a spiritual sequel / reinterpretation. If you loved the particular atmosphere of the 2D chapters of the Konami series and you want a video game in which nostalgia reigns supreme and that knows how to transport you back to the 90s (in which metroidvania experienced a decisive turn towards action, with lots of weapons to unlock and use and enemies to defeat), look no further: you are in front of the game for you.» Click here to buy Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on Instant Gaming
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC Microsoft saw us long when has offered to finance Moon Studios to make the two Ori, acclaimed by critics and audiences as two of the best video games of their kind. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest, compared to which it takes a big step forward in terms of overall quality, with even more accurate animated scenes, a better emphasized story (especially in key moments) and in general an improved gameplay without the small inconsistencies of the predecessor. From a visual point of view, then, the game achieves absolute excellence, painting a wonderful forest that serves as the perfect context for its poignant narrative. It is, in general, the perfect fusion between the metroidvania and the platform, as well as a title that you cannot not make yours and try at least once if you love the genre.» Click here to buy Ori and the Will of the Wisps on Gamivo
Dead Cells
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Dead Cells provides another very personal interpretation of the metroidvania structure, this time leaning on another genre, that of roguelite. Motion Twin has received almost unanimous acclaim from critics and the public, and not surprisingly: Dead Cells, in fact, is a frenetic and fun video game, which, in the long run, can even become addictive, also due to the way in which they have been study the various runs. By dying you will have to start all over again, with a few more enhancements: the particular structure of the game, however, will entice you to keep going, one game after another, until you manage to finish it. Dead Cells, among other things, has several DLCs, enclosed in a Game of the Year edition available only in retail format. The additional content, however, can also be purchased separately.» Click here to buy Dead Cells Standard Edition on CDKeys
» Click here to buy Dead Cells Standard Edition on Gamivo
The Messenger
Platform : PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch The Messenger is another of those small format productions that, however, in their small world, have a lot to offer. In this case it is a retro-looking title and old-fashioned, solid and fun gameplay, action-platform inspired and inspired by the classic Ninja Gaiden, those of the late 80s and early 90s. The metroidvania elements in The Messenger are found in the rather complex structure of the levels, although the latter, unlike other similar video games, remains fairly linear. In any case, you will face a great challenge: The Messenger, in fact, is a very hardcore video game, which does not discount anyone and offers no facilities of any kind. To get to the credits you will have to bow to its logic, otherwise you will succumb to a thousand curses: if mastered, however, the game system is capable of offering satisfactions never seen before.Guacamelee 2
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Guacamelee 2 is the sequel to one of the most successful and hilarious metroidvania of recent years, and keeps its characteristics unchanged main, adding support for co-op up to four players: the latter is an uncommon feature for the genre, which prompts us to recommend the two DrinkBox Studios titles also as improvised party games. Like its predecessor, Guacamelee 2 is a hybrid between an action brawler, similar to old school fighting games, and a two-dimensional metroidvania, in which you play as a nice Mexican luchador with superhero powers, which allow him to face a multitude of enemies at the interior of colorful worlds characterized by a strong and pungent humor. The sequel, however, evolves several features of its predecessor, making the combat system a little more complex and giving the protagonist more possibilities for exploration within the levels.» Click here to buy Guacamelee 2 on Gamivo
