Metroidvania fans like myself spent all of 2024 impatiently waiting forHollow Knight : Silksong , but we did n’t really need to .
Take a step back , and you ’ll see just how good of a yr 2024 was for the Metroidvania genre even without that one secret plan . From the AAA space withPrince of Persia : The Lost Crownto the indie scene with game likeNine Sols , many fantastic game send packing in this well - trodden platforming subgenre this year . You ’re doing yourself a disservice if you are n’t match out other well - made Metroidvania tile while you wait for Team Cherry to throw off the game it has been tease since 2019 .
I do not doubt that Team Cherry ’s long - awaited sequel will be a monolithic release , but we should n’t use that as an excuse to ignore how the genre evolved over the row of the year . It ’s lead astray to place all your opinions on whether a year was good for games on a single claim . The video game industry is much too divers and wealthy with choice for that — and 2024 essay it .
The many Metroidvanias of 2024
The originalHollow Knightis debate one of the in effect Metroidvanias of all time . It sported gorgeous visuals , had a lot of intriguing lore to dig into , gave player a monolithic and secret - filled world to search , and featured silky - smooth platforming . No matter which of those things aboutHollow Knightyou liked the most , some new Metroidvania game this twelvemonth appealed to that sensibility .
need to act a secret plan with gorgeous art ? Look at the stunning spiritedness ofBo : way of life of the Teal Lotusor the detailed pixel art ofGestalt : Steam & Cinder . Are narrative and military action the most important component of a Metroidvania for you ? ThenNine colloidal suspension ’ Taopunk worldand deflection - drive combat create theSekirotoHollow Knight ’s Dark Souls . And no Metroidvania this year captured the tone of wonder during geographic expedition as expertly asAnimal Welldid .
Even those who favour retro game were satiated this year with theCastlevania Dominus Collection . There are several other competent Metroidvanias that I could mention , likeBiomorph , The Devil Within : Satgat , AWAKEN — Astral Blade , Yars Rising , orPinball Spire . A quick tone at thegenre ’s new and trending Steam pagewill show how many Metroidvania games are coming out every month . Hollow Knight : Silksongmight not be out right now , but this genre is as springy as ever .
Coming for Hollow Knight’s crown
Of all the Metroidvania games that came out this year , one catch — and , in some area , surpasses — Hollow Knight . That game isPrince of Persia : The Lost Crown . secrete in January , this game brought the serial publication back to its 2D roots while innovating in the Metroidvania space . The Lost Crownis a meaty escapade that take upward of 20 hours to beat out , and not a moment of that feels like frippery .
fighting is fast and snappy , sometimes feel like a 2D version ofDevil May CryorStellar Blade . Platforming is liquid , and Ubisoft was n’t afraid to make some truly circuitous challenges that would n’t have feel out of place in a game likeCeleste . Both profit from the Metroidvania formula as their complexities heighten as players acquire more ability . On top of all that , it ’s also improbably accessible .
There are gross ton of difficultness and accessibility modifiers , and aMemory Shard systemallows players to take screenshots of significant locating and pin them to a map so they do n’t forget where to go next . Prince of Persia : The Lost CrowngivesHollow Knighta run for its money as the best recommendation for someone ’s first Metroidvania . The base gameand its DLCprovided some of the most fun I ’ve had in video game this year , and I ca n’t imagine not having played it because I just wanted to wait forSilksong .
It’s always a good year for games
There ’s a takeaway in all of this . Whenever a highly anticipated Cartesian product take a long sentence to come out , the disturbance smother the hoopla for it becomes deafening . decently now , Hollow Knight : Silksongis justly up there withNintendo Switch 2andGrand Theft Auto 6as the biggest culprits of this in the gaming space . Of all those form of address , the hype forSilksongcan be the most prejudicial because it takes away care from other indie games and other standout Metroidvanias .
Check the chat of every gambling case for the preceding couple of years and you ’ll retrieve at least a few people spamming it with plea forSilksong . Those fans can sometimes tune out announcements from indie - focused presentations like theTriple - I Initiative ShowcasebecauseSilksongdidn’t seem . Games likeThe Lost Crownseeminglyunderperform and do n’t get sequel , while some Metroidvania fans act likeSilksongis the only coming game in the place that matters .
None of that is Team Cherry ’s mistake ; the studio should take as long as it needs to craft an unforgettable experience . It ’s also OK to be excited aboutSilksong . I ’ve just discover myself discomfited in masses enjoin 2024 has been a weak twelvemonth for games because it did n’t have as many eminent - profile game launches as 2023 did or 2025 will . The state of affairs withSilksongand the Metroidvania writing style in 2024 is a microcosm of that .
The next time you ’re about to beg forHollow Knight : Silksongin a showcase chat , maybe head over to Steam and see if there ’s a new Metroidvania title that you ’re interested in play there .
