Metroidvania

Description

Metroidvania is a subgenre of Action games. The term is a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania and refers to games that feature the most distinctive gameplay concepts of the Metroid games and later Castlevania games, starting with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (although Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is sometimes considered to be in the same category). Games of this genre feature gameplay in an explorable world that is gated in content mainly by specific abilities that need to be acquired by the player, and which gradually opens up more as the player overcomes its obstacles. Generally these games have a central hub from which the player can move to various interconnected areas or levels, some degree of persistency to their game worlds and some degree of non-linear progression while subtly guiding the player towards the next intended path.

The vast majority of Metroidvania games use a side scrolling perspective like the games the term derives from and the term was for a long time used to describe only such games, but this is no longer a requirement. Top-down or bird's-eye view (e.g. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening) or 3D games (e.g. Batman: Arkham Asylum) can also share these concepts.

Metroidvania games often feature mild RPG elements such as stat-based character development (upgradable health, strength and luck for example), respawning enemies, NPCs that talk to the player and trading for gear and items.

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Game Title
1000 Amps Windows (2012) and Macintosh (2012) 1000 Amps is a monochrome puzzle game played as a platformer. The player controls Plug and has to restore the...
3000th Duel Windows (2019), Macintosh (2019) and Nintendo Switch (2020)
Adventure Apes and the Mayan Mystery Windows (2012)
The Adventures of Captain Comic DOS (1988) and NES (1989) You are Captain Comic, galactic hero. Your mission is to recover three treasures from the planet Omsoc, which have been...
AeternoBlade Windows (2020), Nintendo 3DS (2014), PS Vita (2014), Windows Apps (2017), PlayStation 4 (2015), Xbox One (2017) and Nintendo Switch (2018)
AeternoBlade II PlayStation 4 (2019), Xbox One (2019) and Nintendo Switch (2019)
AeternoBlade II: Director's Rewind Windows (2020)
Aggelos Windows (2018), PlayStation 4 (2019), Xbox One (2019) and Nintendo Switch (2019)
Ainevoltas Windows (2005) Ainevoltas is a small freeware 2D platformer with some very minor RPG elements. Players control Justin as he needs to...
Ainevoltas II Windows (2008) Ainevoltas II is a 2D platformer with minor RPG elements. It is the sequel to the earlier game Ainevoltas, but...
Aliens: Infestation Nintendo DS (2011) Aliens: Infestation is a side-scrolling action/platformer that takes heavy inspiration from Nintendo's Metroid series and from latter-day Castlevania side-scrollers. Infestation...
Alwa's Legacy Linux (2020), Windows (2020), Macintosh (2020) and Nintendo Switch (2020)
AM2R: Return of Samus Windows (2016) AM2R: Return of Samus is a fangame and a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus using the art and...
Antichamber Linux (2014), Windows (2013) and Macintosh (2014) Antichamber is a first-person puzzle game set in non-Euclidean space. The player has to learn his way through set of...
Antiflux Windows (2016)
An Untitled Story Windows (2007) In An Untitled Story, you begin as an egg in your nest, and the rest is up to you to...
Aquaria Linux (2013), Windows (2007), Macintosh (2008), Android (2013) and iPad (2011) Naija lives in a city on a rock floating high in the sky. She dreams of the ocean, painting pictures...
A Robot Named Fight! Linux (2017), Windows (2017), Macintosh (2017), Windows Apps (2018) and Nintendo Switch (2018)
Ascent of Kings iPhone (2013), Android (2013), iPad (2013), Wii U (2015), Ouya (2013) and New Nintendo 3DS (2017)
A Valley without Wind Linux (2014), Windows (2012) and Macintosh (2012) A Valley Without Wind is set on the continent Environ which is overrun by monsters and their masters, the evil...
Axiom Verge Linux (2015), Windows (2015), Macintosh (2015), PS Vita (2016), Wii U (2016), PlayStation 4 (2015), Xbox One (2016) and Nintendo Switch (2017) Axiom Verge is a 2D metroidvania platform shooter centered around the protagonist Trace, a scientist who, after an experiment gone...
BALL! Windows (2019) and Nintendo Switch (2020)
Banjo-Tooie Nintendo 64 (2000), Xbox 360 (2009), Xbox One (2015) and Xbox Cloud Gaming (2021) After two years under the rock, Gruntilda is finally set free from her death bed by her two sisters. As...
Batbarian: Testament of the Primordials Windows (2020) and Nintendo Switch (2020)
Batman: Arkham Asylum Windows (2009), Xbox 360 (2009), Macintosh (2011) and PlayStation 3 (2009) Once again, Batman has captured and returned the Joker to Arkham Asylum. Unfortunately, the inmates have taken over and the...

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Metroidvania

Description

Critic Score

MobyScore

Gameplay