Best Metroidvania Games With Skill Trees

Summary

Xeodrifter offers weapon customization, allowing players to adjust upgrades for specific challenges or boss fights.
Afterimage’s skill tree offers diverse build freedom, letting players specialize in different playstyles or approaches.
Grime’s Absorption skill tree mechanic changes player approaches by devouring foes for new abilities, enhancing gameplay.

Metroidvania-style games excel at offering an engaging cycle of exploring, discovering, and empowering the player. When a strong skill system is also included, it introduces strategic elements that can elevate a fun journey into a highly individualized experience. Whether it’s through intense battles, imaginative movement mechanics, or daring experimentation, these games provide players with the liberty to craft their unique journey across vast, interconnected realms.

Some games emphasize adaptability in combat, while others give players the freedom to customize movement or defense, but all those listed here excel at ensuring that skill advancement significantly impacts gameplay. Here are top Metroidvania experiences where the skill tree is not an optional extra, but a crucial element that enhances the overall adventure’s appeal.

Xeodrifter

Little Game, Big Customization

Initially, Xeodrifter might seem out of place among these games due to its brevity, basic graphics, and lack of an extensive storyline or detailed backstory. However, when it comes to design, it proves to be quite innovative. It compactly encapsulates the essence of a Metroidvania game into a brief playtime, prioritizing mobility enhancements and intense boss battles across four small yet interlinked planets.

This game stands out on the list due to its unique weapon customization system. Instead of providing pre-set upgrades, players gather enhancement nodes that can be adapted across various categories such as firing speed, bullet size, and dispersion. Players have the freedom to rearrange these adjustments at any moment, allowing them to create diverse setups tailored for particular boss battles or navigational obstacles. For a game of its size, it offers an impressive level of player choice and flexibility.

Afterimage

Rebirth Has Never Felt This Melancholic

In more conversational terms: Stunning graphics may initially captivate gamers in “Afterimage”, but what truly keeps them engaged is the hidden depth of an RPG beneath its artistic veneer. Every corner of the world seems thoughtfully crafted, from the crumbling remnants of Engardin to its long-lost sky realms. The lore is presented subtly, nudging players to explore and unravel the story’s sadness at their own pace.

In addition, there are the skill trees, which can be referred to as multiple trees. These intricate structures offer weapon-specific paths, elemental specializations, and upgrade options for utility. This allows players an incredible degree of flexibility in their builds, with no single approach being mandatory. Players can concentrate on mastering greatsword combos and fire damage, or opt for quick daggers and evasion enhancements – both are equally valid choices. The game progresses at a more leisurely pace than most in this list, but those who persist will find the rewards deeply satisfying and tailored to their personal playstyle.

Ori And The Will Of The Wisps

Platforming That Feels Like Poetry

In more simplified terms, the game “Ori and the Will of the Wisps” may not have as much hard-edged action, but it compensates beautifully with its smooth fluidity. The storytelling, animation, and even Ori’s swift movements through the air are all seamless, almost like a glimmering light in motion. This game is unique because moving around feels like an achievement on its own, and perfecting each jump or dash is just as fulfilling as learning a new skill. Although the combat has significantly improved from the first game, it’s still the movement that stands out the most.

The game’s skill system is divided into pieces called shards, each with different upgrade paths. This allows players to customize their characters by choosing from various passive abilities such as triple jumps, deflects, or improved ranged attacks. Since the game often challenges players with complex platforming tasks, the ability to adjust these shards at any time becomes crucial. Although there’s a lot of freedom in this system, it is carefully controlled and refined by Moon Studios, who are well-known for their meticulous design.

Axiom Verge 2

Shifting Worlds & Splintered Paths

In a bold move, Axiom Verge 2 strays from the gun-centric style of the original game and instead emphasizes exploration, hacking, and navigating through multiple dimensions. Although the fighting isn’t quite as powerful as in the previous version, the standout feature here is the intricately designed world. The environment consistently presents peculiar pocket dimensions, hidden maps, and alternate realities that are usually accessed via abstract reasoning rather than brute force.

The skill development system aligns with this approach, promoting exploration over straightforward stat increases. Instead of direct stat boosts, it offers tools that foster creativity and experimentation among players. For instance, the drone feature enables traversal through narrow areas and comes equipped with its unique enhancements and mobility options. Moreover, hacking isn’t merely an additional feature; it allows real-time reprogramming of enemies and machinery, offering a peculiar tactical twist to confrontations. This game focuses more on adapting to situations rather than solely relying on power, which sets it apart in the genre.

Blasphemous

Hallowed Be Thy Blade

The game, titled Blasphemous, isn’t overly concerned with being welcoming. Instead, it’s densely packed with religious symbols, gruesome pixelated violence, and warped bosses reminiscent of a nightmarish middle ages. However, as players gradually get accustomed to its demanding block-and-attack mechanics and animation-tied combos, they will discover that it offers one of the most gratifying Metroidvania experiences available. It’s also unique in that the platforming segments seem to mirror the protagonist’s struggle.

In the game Blasphemous, the skill tree might appear straightforward at first, offering only a few additional sword techniques and endings. However, upon closer examination, it becomes apparent that each upgrade serves a unique purpose. Some are crucial for navigating more challenging boss encounters, while others unlock quicker paths or intricate fighting strategies unavailable before. Combined with the Rosary bead system and prayer slots, players ultimately design a character build that mirrors their journey through hardship. Strangely enough, this seems fitting within the game’s narrative.

F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch

When Your Fist Is Literally A Skill Tree

Taking a game about a rabbit with a dieselpunk mech-arm seriously seems challenging… until you begin throwing punches. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is a remarkable success story from a small Chinese studio, featuring a unique fighting system that combines combos, aerials, and cancels in a way that feels more like a brawler than a typical Metroidvania game. This is what makes the game so engaging.

In this game, each weapon comes with a unique skill set, offering players numerous combinations for attacks and maneuvers. The Drill and Whip aren’t merely additional features; they open up entirely new ways to play. These abilities are more than just special effects, as many of them serve dual purposes, solving environmental puzzles or helping in the discovery of hidden secrets. The city of Torch is vast, full of vertical landscapes and hidden treasures that can only be unearthed by players who invest equally in their mobility and combat skills.

Grime

Where Every Point Spent Feels Like A Tiny Revolution

Experiencing Grime offers a unique sense of release, almost therapeutic in a way. It’s not merely due to its intense fight sequences or its unsettling blend of biomechanical imagery, but because it challenges the notion that evolution must be pristine. Unlike many games, it seamlessly blends Soulslike combat mechanics with Metroidvania-style exploration, such that defeat frequently feels like a learning opportunity instead of a setback. The world design may purposefully appear ominous and uninviting, yet paradoxically, it exerts an irresistible pull. Those who persevere through its initially rough early stages often discover a dark underworld teeming with hidden treasures and intricate, changing pathways.

In this game, the skill progression revolves around a unique mechanism called Absorption. This feature allows players to block enemy attacks, then consume their foes to acquire fresh abilities. These aren’t simple stat upgrades; they transform into entirely novel methods for moving or surviving. For instance, you can learn to deflect projectiles or uncover ground shatters that not only deal damage but also serve as mobility tools. Each upgrade significantly alters the way players interact with the game environment. It’s a rough, quirky, and utterly distinct experience compared to other games in the genre.

2025-08-29 05:35