Discover the Most Expansive Metroidvania Worlds You Need to Explore Now!

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Summary

  • Metroidvania games feature expansive landscapes, diverging from claustrophobic settings.
  • Different environments in the genre offer diverse experiences, from atmospheric platformers to anime-inspired titles.
  • Titles like Cathedral and Hollow Knight balance expansive worlds with engaging gameplay mechanics.

In some cases, the tightly packed environments typical of the Metroidvania genre, like intricate mazes and narrow passages, are replaced by vast, open landscapes. This shift occurs for narrative or gameplay purposes, and the interconnected landscape within these games is frequently seen as an integral part of the characters themselves. Therefore, whether it expands or contracts, this landscape’s development carries significant thematic weight.

The Metroidvania genre continues to be as varied and interconnected as the settings within its games, ranging from critically acclaimed atmospheric platformers to grand, anime-inspired action titles that push boundaries.

8. Cathedral

An 8-Bit Fantasy Platformer With The Scope Of Modern Titles

  • Released: October 31, 2019
  • Developer(s): Decemberborn Interactive
  • Platform(s): Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Evercade
  • Genre(s): Retro-Inspired, Metroidvania

In a nod to classic games, Decemberborn Interactive’s 2019 indie title, Cathedral, features old-school eight-bit graphics and music that competes with some of the best tunes from third-generation console games. It appears to draw influence from iconic Metroidvania games. Yet, what sets Cathedral apart is its expansive world – over 600 interconnected rooms – which offers an unprecedented level of exploration compared to the retro titles it emulates.

The game, Cathedral, takes players on a quest to retrieve five elemental orbs scattered across various pixel-art landscapes that are visually distinct. This game beautifully combines the charm of 8 and 16-bit graphics, made possible by today’s advanced technology, as a tribute to classic games from yesteryears.

7. Aeterna Noctus

The Sprawlng Metroidvania Twist On A Classic Tale Of Endless Struggle

  • Released: December 14, 2021
  • Developer(s): Aeternum Game Studios
  • Platform(s): Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • Genre(s): Soulslike, Metroidvania

Although Aeterna Noctis’ plot appears conventional with its theme of immortal dueling warriors, Aeternum Game Studios’ 2021 release, surprisingly, deviated from this narrative and the Metroidvania genre, earning high praise as a groundbreaking debut from the Spanish team.

Despite the game’s rich variety of content from numerous merchants and side-quests, players appear to struggle with Aeterna Noctis’ vast scale. Its 16 interconnected regions demonstrate the grandeur of Aeternum Game Studios’ endeavor, but some players find themselves lost or stuck within the game. As the game is so expansive, there’s a question whether Aeterna Noctis would be more player-friendly if its world was condensed into a smaller play area.

6. Knytt Underground

A Titanic World Developed By One Person & Filled With A Murky Atmosphere

  • Released: October 25, 2013
  • Developer(s): Nifflas’ Games
  • Platform(s): Steam, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo WiiU
  • Genre(s): Indie, Precision Platformer, Metroidvania

In Nicklas Nygren’s sprawling Metroidvania game, Knytt Underground, players are encouraged to delve into more than 1,800 rooms. Given its intricate maze-like structure, it’s quite easy for players to get lost. Launched by the indie game designer on itch.io in late 2013, Knytt Underground serves as an extensive examination of both Nifflas’ Games’ Knytt series and the Metroidvania genre.

Although it only requires approximately 25 hours to traverse, the diversity of locations in Knytt Underground is both awe-inspiring and overpowering. The abundance of content within it deserves praise, but its world, which appears to be six times larger than iconic games like Super Metroid, offers vast landscapes with minimal guidance, resulting in some unproductive detours and disorganized exploration.

5. Lone Fungus

A Cutesy Explorative Platformer With An Extensive World of Flora

Although it may seem smaller compared to some contemporary Metroidvanias, the 10 distinct areas in Lone Fungus still pose a challenging task for many players to conquer. Players can fully explore and examine its diverse biomes within approximately 20 hours, making Basti Games’ 2023 Metroidvania an expansive experience, but one that doesn’t diminish the overall gameplay of Lone Fungus.

In 2023, it was announced that a sequel to the game “Lone Fungus: Melody of Spores,” developed by Basti Games and taking place in a world from thousands of years before the original, is currently being developed. This means more Metroidvania-style adventures featuring our anthropomorphic mushroom protagonist are on the horizon!

4. TEVI

A Creative Yet Adorable Interpretation Of Metroidvania & Bullet-Hell Environments

2023’s Metroidvania game “TEVI,” crafted by Taiwanese studio CreSpirit who are known for creating exploration-focused platformers, offers a vast, interconnected map. This game draws influence from anime and the bullet-hell genre, showcasing a charming kawaii art style. With an arsenal of over 300 different equipment and items at your disposal, TEVI’s world – teeming with various cultures and biomes – serves as a sprawling side-scrolling playground.

TEVI’s blend of bullet-hell and action-platformer genres, spanning a lengthy 50 hours, offers a remarkably balanced game world among modern Metroidvania games, where exploration is both deep and extensive.

3. Afterimage

A Hand-Drawn Title That Puts Narrative & Scale At The Forefront

Although Aurogon is well-known for developing cinematic role-playing games, their first Metroidvania game offers more than just a smoothly animated platformer. Players are encouraged to explore the extensive world of Engardin, delving “deeper into the ruins of this interconnected world.” The narrative of Afterimage skillfully combines its legacy with the open-ended structure typical of Metroidvania games.

Afterimage offers a broad spectrum of investigative capabilities and adaptable combat mechanics to shape an expansive narrative. Players have been impressed by the 2023 release, commending it for the open-ended nature of many sections. The game’s approximately 40-hour completion is distributed seemingly uniformly across its diverse content offerings.

2. Hollow Knight

The Critically & Commercially Acclaimed 2D Gothic Metroidvania

In the years since its release in 2017, Hollow Knight has earned its place as a modern classic within the Metroidvania genre due to numerous factors. However, precisely identifying these reasons can be quite a wide-ranging task. The game’s setting, Hallownest, is filled with imaginative and peculiar characters, and it’s navigated using what many consider some of the best 2D action-platforming the genre has to offer. Moreover, the game offers players an intricately detailed and completely unique subterranean world to discover.

Although Hollow Knight may seem relatively small next to some massive Metroidvania games released lately, its world is significantly larger than titles like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It takes approximately 60 hours to fully uncover every nook and cranny of Hallownest’s subterranean labyrinth, with a variety of visual styles and atmospheres that stretch out across an expansive landscape. Yet, despite its size, Hollow Knight remains easy for players to explore creatively.

1. Rain World

A Survival Platformer That Places Its Metroidvania Inspiration On Its Sleeve

Despite Metroidvania games typically offering a gradual reveal of game mechanics and world elements, allowing players to ultimately conquer the game landscape, it’s commonplace in this genre. However, Rain World, a 2017 survival platformer by Videocult, turns this convention on its head as the main danger comes from the environment itself. This title subverts the usual trope where players are dominant, instead placing them in a challenging and unforgiving ecosystem.

Although you can finish most of the main content in Rain World within approximately 20 hours, the majority of the game’s almost 70-hour duration is dedicated to helping the player and their Slugcat character become more proficient at navigating the game’s wet environment. However, while its gloomy setting and heavy atmosphere create a sense of pressure for the main character, the world in Rain World might not be as expansive as some other current games – but its vastness enhances the themes of vulnerability and resilience it presents.

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2025-02-08 09:39