The soundtrack of that game still randomly plays in my head often, like how did even the aldwynn SEWER track go that hard, it’s a sewer level it had no right sounding that great
Monster Boy is my current game and it's amazing. I always thought it was very little known, considering the quality the game has. Your video won me over right away, great!!!
Astalon was my favourite MV of the year the year I played it (like 2021 I think). One of the best parts of it is that it straight up tells you to use invincibility frames to get past obstacles, letting you know that can be the intended solution. Absolutely fantastic in so many ways. Requiring 100% map & item completion to access the true ending is bullshit however. I made it to like 96% or something and there was nothing to go on for the rest. Some items that weren't marked on the map that I didn't get and certainly didn't need, I suppose. The true ending isn't even worth it. I would love for it to get a sequel (or prequel, maybe seeing the wizard's adventures as a younger man) some day.
Technically, Astalon: Tears of the Earth is Episode 2 in the series, so I'm certain more are on the way. And I totally agree with the true ending requirements. It's complete BS
Wario Land 3 is one of the best metroid-vania games I've ever played! It's a puzzle-platformer where, in order to clear an obstacle, you have to be altered by a specific enemy. You explore the levels to find a key and a corresponding chest. Objects are obtained that change the structure of previous levels, providing new puzzles and chests. Gameplay and levels are surprisingly renewed, denser and richer. It's rewarding to quickly redo old puzzles, facilitated by our knowledge and mechanically through new powers that unlock shortcuts. You make the level your own. The character is immortal, which is original, but alterations paralyze us or expel us momentarily when suffered outside their appropriate framework. You don't have to restart the level from the beginning if you're hit, but you can't farm life to get past an obstacle. Attempts are unlimited, but you have to get past the obstacle without taking the wrong shot. Unlike other Wario Land games, coin collecting is virtually useless and very unobtrusive, which avoids detracting from the rhythm and immersion of the puzzles. Unlike a Metroid with a vast map, here the levels, numerous and highly replayable, are more compartmentalized and designed for a short but addictive gameplay loop.
Monster boy is the most polished game on the list. If you've enjoyed the monsterworld games youre in for a treat. Aggelos is a poor version of monster boy. Astalon is probably the most underrated of the list though.
Death's Gambit is perfect. The OG version was amazing, but the Afterlife DLC is so much more than anyone could have anticipated. Definately worth paying every euro. The Eldritch hand sees you, Observer!
I know it’s a new one, but I’m surprised I don’t see Disney’s Illusion Island talked about more in the Metroidvania space. The world is fantastical and gorgeous, the hand-drawn style is fantastic, the platforming is precise and clean, it’s designed to work as either a solo adventure or an up-to 4-player co-op, and it has a neat twist where you don’t engage in any direct combat, so you have to approach everything without the standard “kill everything you see” strategy Metroidvanias typically employ. It’s such a good game.
Unsighted is one of my all-time favorites. I bought it on Steam when it released, and then got a collector's edition for the Switch because I needed a fancy physical copy.
Heh. I had only played two from the list (Death’s Gambit Afterlife and Astalon). A few like Lost Ruins I’ve been interested in for a while, but a lot of them I had never even really looked into. Ghost Song and Elderand at least are definitely going on my list of games to look out for now at the very least.
In my opinion Lost Ruins is not a Metroidvania. There is no backtacking. The game play is pretty linear. The only items you get are weapon, armor, and food. There is no character progression or skill unlocks. The only thing that really blocks off sections of the map are locked doors where you just have to find a key or solve a puzzle. At points it reminds me of Castlevania before SotN. So that might why some call it a MetroidVania
I like the detailed explanation for each game instead of just random stuff. I don't need to play greatest games all the time just the right ones to ease me into life. I really appreciate the dialogue. Please increase the quality to 1080p.
I'm so glad you added Astalon which I agree is completely underrated, apart from that game and Lost Ruins I never felt the other games where worth time, broken gameplay, boring world never made it enough to dive in. But Astallon of boy such a love letter to 8bit era games and and yet still feels modern enough that it's fun and accessible yet hard enough that it's rewarding. I would have liked to see the two Bloodstained: Curse of the moon and its sequel which I think are both underrated games. Astallon as number 1 on your list makes me command great respect to you sir as Metroidvania fan. I 100% agree.
Sundered, F.I.S.T. and Dust: An Elysian Tale are a few of my most underrated Metroidvanias. All are incredible and all get left off of lists all the time.
Man, i'm currently playing through F.I.S.T. right now, and it's FREAKING AMAZING! The movement, the combos, well made graphics and background desing, how each weapon has its own style... damn! I'm very shocked how there's not many people talking about it. It truly deserves more recognition.
Out of those 3 I think FIST is a top tier Metroidvania. The other two are great as well. The Metroidvania I always recommend is Iconoclasts. One of my favorite games and so underrated.
I was pleasantly surprised with Pseudoregalia. It is indeed a metroidvania in terms of progression, and even if the combat and story could be a bit lacking, it compensates all that with great mobility and immersive environments for any low-poly fans.
Great list. So many great games on here. Unsighted is a GEM. 9.5 of 10. Also if you dont want to play with the timer on you can turn it off and take your time with it.
I am so happy to see unsighted here. I just finished that game and letme tell you... It was f.in amazing. For a game that was made by 2 people it is very good. Story is bit basic but i just love any game with parry mechanic and chips(like charms from hollow knight) variety makes the game amazing. I can't wait for their next game.
Phoenotopia: Awakening would be #1 on my list, and I’ve been wondering for a while if you played it and didn’t care for it, or if it’s flown under your radar so far. Alwa’s Legacy would also make my list, but I’m much less passionate about that one.
Monster Boy, уеs, it is not an easy game, but it has strong adventure roots, its more like zelda-style game for me, with complicated level design. Very strong game in these terms.
4:10 I don't get why this is considered horrible. Are people used to very fast paced spectacle fighting, button mashing and expecting waves of flashy wind attacks and nothing else? It used to be that in older metroidvanias and also dark souls, some weapons might be powerful but they had a slow swing. As long as there are weapons that are shorter but faster it's fine. Or if it's all like this, ok you get used to it. I am not fun of the very excessive press fire button to see barrage of attacks in a spectracle fighting show.
Deaths Gambit Afterlife is shockingly excellent & is one of the best metroidvanias ive played. I really enjoyed MoonScars & Ghost Song. Currently on my Blasphemous 2 playthrough 😁
Completely agree with Death's Gambit and Unsighted, I absolutely loved those two games!! I would also add Cathedral to the list, I think too many people see screenshots and shrug it off as a Shovel Knight clone, when in reality it is a brutally challenging retro MV.
Aggelos means angel in greek.The first letter is pronounced à,like when you say"gun"and the double g sounds like one g,like when you say"gun"again.In the greek alphabet there is no dedicated letter for "g",instead we use double "gama",which looks like this "γγ".I believe that is the reason the developers of this game used double g instead of one.Great game by the way.
I absolutely loved Death's Gambit, SteamWorld Dig 2, Ghost Song, Unsighted, and Aggelos. I need to try the other games on this list. I recently played through Dark Light and I honestly liked it, although it felt a little short. I also agree with the ridiculous map in Aggelos.
Great content! Any chance of doing a metroidvania analysis on "Lone Fungus"? I finished the game after hearing so much hype about it but the game felt like it had unnecessarily high skill ceiling with its two traversal skills (the midair roll and ricochet wall slash). Some jumping puzzles i just completely gave up on because it wanted me to do a perfect ceiling hit will rolling after a series of tricky traversals (leave alone the spinning maces that you have to perfect the timing of). I was retrying this section for over an hour and then just gave up because i could have finished a more significant part of any other metroidvania map by the time it took me to just try getting this one section off. It felt like a time waste because the tutorials were not comprehensive enough to get one used to the mechanics. It could have worked out if they made the player get used to the mechanics gradually during general exploration but it didnt seemed to be the case in my playthrough
I plan on doing Lone Fungus some day. I haven’t played it yet, but look forward to it. I’m not big on MVs that prioritize high-difficulty platforming, but I’ll definitely try it.
@@MetroidvaniaGuruThe main game is rather easy platforming wise. You do want to do some to grab a few power ups, but it's not like it's constant Path of Pain as it is on Aeterna Noctis.
Astalon is definiely one of the best to come out in a few years.. The updated Death's Gambit still feels jank to me - i tried my hardest to play it but nah.... it''s broke. Other than that, great list.
Astalon and Steamworld Dig 2 have both made my top 100 favorite games list (I've played more than 1000 games in my life). It blows my mind that NOBODY talks about these games, seriously. Not only are they fantastic Metroidvania's, but they're just nearly perfect games in general.
I have a few recommendations for ya. One of my all-time favorites that seemingly got played by no one that I'll tell every metroidvania fan about is Castle in the Darkness. It's by Matt Kap who also worked on Astalon, and a sequel is being worked on. Environmental Station alpha i also an under looked one, that has a deep post game filled with secrets and what not that are pretty hard to sus out on your own. Save me Mr Tako if you love GameBoy Color Kirby aesthetic and/or Octopus. Aggelos is a pretty decent Monster Boy like.
Most of those are at least known though, at least in our niche collective of diehard MV fans. Phoenotopia: Awakening IMO has to be the most unknown and underrated metroidvania ever, also one of the best. I was honestly sad when the creator announced he wasn't working in a second game anymore due to the poor sales of the first one. It just ripped my heart, I would gladly pay full price for another game in such a vivid and lore rich world.
Unsighted was pretty good. I think its selling point is in completing its challenges, rather than the first main story playthrough. I had a lot of fun doing the boss trials, and the extra achievement completions, but the game can drag in a regular playthrough. I'd gotten lost at points, and that was a pain. It didn't help that places I got lost in had a pretty dull soundtrack.
haha the timing! I was at number 2 when I thought that man, Astalon is also an underrated game and there it was at 1! By the way, have you played "Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread"? I think that's a game that I've seen maybe just one time over all the internet, it's crazy!
Can you recommend me some good metroidvanias that are available on the ps4 or ps5 that aren't super challenging and don't have soul'slike or Rougelite features in them? I don't want to be recommended stuff like bloodstained, the messenger, hollow knight or other popular metroidvanias that most people already know about and have played. Let me know some metroidvanias that you think I'd should check out.
Yeah have Death's Gambit good to know that Afterlife made it better. I played it and while I liked the boss fights I felt the game was very disjointed from the story and even the different areas. I would say another underrated Metoidvania is Pronty.
10. Bailed on Monster Boy after 90 minutes, sick of the pig. 7. Had my eye on this one. 6. Surprised to see this one, but I will admit I only got around to playing Steamworld Dig recently. 4. Still waiting to hear more people talking about Ghost Song. 3. The idea of Unsighted being untimed keeps me at bay, even though I know you can disable the timer. I'm a little surprised you're going to say this one counts when I've seen some other stances you've taken about what *doesn't* count as a metroidvania. 2. On my wishlist. 1. Good pick. I'm grateful this was the recommendation I got when I asked on an internet forum.
Unsighted fucking owns. It and Astalon are 2 of the best games of the last fews years and deserve a LOT more attention. Even Neil Druckman thought he should praise Unsighted... Which is better than TLoU Part II. Don't getme wrong, Part II is a great game, but unsighted is the game, i don't know, Nintendo should be looking at in terms of level design of a continuous, comprehensive world. It would be a great inspiration for a next 2D Zelda or Metroid (the games that, in turn and together with a lot of others, inspired Unsighted).
Unsighted is so good. More people need to play it. It's great and the combat is so fun. Great world. So many options. Plus having to option to turn off the timer is great since there's so much to explore and do.
Holy shit. I`ve watched a few of this bastard`s videos as an old castlevania SOTN Fan and this man speaks the truth in his videos about the metrid vania games. finished HK a few days ago and now i`m loking for another great MV Game to play. thanks pal
I played thru astalon TOTE like 3 times.. its prolly one of the best old school style metroidvanias I've ever played.. it is just fun to play and u don't find many of those types of games that often anymore
Ghost song is so so so underrated. I personally liked more than dread. The story was dope to. Agree with music and atmosphere as well. BTW, monster boy, so fun. Way better than eggelos 😂 but each Thierry own
If anyones looking for a good Metroidvania with a surprisingly mature and smart story i highly recommed Iconoclasts. Ive been singing that games praises for like 5 years now. You play as a mechanic living in a totalitarian government where jobs are assigned to citizens. If you try to do a different job its considered a sin. The game has awesome characters, themes about Religion and manipulation, and an ending that is beyond frightning with its implications.
Only game on the list I would object to is Steam World Dig 2 - just cuz it is already popular... and while a very good game it isn't really what I would call great. For my own list - I would put Valdis Story. Solid fundamentals, fun, challenging bosses, multiple character playthroughs, & I think they did a very good job of narratively hooking you into navigating the world.
Death's Gambit never clicked with me. Huge fan of both Metroidvanias and Soulslikes, but the overall game feel of that title was always super off in my mind - nothing felt weighty, everything lacked impact. That said, I never played the rework they released a while ago, maybe that one is better in that regard? Oh and Astalon is the absolute shit. Fantastic game that just keeps on giving and getting bigger and more intricate the longer it goes. Great stuff.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru in the 90s, when I was starting to watch animes and read some mangas, I was 16-17 y.o. (maybe 18) and i found some new friends I found new friends to play D&D with and they liked manga and anime too. Here, in Spain, both things were hard to find... it was not too "normalized" any of these things. I remember those distant days as days when I studied for High School, days listening to Prodigy, roleplaying... playing with friends on the Playstation and the Mega Drive and the Super NES and of course; days when I watched many animes and thanks to my Friends, I was able to read even more manga than I could buy on my own. Dragon Half was one of those special ones that stuck in my mind. And his author has a very unique drawing style. This video has brought to me many old memories again... thanks ^^
@@MetroidvaniaGuru Yep. The 90s, ye olde good days. xD And here we are... with (at least, by my part) more than 40 years in my back, and still enjoying all the things we loved from our youth. ^^
Ghosong was my fav MV of the year. It’s just sooooo good.
Death’s Gambit Afterlife was one of the best experiences of my gaming career. If there was ever a criminally underrated game, it’s this one.
I feel exactly the same. Insanely good game with an atmosphere that stays with you.
The soundtrack of that game still randomly plays in my head often, like how did even the aldwynn SEWER track go that hard, it’s a sewer level it had no right sounding that great
This channel is gonna be huge, mark my words
I appreciate your faith. I'm doing my best to put the work in.
Ghost Song and especially Astalon are some of my favorite Metroidvanias
Monster Boy is my current game and it's amazing. I always thought it was very little known, considering the quality the game has. Your video won me over right away, great!!!
I am binging your channel and loving it! Death’s Gambit was incredible, even in its first outing. One of the best.
Astalon was my favourite MV of the year the year I played it (like 2021 I think). One of the best parts of it is that it straight up tells you to use invincibility frames to get past obstacles, letting you know that can be the intended solution. Absolutely fantastic in so many ways.
Requiring 100% map & item completion to access the true ending is bullshit however. I made it to like 96% or something and there was nothing to go on for the rest. Some items that weren't marked on the map that I didn't get and certainly didn't need, I suppose. The true ending isn't even worth it.
I would love for it to get a sequel (or prequel, maybe seeing the wizard's adventures as a younger man) some day.
Technically, Astalon: Tears of the Earth is Episode 2 in the series, so I'm certain more are on the way.
And I totally agree with the true ending requirements. It's complete BS
Great video and content mate, keep it up. Subbed !
Thanks 🙏
Great channel, just earned yourself a new follower.
And wow, deaths gambit looks so good, my next game for sure.
Thank you
Wario Land 3 is one of the best metroid-vania games I've ever played!
It's a puzzle-platformer where, in order to clear an obstacle, you have to be altered by a specific enemy. You explore the levels to find a key and a corresponding chest. Objects are obtained that change the structure of previous levels, providing new puzzles and chests. Gameplay and levels are surprisingly renewed, denser and richer.
It's rewarding to quickly redo old puzzles, facilitated by our knowledge and mechanically through new powers that unlock shortcuts. You make the level your own.
The character is immortal, which is original, but alterations paralyze us or expel us momentarily when suffered outside their appropriate framework. You don't have to restart the level from the beginning if you're hit, but you can't farm life to get past an obstacle. Attempts are unlimited, but you have to get past the obstacle without taking the wrong shot.
Unlike other Wario Land games, coin collecting is virtually useless and very unobtrusive, which avoids detracting from the rhythm and immersion of the puzzles.
Unlike a Metroid with a vast map, here the levels, numerous and highly replayable, are more compartmentalized and designed for a short but addictive gameplay loop.
what was the game playing toward the end of the intro? with the guy swinging from vines?
Ultros. It’s not out yet. I think it might be a PS exclusive.
Astalon better be in this video and do not forget Aggelos.
Monster boy is the most polished game on the list. If you've enjoyed the monsterworld games youre in for a treat. Aggelos is a poor version of monster boy.
Astalon is probably the most underrated of the list though.
Always looking for new Metroidvania content you got a new subscriber
Death's Gambit is perfect. The OG version was amazing, but the Afterlife DLC is so much more than anyone could have anticipated. Definately worth paying every euro. The Eldritch hand sees you, Observer!
I know it’s a new one, but I’m surprised I don’t see Disney’s Illusion Island talked about more in the Metroidvania space. The world is fantastical and gorgeous, the hand-drawn style is fantastic, the platforming is precise and clean, it’s designed to work as either a solo adventure or an up-to 4-player co-op, and it has a neat twist where you don’t engage in any direct combat, so you have to approach everything without the standard “kill everything you see” strategy Metroidvanias typically employ. It’s such a good game.
Unsighted is one of my all-time favorites. I bought it on Steam when it released, and then got a collector's edition for the Switch because I needed a fancy physical copy.
Gimme your collector's edition.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru You'll have to pry it from my cold, dead, insufficiently roboqueer hands.
@@JediMB this is the correct response
Astalon is my favorite Metroidvania.
Heh. I had only played two from the list (Death’s Gambit Afterlife and Astalon). A few like Lost Ruins I’ve been interested in for a while, but a lot of them I had never even really looked into. Ghost Song and Elderand at least are definitely going on my list of games to look out for now at the very least.
In my opinion Lost Ruins is not a Metroidvania. There is no backtacking. The game play is pretty linear. The only items you get are weapon, armor, and food. There is no character progression or skill unlocks. The only thing that really blocks off sections of the map are locked doors where you just have to find a key or solve a puzzle. At points it reminds me of Castlevania before SotN. So that might why some call it a MetroidVania
@6:23 are you talking about Symphony of the Night when you say "Symphony"?
Yes, I mean Symphony of the Night. Sometimes I just call it Symphony. My bad.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru BTW what do you think of Symphony of the Night's spiritual successor and unofficial sequel "Ritual of the Night"?
I like the detailed explanation for each game instead of just random stuff. I don't need to play greatest games all the time just the right ones to ease me into life. I really appreciate the dialogue. Please increase the quality to 1080p.
Another one that gets overlooked is Blast Birgade and the evil Legion of Dr. Cread, absolutely worth playing
Three words:
Environmental Station Alpha
Thank you for making this list! I’ve never heard of some of these gems…instant follower….
Well, well, Death's Gambit again... I keep hearing about it, probably the highest time to start!
Do it!
I'm so glad you added Astalon which I agree is completely underrated, apart from that game and Lost Ruins I never felt the other games where worth time, broken gameplay, boring world never made it enough to dive in. But Astallon of boy such a love letter to 8bit era games and and yet still feels modern enough that it's fun and accessible yet hard enough that it's rewarding. I would have liked to see the two Bloodstained: Curse of the moon and its sequel which I think are both underrated games. Astallon as number 1 on your list makes me command great respect to you sir as Metroidvania fan. I 100% agree.
Environmental Station Alpha is one of my Favorited underrated Metroidvanias
Excellent video, I now have some cool titles to add to my wishlist thanks to you. Cheers !🙏
Evil Tonight is one of my underrated gems. I have yet to finish it because I’ve fucked up using all the health boxes before a boss fight lol.
Sundered, F.I.S.T. and Dust: An Elysian Tale are a few of my most underrated Metroidvanias. All are incredible and all get left off of lists all the time.
Man, i'm currently playing through F.I.S.T. right now, and it's FREAKING AMAZING! The movement, the combos, well made graphics and background desing, how each weapon has its own style... damn! I'm very shocked how there's not many people talking about it. It truly deserves more recognition.
Out of those 3 I think FIST is a top tier Metroidvania. The other two are great as well.
The Metroidvania I always recommend is Iconoclasts. One of my favorite games and so underrated.
I was pleasantly surprised with Pseudoregalia.
It is indeed a metroidvania in terms of progression, and even if the combat and story could be a bit lacking, it compensates all that with great mobility and immersive environments for any low-poly fans.
Great list. So many great games on here. Unsighted is a GEM. 9.5 of 10. Also if you dont want to play with the timer on you can turn it off and take your time with it.
YES, I love Astalon! Excellent choice. Love the video, nice job!
Did you play Strider - released in 2014?
WIthout a doubt, I have play Astalon: Tears of the Earth, and it was addictive to not put down.
Awesome list!
I am so happy to see unsighted here. I just finished that game and letme tell you... It was f.in amazing. For a game that was made by 2 people it is very good. Story is bit basic but i just love any game with parry mechanic and chips(like charms from hollow knight) variety makes the game amazing. I can't wait for their next game.
Phoenotopia: Awakening would be #1 on my list, and I’ve been wondering for a while if you played it and didn’t care for it, or if it’s flown under your radar so far.
Alwa’s Legacy would also make my list, but I’m much less passionate about that one.
I started Phoenotopia but haven't finished it. It's definitely one I want to finish soon.
Monster Boy, уеs, it is not an easy game, but it has strong adventure roots, its more like zelda-style game for me, with complicated level design. Very strong game in these terms.
...And subbed. Great video!
Awesome list! I loved the demo for Astalon! I’m hoping to buy a physical copy for a decent price!
My wife got me a sealed collector's edition for Switch. It's the prize of my collection.
That’s awesome! Not that you’d sell it, but that is going to be worth a lot!!
4:10 I don't get why this is considered horrible. Are people used to very fast paced spectacle fighting, button mashing and expecting waves of flashy wind attacks and nothing else? It used to be that in older metroidvanias and also dark souls, some weapons might be powerful but they had a slow swing. As long as there are weapons that are shorter but faster it's fine. Or if it's all like this, ok you get used to it. I am not fun of the very excessive press fire button to see barrage of attacks in a spectracle fighting show.
This is the fast weapon lol
@@MetroidvaniaGuru OH NOOooo
@@Optimus6128 🤣
Deaths Gambit Afterlife is shockingly excellent & is one of the best metroidvanias ive played. I really enjoyed MoonScars & Ghost Song. Currently on my Blasphemous 2 playthrough 😁
Blasphemous 2 is so good. And, yes, DG:A is exceptional. Absolutely love it.
Completely agree with Death's Gambit and Unsighted, I absolutely loved those two games!!
I would also add Cathedral to the list, I think too many people see screenshots and shrug it off as a Shovel Knight clone, when in reality it is a brutally challenging retro MV.
Thank you for the Astalon rec. New sub. Astalon really reminds me of a NES title Legacy of the Wizard. It was an MV before M.
There's a series for you
I picked up Astalon on a whim during a PSN sale around a year ago and was absolutely blown away by it.
Aggelos means angel in greek.The first letter is pronounced à,like when you say"gun"and the double g sounds like one g,like when you say"gun"again.In the greek alphabet there is no dedicated letter for "g",instead we use double "gama",which looks like this "γγ".I believe that is the reason the developers of this game used double g instead of one.Great game by the way.
Thanks for the clarification. For real, I’ve been practicing it all morning 😆
Great video. Another i would add is blast brigade and 8 doors.
Happy to see Elderand and Unsighted on the list. They are from my country, Brazil !
Brazil has great tastes 🇧🇷
you are an underrated youtuber
Another pretty underrated one is Treasure Adventure World.
Really? I've actually had my eye on that one because nobody talks about it. I'll have to check it out.
I absolutely loved Death's Gambit, SteamWorld Dig 2, Ghost Song, Unsighted, and Aggelos. I need to try the other games on this list. I recently played through Dark Light and I honestly liked it, although it felt a little short.
I also agree with the ridiculous map in Aggelos.
ohh this sounds and looks like a great list!
Great content! Any chance of doing a metroidvania analysis on "Lone Fungus"?
I finished the game after hearing so much hype about it but the game felt like it had unnecessarily high skill ceiling with its two traversal skills (the midair roll and ricochet wall slash). Some jumping puzzles i just completely gave up on because it wanted me to do a perfect ceiling hit will rolling after a series of tricky traversals (leave alone the spinning maces that you have to perfect the timing of). I was retrying this section for over an hour and then just gave up because i could have finished a more significant part of any other metroidvania map by the time it took me to just try getting this one section off. It felt like a time waste because the tutorials were not comprehensive enough to get one used to the mechanics. It could have worked out if they made the player get used to the mechanics gradually during general exploration but it didnt seemed to be the case in my playthrough
Do you only play games in Nintendo Switch?
I plan on doing Lone Fungus some day. I haven’t played it yet, but look forward to it. I’m not big on MVs that prioritize high-difficulty platforming, but I’ll definitely try it.
@@MetroidvaniaGuruThe main game is rather easy platforming wise. You do want to do some to grab a few power ups, but it's not like it's constant Path of Pain as it is on Aeterna Noctis.
Astalon is definiely one of the best to come out in a few years.. The updated Death's Gambit still feels jank to me - i tried my hardest to play it but nah.... it''s broke. Other than that, great list.
Great list! Astalon was such a good game. As an honorable mention...id throw " UNEPIC" in there. Loved that game, too. 😊
Good quesiton. I wanna play em.
Astalon and Steamworld Dig 2 have both made my top 100 favorite games list (I've played more than 1000 games in my life). It blows my mind that NOBODY talks about these games, seriously. Not only are they fantastic Metroidvania's, but they're just nearly perfect games in general.
Thanks for the video.
I've never seen any of these before, except for Astalon. 😅
I hope you try them all out :)
Really thought you might have CHASM on here. I really enjoyed it but no one I know has played it. Have you? if so, What did you think of it?
I haven’t played it yet, but I own it. I hear it’s procedurally generated, so it’s been in my backlog.
Have u ever covered Aquaria? 🤔
Not yet. I hear great things.
I have a few recommendations for ya.
One of my all-time favorites that seemingly got played by no one that I'll tell every metroidvania fan about is Castle in the Darkness. It's by Matt Kap who also worked on Astalon, and a sequel is being worked on.
Environmental Station alpha i also an under looked one, that has a deep post game filled with secrets and what not that are pretty hard to sus out on your own.
Save me Mr Tako if you love GameBoy Color Kirby aesthetic and/or Octopus.
Aggelos is a pretty decent Monster Boy like.
love that unsighted is on the list
Most of those are at least known though, at least in our niche collective of diehard MV fans.
Phoenotopia: Awakening IMO has to be the most unknown and underrated metroidvania ever, also one of the best.
I was honestly sad when the creator announced he wasn't working in a second game anymore due to the poor sales of the first one. It just ripped my heart, I would gladly pay full price for another game in such a vivid and lore rich world.
My Most underrated Metroidvania is Vernal Edge.
AMAZING combat, pixel art and level design.
Vernal Edge rocks.
I played the OG Death´s Gambit and liked it quite a lot. I must give Afterlife a go it seems.
Astalon is very good, but imHo the previous metroidvania from the same dev is arguably even better: castle in the darkness
I hear they're working on Castle in the Darkness 2. I hope that's true.
Unsighted was pretty good. I think its selling point is in completing its challenges, rather than the first main story playthrough. I had a lot of fun doing the boss trials, and the extra achievement completions, but the game can drag in a regular playthrough. I'd gotten lost at points, and that was a pain. It didn't help that places I got lost in had a pretty dull soundtrack.
Oh man Ghost song and unsighted are so good very very recommanded
💯
haha the timing! I was at number 2 when I thought that man, Astalon is also an underrated game and there it was at 1! By the way, have you played "Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread"? I think that's a game that I've seen maybe just one time over all the internet, it's crazy!
You're not to first to bring up Blast Brigade. I need to check it out.
Can you recommend me some good metroidvanias that are available on the ps4 or ps5 that aren't super challenging and don't have soul'slike or Rougelite features in them? I don't want to be recommended stuff like bloodstained, the messenger, hollow knight or other popular metroidvanias that most people already know about and have played. Let me know some metroidvanias that you think I'd should check out.
Try Aggelos. That's a solid MV that isn't Soulslike or Roguelike.
Yeah have Death's Gambit good to know that Afterlife made it better. I played it and while I liked the boss fights I felt the game was very disjointed from the story and even the different areas. I would say another underrated Metoidvania is Pronty.
Oh this channel is a goldmine
Wait, is Northernlion also a Metroidvania Guru? Didn't know that. Cool!
It's because I'm bald, isn't it?
Ever play the Supraland games? Full 3d Metroidvanias.
10. Bailed on Monster Boy after 90 minutes, sick of the pig.
7. Had my eye on this one.
6. Surprised to see this one, but I will admit I only got around to playing Steamworld Dig recently.
4. Still waiting to hear more people talking about Ghost Song.
3. The idea of Unsighted being untimed keeps me at bay, even though I know you can disable the timer. I'm a little surprised you're going to say this one counts when I've seen some other stances you've taken about what *doesn't* count as a metroidvania.
2. On my wishlist.
1. Good pick. I'm grateful this was the recommendation I got when I asked on an internet forum.
Valdis Story, I know one other person that has played it and it's criminal.
Monster boy was an amazingly fun game .
Aggelos and Steam world Dig 2 are in my top ten best MV I've played.
Unsighted is wayyy too underrated. Amazing game that no one talks about
ghost song was pretty good but it was kinda annoying at parts
but it was still a better metroid than metroid dread
Song of the Deep.
Also The Last Faith and Grime are awesome excellent games to consider !
Unsighted fucking owns. It and Astalon are 2 of the best games of the last fews years and deserve a LOT more attention. Even Neil Druckman thought he should praise Unsighted... Which is better than TLoU Part II. Don't getme wrong, Part II is a great game, but unsighted is the game, i don't know, Nintendo should be looking at in terms of level design of a continuous, comprehensive world. It would be a great inspiration for a next 2D Zelda or Metroid (the games that, in turn and together with a lot of others, inspired Unsighted).
Unsighted is so good. More people need to play it. It's great and the combat is so fun. Great world. So many options.
Plus having to option to turn off the timer is great since there's so much to explore and do.
Do you work for what culture?
I do not. Are they taking applications? LOL
@@MetroidvaniaGuru lol idk maybe we should do an application, but I ask because your avatar in the thumbnail looks like someone who works there.
@@odynzeyez6259 I apparently look like a bunch of people. I get called Northern Lion and Jopovania all the time LOL
I suggest 8doors and Vision Soft Reset.
I started 8doors. It's pretty solid.
I could be wrong but I feel Aeterna Noctis and Afterimage don't get talked about enough
I definitely don’t think Afterimage gets talked about enough. I love that game.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru right! sleeper hit of the year, it's everything I look for in a MV
Holy shit. I`ve watched a few of this bastard`s videos as an old castlevania SOTN Fan and this man speaks the truth in his videos about the metrid vania games. finished HK a few days ago and now i`m loking for another great MV Game to play. thanks pal
I played thru astalon TOTE like 3 times.. its prolly one of the best old school style metroidvanias I've ever played.. it is just fun to play and u don't find many of those types of games that often anymore
Unsighted is a masterpiece
Ghost song is so so so underrated. I personally liked more than dread. The story was dope to. Agree with music and atmosphere as well. BTW, monster boy, so fun. Way better than eggelos 😂 but each Thierry own
If anyones looking for a good Metroidvania with a surprisingly mature and smart story i highly recommed Iconoclasts. Ive been singing that games praises for like 5 years now.
You play as a mechanic living in a totalitarian government where jobs are assigned to citizens. If you try to do a different job its considered a sin. The game has awesome characters, themes about Religion and manipulation, and an ending that is beyond frightning with its implications.
I made a video for Iconoclasts if you're interested. I'd love to hear what a fan thinks of my take on it.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru oh awesome ill be checking it out.
Only game on the list I would object to is Steam World Dig 2 - just cuz it is already popular... and while a very good game it isn't really what I would call great.
For my own list - I would put Valdis Story. Solid fundamentals, fun, challenging bosses, multiple character playthroughs, & I think they did a very good job of narratively hooking you into navigating the world.
I need to play Valdis Story. I hear great things
4:16 ....is that a pregnant teen eating an entire ham? lol
Lost Ruins has everything LOL
I love how I have all these or have them in my wishlist 😅😅😂😂
The backlog is REAL
Death's Gambit never clicked with me. Huge fan of both Metroidvanias and Soulslikes, but the overall game feel of that title was always super off in my mind - nothing felt weighty, everything lacked impact. That said, I never played the rework they released a while ago, maybe that one is better in that regard?
Oh and Astalon is the absolute shit. Fantastic game that just keeps on giving and getting bigger and more intricate the longer it goes. Great stuff.
10:08 and the cat.
Btw, I really don't know how underrated are Haak and Record of Lodoss Deedlit in wonder labyrinth but people should talk more about them.
I LOVE Deedlit. I need to talk about it some day.
11:43 O_O Ryusuke Mita!!!??? It Must be played!!
Hell of an eye you got there. You nailed it.
@@MetroidvaniaGuru in the 90s, when I was starting to watch animes and read some mangas, I was 16-17 y.o. (maybe 18) and i found some new friends I found new friends to play D&D with and they liked manga and anime too. Here, in Spain, both things were hard to find... it was not too "normalized" any of these things.
I remember those distant days as days when I studied for High School, days listening to Prodigy, roleplaying... playing with friends on the Playstation and the Mega Drive and the Super NES and of course; days when I watched many animes and thanks to my Friends, I was able to read even more manga than I could buy on my own. Dragon Half was one of those special ones that stuck in my mind. And his author has a very unique drawing style. This video has brought to me many old memories again... thanks ^^
@@HaidesTunicaRoja I love hearing stories like this. Thanks for sharing. Your story takes me back to my high school days 😆
@@MetroidvaniaGuru Yep. The 90s, ye olde good days. xD And here we are... with (at least, by my part) more than 40 years in my back, and still enjoying all the things we loved from our youth. ^^
Thanks for the list! All great games. What’s the game behind you in the intro? Looks awesome
The black and white one is Moonscars. The super colorful one is Ultros.