BatBarian: Testament of the Primordials
4.5 out of 5. A multitasking focused action puzzle-platformer that will bend your brain in creative ways, with all of its challenges being wrapped up in great music and a charming layered narrative.
Alwa’s Legacy
4 out of 5. A magic based puzzle platformer with unique Zelda-like dungeons and a large overworld full of optional secrets. Excellent level design and clever gimmicks makes exploration a delight.
Salt and Sanctuary
4 out of 5. Local Co-op. Souls-Like Metroidvania Hybrid. Methodical and rewarding combat sweetened by its punishing nature. Potentially thousands of ways to customize your character.
Metroidvania News – Nov 25
Micetopia released, Romancelvania and Bladam Topaz get steam pages, a couple of upcoming Metroidvania videos from other YouTubers
Metroidvania News – Nov 18
New Kickstarter page for Spirit of the Samurai. Landflix Odyssey released. New Steam Pages for Aleya’s Ascent, Dream Watcher, and Heart Forth Alicia
An Untitled Story
4 out of 5. Maddy Thorson’s earlier work still holds up in terms of game design, offering a robust Metroidvania world to explore and plenty of precision platforming challenges.
Metroidvania News – Nov 11
Romancelvania Kickstarter Expiring! Bloodstained gets a new playable character. 8 Bit Space, Drilly Willis, and The Witch & the 66 Mushrooms released. New Steam page for Project Inferno.
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
4 out of 5. All of the fat has been trimmed off the previous 3D Castlevania title, leaving strong combat and a new addictive monster raising system to keep it interesting for multiple playthroughs.
Developer Spotlight: Unspeakable Pixels from Batbarian
The developers over at Unspeakable Pixels give us some insights into the development of Batbarian: Testament of the Primordials
Metroidvania News – Nov 4th – Plus Some Upcoming Streams Canceled
Classic-Vania style Crypt Stalker and Underwater Metroidvania Depths of Sanity released, as well as new steam pages for GoldFish Brain and Shattered Ninja
Artifacts
3 out of 5. Strong level design in combination with novel concepts creates a fun risk/reward Metroidvania experience, even if a lot could be improved in terms of technical polish.
Monthly Progress Update: November 2020
A listing of what we plan on reviewing and streaming this upcoming month of November!
Metroidvania News – Oct 28 2020
Chiaroscuro and Reknum 2 kickstarters expiring, Supraland coming to modern consoles, Insect Adventures Demo, and new steam pages for 8 Bit Space and Deathstick.
Vigil: The Longest Night
4 out of 5. Greater than the sum of its parts. If you enjoy exploring an open Metroidvania world with the occasional amazing boss fight, then its charms can easily outweigh its flaws.
Top 10 Metroidvania Games for Beginners
Looking to get into the Metroidvania genre, or are you looking for recommendations to give to a friend? Here are our top ten picks for best entry games.
Metroidvania News – Oct 21 – 9 New Releases, Supraland on Switch, Expiring Kickstarters, New Steam Pages
NINE new games to report on this week. Expiring kickstarter for Chiaroscuro with a Halloween update. Supraland is ported to Nintendo Switch. Three new Steam pages including Phoenotopia.
Ato
4 out of 5. Frenetic gameplay and novel and deep mechanics are wrapped up by an emotional silent narrative, making Ato one of more memorable experiences within the Metroidvania genre.
Metroidvania News – Oct 14 – New Kickstarters, Releases, and Steam Pages
Kickstarters for Retro Systems and Romancelvania, Warriorb Ported to Switch, Biomoass, Hargrave, Neon Fusion, and Vigil: the Longest Night Released, and four Steam pages for awesome looking games.
Smelted Kin
2 out of 5. The first half of the game is intensely engaging and has an alluring lonely atmosphere once you learn how to play, but the payoff for your efforts will likely leave you disappointed.
Metroidvania News – Oct 6 – New and Expiring Kickstarters, Switch Ports, New Release, Six Steam Pages
Haiku Kickstarter expiring, Chiaroscuro Kickstarter now available, Switch ports for Alwa’s Legacy and Mindseize, Janosik released, and six new steam pages!
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
3 out of 5. Competent crunchy action and addictive exploration are marred by fixed camera angles and awkward story presentation, creating an enjoyable but somewhat flawed Belmont Origin story.
Monthly Progress Update: October 2020
A listing of what we plan on reviewing and streaming this upcoming month of October!
Metroidvania News – Sep 30 – Expiring Kickstarters, Dating Sims and Sequels
Girl Genius and Dormiveglia Kickstarters expiring, Teslagrad 2 and Romancelvania announced.
Super Daryl Deluxe
3.5 out of 5. It’s so incredibly stupid that it circles around to being purely entertaining. You have to be the type that enjoys its brand of humor, but if you are then you’re in for a good time.
Update to the Monday September 28 review
An announcement regarding the review for Monday September 28, 2020
Metroidvania News – Sept 23 – Switch Ports, New Kickstarter, New Steam Pages, Three New Releases
Ori 2 and Cathedral on the Nintendo Switch, Dormiveglia and 8doors Kickstarters, Game updates, Sasaya, Star Rover, and Exploaris releases, and new Steam Pages for Ender Lilies, the Darkest Tales, and Slavania.
Aquaria
3.5 out of 5. In spite of some rougher edges around its gameplay, Aqauria’s world is like no other, and if you allow yourself to be immersed within it, it will doubtlessly bind itself to your memory.
Metroidvania News – Sep 16 – Phoenotopia Update, 3 Releases, 5 new Steam Pages
Phoenotopia Awakening’s Accessibility patch, releases of Artifacts, Haak, and Redneck Ed, and new steam pages for Catventure, Drilly Willis, Faerie Afterlight, Janosik, and Neon Fusion.
Enter Digiton
3 out of 5. Clever and sometimes relaxing platforming challenges are intermixed with mostly frustrating boss fights and a bit of loose control design. What sets it apart is its one-of-a-kind charm.
Metroidvania News – September 9 – 3 New Kickstarters, 2 Releases, 2 Ports, and 1 new Steam page
Aeternum Vale, Girl Genius, and Haiku the Robot Kickstarters. Ports for AeternoBlade I and II to Steam, Release of Mean-While and Tropicalia, and a new Steam page for Chiaroscuro.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
3.5 out of 5. Between its no-handholding castle and the card system, there are undeniably some impressive things about Circle of the Moon, but you do need to accept that you have to grind to get there.