Insect Adventure
3.5 out of 5. What Insect Adventure lacks in polish it makes up for with its rich world design. Freedom-filled movement and non-linearity supports an addictive loop of rewarding exploration.
ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights
4.5 out of 5. While it does have fantastic level design and boss fights, the mechanics aren’t particularly novel. Where Ender Lilies truly shines is its incredible atmosphere and cathartic narrative.
Monthly Progress Update: August 2021
A listing of what we plan on reviewing and streaming this upcoming month of August!
Control
4 out of 5. Control is weighed down a bit by some AAA tropes, but that doesn’t stop it from being an immersive narrative masterpiece and a gratifying power fantasy.
Trash Quest
4 out of 5. Trash Quest will provide a good hour of platforming goodness, and the Salvation DLC will knock you out of your chair. It’s all over a bit too quickly, but the price is perfect for that.
Rocketron
4 out of 5. Rocketron gives you an overpowered rocket gun that lets you both defy gravity and mow down your foes like they were made of tissue. Fans of the run and gun genre will surely be pleased.
Monthly Progress Update: July 2021
A listing of what we plan on reviewing and streaming this upcoming month of July!
Saving Princess
3 out of 5. Where Saving Princess falls short with its janky physics it makes up for it with being just a great idea. “Mega Man” with gun recoil double jumping has an appeal all on its own.
Astalon: Tears of the Earth
5 out of 5. Astalon isn’t representative of everything a Metroidvania can do, but it has best-in-class level design and a compelling narrative to back it up. A great pick for those that like to explore
Fearmonium
4 out of 5. Fearmonium provides some standard Metroidvania gameplay making it hard for it to stand out on those elements alone, but the story and theming make it wholly worth your time.
Monthly Progress Update: June 2021
A listing of what we plan on reviewing and streaming this upcoming month of June!
Lost to Time
3.5 out of 5. Initial impressions will likely suggest that Lost to Time is a broken mess, but if you approach it with an open mind and a lot of patience it can be a true work of art.
Simona’s Requiem
3.5 out of 5. One of the most honestly advertised games on Steam, if you go into Simona’s Requiem with the right expectations you’ll surely come out of it with warm feelings that are hard to duplicate
Top 10 Starter Metroidvania Games – the r/Metroidvania Official List
In collaboration with the r/metroidvania modding team we put together a top 10 Metroidvania list based on community vote!
Paradox Vector
2.5 out of 5. The impossible hallways and mind trickery can be brilliant at times, however it’s not really a Metroidvania, and the lackluster gunplay and unfair feeling monster encounters bog it down.
Myastere -Ruins of Deazniff-
2 out of 5. The physics are wonky, the exploration is poorly directed, and the combat is generally frustrating or boring. The localization is funny, but that’s not enough to recommend on its own.
SJ-19 Learns To Love!
4 out of 5. An extremely cute story about a robot finding emotion. Even if you don’t dive deep into its narrative, it’s a great couple of hours of Mini-Metroidvania fun.
Sal’s Sublime Sundae
3.5 out of 5. A relaxing half-hour Metroidvania that still manages to show off a few gimmicks unique to its experience. Totally worth your time especially since it doesn’t take much of it.
Monthly Progress Update: May 2021
A listing of what we plan on reviewing and streaming this upcoming month of May!
Metroidvania News – April 28 2021
Three new games released this week! SJ-19 Learns to Love, Trash Quest, and Simona’s Requiem
RetrogueVania Tuesday – Myastere: Ruins of Deazniff Review
This week on RetrogueVania Tuesday, Retrogue gives their thoughts on Myastere Ruins of Deazniff!
8Doors: Arum’s Afterlife Adventure
3.5 out of 5. While the combat is a bit disappointing, if you were interested in this game for its advertised afterlife adventure and the atmosphere, there’s a lot to fall in love with here.
Metroidvania News – April 21st 2021
3 new releases, 8 new steam pages, 1 new Kickstarter,, and an update for Monster Sanctuary
RetrogueVania Tuesday – Narita Boy Review
This week on RetrogueVania Tuesday, Retrogue gives their thoughts on Narita Boy!
Lyle in Cube Sector
4 out of 5. Its unforgiving lack of checkpoints and weird block throwing mechanics may make learning this game a chore for some, but it is fair and satisfying to complete, with some spectacular level design
RetrogueVania Tuesday – Kunai Review + Impressions
This week on RetrogueVania Tuesday, Retrogue gives their thoughts on Kunai!
Endless Memories
2 out of 5. The randomness of its loot system clashes with the extreme scope of its level design, resulting in quantity over quality that makes it harder to recommend over so many other options.