Metroidvanias can make you feel accomplished as you learn new tricks and abilities that let you access previously undiscovered areas. This is not only a great way of pushing players to explore more of the world, but it excels at making progression feel earned. Over the years, there have been countless highlights, such as Axiom Verge, Hollow Knight, and Bloodstained Ritual of the Night, to push the genre forwards.
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Posts2024 has some surprisingly good Metroidvanias ranging from indie originals to bigger IPs dipping their toes in the genre for the first time. With plenty of enemies to defeat, power-ups to unlock, and hidden areas to discover, these are the best Metroidvanias to check out from 2024.
10 Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown
Prince Of Persia Jumps Into The Genre
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Action Platformer 2D 4.0/5 7.2/10 Released January 18, 2024 ESRB T For Teen Due To Blood, Mild Language, Violence Developer(s) Ubisoft Montpellier Publisher(s) Ubisoft Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One Powered by Expand CollapseThe Prince of Persia franchise made a leap into the Metroidvania genre in 2024 with the release of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. As you harness time abilities to further expand the world, you’ll be using your newfound powers to access new areas and combat enemies easier.
You can even place your own checkmarks so you can return to a specific spot later. You also have ways to mark down interesting spaces on the map with screenshots, so you can have visual aids while exploring and backtracking.
9 Animal Well
A Fresh Take For The Genre
Animal Well
Metroidvania Puzzle 5.0/5 Released May 9, 2024 ESRB E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Shared Memory Publisher(s) Bigmode Platform(s) PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Powered by Expand CollapseIf you're looking for a game that took the gaming world by storm in 2024, look no further than Animal Well. This Metroidvania has some of the deepest layers of puzzle-solving. Some of the more complex puzzles even required players to band together as a community to find the answers, while other puzzles require repeated playthroughs.
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PostsThese ARG elements made Animal Well one of the most immersive games of all time as players searched for hints together to lead them to the true ending of the game.
8 Ultros
Aliens, Plant Life, and Time Loops
Ultros
Metroidvania Platformer 3.0/5 Released February 13, 2024 ESRB T For Teen Due To Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Violence Developer(s) Hadoque Publisher(s) Kepler Interactive Platform(s) PC, PS4, PS5 Powered by Expand CollapseUltros takes a few creative liberties that help the game stand out in 2024. While most Metroivanias will reset the world as you die, Ultros won't reset anything till you enter a new time loop.
This means that most of your skills will be reset at certain points. However, you will have a chance to improve on them faster. With aliens needing help on a ship becoming further overtaken by plants, your ultimate goal is to stop a demon named Ultros from awakening. So collect seeds, defeat bosses, and see how your actions affect the timeline in each loop.
7 Nine Sols
Martial Arts And 2D Action
Nine Sols
Action Platformer Soulslike 9.5/10 Released May 29, 2024 ESRB T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Use of Alcohol Developer(s) RedCandleGames Publisher(s) RedCandleGames Platform(s) PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Powered by Expand CollapseNine Sols gives you the immediate goal of challenging nine different beings known as Sols. Rather than using a gun or a sword, the playable character, Vi, uses martial arts to combat the many enemies that will get in the way of your journey.
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Posts 3Keep defeating enemies to build up Ki and unleash more powerful attacks. With multiple different endings, stylized 2D graphics, and the chance to play a cat, this is one Metroidvania game from 2024 you don't want to miss.
6 Biomorph
Make The Enemy's Strengths Your Own
Biomorph
Metroidvania Soulslike Released April 5, 2024 Developer(s) Lucid Dreams Studio Publisher(s) Lucid Dreams Studio Platform(s) PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Powered by Expand CollapseThe wait for Silksong was long and harsh in the year 2024. Luckily, there were plenty of titles to make the wait easier, and Biomorph has a hand-drawn style and a unique gimmick that makes it worth taking a peek at.
You can harness the powers of the enemies you defeat to fight or discover hidden secrets throughout the map. This adds plenty of variety for a title that exists in an ocean of Metroidvania games. So hats off for creativity.
5 Tales Of Kenzera: Zau
Underrated But Climbing Up
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Platformer Released April 23, 2024 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Surgent Studios Publisher(s) Electronic Arts Platform(s) PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Powered by Expand CollapseOne underrated Metroidvania that nails it in the art department is Tales of Kenzera: Zau. Playing as a young Shaman hoping to strike a deal with death, you’ll wield the Sun and Moon mask. Swapping between both gives you different ways to attack enemies.
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PostsThe Sun mask is great for hand-to-hand combat, while the Moon mask lets you obliterate your enemies from afar. Mastering both is only the first step towards defeating the three monsters you need to offer up in order to bring back your father.
4 Turbo Kid
A Hidden Gem
2024 brought back Turbo Kid. If you’ve never heard of it before, it's an expansion on a 2015 film of the same name. It’s a post-apocalyptic 90s and the wasteland is full of toxic waste and hostile enemies. Luckily, you have your trusty BMX bike, blasters, and blades to clear the way.
With pixelated graphics and a 90s sound design, Turbo Kid is a blast to play through as part of 2024’s lineup. The BMX bike mechanics also add a rarely seen aspect to the Metroidvania genre as you speed up, perform flips, and use momentum to clear obstacles.
3 Ender Magnolia Bloom In The Mist
Summoning Homunculi To Fight For You
Creature collection is always an interesting aspect for a game to have. This time it arrives in the Metroidvania genre in the form of collecting Homunculi. You play as Lilac, an Attuner who can’t fight on her own but can purify various Homunculi to do the fighting for her.
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Posts 9It’s a quest to get back your memories as you upgrade your skills and collect relics in this grim world. It’s the perfect mix of dark fantasy and anime that makes it one of the most gothic-looking Metroidvanias of 2024.
2 Castlevania Dominus Collection
One Of The Forefathers Of The Genre Returns
Metroid and Castlevania laid the foundation for what would eventually become the Metroidvania genre. Castlevania Dominus Collection gathers some of the best titles from the Nintendo DS era, including Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order Of Ecclesia.
However, what makes these titles such stand out ports for 2024 is the fact that it gives you plenty of customization for the layouts, the ability to rewind the game, and plenty of variety for anyone to jump back into the franchise.
1 Crypt Custodian
Become A Keeper Of The Crypt
If you’re looking for a grim setting made cozy, then Crypt Custodian makes the afterlife seem pretty chill. You also get to play as a cat who has been banished from the palace of the afterlife. While this game has all the traits of the average Metroidvania, it also blends in the dungeon-crawling look of classic Zelda games.
Crypt Custodian also gives you the chance to meet other banished ghosts and get to know their personal backstories. So, besides mapping out new areas and upgrading skills, you also get that bit of character interaction from the cozy genre.
NextThe Best Metroidvania Games For Beginners
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