Summary
- Disney Illusion Island offers a delightful, combat-free Metroidvania experience that is fun for the whole family.
- Rusted Moss provides a unique twist on the genre with its fast-paced movement options and exhilarating combat encounters.
- Blasphemous 2 improves upon its predecessor and offers unforgiving, rewarding gameplay with excellent level design and boss encounters.
Metroidvanias are amongst the most popular genres in gaming and have vastly oversaturated the market over the years, making it hard to sift through all the 'less than good' ones to find the diamond in the rough, which 2023 has plenty of both.
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PostsBut, while there were several botched releases in this genre last year, there were some outstanding releases in the Metroidvania genre throughout 2023, providing us with some of the best and most surprising additions to the family that you must check out immediately if you're a fan of the genre!
8 Disney Illusion Island
Developer
Dlala Studios
Publisher
Disney Electronic Content
Released
July 28, 2023
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Kicking things off with arguably the most wholesome, family-friendly Metroidvania ever created in Disney Illusion Island, which follows Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy on an epic adventure that has them gain unique traversal abilities that enable them to evade danger and reach new areas.
Disney Illusion Island offers zero combat options and focuses purely on traversal powers, making the level design stand out way more than you might initially expect. From beginning to end, this game offers a delightful Metroidvania experience that is fun for the whole family!
7 Lone Fungus
Developer
Basti Games
Publisher
Basti Games
Released
April 7, 2023
Platforms
PC
Following that, we have the Lone Fungus, which sees you assume control of the last remaining fungus on an ancient planet. In true Metroidvania fashion, you will be gaining new abilities that will help you survive the harsh environments and formidable foes and obstacles placed in your way.
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PostsLone Fungus also has several accessibility and difficulty options to help fine-tune the experience to your liking, enabling you to find all the secrets and optional paths at your own pace, making this one of the best jumping-on points to the genre and a must-play for veterans as well!
6 Vernal Edge
Developer
Hello Penguin Team LLC
Publisher
PID Games
Released
March 14, 2023
Platforms
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
If you're looking for something a bit more unforgiving, Vernal Edge may be more your pace, as it offers a challenging combat system and brutal platforming segments, harkening back to a more old-school approach to the genre but with much-needed quality-of-life improvements where applicable.
Vernal Edge will challenge you every step of the way but offers a tremendously rewarding experience that is a must-play for fans of the genre. While newcomers may struggle in some sections, nothing feels insurmountable or impossible, making it worth checking out if you're dipping your toes in the waters as well!
5 Rusted Moss
Developers
Faxdoc, Happy Squared, Sunnydaze
Publisher
PLAYISM
Released
March 14, 2023
Platforms
Nintendo Switch, PC
While the past few entries have been more or less what you'd expect from the genre, Rusted Moss provides one of the more unique and fascinating spins on a Metroidvania that makes it a must-play for those looking for a different approach to the systems and mechanics of the beloved genre.
Rusted Moss pushes the boundaries regarding the typical movement options expected in a Metroidvania by giving you access to a grappling hook and rocket jumping, having you soar around the screen at blazingly fast speeds to evade incoming damage and enemies, making for one of the best combat encounters in the genre of the year!
4 Teslagrad 2
Developer
Rain Games
Publisher
Modus Games
Released
April 19, 2023
Platforms
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Being a direct sequel to its predecessor, which is over a decade old at this point, Teslagrad 2 takes everything to the next level, offering one of the fastest Metroidvanias ever, making for engaging movement options, challenging boss encounters, and brilliant puzzles.
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PostsTeslagrad 2 is arguably the best-feeling game on this list, which is made all the better by just how gorgeous it looks. If you're a fan of the genre or want to dive straight into it, you cannot go wrong with one of 2023's most underrated titles!
3 9 Years Of Shadows
Developer
Halberd Studios
Publisher
Freedom Games
Released
March 27, 2023
Platforms
Nintendo Switch, PC
Speaking of unique Metroidvanias, 9 Years of Shadow might have one of the best twists to the genre, having a significant portion of its focus be on its music, which serves a huge role in the overall gameplay and story.
Everything from 9 Years of Shadows' art to its animation to its soundtrack is tremendous and worth seeing if you're a fan of the genre looking for a new and refreshing take. Don't sleep on this experience and play one of 2023's most overlooked releases!
2 Blasphemous 2
Developer
The Game Kitchen
Publisher
Team 17
Released
August 24, 2023
Platforms
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
You can't have a list of the best Metroidvania releases of 2023 without Blasphemous 2, which takes just about everything its predecessor crushed and improves upon it in every way while simultaneously cutting out everything that didn't work or completely overhauling it.
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PostsLike its predecessor, Blasphemous 2 is unforgiving and brutal. But those qualities make it so rewarding and unforgettable, offering some of the genre's best level design and boss encounters, along with excellent traversal puzzles and abilities. Play Blasphemous 2 if you loved its prequel or want to challenge your Metroidvania skills!
1 Afterimage
Developer
Aurogon Shanghai
Publisher
Modus Games
Released
April 25, 2023
Platforms
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Finally, we have one of the most criminally underrated games of 2023 and arguably the best Metroidvania of the year as well, and that's Afterimage, a beautifully hand-drawn title that offers some of the best boss encounters and exploration you could ask for.
Afterimage has lots to offer, enabling you to experiment with tons of character builds and expression while giving you tremendously challenging combat encounters that will force you to be creative with everything you have at your disposal, which also encourages you to explore to find new and more powerful things. Everything about Afterimage is refreshing and refined, making it a must-play if you're looking for one of the best experiences in the genre!
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