Summary
While the Metroidvania genre’s makeup is often composed of tightly packed biomes and vein-like corridors, there are many instances where these claustrophobic surroundings are swapped for a much more expansive landscape. Be this for narrative or gameplay reasons, the tightly interconnected landscape of Metroidvania titles is often positioned as characters themselves - as such, its growth or containment is a pivotal thematic decision.
From acclaimed atmospheric platformers to ambitiously spacious anime-inspired action titles, the Metroivania genre remains as diverse and symbiotic as the environments that exist in its various installments.
8Cathedral
An 8-Bit Fantasy Platformer With The Scope Of Modern Titles
Withretro-inspired eight-bit pixel art and a chiptune soundtrackthat arguably rivals some of the most notable titles on third console-generation systems, Decemberborn Interactive’s 2019 indie Metroidvania seemingly takes inspiration from some of the genre’s most memorable entries. However, with more than 600 interconnected rooms, the scale of exploration available inCathedralis unparalleled in the retro titles it so clearly takes inspiration from.
Sending players on a journey to reclaim five elemental orbs across aesthetically distinct pixel-art biomes,Cathedral’s implementation of an 8 and 16-bit allure bolstered by the scope afforded by contemporary machinery culminates as an homage to games of the past with modern technology.
7Aeterna Noctus
The Sprawlng Metroidvania Twist On A Classic Tale Of Endless Struggle
Despite the tried-and-true nature of Aeterna Noctis' plot at first glance, being that of an immortal set of dueling warriors, Aeternum Game Studios' 2021 attempt at subverting both this narrative and the Metroidvania genre has gone down as an acclaimed inaugural title from the Spanish team.
However, while the breadth of content available from the game’s multiple merchants and side-quests is commendable, players have seemingly been overwhelmed byAeterna Noctis' gargantuan scope. With 16 connected areas, the scale of Aeternum Game Studios' project cannot be slighted, yet with players becominglost or stuck while playing the game; since the experience is so largethe question remains whetherAeterna Noctiswould be improved by concentrating its world into a smaller play area.
6Knytt Underground
A Titanic World Developed By One Person & Filled With A Murky Atmosphere
With players beingprompted to explore over 1,800 roomsin Nicklas Nygren’s titanic MetroidvaniaKnytt Underground, the possibility of becoming disorientated in its labyrinthian environment is high. Developed bythe itch.io game designer, and released in late 2013,Knytt Undergroundis an expansive exploration of not only Nifflas' Games’Knyttseries but also the Metroidvania genre.
Despite only taking just over 25 hours to explore, the breadth ofKnytt Underground’s locales is equally breathtaking and overwhelming. While the overwhelming amount of content available is commendable, the breadth ofKnytt Underground’s world - being seemingly six times larger than classic titles likeSuper Metroid- is expansive with very little to guide players on the right path, leading to some dead-end journeys and messy exploration.
Despite having an objectively smaller interconnected world than some of its modern Metroidvania contemporaries,Lone Fungus' 10 distinct areas remain a dauntingly sizable task for many players to overcome. With players being able to fully navigate and inspect its differing biomesin just over 20 hours, the scale of Basti Games' 2023 Metroidvania - while great - is not a diluting influence onLone Fungus' game experience.
Withthe 2023 announcementof a Basti Games-developed sequel -Lone Fungus: Melody of Spores- in the works “set in a world thousands of years before the first game”, the expansive Metroidvania adventuresof the anthropomorphic mushroomare set to continue.
With a lengthy lineage of developing exploration-focused platforming titles, Taiwanese studio CreSpirit’s 2023 MetroidvaniaTEVIboasts"a large, interconnected map"with a kawaii anime-inspired art style and inspiration from the bullet-hell genre. Bolstered by an arsenalof more than 300 pieces of equipment and items, the expansive world ofTEVI- with its multiple cultures and biomes - is a sidescrolling playground.
Despite its Metroidvania inspirations often prioritizing density over the breadth of their worlds,TEVI’s melding of bullet-hell and action-platforming stylings alongsideits 50-hour runtimeprovides players with arguably one of the more well-rounded environments in contemporary Metoridvania titles.
Despite its prowess in creating cinematic role-playing games, developer Aurogon’s inaugural Metroidvania provides players with not only a platformer with fluid hand-drawn animation but a commended expansive world. Pushing players to journey “deep within the ruins of the vast interconnected world of Engardin”,Afterimage’s narrative legacy has been balanced with its open-ended Metroidvania footing.
WithAfterimage’s range of explorative abilities and dynamic combat utilized to create narrative breadth, and players praising the 2023 title for “how open-ended most sections are”, the game’s 40-hour-long completion is spread seemingly evenly around its breadth of content.
WhileHollow Knight’s position as a modern classic within the Metroidvania genre has been somewhat solidified in the acclaim-riddled years since its 2017 release, pinning down the exact reasons why is a broad challenge. The landscape of Hallownest brims with creatively quirky characters and is navigated using arguably some of the tightest 2D action-platforming of the genre, yet the terrain itself provides players with a"detailed and utterly unique underground world"to explore.
Despite remaining arguably minuscule compared to some gargantuan Metroidvania titles of recent years,Hollow Knight’s world remains expansive compared to titles such asCastlevania: Symphony of the Night- of which it is seemingly four times larger. Intaking players around 60 hours to fully explore, Hallownest’s subways and secrets sprawl out across a range of aesthetics and atmospheres while remaining creatively navigable for all players.
Although Metroidvania titles are renowned for their drip-feeding of player mechanics and worldbuilding, the landscape of titles in the genre is often there for players to ultimately dominate. However, as"the main threat of Rain World is the environment", in an acclaimed subverting of this trope, Videocult’s 2017 survival platformer flips its pseudo-Metroidvania non-linear world on its head.
Despite being able to speed through much ofRain World’s core contentin around 20 hours, the bulk of its near-70-hour runtime is spent increasing the player and Slugcat’s confidence in navigating the title’s rain-soaked world. However, with its dingy setting and oppressive atmosphere weighing down on its protagonist,Rain World’s landscape may not be as colossal as some other contemporary titles - yet its grand scale is complimentary to its themes of fragility and perseverance.
