Index[Hide][Show]

MetroidVanias were once the product of just two franchises, Metroid and Castlevania, but as the next generation of developers emerged who were influenced by these titles, the number of MetroidVania titles has grown exponentially. Decades since the genre was born, the PS4 and PS5 have been littered with dozens of MetroidVania classics, which is why we reflect on 15 of the best on the PS5 platform.

#15 Divorced

  • Developer: Thunder Lotus Games
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: July 2017

A violent struggle for survival, Sundered is a brilliant Metroidvania from the same team responsible for the beautiful Jotun and Spiritfarer. The team stands out for not sitting still and constantly trying different things, and while that’s evident in the nature of their three games, even in Sundered’s case, that approach is evident. It’s a very different, very exciting Metroidvania, not to be missed.

#14 blasphemous

  • Developer: The Game Kitchen
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: September 2019

Imagine a Dark Souls game, but as a 2D Metroidvania, and when you do, you imagine Blasphemous. Gory and brutal, with a fantastic level design, Blasphemous offers you mountainous challenges, but gives you the tools to get the job done in the coolest ways. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s worth the bloodied hands.

#13 Salt and Sanctuary

  • Developer: Ska Studios
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: March 2016

Another heavily Souls inspired Metroidvania, Salt and Sanctuary, much like Blasphemous above, regularly tries to knock you over with its difficulty. It doesn’t innovate at all, but it doesn’t hide what it’s inspired by, and performs to a similar standard despite the perspective and genre changes. Brace yourself

#12 FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch

  • Developer: TiGames
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: September 2021

People are regularly drawn to FIST: Forged In Shadow Torch for its incredible visuals and other production values, but if you dive deeper, beyond the first impression and what you will discover is an equally impressive world, rich level design and excellent, fulfilling battles that challenge in the right ways.

#11 Blood Stained: Ritual of the Night

switch, bloodstained
  • Developer: ArtPlay
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: June 2019

It’s no surprise that one of the leading creators of some of the greatest Castlevania games ever, when he goes to create to make his own title, draws some parallels to Castlevania, and is in fact comparable in quality to those same titles as well. BloodStained: Ritual of the Night has many modern touches that appeal to players in new ways, while still retaining the heart and charm of the greats.

#10 Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon

  • Developer: Inti makes
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: May 2018

Where Ritual Of The Night was a more modern take on Igarashi’s Castlevania titles, BloodStained: Curse Of The Moon was truly a throwback. Embracing the 8-bit styles of yesteryear, Curse Of The Moon takes us back to some of the earliest stages of Castlevania’s glory days, recreating that brilliance for a modern audience. Get out of the legacy and stay for the chaos.

#9 Shantae and the Curse of the Pirates

  • Developer: WayForward
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: October 2014

Tight gameplay, charming dialogue and writing, and beautiful sound and visual design make Shantae and the PIrate’s Curse one of the most compelling Metroidvania options on the PlayStation platform. The adorable protagonist Shantae, and her endearing companions and even the antagonists will have you hooked from start to finish.

#8 Rogue Legacy

  • Developer: Basement Door Games
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: June 2013

A DNA fusion between a Metroidvania and a Roguelite may seem intimidating at first, but it certainly was to many when Rogue Legacy first launched in 2014, but it’s a combination that worked brilliantly and continues to inspire others. Where roguelites tend to punish the player, Rogue Legacy gives you the power, making the rather extreme difficulty out of the gate suddenly seem insurmountable.

#7 Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

  • Developer: Adglobe, Live Wire
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: June 2021

While the core of Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is an action/RPG, it will soon be apparent that MetroidVania titles have also led the game’s development path. Beautiful, brooding, deep and constantly captivating, Ender Lilies does it all well but has sadly been a quiet performer – time to set that straight

#6 Axiom Verge

Axiom
  • Developer: Thomas Happ Games
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: March 2015

One of the first independent rockstar titles of the PS4 era, Axiom Verge leaned more on the Metroid half of the Metroidvania title as opposed to many others promoting their Castlevania inspiration. This extends to the gameplay, sci-fi story and setting, and much more. Axiom Verge nails it all, while also being rock hard.

#5 Guacamelee

  • Developer: Drinkbox Studios
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: April 2013

Few games have the heart, style, and humor of Guacamelee, and those that do are disappointing in most other ways, but Guacamelee and its sequel Guacamelee 2 play like an absolute dream. Creative level design, excellent combat, bosses that push you to the limit and alternate universe transitions combined with the incredible presentation elements make Guacamelee one of the best Metroidvanias of the decade

#4 Shadow complex

  • Developer: Chair Entertainment
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: August 2009

One of the biggest disappointments in gaming is that Shadow Complex, the Metroidvania that originally launched exclusively on Xbox 360 before coming to other platforms, including next-generation PlayStation, never got a sequel. Developer Chair went on to develop Infinity Blade on iOS, while Shadow Complex was one of the greats of the genre, with its modern focus mixed with a bit of sci-fi, excellent Metroidvania elements, and tight gameplay. We may never see another, but don’t miss the original gem.

#3 Dead cells

  • Developer: Motion Twin
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: August 2018

When we talked about Rogue Legacy before, we talked about how it inspired others to better combine Roguelite elements with its Metroidvania systems, and then came Dead Cells in 2018, and no game has done it better since. Procedural genius, carefully balanced combat and loot systems, all combined with a beautiful world and visual design, make Dead Cells one of the most compelling games of the decade.

#2 Castlevania Symphony of the Night

  • Developer: Konami
  • Platform: PS1/PS4
  • Release date: March 1997

The oldest game on this list, and the game that played a huge part in the genesis of the genre, is still one of the best decades later, and we’re lucky that Konami has remastered it and put it back in the modern limelight. has put. To this day there is so much that Symphony of the Night does better than the much more modern titles inspired by it. The legacy of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will never be forgotten.

#1 Hollow Knight

  • Developer: Team Cherry
  • Platform: PS4
  • Release date: February 2017

It’s taken decades for a game to hit the market and conquer Castlevania of Metroid at the top of the Metroidvania pile, but it’s a small indie team in South Australia called Team Cherry that brought them down with the awesome Hollow Knight . Masterful design, beautiful audio and visuals, intense, grueling but fair gameplay, hours of incredible content to discover. Hollow Knight has raised the bar to a level that may never be reached again.