All articles tagged with #metroidvania
PLAYISM, together with Rusted Moss developer Emlise and Mini Bunnies, announced Iron Bramble, a momentum-based Metroidvania for PC via Steam in 2027. The game emphasizes elastic grappling-hook movement, a cyber-gothic megastructure setting, varied weapons and outfits, challenging platforming, and accessibility options across multiple languages.
This Is Fine: Maximum Cope is a Steam metroidvania where Question Hound dives into his psyche to conquer fears, failures, and regrets, with nightmare worlds themed around teen mishaps, gym class humiliations, and workplace taboos; KC Green mostly blesses the project, and the game aims to deliver overdue therapy for the long-anguished dog via puzzle-filled boss fights and exploratory platforming.
Cyclos' Karma Exorcist, a PS5 Metroidvania inspired by Hollow Knight, shows flowing combat and slick visuals, with a limited Steam playtest available (the demo is unfinished and may have bugs) as the developer nears production.
Infini Fun and Cyclos unveiled Karma Exorcist, an Eastern mythology–themed Metroidvania coming to PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC via Steam, with a limited-time PC playtest; the game features open-ended exploration of the underworld, dynamic combat using a 360-degree Chain Hook, various artifacts and Soul Gems to customize playstyle, and multiple paths to different endings.
A reporter rounds up 13 standout games seen at PAX East, from Grave Seasons’ horror twist on farming sims to Kiln’s pottery-powered brawler, Rain98’s time-displaced visual novel, a Cyberpunk Trading Card Game, an arcade-exclusive Throwback! Jai-Alai Heroes, The Secret of Crystal Mountain’s Zelda-inspired puzzles, Canvas City’s skatepunk tactics, Fishbowl’s grief-driven life sim, Gnaw’s dinosaur-infused Metroidvania, Of the Devil’s cyberpunk courtroom mystery, Reclaim!’s Ojibwe language adventure, Poly Fighter’s evolving fighting-game roguelike, and Pokémon Champions—each pushing genres in fresh directions and worth watching as upcoming releases.
Sony's PS5 exclusive God of War: Sons of Sparta, a 2D metroidvania spin-off exploring Kratos' youth, launched to a 66 Metacritic score — the fourth-lowest for a first-party PS4/PS5 release this generation — marking the first major critical flop of 2026; while critics are unimpressed, consumer reception is somewhat warmer and sales could still recover as the year progresses.
A punishing Metroidvania about a small robot exploring a decaying Vessel; MIO starts infuriating with tight platforming and formidable bosses, but patient play and clever design reveal a satisfying rhythm influenced by Hollow Knight and Dark Souls. Accessibility options (eroded bosses, ground-heal, pacifist mode) help balance the challenge, and a secret ending rewards persistent effort, all set in watercolor, hand-drawn visuals across PC and current-gen consoles.
The Perfect Pencil for Switch is a surreal, horror-tinged metroidvania that follows John through a dreamlike, labyrinthine world. It emphasizes exploration, side quests, and upgrading a projector-based attack, with creepy characters, Burtonesque bosses, and a quirky Camera Obscura mechanic that helps navigation. While combat exists, the game isn’t punishingly tough and shines in art direction and atmosphere; however, it can be dense and features long backtracking. Overall, it’s a distinctive, smooth-running addition to the Switch’s Metroidvania lineup with a memorable, eerie vibe.
This Week in Gaming (Week 4) highlights six new releases and early-access titles: MIO: Memories in Orbit, a metroidvania aboard a tech ark; Earth of Oryn, a medieval kingdom-builder; Strategos, a large-scale real-time tactics game set in antiquity; Duel Corp., a Souls-inspired action RPG with MMO vibes; Bladesong, a swordmaking simulator; and Escape from Ever After, a fairy-tale RPG where a megacorp clashes with storybook heroes. The lineup blends indie experimentation with expansive strategy titles, signaling a varied January slate.
Indie studio Douze Dixèmes’ MIO: Memories in Orbit fuses comic-style line work with painterly color and 3D space to deliver a hand-illustrated look in a Metroidvania. Art director Etienne Thibault-Buisson and render lead Joran steer a proprietary engine (with Blender) to enforce limited palettes, clean edges, and readable visuals for exploration, while level design supports non-linear discovery and culminates in a standout end‑game scene where the stage rotates around a giant character.
The article highlights several anticipated games for 2026, including lesser-known titles like The Sinking City 2, Phantom Blade Zero, Mortal Shell II, The Dark Rites of Arkham, and Wolfhound, emphasizing their unique styles and potential impact on their genres, from survival horror to pixel art adventures and Metroidvania action.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a popular Metroidvania game, is available for free on the Epic Games Store for less than 24 hours as part of a holiday promotion, allowing players to download and enjoy the game at no cost.
Possessors is a familiar yet enjoyable Metroidvania-style game with strong combat, engaging story, and vibrant art, though it suffers from some exploration and navigation issues. The game features a demon possession mechanic, stylish combat, and a compelling plot centered on Luca and Rhem, but offers little innovation in its genre. Despite its safe approach, it remains an entertaining action game with notable character development and visual flair.
Redstart Interactive announced GNAW, a pre-apocalyptic Metroidvania side-scrolling action game set in a dinosaur civilization, coming to PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC in 2026, with a demo available now for PC. The game features dynamic combat, exploration across seven regions, and a storyline involving a transformed dinosaur named Mack Ripley unraveling a mysterious threat to New Dino City.
The article discusses the challenging nature of Hollow Knight: Silksong and suggests alternative, less difficult Metroidvania games for players who find it too hard, emphasizing that game difficulty is a developer's choice and offering options for different skill levels.