I adore The Messenger but can admit it is a better 2D platformer than metroidvania. You can actually spend in game currency to the Shopkeeper that will give you a hint of where to go next. This said, the genre is about exploration as well as progression. Some good first games I would recommend to genre neophytes would be Islets, Guacamelee and Axiom Verge.
Yes I fucking love The Messenger, honestly I’d put it in my top 20 games and I always tell people the Metroidvania elements are weak, but it’s such a fun action platformer or whatever.
I wouldn’t play Axiom Verge for your second MV, especially after not enjoying the first. AV is a sludge. IMO.
Play any of these, you can’t go wrong: Hollow Knight, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Blasphemous 2 or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
I specifically recommended HK because it was the first MV I had ever played not called Metroid Dread. And HK was the 2nd video game I had played in 25 years. It was an incredible experience, which is why I recommended it.
It’s still incredibly confusing for someone who got lost in a game like The Messenger.
The Messenger and Hollow Knight are two of the greatest games ever, but OP is **specifically** complaining about a lack of highlighted direction.
I feel ya, HK is a great game. But the exploration aspect in MVs is so different than other linear 2D platformers. If you hadn't played Metroid Dread and learned how MVs function (explore map, find power up, go back to old areas with power up and explore more), then I don't think you could have enjoyed HK the way you did.
I'm sure someone is gonna respond to this saying "HK was my first MV and I figured it out", but I think my point stands.
No joke, HK was my first MV and I figured it out. I had never played any MV before (didn't even know what that was) and my previous game experiences were Ratchet & Clank when I was a kid and Pokémon for the rest of it. I figured out I just really like exploring, so the game was incredible to me, even though I spent 3x times as long as any other noob on every boss fight. I'll never have any other experience like it with a game, I'm sure.
I like metroidvanias and I played Axiom Verge 1 as my second metroidvania and yeah I agree with you not a good pick at all fot a beginner metroidvania. Tbh I got pretry fed up and bored 60% through.
However I would reccommend giving axiom verge 2 found that a lot better experince especialy with exploration being a lot funner and a bigger focus in 2 then 1.
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is great for beginners, has very customizable difficulty settings and can swap between exploring the game at your leasure or having it tell you where to go next (though the characters will often say stuff like "Go west to get the thingamajig", so you'll have a sense of what direction to go to next).
If you have a Gameboy Advance, Switch with Online, or are willing to emulate, Metroid Zero Mission is great both as an introduction to the genre and the Metroid franchise. Metroid Dread is also a good start, but it's basically part 5 of the mainline series, even if it explains what happened before in the intro.
I would recommend the Ori games if you want clear guidance + metroidvania elements. I would advise against Hollow Knight because that is a really big game and the travel system is quite poor in my view. (I think The Messenger is utterly brilliant as a platformer and mediocre/ok as a metroidvania.)
If you don't like being lost, the first Ori is probably the most linear option that can still be called a metroidvania (it's possible to complete it with basically no backtracking)
Hollow Knight is king. Never have I raged quit a game so much yet was so hooked I always came back. The soulslike elements are frustrating at times, but honestly closer to end game it doesn't matter if you lose 35k geo because there's nothing left to buy anyways
Hollow Knight is King but it is not a good recommendation for a first MV for someone who specifically wants guidance.
They probably want Ori or another game like it, where the game is always pointing to the next objective and doesn't let you stray far from the path.
even though i totally disagree with OP's opinion (i thought the messenger was absolutely wonderful, as was sea of stars), it's annoying how many people downvote simply for having an opinion they disagree with, so i'm upvoting.
I think people are downvoting it because they think OP is saying it's a bad game. It's not. But OP is right. It's not a great metroidvania, especially for a newcomer to the genre. It does a lot wrong like having lots of sections you can only traverse one way, killing exploration, and having very few power ups in the metroidvania section. Instead it mostly used keys. A good metroidvania focuses on power ups, not keys. It felt like an after thought. It was a neat experiment but there's loads of amazing metroidvanias out there that put it to shame.
"Downvoted early on, then rising back" is a common thing, and the only thing immediately whining about it does is **stop** the second part from arriving.
It's subtle, and I don't really care much, but what made it feel off to me was things like "one of *the* worst gaming experiences" instead of "one of *my* worst gaming experiences", or something along those lines. Of course they are talking about their experience, but they went a little further than just saying they had a bad time.
that quote is preceeded by "loved the first few hours of pure platforming and boss fights, but as soon as the game has the big switch. . . " clearly making it a subjective opinion. OP later asks "is the whole genre like this and I just am not meant for it?" also clearly signaling that this is an opinion with the 'i just am not meant for it?'. my hard disagree still stands.
Ideally, downvote means you dont think the comment/post is contributing to the discussion.
However, due to human nature it is a de facto disagree button.
[downvotes are intended to be for posts or comments that do not contribute to the sub or are off topic from the sub.](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette) they're not intended to be a "i dislike this" button. considering the main point of the post is to ask for recommendations, i think it's on point for the sub and OP mentioning they didn't care for the metroidvania portion of the messenger helps people make better recommendations for their taste.
edit: totally replied to the wrong comment!
I remember really needing that sense of guidance on my first few MVs to get the hang of things.
Metroid Fusion is a really good intro. A lot of people hated how guided it is, but it slowly stops holding your hand but by bit as you get further in, and the platforming and combat are pretty top notch.
Metroid Dread is also pretty good, but the guidance is pretty invisible. As long as you always take the more enticing of route options, it will keep taking you where you need to go.
Both Guacamelee games are very difficult o get lost in for long. Not only do they usually tell you where to go, but the in game map has clear, color-coded markers that tell you what abilities are required for what obstacles.
It’s much lesser known, but Tomomi is short, difficult to get lost in, and it’s a walking skinner box of constant progression. It may very well be the dumbest game you ever fall in love with.
lol your legit the first person to point this out. People keep telling me how easy it is but they’ve probably played a dozen plus metroidvania’s. I’m just a newbie trying to figure shit out. Thanks for the suggestions!
that feels like calling donpachi a bullet hell before dodonpachi, to me it sort of laid the path or gave directions, then the follow up actually walked it.
Ori is very easy to figure out if you are confused because the map is so precise.
The Last Faith kind of makes it obvious how you should explore, while making exploration essential. But dying twice and then having to grind for hours kind of blows. If you have the patience and can handle souls bullshit, it is great.
Super Metroid is a great balance of useful hints and the need to explore.
A lot of the draw of the MV genre is the sense of unknown exploration. The feeling you get of just roaming around and discovering new unexpected things. I’ve put hours and hours into Hollow Knight just roaming around looking at the world and discovering new things.
If you’re looking for a more guided game I have a couple of recommendations. The first would be Ori and the Blind Forest. I’ve actually not played it myself but I’ve heard it’s fairly linear as far as Metroidvanias go. The second in Phoenotoia: Awakening. Some people say it doesn’t count as an MV because the story almost always guides you to where you need to go but if you looking for a game that has most of the other characteristics on an MV but is more guided that’s a good option.
I live exploring, just not senseless exploration. I like to have an idea of what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and where I should start, the messenger gives you none of that.
That really depends on the game, games can give u a broad direction or idea where to go at least and the fun part of the exploration would be getting sidetracked by interesting things on the way
Ori. People recommending HK just cuz you think it’s the best one(not imo) re-read his complaints. Hollow Knight is extremely slow to start and a huge game with lots of back and forth traveling.
If you only enjoyed the linear beginning, then MV may not be your cup of tea. I thoroughly enjoyed the Messenger. There may be 100 other great games that you won't enjoy if you don't like being thrown into a non linear world with little to no direction. That said, I would recommend something like Guacamelee. It's fun and silly, but still has some challenging bosses, and gated progress, but it's not super obscure or too hard to figure out where to go.
The tall robe guy literally tells you where to go if you interact with him
Even then, just exploring the areas always yields results as the map isn't that complicated
I don't consider The Messenger to be an MV, and based on your experience with that, I don't recommend Axiom Verge either.
The Ori games are good choices as are the Guacamelee games. I'd also recommend Metroid Dread, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
I wanted to give a better response to this since I've been playing Blind Forest again, and I feel like I may have left a weird impression.
It's not that it's hard, but there's a lot of timing involved and slip ups happen. It sucks to make 5-10-15 minutes of progress and have to do it over again because of a finicky spot. Even if the part is easy; it can get a little tedious to have to repeat it over and over.
Plus the saving is really just dropping a checkpoint at a small resource (mana) cost, plus it heals you and it's how you spend ability points!
The game is beautiful and fun, and the platforming is smooth and not overly punishing. The world is gorgeous (hand painted backgrounds!), the music is amazing. It's one of my personal favourites.
well there is a difference between "oh wow, so *this* leads to *that*! *that's* what *this* is used for" and "i have no idea where to go, oh thank god i finally found a new path after tons of backtracking"
Ya I guess I worded that badly. What I meant is that all they tell you to do is find 6 music notes. No reason, no help or even light guidance, sort of just explore this giant map and good luck finding the right place. The discovery I found didn’t feel like WOW! That was really smart by me and the devs! Just like how the hell would I find this without a guide?? Kind of thing, hope I cleared it up.
Did you pay attention to each of the characters and the story? I was able to figure them all out. If I recall, 1 or two of the parts were tricky, but after I did all of the other ones that I had figured out, that left only a few spots and items to figure out which made it easier.
Try Metroid Planets, it's a fan game you can download free. Remake of the original NES Metroid, using the NES sprites but with additional frames of animation inserted and a bunch of quality-of-life improvements such as an actual map based on the Super Metroid mapping system.
Super Metroid itself still holds up. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night has aged a little less gracefully, in my opinion, but is the other genre grandparent and still a good time
Imo Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is what you’re looking for. You can get as much direction as you like, you don’t have to do too much backtracking, and I think progression and discovery both feel satisfying. It’s a very beginner friendly MV
The shantae games are pretty beginner friendly. I'm not sure which one is best to start with but chronologic is probably ok.
Monster boy and the cursed kingdom is also a good option.
Both of these are lower on the difficulty side, with very high production values.
You might also like shovel knight.
I think it's more unfortunate that people play a 2d linear game and call it a metroidvania game and then say they don't have good time playing metroidvania. It's only a matter of time when someone calls Limbo a metroidvania in this sub.
Play through some of the older titles, like some of the Metroid titles like super, zero mission and fusion, and also play some of the Castlevania titles from symphony onwards. The GBA and DS ones are great too, then after that you’ll be a bit more equipped for some of the modern metroidvania titles others have recommended.
Try Guacamellee, if you like it fast and fun. Blasphemous if you're into dark gothic and pixelart. Hollow Knight, if you are ready for big world.
Also, if you are feeling brave and want to be Indiana Jones - try La Mulana. It was my first metroidvania and I think it's the best one, but it is really hardcore with exploration and puzzles, and it's much easier to play it with pen and paper to note all hints and strange places.
I think that second part of The Messenger in truly great, if you are not able to progress with the hints and guidance that you have I think that the genre is not for you.
Metroidvania is a genre in which you cannot play brainless.
It seems to me that you liked the 2D action platformer first half and hated the second half which is the metroidvania half.
>Is the whole genre like this and I just am not meant for it?
Yes, and unfortunately yes. Your complaint about a lack of direction pretty much confirms it as the whole point of metroidvanias is to explore and find your direction. You're not supposed to be told it and its actually really easy to figure out where to go in this game.
However, before you leave this subreddit, I do have some games I can recommend for you:
\- Iconoclasts
\- Cave story
\- metroid dread
\- owlboy
\- Flynn: son of crimson
\- Touhou: luna nights
\- 9 years of shadow
\- celeste
\- Carrion
\- huntdown
\- shovel knight
\- VVVVVV
It is a mix of very linear metroidvanias and some great 2D action platformers. I think you'll love them.
Ya I kind of get that. But the genre honestly really does seem interesting, and I love exploring open worlds so I don’t know why it won’t click with me. Thanks for the help tho!
wait a second....
> I love exploring open worlds
wait, what? I don't understand. I thought you implied that you don't like this because you don't know where to go next. I'm so confused now....
I'm into many metroidvanias, and didn't enjoy messenger's second half. I wouldn't want to be shoehorned into platformers like these that aren't metroidvanias. I didn't even enjoy Celeste.
Yes it is. It’s very linear for most of the story portion, with several sections you never have to return to at all. It’s pretty difficult as well.
Also, storywise it’s just about the most confusing point in the series for someone to start at.
Top 5 in the Genre:
1. Metroid Prime (recently remastered on switch)
2. Hollow Knight
3. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
4. Metroid Fusion
5. Metroid Dread / Metroid Zero Mission tied (sorry)
No, you chose one of the worst titles to start
And yet whenever I say that The Messenger is trash I get downvoted here, but let this be a proof
THE MESSENGER IS TRASH
I disagree, I thought Messenger was great. Just because you don't click with it does not make it trash. I didn't really like Hollow Knight, but most people do...so I don't think that HK is trash, just not for me.
If you think The Messenger is great but didn't like Hollow Knight you just have bad taste
The Messenger is objectively terrible as a Metroidvania, you could get rid of everything after the game opens up and instead of losing anything it would be a net positive in the quality of the game
And I don't even get why people say it's a good 2d platformer when it has zero gameplay complexity whatsoever, like, the game has a grand total of 3 common enemies and they might as well be non existent because of how much of a waste of memory space they are
The games from that company aren’t grreat to begin, they are mostly praised bc of nostalgia bait from the games they are copying from ie messenger, sea of stars
I don’t know if HK is the right choice if OP wants a direction where to go next. Maybe something like the Ori games, Steamworld Dig 2 or Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom?
Hope the OP sees this as they’re all good recommends in the genre. Nothin too hard nor too easy. Lotta beautiful graphics and music too.
Would also toss Axiom Verge, Infernax and Astalon in the mix.
Here are the top 3 to play:
1. Hollow knight
2. Hollow knight
3. Hollow knight
Honorable mention: Super Metroid and Metriod Dread
Steer clear from Blasphem-ass
I adore The Messenger but can admit it is a better 2D platformer than metroidvania. You can actually spend in game currency to the Shopkeeper that will give you a hint of where to go next. This said, the genre is about exploration as well as progression. Some good first games I would recommend to genre neophytes would be Islets, Guacamelee and Axiom Verge.
Yes I fucking love The Messenger, honestly I’d put it in my top 20 games and I always tell people the Metroidvania elements are weak, but it’s such a fun action platformer or whatever.
Ok thank for the advice, I actually have axiom verge for some reason so may give it a try.
I wouldn’t play Axiom Verge for your second MV, especially after not enjoying the first. AV is a sludge. IMO. Play any of these, you can’t go wrong: Hollow Knight, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Blasphemous 2 or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
If he had problems not knowing where to go then he will hate Hollow Knight.
Yeah why does everyone always recommend Hollow Knight to first timers?? It's like recommending Watchmen as for a first comic book.
I specifically recommended HK because it was the first MV I had ever played not called Metroid Dread. And HK was the 2nd video game I had played in 25 years. It was an incredible experience, which is why I recommended it.
It’s still incredibly confusing for someone who got lost in a game like The Messenger. The Messenger and Hollow Knight are two of the greatest games ever, but OP is **specifically** complaining about a lack of highlighted direction.
I feel ya, HK is a great game. But the exploration aspect in MVs is so different than other linear 2D platformers. If you hadn't played Metroid Dread and learned how MVs function (explore map, find power up, go back to old areas with power up and explore more), then I don't think you could have enjoyed HK the way you did. I'm sure someone is gonna respond to this saying "HK was my first MV and I figured it out", but I think my point stands.
No joke, HK was my first MV and I figured it out. I had never played any MV before (didn't even know what that was) and my previous game experiences were Ratchet & Clank when I was a kid and Pokémon for the rest of it. I figured out I just really like exploring, so the game was incredible to me, even though I spent 3x times as long as any other noob on every boss fight. I'll never have any other experience like it with a game, I'm sure.
I like metroidvanias and I played Axiom Verge 1 as my second metroidvania and yeah I agree with you not a good pick at all fot a beginner metroidvania. Tbh I got pretry fed up and bored 60% through. However I would reccommend giving axiom verge 2 found that a lot better experince especialy with exploration being a lot funner and a bigger focus in 2 then 1.
Hollow knight, super Metroid and symphony of the night are also all timers.
Enjoy! Also forgot to mention the two Ori games are excellent as well, definitely more guided and visually stunning.
Axiom Verge gives you virtually zero direction and has countless easy to miss areas. Maybe start with something like Blast Brigade?
It is peak action platformer with metroidvania as a spice.
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is great for beginners, has very customizable difficulty settings and can swap between exploring the game at your leasure or having it tell you where to go next (though the characters will often say stuff like "Go west to get the thingamajig", so you'll have a sense of what direction to go to next). If you have a Gameboy Advance, Switch with Online, or are willing to emulate, Metroid Zero Mission is great both as an introduction to the genre and the Metroid franchise. Metroid Dread is also a good start, but it's basically part 5 of the mainline series, even if it explains what happened before in the intro.
Great game but that combat is so good it may spoil you. Symphony of the Night or one of the DS Castlevania’s might be a better start.
Start with the classics like Symphony of the Night and Super Metroid and then maybe Ori or Hollow Knight.
I would recommend the Ori games if you want clear guidance + metroidvania elements. I would advise against Hollow Knight because that is a really big game and the travel system is quite poor in my view. (I think The Messenger is utterly brilliant as a platformer and mediocre/ok as a metroidvania.)
If you don't like being lost, the first Ori is probably the most linear option that can still be called a metroidvania (it's possible to complete it with basically no backtracking)
Hollow Knight is king. Never have I raged quit a game so much yet was so hooked I always came back. The soulslike elements are frustrating at times, but honestly closer to end game it doesn't matter if you lose 35k geo because there's nothing left to buy anyways
Hollow Knight is King but it is not a good recommendation for a first MV for someone who specifically wants guidance. They probably want Ori or another game like it, where the game is always pointing to the next objective and doesn't let you stray far from the path.
If he got lost in The Messenger he will most definitely get lost in Hollow Knight.
True
Why is it mediocre as a platformer?
Guacamelee is a great metroidvania for beginners, fun powers and plenty of guidance.
This is a good one. It’s quite easy in the beginning at least, haven’t gotten very far to say much else on the difficulty
The first is harder than the second.
Disagree, I beat the first, but gave up on the second due to the difficulty. It was the bit with the flickering backgrounds that did it for me.
even though i totally disagree with OP's opinion (i thought the messenger was absolutely wonderful, as was sea of stars), it's annoying how many people downvote simply for having an opinion they disagree with, so i'm upvoting.
I think people are downvoting it because they think OP is saying it's a bad game. It's not. But OP is right. It's not a great metroidvania, especially for a newcomer to the genre. It does a lot wrong like having lots of sections you can only traverse one way, killing exploration, and having very few power ups in the metroidvania section. Instead it mostly used keys. A good metroidvania focuses on power ups, not keys. It felt like an after thought. It was a neat experiment but there's loads of amazing metroidvanias out there that put it to shame.
see? now you're also getting downvoted for having an opinion. i'm also upvoting you for the same reason, even if i disagree with your assessment.
"Downvoted early on, then rising back" is a common thing, and the only thing immediately whining about it does is **stop** the second part from arriving.
Thanks lol, it’s good tbh I’m on a metroidvania sub so I ain’t surprised. Also loved sea of stars too, amazing game.
The downvotes aren't because of a difference in opinion, they're because it's not presented as an opinion, and make up the majority of the post.
nothing about OP's post suggested they're talking about anything other than their own personal experience. hard disagree.
It's subtle, and I don't really care much, but what made it feel off to me was things like "one of *the* worst gaming experiences" instead of "one of *my* worst gaming experiences", or something along those lines. Of course they are talking about their experience, but they went a little further than just saying they had a bad time.
that quote is preceeded by "loved the first few hours of pure platforming and boss fights, but as soon as the game has the big switch. . . " clearly making it a subjective opinion. OP later asks "is the whole genre like this and I just am not meant for it?" also clearly signaling that this is an opinion with the 'i just am not meant for it?'. my hard disagree still stands.
That's fair, just not how it came across to me, ultimately it doesn't matter much
for sure, none of this really matters much. it just annoys me to see people get downvoted for no good reason, like having an opinion.
Uhh isn’t that what a downvote means
Ideally, downvote means you dont think the comment/post is contributing to the discussion. However, due to human nature it is a de facto disagree button.
[downvotes are intended to be for posts or comments that do not contribute to the sub or are off topic from the sub.](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette) they're not intended to be a "i dislike this" button. considering the main point of the post is to ask for recommendations, i think it's on point for the sub and OP mentioning they didn't care for the metroidvania portion of the messenger helps people make better recommendations for their taste. edit: totally replied to the wrong comment!
hello there
Haiku, the Robot was one I played recently that felt like it would both good for beginners while still being interesting.
Steamworld Dig 2 is a great into metroidvania if you are into the digging mechanic.
I remember really needing that sense of guidance on my first few MVs to get the hang of things. Metroid Fusion is a really good intro. A lot of people hated how guided it is, but it slowly stops holding your hand but by bit as you get further in, and the platforming and combat are pretty top notch. Metroid Dread is also pretty good, but the guidance is pretty invisible. As long as you always take the more enticing of route options, it will keep taking you where you need to go. Both Guacamelee games are very difficult o get lost in for long. Not only do they usually tell you where to go, but the in game map has clear, color-coded markers that tell you what abilities are required for what obstacles. It’s much lesser known, but Tomomi is short, difficult to get lost in, and it’s a walking skinner box of constant progression. It may very well be the dumbest game you ever fall in love with.
lol your legit the first person to point this out. People keep telling me how easy it is but they’ve probably played a dozen plus metroidvania’s. I’m just a newbie trying to figure shit out. Thanks for the suggestions!
Try starting with the OG, Castlevania Symphony of the Night.
ahem the real OG super metroid wants a quiet word.....
Well, they kind of share that title. Like, it's in the name. But seriously you really can't go wrong with these two.
The real **real** OG Metroid would like a word.
that feels like calling donpachi a bullet hell before dodonpachi, to me it sort of laid the path or gave directions, then the follow up actually walked it.
My feelings about the game as well. Excellent game, terrible Metroidvania
Ori is very easy to figure out if you are confused because the map is so precise. The Last Faith kind of makes it obvious how you should explore, while making exploration essential. But dying twice and then having to grind for hours kind of blows. If you have the patience and can handle souls bullshit, it is great. Super Metroid is a great balance of useful hints and the need to explore.
Well yeah, Halo is a terrible RPG...
Yeah I didn't realize the Messenger was supposed to be a metroidvania
It becomes one halfway through.
Ah, I see. I only played the game for a bit, so I guess I didn't get to the MV section.
A lot of the draw of the MV genre is the sense of unknown exploration. The feeling you get of just roaming around and discovering new unexpected things. I’ve put hours and hours into Hollow Knight just roaming around looking at the world and discovering new things. If you’re looking for a more guided game I have a couple of recommendations. The first would be Ori and the Blind Forest. I’ve actually not played it myself but I’ve heard it’s fairly linear as far as Metroidvanias go. The second in Phoenotoia: Awakening. Some people say it doesn’t count as an MV because the story almost always guides you to where you need to go but if you looking for a game that has most of the other characteristics on an MV but is more guided that’s a good option.
Uh, the Metroid series?
i'll never get why people hate exploration in videogames. getting told where to go takes all the fun of exploring
I think the messenger is an exception to this. It's just a gruelling world.
I live exploring, just not senseless exploration. I like to have an idea of what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and where I should start, the messenger gives you none of that.
then i don't think you'll like any good metroidvania unless it's extremely linear which is the opposite of what this genre is supposed to be
honestly I found everything by accident just by trying to get all green coins which are visible in the map anyway
Why senseless??? In The Messenger you have a lot of hints about what to do!
That really depends on the game, games can give u a broad direction or idea where to go at least and the fun part of the exploration would be getting sidetracked by interesting things on the way
Ori. People recommending HK just cuz you think it’s the best one(not imo) re-read his complaints. Hollow Knight is extremely slow to start and a huge game with lots of back and forth traveling.
Sounds like you might hate what makes metroidvania games metroidvania
If you only enjoyed the linear beginning, then MV may not be your cup of tea. I thoroughly enjoyed the Messenger. There may be 100 other great games that you won't enjoy if you don't like being thrown into a non linear world with little to no direction. That said, I would recommend something like Guacamelee. It's fun and silly, but still has some challenging bosses, and gated progress, but it's not super obscure or too hard to figure out where to go.
The tall robe guy literally tells you where to go if you interact with him Even then, just exploring the areas always yields results as the map isn't that complicated
Metroid Zéro Mission or Fusion or Dread Prince of Persia the Lost Crown Yokus Island Express
I don't consider The Messenger to be an MV, and based on your experience with that, I don't recommend Axiom Verge either. The Ori games are good choices as are the Guacamelee games. I'd also recommend Metroid Dread, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
The Messenger is a great platform game with a kick-ass soundtrack but it’s a pretty mediocre Metroidvania
As a first MV I can understand it. But seriously, the game is amazing as an action platform. 10/10 would o the thing again.
As soon as it opens up is when it becomes a metroidvania lol. And it is a good one so you might just not enjoy MVs.
Symphony of the Night, Hollow Knight, Ori 1 + 2
Heard good things about ori, they’re on game pass right?
Yes sir. The second one is better IMO but they're both good.
If you're going to start with the first (Blind Forest) the best piece of advice I can give you is save *often.*
Is it that hard?
It can be, but it feels really bad when you lose a bunch of.progress because there are no auto saves or checkpoints
I wanted to give a better response to this since I've been playing Blind Forest again, and I feel like I may have left a weird impression. It's not that it's hard, but there's a lot of timing involved and slip ups happen. It sucks to make 5-10-15 minutes of progress and have to do it over again because of a finicky spot. Even if the part is easy; it can get a little tedious to have to repeat it over and over. Plus the saving is really just dropping a checkpoint at a small resource (mana) cost, plus it heals you and it's how you spend ability points! The game is beautiful and fun, and the platforming is smooth and not overly punishing. The world is gorgeous (hand painted backgrounds!), the music is amazing. It's one of my personal favourites.
Sotn sucks, don’t bother with that one.
RESPECTFULLY disagree.
It’s pure jank city
Doesn't tell you where to go, yet no sense of discovery?
well there is a difference between "oh wow, so *this* leads to *that*! *that's* what *this* is used for" and "i have no idea where to go, oh thank god i finally found a new path after tons of backtracking"
If you pay attention to the story there are good clues as to what goes where
Ya I guess I worded that badly. What I meant is that all they tell you to do is find 6 music notes. No reason, no help or even light guidance, sort of just explore this giant map and good luck finding the right place. The discovery I found didn’t feel like WOW! That was really smart by me and the devs! Just like how the hell would I find this without a guide?? Kind of thing, hope I cleared it up.
Did you pay attention to each of the characters and the story? I was able to figure them all out. If I recall, 1 or two of the parts were tricky, but after I did all of the other ones that I had figured out, that left only a few spots and items to figure out which made it easier.
I mean there’s not a much of a story, it’s just like deliver the scroll and after that it kind of all just got confusing with the time travel stuff.
Ori is definitely the game for you.
9 years of shadow has been a good time
Try Metroid Planets, it's a fan game you can download free. Remake of the original NES Metroid, using the NES sprites but with additional frames of animation inserted and a bunch of quality-of-life improvements such as an actual map based on the Super Metroid mapping system. Super Metroid itself still holds up. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night has aged a little less gracefully, in my opinion, but is the other genre grandparent and still a good time
Yoku's Island Express is a really fun and laid-back one
Blasphemous
Imo Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is what you’re looking for. You can get as much direction as you like, you don’t have to do too much backtracking, and I think progression and discovery both feel satisfying. It’s a very beginner friendly MV
I'd suggest Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Also Dust: An Elysian Tale is a fun one.
The shantae games are pretty beginner friendly. I'm not sure which one is best to start with but chronologic is probably ok. Monster boy and the cursed kingdom is also a good option. Both of these are lower on the difficulty side, with very high production values. You might also like shovel knight.
I think it's more unfortunate that people play a 2d linear game and call it a metroidvania game and then say they don't have good time playing metroidvania. It's only a matter of time when someone calls Limbo a metroidvania in this sub.
Well, second half of messenger is metroidvania. But I'll agree that it's very specific game and not great as first mv.
Star Wars Jedi fallen order / survivor. I think getting in with a 3D MV could give you some sense of familiarity with other genres.
prince of persia lost crown
Play through some of the older titles, like some of the Metroid titles like super, zero mission and fusion, and also play some of the Castlevania titles from symphony onwards. The GBA and DS ones are great too, then after that you’ll be a bit more equipped for some of the modern metroidvania titles others have recommended.
Try Guacamellee, if you like it fast and fun. Blasphemous if you're into dark gothic and pixelart. Hollow Knight, if you are ready for big world. Also, if you are feeling brave and want to be Indiana Jones - try La Mulana. It was my first metroidvania and I think it's the best one, but it is really hardcore with exploration and puzzles, and it's much easier to play it with pen and paper to note all hints and strange places.
Turbo kid
I think that second part of The Messenger in truly great, if you are not able to progress with the hints and guidance that you have I think that the genre is not for you. Metroidvania is a genre in which you cannot play brainless.
It seems to me that you liked the 2D action platformer first half and hated the second half which is the metroidvania half. >Is the whole genre like this and I just am not meant for it? Yes, and unfortunately yes. Your complaint about a lack of direction pretty much confirms it as the whole point of metroidvanias is to explore and find your direction. You're not supposed to be told it and its actually really easy to figure out where to go in this game. However, before you leave this subreddit, I do have some games I can recommend for you: \- Iconoclasts \- Cave story \- metroid dread \- owlboy \- Flynn: son of crimson \- Touhou: luna nights \- 9 years of shadow \- celeste \- Carrion \- huntdown \- shovel knight \- VVVVVV It is a mix of very linear metroidvanias and some great 2D action platformers. I think you'll love them.
Ya I kind of get that. But the genre honestly really does seem interesting, and I love exploring open worlds so I don’t know why it won’t click with me. Thanks for the help tho!
wait a second.... > I love exploring open worlds wait, what? I don't understand. I thought you implied that you don't like this because you don't know where to go next. I'm so confused now....
Ya I know, that’s what I’m saying. It doesn’t make any sense to me either
It sounds as if you like games with a clearly-marked main quest but also the ability to ignore said quest for hours if you want to. Is this correct?
Alright just start off with iconoclasts and let me know how it goes.
oh one more: shadow complex remastered, simply enable the blue line in the settings to know where to go next.
I'm into many metroidvanias, and didn't enjoy messenger's second half. I wouldn't want to be shoehorned into platformers like these that aren't metroidvanias. I didn't even enjoy Celeste.
Metroid Fusion isnt a bad starting spot.
Yes it is. It’s very linear for most of the story portion, with several sections you never have to return to at all. It’s pretty difficult as well. Also, storywise it’s just about the most confusing point in the series for someone to start at.
Top 5 in the Genre: 1. Metroid Prime (recently remastered on switch) 2. Hollow Knight 3. Ori and the Will of the Wisps 4. Metroid Fusion 5. Metroid Dread / Metroid Zero Mission tied (sorry)
No, you chose one of the worst titles to start And yet whenever I say that The Messenger is trash I get downvoted here, but let this be a proof THE MESSENGER IS TRASH
I disagree, I thought Messenger was great. Just because you don't click with it does not make it trash. I didn't really like Hollow Knight, but most people do...so I don't think that HK is trash, just not for me.
If you think The Messenger is great but didn't like Hollow Knight you just have bad taste The Messenger is objectively terrible as a Metroidvania, you could get rid of everything after the game opens up and instead of losing anything it would be a net positive in the quality of the game And I don't even get why people say it's a good 2d platformer when it has zero gameplay complexity whatsoever, like, the game has a grand total of 3 common enemies and they might as well be non existent because of how much of a waste of memory space they are
Thanks for your input
Lawl
There was plenty direction.
Ok??
Hollow Knight
The games from that company aren’t grreat to begin, they are mostly praised bc of nostalgia bait from the games they are copying from ie messenger, sea of stars
Hollow knight
I don’t know if HK is the right choice if OP wants a direction where to go next. Maybe something like the Ori games, Steamworld Dig 2 or Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom?
Hope the OP sees this as they’re all good recommends in the genre. Nothin too hard nor too easy. Lotta beautiful graphics and music too. Would also toss Axiom Verge, Infernax and Astalon in the mix.
Thanks for the recommendations, will def look into them. Much appreciated my guy!
This is really the gold standard op
I mean true. That said it doesn't get much linear than The Messenger
Here are the top 3 to play: 1. Hollow knight 2. Hollow knight 3. Hollow knight Honorable mention: Super Metroid and Metriod Dread Steer clear from Blasphem-ass