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See The BEST Metroidvania Games Of 2018 | Year In Review [VIDEO]

Dec 27, 2018 Kevin Thielenhaus

We've hit peak saturation for Metroidvanias in this astounding year for indie devs. See which games in the genre we think are worth your time with our best of 2018 list.

2018 has seen a huge resurgence in indie platformers. What were once simple games have grown in complexity, and formed a massive cottage industry all centered around the Metroidvania genre. What is a Metroidvania? It’s hard to define, but essentially they all share the same elements — exploration, action, platforming and puzzle-solving. Depending on the game, these central pillars can take very, very different forms.

You might get Dead Cells, a rogue-like with fast-paced combat, or you might get something like La-Mulana 2, a mind-bogglingly complex game all about solved puzzles in a lost temple. Whether they’re procedurally generated or 100% designed, Metroidvanias are flexing on every platform. There are so many, it’s very likely you missed a real gem.

That’s why we’re exploring the subject in video-form, discussing all the best (and worst) Metroidvanias of 2018. It’s a genre that’s near and dear to this editor’s heart, so we’re appreciate it if you took a moment and remembered all the indie adventure-platformers that made 2018 a very special year.

I personally covered many of the Metroidvanias on this list, and wrote many (many!) guides. If you’re looking to re-explore any of these awesome games, or just want to take another look into this bottomless void of indie adventures, here’s a quick-and-dirty overview of most of the Metroidvania articles published on Gameranx in 2018. Spoiler: There’s a whole lot of them.


BELOW Guides:

  • Below: What Ingredients You Need To Craft Every Recipe | Recipes Guide
  • Below: How To Create Checkpoints & Shortcuts | Progress Guide
  • Below: How To Survive In The Deep Darkness | Tips & Tricks
  • Below: Where To Find Every Helmet & What They Do | Equipment Guide

Dead Cells Guides:

  • Dead Cells: 10 Tips To Help You Beat The Game | Completion Guide
  • Dead Cells: How To Find Keys & Cash In The Promenade | Secrets Guide
  • Dead Cells: How To Get The Vine, Teleportation, Ram & Spider Runes | Locations Guide
  • Dead Cells: Want To Make Easy Progress? Equip Double Turrets | Powerful Build Guide
  • Dead Cells: How To Access Every Area | Hidden & Optional Areas Guide
  • Dead Cells: All Secret Key & Blueprint Locations | Gardener’s Keys, Architect’s Key & More

La-Mulana 2 Guides:

  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: How To Beat The Roots of Yggdrasil | Part 1
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: Divine Fortress & Valhalla Guardian | Part 2
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: Annwfn & Annwfn Guardian | Part 3
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: Hunting Ratatoskr, Crystal Skulls & Key Items | Part 4
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: Immortal Battlefield Guardian | Part 5
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: Dark Lord’s Mausoleum Puzzles & Guardian | Part 6
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: Ancient Chaos Guardian Boss | Part 7
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: Icefire Treetop Guardian Boss | Part 8
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: 7 Gates of the Underworld & Eternal Prison Guardian | Part 9
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: Halls of Malice Sub-Bosses & Guardian | Part 10
  • La-Mulana 2 Walkthrough: Unlock Spiral Hell & Beat The Last Boss | Final Part
  • La-Mulana 2: How To Unlock Hard Mode | Secrets Guide
  • La-Mulana 2: How To Get The Chain Whip Upgrade | Double Damage Guide
  • La-Mulana 2: All Mantra Locations & Second Meanings | Locations Guide
  • La-Mulana 2: How to Combine Apps For Bonuses | App Combos List
  • La-Mulana 2: How To Get The Flail Whip | All 4 Sigil Locations Guide
  • La-Mulana 2: How To Get The Double-Jump Feather Early | Treasure Guide
  • La-Mulana 2: All 10 Sacred Orb Locations | Health Upgrades Guide

 

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