Does a Metroidvania have to be a platformer?

Of course, Metroidvania is fundamentally (or at least traditionally) a platforming genre. However, the main principles of Metroidvania (guided non-linearity and utility-based exploration as this subreddit puts it) and the resulting sense of wonder and achievement aren’t really limited to platforming by necessity.

What makes a game a Metroidvania?

Metroidvania is a subgenre of action-adventure video games focused on guided non-linearity and utility-gated exploration and progression. The term is a portmanteau of the names of the video game series Metroid and Castlevania, with games in the genre borrowing from both series.

What defines a platformer game?

A platformer, or platform video game, is one that traditionally features two-dimensional graphics in which players control characters who jump or climb between different platforms on the screen. It’s a subgenre of the Action category, which is one of the many different types of video games.

Is God of War a Metroidvania?

There’s more than a touch of Metroidvania to this new God Of War, and while the landscapes are a lot smaller and more constrained than they first appear – thanks to the stunning visuals – exploration is still a key element and extremely rewarding given the wide range of genuinely useful items you can come across.

Is Mario a platformer?

Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, became the archetype for many platform games.

Can Dark Souls be considered a metroidvania?

Dark Souls doesn’t outright gate areas of its largely open world behind items or skills, but it does the Metroidvania genre’s gating passively through challenging enemies and traps.

Is Zelda a platformer game?

Platformer gameplay is about jumping between platforms or over obstacles. This kind of gameplay, even in other genres, is called “platforming”. Games where jumping is not controlled by the player, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, are not thought of as platform games.

Is Minecraft a platformer game?

It resembles more of a 2D platformer than a 3D sandbox game. …

What kind of game is Zelda?

Action-adventure game
Action role-playing game
The Legend of Zelda/Genres

What was the first metroidvania?

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) was the first game in the series that implemented the “metroidvania” gameplay.

What is Metroidvania and how does it work?

Metroidvania is generally associated with game levels/maps that are laid out as two-dimensional side scrollers, with the player character moving left, right, up and down through the level.

What is a side-scroller Metroidvania?

Side-scroller will often be used for games that go left to right with minimal platforms and more focus on things like killing enemies like Metal Slug. Metroidvanias contain interconnected areas with sections that are only accessible once new abilities are acquired during game progression, meaning a lot of backtracking.

What is the difference between a side-scroller and a platformer?

Platformer is typically focused levels with an emphasis on verticality to some extent like Mario. Side-scroller will often be used for games that go left to right with minimal platforms and more focus on things like killing enemies like Metal Slug.

Are there any Metroidvanias that require you to dig?

Steamworld Dig 2 Steamworld Dig 2 isn’t the only Metroidvania on this list that sends you exploring underground, but it is the one that requires you to dig your way through its sprawling world. That digging gameplay loop is by no means a chore, though.