When I think of punishing video game genres that tend to give you a stiff challenge no matter what game in the genre you choose, the two that often come to mind immediately are Metroidvanias and Souls-likes.
9 Metroidvania Sequels Better Than The Original
Metroidvania sequels are pretty rare, but sometimes, they are even better than their predecessors.
Mainly because these gamesoften have punishing areas to explore, mechanics that need precision inputs to master, brutal enemies to take on, and that barely scratches the surface.
So, really, it should be no surprise that, time and time again, we see developers take these two design approaches and smush them together to create a hybrid that is, in some cases, twice as punishing as the sum of their parts.
Metroidvania soulslikes are a joy, thanks to theirhigh-skill ceilingsand rewarding exploration, but they can be quite hard to find amongst all the AAA fodder out there. So, allow me to surface a few that you should play at your earliest convenience.
10Death’s Gambit: Afterlife
Death Is Inevitable
Death’s Gambit: Afterlife
I would be the first to tell you that on launch, Death’s Gambit was a rather lukewarm Metroidvania soulslike.
However, as it exists today courtesy of the Afterlife update, this game is a fine example of how to make a Metroidvania Soulslike hybrid, offering an experience that feels like a dark and brooding lovechild of Dark Souls and Castlevania.
It’s a game that, much like Salt and Sanctuary, aims to be an authentic 2D love letter to Dark Souls and does a wonderful job. Forcing the player to be careful and cautious, pick their moments and overcome the odds to progress through the punishing world before you.
Combat is tough, and bosses pull no punches, but the reward for breaking through is a wealth of content, a sublime story, and the elation of mastering your class and becoming equipped for any scenario the game places you in. It’s a 2D Souls triumph and a seriously worthwhile title for anyone looking for a stern challenge.
9Vigil: The Longest Night
Authentic 2D Souls
Vigil: The Longest Night
Speaking of games that follow in the Souls-inspired footsteps of Salt and Sanctuary, Vigil: The Longest Night is another great example. Albeit one that is definitely a little more accessible and forgiving than some of the others on this list.
It’s essentially S&S but with more of a focus on player freedom, as the game gives you a lot of tools to respec, equip yourself for tougher areas; and also, the game definitely feels like it leans more toward Metroidvania-focused design, making it more than just a boss gauntlet with some backtracking here and there.
Many will bemoan the rather long load times, the cheap fall damage deaths, and perhaps the rather cliché story.
But, the tight combat and unique boss encounters more than make up for this, making this a gripping souls Metroidvania with a lower difficulty that could just make it an ideal beginner title to break into the genre.
8Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
Trading Swords For Lightsabers
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Purists be damned,we are throwing 3D Metroidvanias into the mix, and despite its rather clunky execution of Souls mechanics, this one also qualifies as a Souls-Like too. It might not sit comfortably in either camp, but regardless, this game, and the Jedi series, for that matter, are fine games well worth checking out.
Each title offers a unique Star Wars tale with Cal Kestis in the spotlight, and it’s a cinematic spectacle from start to end. Complete with dynamic set-pieces, expansive semi-open-world design, and lightsaber combat that is about as good as anything we have seen from a Star Wars video game.
It’s a game that is probably a Souls-lite rather than a true Souls outing. But even still, it can be rather challenging at the higher difficulty levels and has more than enough hidden pathways locked behind Jedi powers to keep the Metroidvania crowd happy, too.
7Tails of Iron 2
A Fitting Sequel
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter
It might be a little generous to call this one a Metroidvania Souls game, as the Metroidvania aspects are few and far between. But, there’s just enough there to make this one potential wishlist bait for any potential gamer that hasn’t quite got around to this recent release.
Tails of Iron 2is a great example of a sequel done right, offering a bigger and better experience that keeps all the good stuff from the predecessor firmly intact.
Most notably, an elemental effect system is added to combat to spice things up, but you also will find this sequel has better navigation, more side content to enjoy, slicker visuals, and gameplay that is slightly more rewardingly challenging than the original.
It’s maybe a whisker away from perfection, but it’s still a terrific game well worth the price of admission.
6Salt and Sanctuary
The OG 2D Soulslike
Salt and Sanctuary
Let’s kick things off with the game that will appeal most to the traditional Dark Souls fans of old. As this game is as close to a 2D version of the original Dark Souls trilogy as you’ll ever get.
Salt and Sanctuary features a grim world that is more than happy to punish you at every turn. It has a wealth of bosses that require combat mastery to even stand a chance of beating. Plus, it has an expansive world where Metroidvania style backtracking is essential.
However, to counteract this difficulty, the game does offer you a wide variety of classes and potential builds, and as you might expect, this makes NG+ very enjoyable too. It’s a Souls fan’s dream 2D adaptation and one you should seek out if you haven’t played it.
5Nine Sols
A Sekiro-Like Metroidvania
In the punishing world of Soulsborne games, I always feel a little sad for Sekiro, as it always gets overlooked in the best of all-time discussions, despite the fact that, as a challenging game that demands perfection, it undoubtedly reigns supreme.
Not a lot of 2D soulslikes recognize this, but one that sure does is Nine Sols, as this absolutely amazing Metroidvania has the player explore a Tao-inspired world that is gritty, grotesque, and gorgeous in equal measure.
However, the real star of the show is the combat mechanics, which put the same emphasis on parry mechanics as its inspiration, Sekiro. Leading to a game that demands precision, incredible timing, and mastery of every boss’s choreography.
It’s a hidden gem of 2024, and one you absolutely need to play if you loved FromSoftware’s least Souls-Like Souls game.
Dark, Desolate, Delightful
Souls games and Metroidvanias are known for their subtle, sometimes incomprehensible lore.
Well, if that’s your thing, then you just might love GRIME, because aside from the obvious themes of anatomical horror on show, I still don’t really know what went on during my playthrough. All I know is that it was brutally hard, and that I loved it.
Armed with a black hole for a head to parry and absorb enemies, this one forces you to take on the grotesque stone bosses of this world, and let me tell you, every one of them is a test of your mettle.
GRIME just might be the game with the best collection of boss fights on this list, and for a Souls fan, that’s likely music to your ears. Not that I’m speaking aloud, but you get the picture.
Combine that with classic Metroidvania design, great replayability courtesy of an awesome NG+ mode, and a steady, rewarding progression system and you have a game that is a standout in its field.
The platforming may divide a few, but if you may deal with these sections, then everything else is bliss. Brutal, oppressive, punishing bliss.
3Blasphemous
Pray To The Pentient One
Blasphemous
By all accounts, I think it’s accepted that Blasphemous 2 is a sequel that one-ups its predecessor in pretty much every way. However, I’ll stick my neck out and say that it pales in comparison to the original in one department, and that’s the Souls-Like department.
Mainly because the original was a game that offered a much stiffer challenge, and deep down, that’s all a Souls fan truly wants.
11 Best 3D Metroidvanias You Need to Play
We’ve all played a classic 2D Metroidvania, but you might be surprised to know how many 3D Metroidvanias there are out there.
The first game still has the gritty, religion-fuelled Atmosphere, a killer narrative, and a world dripping in lore linked to the Spanish Inquisition. But, Blasphemous is like the sequel with all the accessible changes stripped to make it an unapologetically punishing grind. Plus, it’s one that definitely leans more into the Souls genre than the Metroidvania genre.
Think of Blasphemous 2 as Elden Ring, a much more accessible way into the series, and the original Blasphemous as Dark Souls. Slightly more unpolished, and much more willing to knock you on your ass for the tiniest error.
2Ender Magnolia: Bloom In The Mist
Conquer The Land of Fumes
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
Our last entry was a classic case of the predecessor being better in some areas than its sequel. That is something that can’t be said of Ender Magnolia.
At least, not in the gameplay department. As a 2D Souls game, Ender Magnolia offers everything that was great about Ender Lilies but does everything bigger and better.
It’s a better-designed world with better navigation and more ground to cover. It has smoother combat and platforming. It has more compelling boss battles, and it has a wealth of new ways to optimize your build throughout your playthrough.
In short, it’s the formula we all loved before given a shine and polish to become the best possible version of what it can be.
That said, the story and the atmosphere of this sequel probably just slightly pales in comparison to the original. Mainly because it fails to take any risks and ends up feeling flat at times, but as a challenging Souls-like, you can’t fault this much-anticipated sequel that lived up to the hype and then some.
1Hollow Knight
Silksong, When?
When it comes to Metroidvania perfection, it’s very hard to think of a game that deserves that label more than Hollow Knight.
A game that ticks all boxes in terms of visuals, audio, gameplay, and design. The hand-drawn world is eye-catching, Christopher Larkin’s score is incredible, and the expansive world is designed to be a Metroidvania full of sequence breaks and rewarding exploration opportunities.
However, many overlook the fact that this is also Souls-Like at its core, complete with hulking bosses, annoying boss runs, tight combat mechanics, and bonfires in the form of benches.
It may not truly offer a test fitting of a Souls' game until you reach Godhome, but even still, it’s a wonderful example of a 2D Souls game, and one you simply must play before Silksong eventually, hopefully, arrives.
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