I love Team Cherry.

For once I can finally open my Youtube feed and I will see no 'a day before launch' final boss/spoilers in thumbnail content uploads from a game I'm anticipating for.

“Castlevania Belmont’s Curse is a 2D Action-Exploration game where players can freely explore vast, elaborately crafted maps,” Tommy Williams, Konami’s Head of Communications for the Americas, tells The Verge. “It is not a roguelike or roguelite game.”

I didn’t have any doubts but it’s nice to hear. Don’t shoot me if The Verge isn’t a trusted source, please. I’m just an excited fan happy this series is back.

Let’s hope it is not just a rumor.

Not only my potential goty, but easily a top three favorite CV game. What a treat it is.

Hi folks!

This may not be your usual metroidvania (I recently discovered the term Horrorvania and I'm fascinated), but if you're even a little bit into horror games, I think you'll love Silver Pines.

And, in case you're already playing it or plan to pick it up in the future, I wanted to share my walkthrough with you.

Few things hit like the smug-as-hell glow of figuring it out yourself, but being stuck straight-up sucks so I'm hoping to help some of you with this one.

Silver Pines Walkthrough: All Puzzles, Codes & Key Locations

Just fyi, I'm also working on a guide to cover the location of all mementos, vessel shards, weapons, and tools. Should have that up shortly.

I just finished this game (90%) and it has been a superb platforming and combat challenge.

THE GOOD:

The aerial combat stands here. By far, possibly the best aerial moment in any MV. Since hitting and enemy or a prop gives a new jump and dash, you can keep in the air for the longest times i remember in a 2D videogame. Is so satisfying and fun.

The platforming is another standout since it makes very good use of the aerial transversal capabilities and combines them for a moderate challenge that because of how good it feels to fight and jump in the air, is really fun.

The omamori charms and Daruma spells are also usable, and the Daruma has a nice mechanic that i only achieved a couple of times. Used the kettle mostly to heal though.

The world design is good. Is not overly complicated and more straightforward with almost no backtracking but is adorable, cohesive and fun to explore. With very distinct biomes to explore. The Japanese setting is the adorable part and the main character is very charming.

Music and sound design are also excellent and accompany the adventure very well.

Controls are super tight and very responsible. Needed in a precision platformer like this.

The length is about 12 hours. Perfect for a game like this.

The last section of the game is just incredible. The platform starts to become challenging and without spoiling anything, the last couple of bosses are incredible. The best part of the game, when you unlock all the abilities and see what you can really do in air, the flow of the combat.

9/10. Outstanding metroidvania. Has his own personality. Deserves a play but anyone calling himself a Metroidvanian.

THE BAD: Nothing. Well, the racing on the Kabuki update threw me off. Didnt like it.

Now onto M.I.O Memories in Orbit or The Mobius Machine, still deciding...

2015

Axiom Verge

ESA

Ori 1

2016

AM2R

Headlander

Momodora 4

Rabi Ribi

Salt & sanctuary

Song of the deep

2017

Alwa's awakening

Hollow Knight

Metroid Samus Returns

Mummy Demastered

Steam World Dig 2

2018

Dandara

Guacamelle!2

La-Mulana 2

The Messenger

Yoku's Island Express

2019

Blasphemous

Bloodstained

Cathedral

Gato Roboto

Monster Boy

Supraland

Touhu Luna Nights

Visit Soft Reset

2020

Alwa's Legacy

Ato

Batbarian

Carrion

Control

Monster Sanctuary

Ori 2

Sheepo

Vigil

2021

Aeterna Noctis

Astalon

Axiom Verge 2

Death's Gambit Afterlife

Deedlit

Ender Lilies

F.I.S.T.

Grime

Metroid Dread

Pronty

Unsighted

2022

8Doors

Blast Brigade

Depths of sanity

Ghost Song

HAAK

Haiku

Infernax

Islets

Moonscars

Souldiers

2023

Afterimage

Blasphemous 2

Cookie Cutter

Doomblade

Elderand

Kingdom Shell

Laika

Lone Fungus

Pseudoregalia

Rusted Moss

Tevi

The Last Faith

Worldless

Xanthiom Zero

2024

Alruna

Animal Well

Biogun

Biomorph

Bo

Crypt Custodian

Minishoot Adventures

Moonlight Pulse

Möbius machine

Nine Sols

Noreya

Pampas & Selene

Prince of Persia, the lost crown

Rebel Transmute

Turbo kid

Ultros

Voidwrought

2025

Chronicles of the wolf

Dragonloop

Ender Magnolia

Guns of Fury

Lone Fungus 2

Mandragora

Microvania

Pipistrello

Shadow Labyrinth

Silksong

Somber Echoes

Super Roboy

Twilight Monk

Undivine

Whirlwind magician

Zexion

2026

Aggelos 2

Before I go

Fatal Claw

Grime 2

MIO

Kotama

Raider Kid

Solateria

Xanthiom Zero 2

Castlevania Belmont's Curse

Well Dweller

We already know the last two unreleased games will be good..

What games did I miss, and what year had the best metroidvanias? Easily 2024 for me.

This review will have two posts: this one is spoiler free, while the other discusses some gameplay mechanics that could be considered spoiler. It's not usual of me to do this "2 parts review", but if you don't like this and would rather have it all in the same thread, please say so in the comments.

On the spoiler free review post I've already given examples of punishing design that don't hurt much. They're ok. However, there are two punishing mechanics that upset me the most.

You can also read the full review at GameBlast.

Losing HP

MIO uses the traditional “find 4 fragments = +1 HP” system but makes this hard-earned resource expandable: without warning, we lose health at some key-points. PERMANENTLY. Losing 1 HP is bad enough when you can take only 5 hits, but then you lose another. Then a third point while being in the game’s final act and you may end up seeing yourself with as many HP as you had in the beginning, which was my case.

The HP loss is attached to the narrative and it happened in optional areas. The thing is I struggled to get to those off track areas. I love exploring off tracks in MVs and getting this for a “reward” was frustrating in a way few games could achieve - this is far from a compliment.

The devs are aiming for emotional impact, but this took me off the experience as an unfair game-y mechanic, instead of immersing me in the narrative. Then you have to consider the only way to heal is by using some fixed health polls, which means you can’t heal during boss fights. In short: less health means less mistake leeway against bosses.

Suddenly prevented from shopping and spending resources

This other mechanic has narrative tones I'll avoid explaining.

There’s a point very late in the main campaign when we can’t buy stuff anymore. The only way to go back to normal is to get a sidequest going, find some secret places, suffer -1 HP impact and after that beat one of the most challenging bosses in the game. That means the only real reward is going back to the normal state you were before losing the possibility to shop. What if you can’t defeat that boss? Then you’ve lost -1 HP for nothing, deal with that.

I think this is bad design because it nullifies other systems: it takes away the ONLY way to spend nacre and Cores, another resource used to buy upgrades and that are usually hidden or hard earned after platforming segments.

When you hoard importants item you just can’t spend and then finds one more the joy of discovery turns into a “nah, just another Core”. Of course you can fix this by completing that hidden sidequest, but it took me hours until I managed to do so. Also, this no-shopping punishment is obligatory in the main story and I thought it was reasonable that it would be solved as I advanced the main path, but no, the solution is optional in a sidequest.

Assistance options

There are 3 assistance options that are very different from the usual sliders we've seen in other games:

- Bosses get less HP each time we die. This is slow, very slow, so we still need to die a lot to get to a point in which it makes a difference. I turned this for the last boss (regular ending) and other 2 optional bosses. Hey, I had 3 health points from a total of 8 taken away from me. That's almost half of it! And I still had to die a loooot to win that fight.

- Pacifist: regular enemies will only attack if you attack first. I never felt the need to activate this, but it may help while exploring some areas without annoyances.

- Stay still on the ground for 5 sec to receive 1 HP. Not cumulative. While not that useful in bosses, as most of the time you won't be able to stay still for 5 seconds, I can see this being useful in the most challenging platforming parts in a sense that you can alway get back that 1HP after you take damage and is sent directly to the last ground you stepped on. By doing this, you may try those challenges as much as you need without losing all HP and being sent back to the last checkpoint, which means having to do all the platforming again. I used it a bit in the end too.

Even with Assistance, those two punishment mechanics combined made my 80% of the time marvelous experience end up in 20% of a bitter taste, to the point that I don't have the desire to go further, beat the hardest optional boss I've seen in the game and search for the true ending.

I hope you people fare better and enjoy MIO 100%.

EDIT: I interviewed the executive producer of MIO about art, inspirations and the challenge design

With so many great metroidvanias releasing this next few days, which one are you going to choose?

Echoweaver - Out TODAY - pointed out by ForsakenQuality

Master an unraveling time loop in this knowledge-based Metroidvania. As the last Weaver, exploit time-altering anomalies and use what you learn to break the cycle. Explore what remains. Uncover the mystery. Perfect the loop.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2184080/Echo_Weaver/

Silver Pines - Out TODAY (Metroidvania adjacent)

Private investigator Red Walker finds himself in Silver Pines, a place half-abandoned, half-forgotten, in the middle of nowhere on a job to track down Eddie Velvet. A musician who has vanished. As the case begins to reveal a dark past, Walker soon slips into a strange and nightmarish descent beyond his control.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2333000/Silver_Pines/

Castlevania Belmont's Curse - 15th October

1. Paris is engulfed in flames as monstrous creatures suddenly emerge from the shadows.

Trevor Belmont, the hero who defeated Dracula, ventures into the burning streets with his daughter, Rose Belmont. Armed with the legendary holy whip, the Vampire Killer, they hunt down the beasts bleeding from the looming castle.

Rose is soon swept up in the dark conspiracy that lurks beneath. Will she succeed in saving Paris from devastation?

https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/4231820/

Moadra - 22nd October (SCI-FI)

Traverse a massive interconnected world on the sand-swept planet of Protea VI. Unveil the grim mysteries of Protea VI at your own pace as Moadra. Endure challenging combat and evolve Moadra's abilities, solve puzzles, and reveal countless hidden paths and secrets throughout your mission to uncover your lost Neera heritage.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1713730/Moadra/

A Sister's Journey - 20th of October - pointed out by Odedgurantz

A Sister's Journey is a challenging, fast paced action-metroidvania in a lovingly created and hand-drawn pixel art world! Experience a packed story full of adventure, dangers, secrets and mysteries!

Follow Violet on her adventure trying to find Rena, her beloved sister, who seems to have disappeared mysteriously right before their long anticipated reunion. And if that's not enough, starting with Rena's sudden disappearance, mysterious and dangerous events start to happen all around.

With her world suddenly turned upside down, help Violet find out what dangers are lurking in the shadows, and where her sister might have disappeared to. Embark on an epic journey, in a both dangerous and wonderful world!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1730790/A_Sisters_Journey/

End of Abyss (Epic Exclusive, also on PS5, , Xbox Series X|S) - pointed out by EasyRecognition

Play as the young combat technician, Cel, as she uncovers the truth behind the facility’s derelict areas and confronts the monstrous creatures that roam them.

https://store.epicgames.com/p/end-of-abyss

Debating what is or isn't a metroidvania is nothing new around here, but those discussions always leave me frustrated because I believe they come at the question from the wrong angle.

As a developer, I spend a significant amount of time thinking about what a metroidvania actually is. This article is me trying to put into words what bothers me about the way the topic is usually discussed and how we could better approach the question.

Whether or not you agree with my conclusions, I hope I can at least show you a different and hopefully interesting perspective on the definition of video game genres ;)

Feedback welcome!

Very disappointing… as a huge Celeste fan I was really looking forward to this.

I very much liked pogo-jumping in Hollow Knight because of how it was used in exploration. Let me take a big step away and talk a little about it

In every MV, I like to return to open locations and reexplore them with a new ability. And a few abilities entirely change the context

Metroid:
You can unlock Ice Beam. So now every enemy you hit with a beam becomes a platform for you

Ori and the blind forest:
You can unlock Bash. So now every enemy can be used to dash in any direction.

In Hollow Knight, learning how pogo-jumping works does the same thing. Now you can use enemies to reach blocked areas. Now enemies are part of the platforming. This is what made this mechanic unique. (Even though bouncing from enemies was fun)

But now in modern MVs, pogo-jumping has been introduced in the tutorial. In the very first locations. What's the point? Devs are missing a great opportunity to make a groundbreaking twist as other MVs have done.
And it is often even worth - pogo-jump introduced, but there is no need to use it.

I very much enjoyed this one. It takes a fair amount of influence from Hollow Knight but also does its own thing.

Pros:

Terrific art

Responsive controls

Enjoyable combat

Large, memorable world

Great map that marks pretty much everything you need

Cons:

The endgame is kind of wonky and doesn't really add much of actual value

Some annoying difficulty spikes here and there

A couple of late-game bosses are faster than the player character's kit can really manage

Happy new year, everyone! And happy new MVs! 2026 has begun and January already have a few release dates.

I published an article with the most promising MVs that have been confirmed for 2026. On this post you can see the list, but on the article you can read my commentary about each game and check their confirmed platforms, trailer and demo link (it's in Portuguese, but Chrome will translate nicely for you). Also, the article lists 4 other MVs that have already a release date.

Of course the list is based on my research and subjectivity. My intention here is to show some love to games I think have potential and maybe present a few games some people don't know about.

Honorable mentions:

• Crowsworn (it isn't confirmed for 2026)
• Tails of Fate (there's an overworld, so we still have to see how much of a MV it is)

10 — Agellos 2

9 — Alruna: End of History

8 — Mira and the Legend of the Djinns

7 — Gnaw

6 — Aeterna Lucis

5 — Lucid

4 — Fallen Tear: The Ascension

3 — Well Dweller

2 — Blighted

1 — M.I.O.: Memories in Orbit (January 20)

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Not in the top 10, but with the perk of having actual release dates:

• Kotama and Academy: Citadel (January 14)
• The Perfect Pencil (January 29)
• Tearscape (February 2)
• Clockwork Ambrosia (April 22)

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In case you're interested in more:

- You can go to this thread to vote on a poll to rank the best MVs of 2025.

- Here's also my article Metroidvania Encyclopedia, listing +400 released MVs (with year of release and platforms available) and +170 upcoming.

Hi, y’all!

My review of MIO is now live. In summary, it is absolutely fantastic and does some things with the gameplay to really make you feel like you’re fighting against time and death. Yes, you permanently lose health at certain points of the game, but it’s moreso to show that death is catching up to you. It encourages exploration to stay ahead. Also you’re not the only one affected by this. Every enemy, friendly NPC, and even bosses lose health permanently too. As for combat, it encourages being aggressive. There’s no way to heal mid-combat unless with a modifier. So you need to fight and kill bosses fast, dodge well, and you’ll win. Thankfully just about every boss fight is spectacular in design, how they represent, and in execution.

Also, I saw lots of comments about the run backs being brutal. I noticed that if you’re curious minded, this is not an issue. Shortcuts and secret passageways are everywhere if you look hard enough or turn left when you’re supposed to turn right or go up.

2026 is already starting off very strong if this is being given to us this early in the year.