Forget Hollow Knight: Silksong The Real MVPs of 2024's Metroidvania Scene Are Here

While Hollow Knight: Silksong still does not have a release date, there's no denying that 2024 was a fantastic year for Metroidvania games. Despite the highly anticipated sequel's absence, fans of the genre were treated to an incredible lineup of titles that not only lived up to their expectations but also exceeded them in various ways.

In recent years, the Metroidvania genre has witnessed a resurgence of sorts. Developers are revisiting this once-dormant genre, experimenting with new ideas, and crafting innovative experiences that pay homage to their predecessors while establishing a unique identity for themselves. This resurgence can be attributed to the influence of successful titles such as Ori and the Blind Forest and Salt and Sanctuary, which collectively demonstrate that there's more to the genre than exploration and challenging combat.

The emergence of innovative developers and fresh game ideas has further enhanced the genre. This year saw the release of exciting titles such as Abyss, Signalis, and Sea of Stars, which showcased that Metroidvania can thrive on differing gameplay mechanisms, setting locations, art styles, soundtracks, and characters. Each of these titles introduced diverse gameplay elements that added to the overall complexity of the game and often modified them to deliver a story worth recalling.

One of the most notable aspects of 2024's Metroidvania games is the extensive playstyle breadth on offer. Some of the new titles were built around the focus of stealth elements, although the way they did so diverged greatly in regards to strategy. Players were challenged by environments in ways where they could do their best stealth tactics in evading danger, instead of playing recklessly and tackling every opponent strong on, allowing gamers with strong self esteem and moral control a better test of spirit.

Despite that no release date has been announced for Hollow Knight: Silksong, the other notable Metroidvania titles that were released this year in 2024 showed gamers what additional elements they could get to, by emphasizing the real quality in stealth over rushing the games first Metroidvania feeling from start to end. Emphasis on all sorts of lore types, player character design, and backtracking by including subtle art imagery that complements your map.