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Incline Hollow Knight

cvv

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Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is.
Going to shill Grime in this thread too. One of the best, most challenging metroidvanias I've played in years. Fun, rewarding exploration with secrets everywhere, great atmosphere, unique setting, varied combat and build options. Hugely underrated gem.
Already lined up for this weekend. On Thursday it's free on Epic.

Heard nothing but good things and already hyped for another sweet metroidvania session.
 

Falksi

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Well it's not like I have nothing to play but after HK the sequel is definitely in my Top 5 of most anticipated gaymz. I'd LOVE to play it rn, when I'm in a metroidvania mood but alas.

I've already played Ori 1, Ori 2 and HK, anything else to recommend? I've tried to follow Steam's recommended list but it's giving me stuff like Rogue Legacy and Dead Cells and I'm not a big fan of procedurally generated roguelikes, I much prefer the handcrafted level design of metroidvanias. Also no anime plz, if at all possible.
Wonderboy 3: The Dragon's Trap, Wonderboy in Monster World and Monster World 4 are all excellent games. They include adventure elements too, but the world structures are Metroidvania.
 

Zed

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Is this game just not very good in the beginning or is this game just not for me? Or is it perhaps overrated.
Granted I generally don't like platformers. The last one I actually finished was Odin Sphere, and I barely made it to the end.
 

Grauken

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Is this game just not very good in the beginning or is this game just not for me? Or is it perhaps overrated.
Might just not be for you. Clicked for me only on the 2nd time I tried but then it clicked hard and it's basically my no. 1 metroidvania of all time and in my 10 best games of all times list
 

Zed

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Yeah I think platformers just aren't really my thing. I like the classics but basically no modern platformer has ever clicked with me.
 

Grauken

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Yeah I think platformers just aren't really my thing. I like the classics but basically no modern platformer has ever clicked with me.
No point in forcing yourself through a game you don't enjoy, there's far too much other stuff out there
 

ItsChon

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Is this game just not very good in the beginning or is this game just not for me? Or is it perhaps overrated.
Granted I generally don't like platformers. The last one I actually finished was Odin Sphere, and I barely made it to the end.
It's not good in the beginning. I tried playing it twice and thought "what the actual fuck is this boring shit". Once you get your dash which is relatively early on in the game, it really opens up, so I recommend sticking with it up until that point. Once you have the dash and have spent like another thirty minutes to an hour mucking about and still aren't enjoying yourself, than you can safely drop it.

If you're worried about refunding, just pirate the game to try it and once you've decided you enjoy it, then you can buy it.
 

cvv

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Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is.
Yeah I think platformers just aren't really my thing. I like the classics but basically no modern platformer has ever clicked with me.
I was in the same spot, couldn't stand metroidvanias and HK didn't click with me either first time.

What eased me into the genre was Ori 2. Had such a blast with that game, then tried HK again and loved it and now metroidvanias are my bread and butter.
 

Teut Busnet

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Codex Year of the Donut
Is this game just not very good in the beginning or is this game just not for me? Or is it perhaps overrated.
Granted I generally don't like platformers. The last one I actually finished was Odin Sphere, and I barely made it to the end.
Same. For me, it was a bit too... twitchy(?) and I never could find a good distance for my attacks, the range of the nail felt too short.

Most likely a skill issue on my part, but I just couldn't get into it. A shame, because the world was really interesting and atmospheric.

I did have fun with Salt & Sanctuary though. It looks pretty ugly, but if you can stomach that and want to play a Metroidvania, give it a try.
 

Blaine

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Grab the Codex by the pussy
How in tarnation are y'all getting discouraged by the "acquaint yourself with the controls and basic concepts" segment that lasts perhaps thirty minutes? It's absolutely zoomer-tier to expect your attention to be grabbed right away by an exciting, cinematic QTE experience.

In my view, the very beginning is barren, enervated, and slow-paced in part to set the game's tone in a visceral way as well.

I fully understand not enjoying platformers; that's legitimate. The proper Metroidvania is the highest form of platformer, and generally the only kind I'll play these days.

Same goes for twitch controls. HK is no slouch in the twitch and learned timing department, and there's nothing wrong with not enjoying twitch games. I'd encourage trying to learn to enjoy them, though, because they're a whole other dimension of challenging enjoyment that you otherwise won't experience.
 

Ash

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You have to get to greenpath. By then you have enough abilities starting to reveal the combat depth, acquainted with the cool map system, seen various game elements on offer (shops, caterpillar collection, hidden walls and secrets, death system etc), and then greenpath comes along with beautiful art and most importantly the lost art of beautiful music in video games. If Greenpath doesn't convince you, it's not for you. Like many great games, Hollow Knight is dull & deceptive for the first couple hours. Games have to introduce complexity slowly, for the retards out there.

Hollow Knight doesn't best Symphony of the Night as my number 1 metroidvania, but it is perhaps tied with it. The economy becomes redundant later, a couple areas I find disappointing (largely due to bland music, unimaginative theming and not introducing new game elements), and you only get the charm system to play with and yet it's somewhat unbalanced/uninteresting. But it most definitely is still one of the best of the genre and a must-play.
 
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lightbane

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The White Palace and its countless traps pretty much require cheating as it's an annoying nightmare to traverse by design, your character being too clunky and slow for the challenge compared to Ori.
 

cvv

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Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is.
The White Palace and its countless traps pretty much require cheating
Plenty of people made it but yeah, it was too much for me on my first run. And I didn't even know back then there's an insane secret area that makes the White Palace proper look like a cakewalk.
 

Ivan

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Silksong news?
disappointed-fridge.gif
 

ItsChon

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
The White Palace and its countless traps pretty much require cheating
Plenty of people made it but yeah, it was too much for me on my first run. And I didn't even know back then there's an insane secret area that makes the White Palace proper look like a cakewalk.
Get good kid. Didn't take much time at all to get through even on my first attempt.
 
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The game is such a slog to the point where the early game is the most entertaining part. Much smaller area to explore and some difficulty because you have no techniques yet.
 

oldbonebrown

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I really liked White Palace and thought it should've been much longer and more restrictive to force the difficulty. The game really needed an expanded area that forced you to use everything you had to the fullest.
 

Sarathiour

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The White Palace and its countless traps pretty much require cheating as it's an annoying nightmare to traverse by design, your character being too clunky and slow for the challenge compared to Ori.
Beehive trinket and the willingness to try the same shit for half an hour were the prerequisite for me to clearing it, and I'm also talking about the normal one, not the path of pain.
 

ItsChon

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I've done everything in the game except beat Pantheon Five and Absolute Radiance on Radiant. Every other boss in the hall is completed at Radiant and I also did the Path of Pain. I only did a few Pantheon 5 runs before I got burned out. Maybe one day I'll go back and finish it, but props to you Presidente for going through with it.
 

toro

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Is this game just not very good in the beginning or is this game just not for me? Or is it perhaps overrated.
Granted I generally don't like platformers. The last one I actually finished was Odin Sphere, and I barely made it to the end.
It's overrated.
 

Zed Duke of Banville

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Is this game just not very good in the beginning or is this game just not for me? Or is it perhaps overrated.
Granted I generally don't like platformers. The last one I actually finished was Odin Sphere, and I barely made it to the end.
It's overrated.
As far as action-platformers Metroidvanias go, Hollow Knight is top quality, with good combat, challenging platforming, a decent array of optional RPG-esque abilities, worthwhile exploration, and excellent aesthetics.

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Ash

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You forgot the music, but yes. Great game, though could use more replayability, and a few aspects are disappointing. Nonetheless one of the best modern metriodvanias.
 

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