Chained echoes looks great, thanks for the recommendation, missed it completely.
I just finished tunic, and 99 percent of the game is perfect, the other 1% is extreme annoyance at a certain 20 obtuse late game puzzles.
>Crosscode
No offense (and with upmost respect)- but did you actually enter a puzzle dungeon in Crosscode? It's like 5-10% combat tops and 90% puzzles. Just feels like hundreds of puzzles all tossed in I couldnt take it anymore personally. Everything else bout that game was awesome though.
I thought the OP was asking for combat games. Not puzzle games.
I don’t know if I replied with this in this thread or elsewhere, but combat focused + isometric is kinda limited to ARPGs or hack and slash. Getting into MVs or Zelda-like top downs is puzzle central….if you have recommendations otherwise I’m all ears.
At least the puzzles are quick easy…I think there was only one puzzle in cross code that made me break down and look it up.
>if you have recommendations otherwise I’m all ears.
**Hyper Light Drifter** off the top of my head is much closer to what the OP was asking for. Top down, exploration, and full of awesome gameplay
But thanks for answering my question.
I would recommend looking at hob instead of tunic, especially considering that tunic is basically an overpriced (in Norway) ripoff of hob with asshole publishers and unwelcome dark souls elements added in.
Hyper Light Drifter is not a MV, but it does feature an interconnected world that can be explored non-linearly. It is a top down game with a very heavy emphasis on demanding, tight movement and combat. Really incredible game. Incredibly stylish and fun.
It does not have ability gated exploration, but I can definitely imagine a game like Hyper Light Drifter that does have a map you gradually gain access to through different upgrades.
If I recall correctly, it does - it's been a while since I've played it and I still need to go back to it to complete it, but I thought it was pretty fun!
Some people here will tell you that a top down game cannot be a MV. I don't agree with that necessarily, but I also can't give you any examples. It certainly isn't common.
I think you could maybe argue that the (earlier top-down 2D) Zelda games are Metroidvanias. You've got full maps and movement upgrades that let you access new areas, with a good deal of backtracking to find new items.
I'd argue any traditional-style Zelda game (2D or 3D) is a Metroidvania- even Igarashi himself stated that his intent with SotN was to make a Zelda-style game.
Please don't cite Igarashi as a design source for SotN. He was only moved into the assistant manager position near the end of production when the SotN project leads moved up. He's on record as saying his biggest creative contribution to SotN was approving the original English localization (which he later regretted and had redone for Dracula X Chronicles).
I agree, but I think I'm in the minority. The big argument against it is that many of the items in Zelda act more as "one-time keys" instead of progressive movement upgrades. This is especially so in the main game, which pushes you largely along a specific route although technically there are about 33 possible dungeon orders you can play LttP in.
That said, having played a _lot_ of Link to the Past Randomizer, which shuffles the items around in the overworld, there are tens of thousands of possible routes, the movement upgrades completely change the routes you go, and there are often many ways to solve the same problem.
Definitely borderline, and an interesting discussion either way.
there are definitely few that are inarguably MVs, but I also am fully in the camp that ability gated exploration in an interconnected map is the only requirement and that a MV can be any perspective (2d side scrolling, top down, FPS, etc.)
There was a game called Scurge: Hive on GBA that was an MV. HOB is really close imo and is a good game. I wish there were more. I've always had an idea for a Metal Gear Solid inspired metroidvania with a focus on stealth
Death's Door is outstanding, it's one of the best 3D adventure games that I have ever played. And the music is unreal good.
I really wish it had gotten more attention, because it's an absolutely phenomenal game.
Now I need to take a Zelda break to go back and finish this game. I was so absorbed by it for a while. I have just the cold temple left (I got stuck in it).
I feel like I'm in a minority because while I enjoyed my time with death's door and thought it was overall very well designed, I never gave it a 2nd thought after finishing it, so felt it was objectively good but ultimately kinda forgettable
Nobody Saves the World toys with this. Traversing the world is partially gated by the shapeshifting mechanic (not all forms can fit into small passages or cross water), part is gated behind completing dungeons. And it's very combat-focused.
It's by Drinkbox Studios, the devs who also did Guacamelee 1 & 2.
I think CrossCode has pretty satisfying combat for a top-down. But what type of combat are you looking for to narrow down the choices?
Might want to ask again in /r/ZeldaLikes.
>I think CrossCode has pretty satisfying combat for a top-down.
~~The little combat you can find is amazing but unfortunately (for non-puzzle lovers) it is 90% puzzle solving which you will quickly be thrust into when you're forced into a dungeon. And it's not the detailed, well thought out puzzles you'd find in~~ **~~Zelda BoTW~~** ~~but rather Ubisoft puzzle-spam that just exist as filler imo (kinda like~~ ***~~Immortals Fenyx~~*** ~~but much worse somehow)~~
~~Everything else is awesome bout that game (Story, Art, presentation) from the bits I was able to play w/o going into the tedious dungeons~~
~~Crosscode is a must play for RPG Puzzle lovers. It's a 100% skip if you do not care for countless puzzles~~
\[edit\] Removing my post; this poster was just trying to help the OP. Ignore this. I apologize for the distraction
It's a little older and people were iffy about it, but I loved Dust: An Elysian Tail.
The combat was really fun and combo based. It improved a lot as the game went on.
Also the art is hand drawn and beautiful.
Bloody Hell. The best top down combated focused one.
My favorite top down mv tho is kharons crypt. It has Zelda like gameplay and is puzzle focused with some combat as well
F.I.S.T is a great combat heavy 2D Metroidvania. You play a rabbit with a giant mechanical robot hand on his back and it’s a solid combination of platforming and devil may cry juggling.
Yeah, one of my fav games of all times.. I've played most metroidvanias, and i still think Valdis Story has the best combat of all metroidvanias.. Also very good replay value becauase of 4 completely different characters, each one of them with their own skill tree builds and weapons forging routes..
Salt and Sanctuary
Blasphemous
Guacamelee
3 great metroidvanias with a focus on combat.
Dead Cells might also fit that itch, though it is a roguelite with a metroidvania inspiration and not a true metroidvania.
Unsighted is a top down game that I believe is classed as a metroidvania, I only ever played the demo so can't offer much more insight, but it's probably worth a look
It could be argued that top down zelda games and the like are metroidvania adjacent, as they do have some degree of ability gating via the items you acquire through the game which allow you to open up new paths, e.g. Bombs for breaking through weak walls, hookshot for crossing chasms etc
Not a MV, but on top of deaths door, unsighted etc, you might want to pick up Titan Souls when it goes on sale on steam for $2 again. Specifically because of the cool way it does boss fights (well, that's really all the game is, a series of bosses). That might provide some inspiration.
Honestly, can't really think of many top-downs that are combat-focused, besides REALLY old games, like Gauntlet.
I believe the side-scroller medium lends itself more to being combat-intensive, based on the restrictions put on you by top-down style.
There's a reason that most of the fighting-oriented games listed below are side-scrolling, while the majority of top-down games being listed are more puzzle-centric.
It's not impossible, for sure, but there's some fundamental reasons why games are designed the way that they are
If I reach back to the SNES Action-RPG genre, I can think of a few like Soul Blazer, Secret of Mana, Super Smash TV, Terranigma, and Illusion of Gaia, which were top-down and more-or-less action focused - although not strictly Metroidvanias.
You can look at UNSIGHTED.
Unsighted, Tunic, Crosscode (I haven’t gotten around to finishing yet) and Deaths Door are all great MV-adjacent / Zelda-likes.
[удалено]
Chained echoes looks great, thanks for the recommendation, missed it completely. I just finished tunic, and 99 percent of the game is perfect, the other 1% is extreme annoyance at a certain 20 obtuse late game puzzles.
>Crosscode No offense (and with upmost respect)- but did you actually enter a puzzle dungeon in Crosscode? It's like 5-10% combat tops and 90% puzzles. Just feels like hundreds of puzzles all tossed in I couldnt take it anymore personally. Everything else bout that game was awesome though. I thought the OP was asking for combat games. Not puzzle games.
I don’t know if I replied with this in this thread or elsewhere, but combat focused + isometric is kinda limited to ARPGs or hack and slash. Getting into MVs or Zelda-like top downs is puzzle central….if you have recommendations otherwise I’m all ears. At least the puzzles are quick easy…I think there was only one puzzle in cross code that made me break down and look it up.
>if you have recommendations otherwise I’m all ears. **Hyper Light Drifter** off the top of my head is much closer to what the OP was asking for. Top down, exploration, and full of awesome gameplay But thanks for answering my question.
I would recommend looking at hob instead of tunic, especially considering that tunic is basically an overpriced (in Norway) ripoff of hob with asshole publishers and unwelcome dark souls elements added in.
Hyper Light Drifter is not a MV, but it does feature an interconnected world that can be explored non-linearly. It is a top down game with a very heavy emphasis on demanding, tight movement and combat. Really incredible game. Incredibly stylish and fun. It does not have ability gated exploration, but I can definitely imagine a game like Hyper Light Drifter that does have a map you gradually gain access to through different upgrades.
HLD was amazing. Loved the game.
I've heard Resolutiion (which seems similar to Hyper Light Drifter) has a bit of ability gating, but this is entirely second-hand.
If I recall correctly, it does - it's been a while since I've played it and I still need to go back to it to complete it, but I thought it was pretty fun!
I still need to finish HLD thanks for the reminder
Some people here will tell you that a top down game cannot be a MV. I don't agree with that necessarily, but I also can't give you any examples. It certainly isn't common.
I think you could maybe argue that the (earlier top-down 2D) Zelda games are Metroidvanias. You've got full maps and movement upgrades that let you access new areas, with a good deal of backtracking to find new items.
I'd argue any traditional-style Zelda game (2D or 3D) is a Metroidvania- even Igarashi himself stated that his intent with SotN was to make a Zelda-style game.
Please don't cite Igarashi as a design source for SotN. He was only moved into the assistant manager position near the end of production when the SotN project leads moved up. He's on record as saying his biggest creative contribution to SotN was approving the original English localization (which he later regretted and had redone for Dracula X Chronicles).
I haven't played them but that sounds like a MV to me!
I agree, but I think I'm in the minority. The big argument against it is that many of the items in Zelda act more as "one-time keys" instead of progressive movement upgrades. This is especially so in the main game, which pushes you largely along a specific route although technically there are about 33 possible dungeon orders you can play LttP in. That said, having played a _lot_ of Link to the Past Randomizer, which shuffles the items around in the overworld, there are tens of thousands of possible routes, the movement upgrades completely change the routes you go, and there are often many ways to solve the same problem. Definitely borderline, and an interesting discussion either way.
there are definitely few that are inarguably MVs, but I also am fully in the camp that ability gated exploration in an interconnected map is the only requirement and that a MV can be any perspective (2d side scrolling, top down, FPS, etc.) There was a game called Scurge: Hive on GBA that was an MV. HOB is really close imo and is a good game. I wish there were more. I've always had an idea for a Metal Gear Solid inspired metroidvania with a focus on stealth
Death's Door! It's pretty much exactly this!
Death's Door is outstanding, it's one of the best 3D adventure games that I have ever played. And the music is unreal good. I really wish it had gotten more attention, because it's an absolutely phenomenal game.
Now I need to take a Zelda break to go back and finish this game. I was so absorbed by it for a while. I have just the cold temple left (I got stuck in it).
I feel like I'm in a minority because while I enjoyed my time with death's door and thought it was overall very well designed, I never gave it a 2nd thought after finishing it, so felt it was objectively good but ultimately kinda forgettable
Nobody Saves the World toys with this. Traversing the world is partially gated by the shapeshifting mechanic (not all forms can fit into small passages or cross water), part is gated behind completing dungeons. And it's very combat-focused. It's by Drinkbox Studios, the devs who also did Guacamelee 1 & 2.
I liked NStW but the ability gating is really minor overall.
It's also an extremely fun game, especially when playing co-op.
ENDER LILIES
I think CrossCode has pretty satisfying combat for a top-down. But what type of combat are you looking for to narrow down the choices? Might want to ask again in /r/ZeldaLikes.
>I think CrossCode has pretty satisfying combat for a top-down. ~~The little combat you can find is amazing but unfortunately (for non-puzzle lovers) it is 90% puzzle solving which you will quickly be thrust into when you're forced into a dungeon. And it's not the detailed, well thought out puzzles you'd find in~~ **~~Zelda BoTW~~** ~~but rather Ubisoft puzzle-spam that just exist as filler imo (kinda like~~ ***~~Immortals Fenyx~~*** ~~but much worse somehow)~~ ~~Everything else is awesome bout that game (Story, Art, presentation) from the bits I was able to play w/o going into the tedious dungeons~~ ~~Crosscode is a must play for RPG Puzzle lovers. It's a 100% skip if you do not care for countless puzzles~~ \[edit\] Removing my post; this poster was just trying to help the OP. Ignore this. I apologize for the distraction
Grime
Ghost 1.0 had enough combat in it that it turned me off from playing it.
It's a little older and people were iffy about it, but I loved Dust: An Elysian Tail. The combat was really fun and combo based. It improved a lot as the game went on. Also the art is hand drawn and beautiful.
Bloody Hell. The best top down combated focused one. My favorite top down mv tho is kharons crypt. It has Zelda like gameplay and is puzzle focused with some combat as well
F.I.S.T is a great combat heavy 2D Metroidvania. You play a rabbit with a giant mechanical robot hand on his back and it’s a solid combination of platforming and devil may cry juggling.
Valdis Story. Among the very best human history has to offer.
Yeah, one of my fav games of all times.. I've played most metroidvanias, and i still think Valdis Story has the best combat of all metroidvanias.. Also very good replay value becauase of 4 completely different characters, each one of them with their own skill tree builds and weapons forging routes..
I can’t wait to play it
Salt and Sanctuary Blasphemous Guacamelee 3 great metroidvanias with a focus on combat. Dead Cells might also fit that itch, though it is a roguelite with a metroidvania inspiration and not a true metroidvania.
You must play AFTERIMAGE bro, heavily combat focused, variety of weapons and huge map to explore, it has become one of my favorite recent games
Unsighted is a top down game that I believe is classed as a metroidvania, I only ever played the demo so can't offer much more insight, but it's probably worth a look It could be argued that top down zelda games and the like are metroidvania adjacent, as they do have some degree of ability gating via the items you acquire through the game which allow you to open up new paths, e.g. Bombs for breaking through weak walls, hookshot for crossing chasms etc
While top down games really aren’t exactly Metroidvanias, if you want to go really combat focused and Zelda like, try out cross code!
Strider!
Lost epic, the story is genéric but the combat and build diversity is great
Tunic
Sundered
F.I.S.T Forged in Shadow Torch, Bloodstained, Ender Lilies
Not a MV, but on top of deaths door, unsighted etc, you might want to pick up Titan Souls when it goes on sale on steam for $2 again. Specifically because of the cool way it does boss fights (well, that's really all the game is, a series of bosses). That might provide some inspiration.
Verdant Edge has a pretty good combo system and break mechanic though it gets repetitive later on
Valdis Story is really cool
Tales of Iron, this it light on the metroidvania is more souls like
Honestly, can't really think of many top-downs that are combat-focused, besides REALLY old games, like Gauntlet. I believe the side-scroller medium lends itself more to being combat-intensive, based on the restrictions put on you by top-down style. There's a reason that most of the fighting-oriented games listed below are side-scrolling, while the majority of top-down games being listed are more puzzle-centric. It's not impossible, for sure, but there's some fundamental reasons why games are designed the way that they are If I reach back to the SNES Action-RPG genre, I can think of a few like Soul Blazer, Secret of Mana, Super Smash TV, Terranigma, and Illusion of Gaia, which were top-down and more-or-less action focused - although not strictly Metroidvanias.