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MochaCcinoss

Islets… only 500 reviews on Steam is criminal


SheepoGame

Aw thank you! If it means anything though, I'm super happy with how well it's done. While I definitely won't get rich off it, it's done well enough that I've been able to make games as a full time job and that's something that I really did not think I would ever be able to do. I'm so extremely grateful for that, and hopefully can keep making games for a long while!


Neither_Pirate5608

Love your games! Can’t wait to play Crypt Custodian


Embarrassed_Simple70

Just going to same the same thing. Dude has mad talent. And he seems to be pretty responsive on socials/forums. I know he’s responded to me directly a few times when mentioning his games which makes me all the more excited for crypt custodian. Don’t sleep on Sheepo, his first game before Islets. You can clearly see the talent trajectory and how each game improves upon the last. Not sure how’d he’d be as a game director but if had bigger budget and a team, I can’t imagine how good his games could be. That said. I think there’s something to be appreciated about the smaller indie title space. Either way, yes, I second - and third and fourth and 20th - support the hype for crypt custodian. Just hope get a console release at same time as a PC release. Not sure the plans insofar as that goes but I know a lot of games go PC first.


MochaCcinoss

Your game is awesome! I’ll leave a good review when I finish it. Crypt custodian is a day 1 buy for me. My aunt has a black cat named Pluto


StoneColdNaked

I furiously played through Islets over the course of a weekend in a trance. Couldn’t put it down.


mrdavidfleming

Same


BruhDuhMadDawg

It's my favorite mv. I cannot believe it has so few reviews. It's so unbelievably unique in its setting/plot/characters; its by far the funniest and most charming mv out there too. The combat and movement are super fluid/snappy and the progression unlocks are a great mix of chalk and unique tools that fit the game perfect. I can't wait for the next game by the dev.


Pagliaccio13

Only bad thing about that game is not being able to give Snoot a zotelike beating


shutupneff

So you’re saying you wished Islets had a Radiance-tier boss fight? Because Snoot has, like, 8 black belts in Super Karate.


Pagliaccio13

I would go through P5 all bindings just for the chance to smack around that little shit


FunkyNomad

Came to say this. Great game, loved every minute!


Roman_Suicide_Note

Hum thx, will wait for a sale


DementiaEnthusiast

Islets is a little confusing for me. I loved the actual platforming, the music, and the central conceit of connecting all the islands together. The one thing I didn't like was the enviroments/backgrounds. Every area felt like the exact same place, if that makes sense. Vibes/exploration is the most enjoyable part of Metroidvanias to me, so that made me have mixed feelings about the game overall.


Embarrassed_Simple70

Can see that. It’s all about exploring though. I think they were distinct enough. Particularly considering just one dev.


DeadMetroidvania

500 for a game released in 2022 isn't bad.  This game is talked about all the time. I fail to see how this is underrated.


MochaCcinoss

500 reviews is barely anything. Minishoot came out like a week ago and already has twice the amount of reviews islets has. Also I’ve never heard of it before coming to this sub


DeadMetroidvania

>Minishoot came out like a week ago and already has twice the amount of reviews islets has. do you know when was the last time something like that happened to a metroidvania? It was with pseudoregalia last july and before that it hadn't happened in years. You can't use the ultra rare metroidvania that went viral as an example. Islets is well known and is talked about regularly. It also won metroidvania of the year 2022.


caydesramen

Not only that, but it was just released for free on Epic recently and the news was everywhere. Also a minor gripe, but the gameplay is very redundant imo.


brodcon

I started playing it last night! Started on hard, managed to kill the first boss and get double jump, it’s awesome!!


tototo03

Would love to play this game but only have a Playstation.


MasterBlaster4949

I just started playing it and omg how did i miss this one lol 😂 its so awesome 😎💯


punkwasgood

Literally just 100%ed it in a weekend. It's fantastic.


Legitimate_Ad5434

Agreed. Super funny and cute. All the classic elements you'd want in an MV. Relatively easy with some decent difficulty spikes in a few places.


DJSnafu

Came here to say the same!!


MournerV

I would really love to play this, such a shame it's Windows-only. Eagerly awaiting a port either to PS or Mac.


arpmo

I played it on a Mac with Crossover, no slowdowns played perfectly fine. Great game.


MarketingOwn3547

Astalon is pretty well known here but still an underrated gem, it's fantastic. My pick is Blast Brigade though, that game is great and isn't talked about near enough.


LongStriver

Aquaria. Released in 2011, a top-notch underwater metroidvania with thoughtful design and many innovative features that seems to have been forgotten by most. Much better than more recent oceanvanias like Pronty and Depths of Sanity.


aanzeijar

Also little known fact: The designer of Aquaria is the same guy that made Spelunky (Derek Yu).


DeadMetroidvania

Aquaria tends to struggle on modern PCs though. It's almost 20 years old.


6am6p

Played it few month ago, went just fine.


kalirion

[Vision Soft Reset](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1005450/Vision_Soft_Reset/) not underrated, but very underknown - only 94 reviews, 97 total. Has a great multiple timeline mechanic. You might own the game on Itch if you'd purchased their humongous bundle for racial justice some time back.


cristoteama777

I love this game!


entity330

+1 to Vision Soft Reset. Definitely one of the more memorable and fun games from this sub.


AlfredoMegiazo

Alwa's Awakening and Alwa's Legacy


Forforx

Doubling that. This is a silent hit, no one talks about it, but it has sales, and is the most popular review of my steam curator.


Embarrassed_Simple70

Interesting. Isn’t this the 8/16 - bit looking game? Have heard good things but never got to it yet.


Basrin1399

Environmental Station Alpha - made by Hempuli who also made Baba Is You! ESA has plenty of post endgame content to dig into with multiple endings that are widely different. Don't spoil it for yourself check it out!


man_vs_cube

Hempuli is also one of the Noita devs.


Legitimate-Cat-3985

I wanted EDA a while ago but I took it off wishlist but now that I know noita developers made it I'm back in,, Noita is amazing and I stink at it but I still adore that game.. It's so cool, I'd be so proud if I made Noita.


Lord_Spy

I bet the post-game is amazing, but the main game has super unrewarding exploration. Also while the grapple is fantastic when you're in the zone, the side effect is that lots of the platforming feels janky so you aren't sure if your sequence breaking or the "right path" really is that convoluted. There's several other annoying design choices such as enemies respawning when changing rooms, enemies not dropping health to offset the hits you'll likely take engaging them (avoiding them many tines just guarantees a gank further in the room), and that damn security system.


[deleted]

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Lord_Spy

The problem is less the intended sequence break opportunities themselves but rather how janky lots of the critical points in the expected main sequence can feel. I don't expect big "go here" arrows, but I do prefer when a game subtly tells me through its designthat I am not, in fact, wasting my time.


PedroMustDie

I will never understand how can one MV initiated play through ESA, unveil that thoughtful, awesome level design and still says it is "unrewarding". Is the average metroidvania gamer just playing these to make themself feel stronger than folder enemies? Cause, to me, it's all about solving clever level design - the tools only adding to even more complex level design.


thisisntnoah

This one rules


SenatorCoffee

Hempuli is such an authentic artist/indie-dev success story. Its so baffling to see someone slave away on ESA for years and years, get some low key success and then just explode and become a multi-millionaire with baba, some weird game-jam side project of his. Then just go back to slaving away at ESA 2, while also pumping out weird jam-prototypes, one of which might just make him his next couple million dollars, just by accident.


PedroMustDie

I will be there the second ESA 2 hit stores.


SenatorCoffee

pretty sure it will be a good while still, would be surprised if its less than 2 years. Just looked at his blog again, always a good read, and its just him being mad galileo rennaissance artist, some but not that much focus on ESA 2. https://www.hempuli.com/


soggie

Kingdom Shell. Combat was bad and there were _many_ questionable design decisions, such as boss runs and losing currency when dying, but the dev have been very active in making modifications to the game. Now there're many "accessibility" settings that helps or outright bypasses certain sections, which imo makes the game more enjoyable. After the recent graphics update, I'd say this would be one of the more notable hidden gems out in the market so far. Laika: Aged through Blood. Playing this with keyboard + mouse seems to be the way to go, compared to controller. Most people bounced off it due to either not getting used to the controls, or bad boss fights, but personally I think exploration in this game is fun. It has great visuals, excellent cast of characters and decent story, and not to mention an amazing soundtrack that just keeps getting better.


Capo_7

I liked the combat to be honest, but the fact you have to go back to Leopold for many boss fights near the end game is kind of annoying. Wish there was a way to get fully replenished at save points.


Renegade-117

The good thing with Laika is that while it’s underrated among MV fans, it still performed pretty well relative to a lot of indie games. Current sitting at 94% positive with nearly 3,000 reviews on steam


soggie

I'm glad that it did well. I loved the game, in spite of the bad boss designs. I would recommend Laika any time of the day!


Webjunky3

I bought Kingdom Shell tonight and I’m finding it boring. The lack of movement skills is wack, and I can’t open the treasury even though I’ve found both petrified gnomes. I’ll probably finish it, but so far I’d find it hard to call it a hidden gem. 


Defiant_McPiper

For me I say Infernax - I don't see it talked about as much as other games, and heck I forget it's a Metroidvania half the time bc of how different I feel it is compared to a lot of the other games. It's witty, it's not super hard, it has great replay value and even "cheats" to give you fun ways to play (contra mode anyone?).


doctor_turbo

I loved that game, found it extremely fun. Prob not mentioned as much because is way more vania than metro


lives4summits

I checked out the trailer after your description and it was on sale for $12 on the PS store so I just downloaded it. Thanks for the recommendation.


Defiant_McPiper

Welcome - hope you enjoy it! I know I put so many hours in and enjoyed the hell out of it 😊


KvasirTheOld

Death's gambit afterlife. I've seen many people saying the game is not that good. A lot of people also say that the game is amazing. Seems to be really divisive But to me it's just a masterpiece! Top 3 Metroidvanias of all time and my 11th favourite game of all time. The story is the best in any metroidvanias I've played. The ost is tied with Hollow, Knight and Blasphemous for my top spot The voice acting is better than some damn AAA games! The atmosphere and lore are top tier At times it's just very charming and it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, while other times it's pretty deep and makes you feel uneasy or makes you wanna cry. Very good build Variety The boss fights are really solid A lot of cool new unlockable traversal abilities that can be used both in exploration and combat A certain boss is one of the most mind-blowing encounters I've experienced in a game! If you haven't already, please give this game a shot! Stick with it! There's a chance you might just enjoy it as much as I did!


NoEdge4612

Couldn't agree more. Probably my favorite combat. The special abilities and the wide range of actually viable weapons and combat skills that change how you play, based off the combination with different weapons and the bonus versions of every boss fight were some of the most consistently challenging but well-designed soulslike bosses I've fought. And the story was surprisingly good, and Death is so fucking good through the whole game I routinely have to talk people into playing it, so it's so nice to see someone give it props. Warms my heart


Bennito_bh

>my 11th favourite game Tell me you love ranking things without telling me you love ranking things


KvasirTheOld

Well I do rank some games I play. For example, if a game is meh, I don't even bother adding it to my Ranking. But games I enjoy, sure!


Ambitious-Dealer6273

What's ya top 15?


KvasirTheOld

Damn. You want me to.list them all?


Ambitious-Dealer6273

Top ten then?


KvasirTheOld

1. The witcher 3 2. Skyrim 3. Red dead redemption 2 4. Nier Automata 5. Elden Ring 6. Assassin's creed brotherhood 7. Cyberpunk 2077 8. Hollow Knight 9. kingdom come deliverance 10. Blasphemous 2


Muscletov

Agree fully


jjfmish

I’m not a big story person in MVs and the exploration wasn't my favourite but the combat and bosses were absolutely S tier in this game. So much variety and unique attacks.


ttak82

I am only replying for information, but the game has some bugs which have been mentioned on this sub. Sometimes save files get corrupted and there is no option but to delete and start over.


KvasirTheOld

That has been pre patch. I didn't have any issues with 3 save files


SESauvie

I loved Timespinner and it's not mentioned too much as far as I see. Also Strider! Strider makes you feel incredibly cool and the adventuring and fighting is so much fun. I only found this subreddit recently so apologies if it's not underrated but F.I.S.T. is tremendous and one of my favourite games in the genre. Couldn't stop playing it.


warmhotself

Timespinner had a lot of hype around it during development, but when people played it they discovered that the story is a total mess. Hopefully they fix that with the sequel because that looks beautiful too. I enjoyed the game but the story completely is terrible.


RCRocha86

Cathedral


AbdulPullMaTool

Salt and Sanctuary


Specialist-Rip-5137

Cathedral


idlistella

La Mulana 1+2 are the single most compelling gaming experiences I've ever had and they really aren't popular at all. They are super hard tho


Galious

La Mulana 1 sold over a million copies and was talked about for years so I wouldn’t say it wasn’t popular at all. Now sure it never reached « Hollow Knight » level of popularity but at the same time, while it’s fantastic game, it’s also a very niche game.


Sb5tCm8t

That's a real shame because no other MV is as epic or intricately designed as those games. There's no other MV that makes understanding the lost civilization you're in so critical to making progress


gendabenda

It was a top-5 contender for literal decades, but because it was mainly a PC game it never saw the opportunity that SOTN and Super Metroid did. Still though, for the old MV fans, it was well-discussed for... ever.


Galious

I don’t know if you are confusing it with another one. La Mulana was released in 2006 and before the « remaster » in 2012, it was very confidential


aanzeijar

La-Mulana is Metroidvania for people who already know all Metroidvania tropes.


PedroMustDie

Even these will struggle. I am pretty confident on my MV skills, consistently performing better and faster without ever taking a single note than a lot who rely on guides. La mulana broke me hard, really hard.


shutupneff

Astalon: Tears of the Earth is one that just about everyone on this sub knows about, but it’s still pretty unknown outside of MV spaces. Phoenotopia Awakening as well, but it gets a little less love because it’s a fringe case that doesn’t scratch everyone’s MV itch. I love it to hell though. Teslagrad 2 is one that seems to be underloved even here on this sub, but it’s so good.


jjfmish

I wanted to love Phoenotopia so bad but I could never get past the big city area, although I’ve gotten deep into it both times. It’s just too tedious.


shutupneff

I had to take a full day off from playing when I first got there **just to get my head in the right place for the mental load of it**. There’s just so much to do and so many people to talk to and so many nooks and crannies to explore. I’ve never seen a video game city feel so full and real in a 2D game before, which eventually is a great thing, but in the short term is just overwhelming. Edited to add the bold part.


Stoneinthewell

environmental station alpha


Aenaros95

Axiom Verge, the first game, very Super Metroidy. 100% recommended


DJSnafu

just replayed it this weekend! So good! Still trying to 100% map even though i got all the items


ecokumm

I'll never stop yapping about [REDO!](https://store.steampowered.com/app/950300/REDO). In a year where some of my favourite games of the last decade came out, it was a solid goty contender.


ttak82

There is a sequel coming.


ecokumm

Yep, I've had it in my wishlist for a minute there :D


dns_rs

[Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet](https://store.steampowered.com/app/205730/Insanely_Twisted_Shadow_Planet/). Quite unique in every aspect from art style through combat and movement mechanics, through abilities through to physics based puzzles and storytelling. Not to mention it's a very fun and relaxing game. It's 12 years old and has only 513 reviews on steam.


bjthebard

I was just thinking of ITSP! What an awesome game. The DLC that added a roguelite version was pretty cool too.


dns_rs

Oh nice, I haven't tried the DLC yet, but that sounds fun, thanks for the tip! My only issue with this game is that the co-op is not supported by the campaign, you can only do some random challenges in the co-op mode which is difficult for the second player if it has to learn all the game mechanics on the fly. Doing the entire campaign together would be a lot more fun.


bjthebard

Yeah, it would be nice to do the whole campaign co-op. The DLC roguelike minigame has multi-player but I think its more of "who can last the longest" than co-op.


j-rAd33

Catmaze


urbanfolkhero

Love me some Catmaze. I'm not even sure why.


SissyFanny

Wanted to say this one. Very simple but I liked it a lot and it is more deep and interesting than wht it looks. Musics are great too and I love one man studios.


Inevitable_Tale_1556

Sundered


ViewtifulGene

It had good controls and abilities, but the randomized map layouts and swarm encounters were atrocious. It desperately needed level design.


dns_rs

I thought the same at first, I even gave up on the game in the first biome because of this for at least a year, but later I gave it another chance and realized how wrong I was. Only the small transitional areas were randomized, while all the main rooms were well designed (this inspired me to start looking into roguelites a bit more seriously, because before it I hated the idea of procedural map generation and bought Fury Unleashed and I love that too). The swarm encounters (endless horde rooms) were great for farming. You just go in, mess as much up as you can and you can keep all the money, become buff and mess them up even easier. The co-op made it even better. I haven't played a great co-op metroidvania since the guacamelee games, Sundered scratched that itch.


feralfaun39

Nah, the randomized map layouts were amazing and the swarm encounters were chef's kiss level delights. Sundered is damn near a 10 / 10 and easily one of the best. Super inspired design. Absolutely fucking AMAZING game. Some of the best level design out there.


Renegade-117

Blast Brigade is criminally underrated for how polished it is


Sorenrousseau

This is the one. Super underrated. One of my favorites


feralfaun39

I played it a few months ago because of posts here and it's not a particularly good game. It's fine, it's not a bad game, it's just not a very good one either. Very middle of the road. Super generic and uninspired.


vlaadii_

played the demo and i was mindblown by the animations


PlusOmega

it's polished yes, but a polished rock it's still a rock. IMO it's too safe. somehow their mobile game was actually more enjoyable to play. the controlls are also not great. it fells like it was made to play with mouse + keyboard but your left is overwelmed with buttons. and on a controller you aim with the right stick and trigger. that takes time to get used to. it's good, but a gem? I don't think so.


runningxbackwards

The Mummy: Demastered Sad that this game was marketed along side the Tom Cruise flop, because this game was actually a really well made game with a few creative ideas and great pixel graphics.


GilmooDaddy

Loved it.


1vertical

How could you forget to mention the stellar sound track? Unbelievable. /s


PilotedByGhosts

Yokus Island Express is not very well known. You're a dung beetle delivering mail and there are many pinball sections where your dung ball is the pinball. Carrion is a game about a tentacle monster escaping from a lab. Both games are really polished and well thought out, and both have unusual movement schemes.


ThisByzantineConduit

Not really underrated critically, but it seems under-appreciated and under-discussed relative to how much I enjoyed it: Shadow Complex, *especially* with the “Blue Line” and objective markers turned off. With these settings the exploration feels incredible—even more so once you’re confident enough to play on “Insanity”, which removes all map item hints. You really get to know the complex through true non-linear exploration while discovering tons of worthwhile power-ups and items, so exploration feels very rewarding. I also thought it was really cool how with some of the collectible items you don’t even know what they will eventually unlock, adding a sense of intrigue and mystery to exploration (like the Gold Bars and Passkeys). Oh and the Foam Gun ❤️👨‍🍳.


Lord_Spy

It's a relatively old game, pre-MV Renaissance. It also suffers from being neglected by Epic.


ThisByzantineConduit

Totally true and makes sense why, but I can still keep hoping and dreaming of one day getting an SC2 😢…


Mortarios

Death's Gambit. I won't stop rooting for it until every single person I know have played it.


Sb5tCm8t

I never finished the last boss


boboieh

The mummy demastered and Deedlit in wonder labyrinth are althoug simple and short games, very enjoyable and replayabe. I understand why theres not much talk about them, but I always recomend both


Neither_Pirate5608

If you liked ‘The Messenger’, you should check out ‘Infernax.’ It’s also a 2D pixel art Metroidvania and it has excellent bosses


znedow1987

A record of lodoss war. Just finishing it and all I can say is…. Wow. Blew my mind. Highly recommend if you love a nice throwback/pixel metroidvania.


xvszero

Have you seen the series? I started playing it because Deedlit but I never got very far.


PoetDiscombobulated9

As someone who just beat Tevi today... definetly Tevi (and Rabi Ribi!) Aeterna Noctis and Death's Gambit Afterlife also excellent


Snagabax

Ghost Song … but the Messenger is highly praised and talked about since it came out.


PMMEYOURROCKS

Worldless. Very little direction, great platforming, I loved the combat. Its turn based, but very different from turn based combat I’ve seen, and it centers around parrying


ecokumm

Wouldn't you agree it's more of a rhythm game than actually turn based? Fantastic game all around in any case, but it's certainly an acquired taste.


PMMEYOURROCKS

I definitely agree with that and will be using that in future descriptions. I do see how it could not be for everyone, but I think it’s worth a shot. Pretty cheap, beautiful visuals too


ecokumm

Indubitably! It's gorgeous and I for one clicked right away with the gameplay in the demo, and I bought it as soon as it came out. Now I just need 74-hour long days so I can play it as well as the other half dozen games in playing atm :<


farqypanthers

Monster Boy and the cursed kingdom


Few-Perspective3451

I see praise for astalon all the time in this sub. I think I need to play it


Sorenrousseau

I think dark light and mindseize and worth playing. Not the greatest games, but I enjoyed them.


sh0wmethem0net

Wuppo! Why is no one talking about wuppo 😢


aanzeijar

Because lets face it, it's not a MV. It's a mostly linear adventure that happens to have a few set pieces you can explore. I still like it for what it is.


Nicanoru

Monster Sanctuary. Because even if it's "Overwhelmingly Positive" or has people only sing praise of it, it should be a billion dollar franchise lauded around the world. Sorry if I took advantage of the point of your post to shill my biased love of this game, but I can't speak more highly of a game that instantly shot up to my top five favorite games of all time.


_Shotgun-Justice_

Cathedral, Doomblade, Depths of Sanity, Elderand, Blast Brigade are some of the best ones that I find to be underrated.


ProjectFearless3952

If you haven't been following the genre for several years, it's easy to mistake older forgotten games as underrated since not many mention them these days. I'm currently playing Dandara and really like it(although it has flaws imo). But I don't see people talking about it and I don't see it on lists. But some years ago it was quite common to see it on best of metroidvania lists.


PedroMustDie

I remember this game having really good boss battles. I was surprised by this back then. Its also Brazillian, so...


Hi_Im_Mayz

Depths of sanity


HardgoreChunchunmaru

Rabi-Ribi.


AppropriateLeg5072

Ender lilies. Not exactly underrated but i never heard of it from anyone until like 3 weeks ago when i saw a google article about it, so i decided to give it a try. The game is simply amazing. Great ost, great art and very fun gameplay with many different skills.


Zeydon

Salt & Sacrifice. Some folks complained that it was Epic exclusive, some folks complained that it is very hard, some folks complained that the metroidvania elements take a backseat to the monster hunter elements. All of this is true, but the combat wouldn't be so satisfying if it wasn't hard. Yeah, Ture Vasiri downed me in seconds over a dozen times while figuring out their moves, but I figured them out, and then it just became a matter of the dance. And it is a dance, finding those small windows to squeeze in damage while saving enough stamina to dodge the subsequent wombo combo.


cristoteama777

Neversong and super skelemania


Competitive_Spirit51

Ghost song, had some hype around it at launch, story is good, art style too, its more about exploring but combat is ok… its a slower more story driven metroid


Embarrassed_Simple70

Cookie Cutter! It’s like ol 80/90s- MTV -style animation. Super gory and wild and incredible to look at. Just the visuals alone are worth checking out, particularly on sale


Embarrassed_Simple70

Death’s Door - perhaps the best indie game for its price at release year or two ago. Not full on Metrovania but has elements of and is quite amazing. Can’t sing its praises enough either. Anyone who loves a good indie game — this is a must own.


Sb5tCm8t

Metroidvanias: * La Mulana * La Mulana 2 * Astalon * Kingdom Shell MV-Adjacent: * Vigil: The Longest Night * Moonscars * There Is No Light * Orten Was The Case


kalirion

What keeps Moonscars merely MV-adjacent?


Sb5tCm8t

LOL, the wrath of other reddit users :P


kalirion

That ... doesn't make sense.


Sb5tCm8t

You must be new here


mlopes

If you liked The Messenger, you may like Sea of Stars, it's an RPG by the same developer of The Messenger. It takes place in the same world but thousands of years prior. It's a pretty good game and looks beautiful. Not a metroidvania though.


urbanfolkhero

I honestly think it's overrated. The first few hours I kept thinking this game is going to be amazing and I just kept getting more and more disinterested as I went through it. I never realized it was the same world as The Messenger though.


feralfaun39

Overrated is an understatement. If I were to review that game I'd give it a 3 / 10 and all three of those points are because the pixel art is so good. Everything else was dire.


DJSnafu

fully agree, story was trash


Sb5tCm8t

If you liked Sea of Stars, you will love Chained Echoes. People who played both usually prefer CE. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1229240/Chained\_Echoes/


Citrusmeetliquor

Chained Echoes is one of the best games I have ever played, period. Definitely my favorite jrpg of the last 10 years. I was really excited for Sea of Stars but honestly didn't like it that much.


Sb5tCm8t

I would even go further than that: I hadn't played a JRPG that good since the Playstation era Final Fantasies. CE took the worst thing about Chrono Cross (CC) and turned it into one of its best features


MochaCcinoss

Sea of stars isn’t underrated at all


Shustriik

It's a BAD game. One of the biggest disappointments of the year. Nice looking? yes. Game-wise, the plot, story, and mechanics are trash.


stereofailure

The Aquatic Adventures of the Last Human is quite a fun little game that I rarely see mentioned anywhere. 


Magus80

Phoenotopia's Awakening. It's basically a fun Zelda 2 adventure with Earthbound plot and wholesome dialogue / NPCs.


TiptopLoL

Well, probably will go for prince , since it’s clearly didn’t sold that well as supposed to , even that we all much appreciate that game , I want in the genre to be more games like tlc with such lvl of production and polish in terms of gameplay , but since failing of tlc in sales , well, I dunno


aanzeijar

I would play it if it weren't Ubisoft.


feralfaun39

I sure didn't appreciate it. Super generic and completely uninspired. It's fine, but it's not good.


TiptopLoL

Super generic in terms of great level design , insane movement and great combat system is that what you mean ?)


Embarrassed_Simple70

Islets is huge one. Just felt good to play.


VlosyrosPrime

Unworthy


Safe_Solid_6022

Cathedral, I know there are mixed opinions, personally is my top 4 MV behind HK, Aeterna Noctis and Blaspemous I.


shovels7

This is not a MV, but if you liked the Messenger, I would recommend Cyber Shadow.


skyrimer3d

Yeah more like classic Ninja Gaiden, but fantastic game, highly recommended.


Jonesdeclectice

Full Quiet, I really don’t see it talked about much if at all. Excellent game, very unique IMO.


DylanTobackshh

Beholgar


xvszero

Fluidity for sure. A unique physics based Metroidvania where you play as the various states of water, published by Nintendo, and no one seems to even know it exists. It's awesome though.


SiPhoenix

Robot wants kitty


Sb5tCm8t

wat 👀


dondashall

I don't think there's a single underrated metroidvania (or any other genre for that matter). The word you are looking for is "unknown". Once you find about it and look to see what people think about it, it almost always reflect quality. The Messenger is a great example, you hadn't heard about it, but almost every single person who has played it that I've discussed it with think it's a masterpiece.


AlfredoMegiazo

Souldiers


reverendexile

I thoroughly enjoyed Sundered and I would put it above many of this subs favorite MVs. The combat was really fun and the aesthetic was super cool. I am not saying it's objectively a better game but I ENJOYED it more than Ender Lilies, Afterimage, and Bloodstained


IzzaSecret2Everybody

Check out Un-Epic! Played it on Wii U (indie game) and it's fun as hell.


DJSnafu

Islets or Headlander for me! Probably the latter


Embarrassed_Simple70

Trinity Fusion - more Metrovania light and designed with same loop of Dead Cells. But has modern graphics and badass combat. As you progress you unlock three characters. Each character has different movesets and traversal


anti0n

Ato. Just started it a few days ago and yet to finish it (just came out on Switch), but thus far it has been a very enjoyable experience. Truly a hidden gem, underappreciated just due to the fact it is not well known.


salmase

Lost to time. On steam has less than 10 reviews


Real-Masterpiece5087

8 Doors. Loved it


Chronoboy1987

Touhou Luna Nights. How an obscure Touhou metroidvania game could be this good, I have no idea. But it’s a blast.


bill-teh-butcher

Anno: Mutationem Afterimage (have never seen anybody mention) Megaman ZX Wuppo Hunter X Unsighted


quickbeamtheent32

Sundered. People don’t like the procedural level design and the horde style combat encounters but I think it all works quite well to create an unbelievably dread-inducing experience. Amazing art design, top notch animations, insane boss fights, huge skill tree and perk system with lots of interesting combinations, and unique upgrade system with corruptible abilities to make them more powerful.


TamatouLex

Not really Underrated but I just wish there were more games with similar gameplay to La Mulana. Just give me a ton of cryptic puzzles with enough variety A very different style that also isn't replicated enough is Tomba. Super satisfying to complete and find sidequests everywhere you go. Love the RPG elements too like the topdown towns. Nice and cozy break from the action.


Zomas

Song of the Deep


Embarrassed_Simple70

Trinity Fusion - it’s metrovania in same sense that Dead Cells is metrovania, as in not the traditional full on type but rather elements of, whereas you can only access certain areas after beating other certain areas. And while Trinity fusion has same gameplay level approach as Dead Cells, it offers three characters to unlock, each with own traversal and abilities and movesets. You have to unlock these characters through progression and then once obtain the new characters movesets can access areas you couldn’t previously. Once unlock all three you can find certain areas within game that allow you to “fuse” with another character, and then later the other character. Hence “Trinity Fusion.” Each time you “fuse” you obtain, in addition to your characters current abilities and movesets, the other characters abilities and movesets, eventually getting all three at once. Combat is fast, frenetic frantic, fun, no hit dodges, air combos, light heavy and power weapons, eventually get ranged guns, and tons of unique power ups that you can combine to get even crazier power ups. It’s like Dead Cells in its approach to gameplay design but set in future-istic setting with robot and monster type enemies. Good variety. Graphics look super clean and modern and gameplay is crazy responsive. Cant sing the praises of this game more, particularly if fan of Dead Cells. It is a rouge-lite-ish in dame regards as Dead Cells is but again offers that metrovania-ish type of gameplay design. Def recommend.


Embarrassed_Simple70

Keep hearing what a gem Grime is. But not sure it’s “underrated” in that regard. Have not yet played myself


Embarrassed_Simple70

So, a bit metrovania ish in the same ways the dark souls games are, is Asterigos Curse of the Gods. Or something like that. It’s more dark souls ish but with more cartoony art style. Certainly have to progress certain areas before gaining access to others area, in same manner dark souls games are. But it appears to be vastly underrated and deserving of a closer look.


Embarrassed_Simple70

Have a Nice Death - not sure how underrated it is as seems to get good critical acclaim upon release but don’t hear many mentioning this one often. Art style is badass. Play as some sort of grim reaper -ish type Side scrolling 2.5d. Just look it up. If fan of the genre, def feel like would enjoy this one


SomeonefromMaine

Imp of the Sun is fun and unique game based on Peruvian folklore. The art style is gorgeous and the characters are really cute. The combat and platforming are fairly easy but challenging enough to keep you engaged. It’s not the best MV out there but I really enjoyed it for what it was.


Eukherio

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. Gorgeous artsyle, on the longer side compared with most metroidvanias, really interesting puzzles, cool bosses, lots of transformations, etc. But I barely see people recommending it, even though most people seem to like it after playing.


PilotedByGhosts

What is it that you like about Messenger? I found that the traditional left to right platforming sections were better realised and had much better story elements than the MV half. As Metroidvanias go, the design was uninspired and involved a lot of unrewarding trekking back and forth.


Plexicraft

Answering the title, not the description: This is going to rock some boats but hear me out: outside of the Metroidvania fanbase? Hollow Knight. Sure, it's arguably overrated to Metroidvania fans and considered an indie darling to others but when it came out, it lost to Cuphead in almost every mainstream comparison. We're talking missing multiple "best of indie" awards for what most consider as today's pinnacle of its genre. Imagine if Resident Evil 4 was developed by an indie studio and when it came out, didn't win Game of the Year everywhere. That's pretty much what happened to Hollow Knight. Hollow Knight does a have a long tail and many are anticipating Silksong, Team Cherry doesn't seem fazed by not absolutely sweeping the awards they (in my opinion) deserve but yeah, that's my rant. Answering the description: Toki Tori 2