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Choose a metroidvania by matching its map, combat, and upgrade systems to the experience you want—not by map size or difficulty label alone. Look at how exploration and backtracking work, whether combat offers the kind of challenge and control you prefer, and whether new abilities keep changing how you move and fight. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Hollow Knight illustrate different design choices, not a definitive ranking.
Start with the kind of exploration you enjoy
A metroidvania map is more than a large space to uncover. Consider how areas connect, whether routes offer meaningful choices, and whether returning to an earlier location becomes worthwhile after you gain an ability. A design analysis of the genre argues that new mobility should matter in later obstacles and that secrets can reward revisiting old areas; it also notes that fast travel can help in large worlds when repeat journeys become long. These are useful questions to ask, not rules every game must follow. GameDeveloper’s analysis of metroidvania design
- Consider your tolerance for uncertainty. Some games expect you to remember a blocked route and find it again later. If you enjoy that kind of mental mapping, it may be part of the appeal; if not, check whether the game offers reminders.
- Ask what backtracking gives you. A revisit feels more purposeful when a new ability reveals a route, secret, or different way through an area. Repeating a long trip without a new possibility can feel more like a chore.
- Check for navigation support. Optional objective markers, path indicators, or map notes can reduce the burden of remembering what to return to without removing exploration altogether.
Example: optional map help in The Lost Crown
Ubisoft Senior Game Designer Rémi Boutin says the team wanted players to explore freely without feeling lost. The Lost Crown includes an optional guided mode that marks objectives and blocked or available paths. Its Eye of the Wanderer feature lets players pin screenshots to the map as reminders. These options may suit players who want to explore but prefer not to rely entirely on memory. Ubisoft’s accessibility spotlight
Choose combat for its feel and flexibility
Look beyond whether combat is described as easy or hard. Consider responsiveness, defensive options, enemy pressure, and how many approaches the game supports. The right fit depends on whether you want to experiment with tools and abilities, rely on a smaller set of familiar moves, or adjust the challenge when needed.
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#1 Best Overall
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Example: composing a playstyle in The Lost Crown
In an Xbox Wire interview, the game’s creative director describes combat built around experimentation and responsive actions. Tools, amulets, and special abilities let players put together a playstyle. That establishes the intended flexibility; it does not mean every approach will suit every player. Xbox Wire’s developer interview
Difficulty labels alone do not tell you how adjustable a game is. Ubisoft lists difficulty presets and individual parameters for The Lost Crown, along with visual and audio options, an optional platforming assist, and a practice area. This is a concrete example of demanding action paired with options that can address some barriers. Check the specific settings that matter to you rather than assuming a genre or preset tells the whole story. Ubisoft’s accessibility spotlight
Rank #2
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Check whether upgrades change how you play
Ask what a new ability does after the moment you acquire it. Some upgrades mainly open one gate; others keep changing ordinary movement, combat, and the routes you can take. The latter can make earlier areas feel newly useful and give a return journey a clear purpose. GameDeveloper’s design analysis recommends connecting upgrades to routine play and to environments that make use of new options, rather than treating them only as keys for isolated locks. GameDeveloper’s analysis of metroidvania design
Example: a less rigid progression in Hollow Knight
Team Cherry’s developers have described how Hollow Knight’s progression changed during development. Co-director William Pellen said the original power-up progression was linear before the team divided it into sections as the game expanded. Co-director Ari Gibson recalled that some powers became optional, a result the team welcomed. Their account describes design intent and development; it does not guarantee that every player will encounter progression in the same way. PC Gamer’s interview with Team Cherry
Rank #3
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Match the design choices to your priorities
| If you value… | Example to investigate | What the cited evidence establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation reminders and adjustable challenge | Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Ubisoft documents optional path and objective guidance, screenshots pinned to the map, difficulty customization, and other accessibility features. Ubisoft’s accessibility spotlight |
| Less rigid ability-gate progression | Hollow Knight | Team Cherry’s developers describe moving from a planned linear power-up sequence toward more optional abilities and fewer hard gates. PC Gamer’s interview with Team Cherry |
| Responsive combat and player-composed actions | Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | The developer interview describes experimentation, responsive actions, and tools that support different playstyles. Xbox Wire’s developer interview |
Use these as examples to investigate, not as a scorecard. The evidence describes particular design choices; it does not establish that one game is objectively better or represent every current metroidvania.
Use a quick decision checklist
- Do you enjoy remembering blocked routes, or would map reminders make exploration more enjoyable?
- Does the game make revisits rewarding with new routes, secrets, or uses for new abilities?
- Do you want combat that supports experimentation, and are its difficulty and assistance options suitable for you?
- Will upgrades change ordinary movement or fighting, or mainly open specific gates?
- If repeated journeys matter to you, does the map provide fast travel or another way to keep them manageable?
What the examples do—and do not—tell you
Ubisoft announced The Lost Crown for Nintendo Switch among its launch platforms, so it is an option to investigate if you are choosing a Switch game. That announcement establishes platform availability at launch, not current retailer stock, listing format, or price. Check a retailer’s current listing to confirm whether it is a physical cartridge or digital code. Ubisoft’s game announcement
Rank #4
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Neither example settles which game a newcomer should prefer. A player who wants optional navigation and adjustable challenge may want to investigate The Lost Crown; someone interested in less rigid ability progression may want to investigate Hollow Knight. Those are preference-based starting points, not a universal recommendation.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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