Team Cherry’sHollow Knightcasts a wide shadow over the indie scene. Taking inspiration from Metroidvanias, RPGs, and Soulslikes, the 2017 game crafted a surprisingly holistic experience that emphasized the best elements of each genre, all the while delivering a lengthy campaign packed with clever world-building, intense boss fights, and well-done exploration.
Ever sinceHollow Knight’s debut, fans have been craving another adventure, andTeam Cherry has been working on a follow-up for more than five years. At this point,Silksongmight be the most highly-anticipated sequel, at least when it comes to 2D Metroidvanias. That project will become a reality sooner or later, but a release date has yet to be announced. Fortunately, some 2D games likeHollow Knightcan fill the void whileSilksongis in development.
Ori Games
Two Beautiful And Emotional Journeys
Before trying something wildly different withNo Rest for the Wicked, Moon Studios set its sights on Metroidvanias, specificallytheOriseries. Initially released as Xbox exclusives,Ori and the Blind Forestand its sequel,Will of the Wisps, are slightly more accessible nowadays, and they are both fantastic.
Similar toHollow Knight,Oridrops players in a lavish and stylish world that expertly uses contrast and colors to instill a dream-like atmosphere. While not as lore-heavy as Team Cherry’s masterpiece, both games tell engaging stories with strong emotional cores, and they mostly focus on silent and environmental storytelling.Oriprimarily focuses on platforming and puzzle-solving, with combat playing a fairly minor role (although it is expanded inWill of the Wisps); consequently,Hollow Knightfans who specifically love its Soulslike combat might wish to look elsewhere.
Blasphemous Games
2D Soulslike Combat With A Stellar Presentation
IfOriis perfect for people who loveHollow Knight’s exploration, storytelling, and puzzles, thenBlasphemousis for those who are more interested in combat. Similar toSalt and Sanctuary, another solid option,Blasphemousgarnered a reputation for being the 2D Soulslike, and both entries in the series wear their FromSoftware influence loudly and proudly. That said, The Game Kitchen did a great job of discovering and fine-tuning a unique identity, one driven by a focus on religious imagery and themes.
As the Penitent One, players will traverse through two kingdoms, all the while engaging in intense combat and pretty good platforming. The series shines in its tight and challenging encounters, with nearly all enemies being capable of pushing players to their limits if they are not 100% focused. While the firstBlasphemousis a middling Metroidvania, the sequel improves significantly on this aspect due to the introduction of weapons that expand both combat and exploration. The original game is still worth playing, but thesequel is slightly better.
Very few indie games can sit alongsideHollow Knightin terms of popularity (or quality, for that matter), butDead Cellsmight just be an exception. Now, to be immediately clear, Motion Twin and Evil Empire’s game follows a roguelike structure, which instantly sets it apart from Team Cherry’s release. However,Dead Cellsstill incorporates Metroidvania elements courtesy of a few permanent upgrades, so it is not a complete departure. Still, death means starting from scratch, andeach run changes the stages to ensure some variety.
While hardly the only positive,Dead Cells' brilliant combat is its main selling point. The second-to-second gameplay is punchy, satisfying, and extremely responsive, and it evolves quite a bit as new gear and mutations are unlocked during runs. LikeHollow Knight,Dead Cellscan feel overwhelmingly difficult initially, and they are both games that require players to master their mechanics to progress. Although not as expansive on paper as Team Cherry’s project,Dead Cellsis very replayable.
With immersive backdrops, well-crafted lore, and fun gameplay,Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knightsis a pretty safe bet for anyone wishing to try out a 2Daction RPG, as long as they are not also craving a Metroidvania.Ender Liliesopts for a fairly linear map design that provides some but not extensive exploration, which is perfectly fine and can be a nice change of pace.
The game focuses quite heavily on combat, a system built on collecting Spirits with different attacks and abilities. This concept is arguablyEnder Lilies' strongest feature, especially since players can quickly swap between two loadouts with the click of a button. Beyond that, the visuals are stunning in their own right.
