What Are Metroidvania Video Games?

Wondering what the Metroidvania genre is? Let's discuss their design to help you understand the genre's core elements.

Have you heard of the Metroidvania genre of video games and wonder what it actually is? Maybe you've never played a game in this style or want to know more about what makes a game a proper Metroidvania.

Let's walk through what a Metroidvania title is, the characteristics they usually have, and what makes it a distinct genre.

What Is a Metroidvania Game?

Broadly speaking, a Metroidvania game is one featuring an interconnected, open-ended world that requires you to explore and collect permanent powerups to progress in a non-linear fashion. Each Metroidvania handles this a bit differently, but that's the core focus.

The Metroidvania name is a sub-genre of the general action-adventure genre. They are different from straightforward 2D platformers, where your goal is simply to reach the end of individual levels.

What Does "Metroidvania" Mean?

The name Metroidvania is a portmanteau of two video game series: Nintendo's Metroid and Konami's Castlevania. The genre has its roots with games in these franchises.

Metroid on NES, released in 1986, was the first major game to feature the hallmark open-ended exploration. Later, 1994's Super Metroid on SNES modernized a lot of those elements and became one of the most beloved games of all time.

Meanwhile, early Castlevania games on NES and SNES were level-based platformers that didn't play like Metroid. Then in 1997, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night released for the PlayStation and brought the "vania" part of the term. This game, and many subsequent Castlevania titles, also feature non-linear level design where finding power-ups allows you to explore more of the world.

Even though they both gave their name to this genre, Metroid and Castlevania aren't identical experiences. Metroid tends to focus on an atmosphere of isolation in immersive worlds. Castlevania games, in contrast, have deeper combat and feature some light RPG elements like a variety of weapon choices, consumable items, and character stats.

What Makes a Game a Metroidvania?

If you've never played a Metroidvania game, the elements might sound kind of vague. And while not every game in the genre has the exact same set of features, there are identifiable core trends you'll be able to spot.

As mentioned, Metroidvania titles use non-linear exploration. This means that you don't simply go from level one to level two; you're dropped into a large world and have to figure out the way forward.

Since the game world is usually comprised of many areas, most Metroidvania games feature a detailed map so you know where you are. You'll have to backtrack to older areas so you can use your new abilities to reach previously inaccessible paths. To cut down on tedious backtracking, Metroidvania games often feature teleporters or shortcuts that become available with new items.

There's also more to find than just the required items for progression. Most Metroidvanias feature secrets that let you increase your health, gain new weapons, and similar. You're rewarded for having a keen eye.

Progression is typically unlocked through the items you collect around the world. For example, you might come across a green door that your current weapons can't open, requiring you to explore elsewhere. Then after you find an upgraded weapon in another area, you can use it to open all the green doors you've seen around the world.

Importantly, the upgrades you find are more useful than simple keys. Instead of finding an item, using it to open one door, and never touching it again, your upgrades have several useful facets. For instance, finding an uppercut move will not only give you more options in combat, but also provide extra height on your jump to reach new ledges.

You're encouraged to keep track of the world as you play a Metroidvania. You might remember a room with a gap that was too large for you to jump over, then once you find an item that lets you double-jump, have an "aha!" moment as you realize that area is now accessible. The Metroidvania gameplay loop revolves around using these new items to explore more of the world until you reach the end.

Variable Elements of a Metroidvania

While the above are all key aspects of a Metroidvania, the way that developers approach design specifics varies among titles. Some games, like Hollow Knight, feature almost no guidance and force you to explore on your own. Others, like Metroid Fusion, provide a waypoint showing where you need to head next.

Some Metroidvanias only give you a few ways to go and lock you into certain sections until you find the next required item so you don't ever get too lost. Others let you explore freely, meaning you might wander into an area with enemies much too powerful for your current state and get destroyed.

Metroidvania games are also known for smooth tutorializing. Instead of making you read a bunch of text descriptions, they teach you through gameplay. Super Metroid is well-known for this.

The gameplay style of a Metroidvania also isn't set in stone. Many Metroidvanias take the form of 2D platformers, but not all fall into this style. Some Metroidvanias are first-person games (like Metroid Prime), while others blend with another genre (Dead Cells is a roguelike with Metroidvania elements, and Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 3D action game structured like a Metroidvania).

Metroidvania Sequence Breaking and Speedrunning

As mentioned, clever world design can invisibly guide you through the developers' intended path in a Metroidvania game, even with room to explore on your own. However, due to their open nature, Metroidvania games often feature ways for the player to obtain items earlier than intended, or skip entire sections of the game.

This is called "sequence breaking," and can be intentional or unintentional. It's a feature that makes the Metroidvania genre a prime game type for speedrunning. By finding new ways to apply existing moves or exploiting glitches, speedrunners enjoy finding how to complete a game in as little time as possible.

Read more: Entertaining Speedruns Packed With Tips and Tricks

Sequence breaking can also be a fun way to increase the challenge or approach the game in a new way.

Explore and Enjoy Metroidvania Games

Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night are both considered among the greatest games of all time, so it's not a surprise that their design would lead to the birth of a new genre. Now you know what makes a game a Metroidvania, so you'll be able to spot them in the wild.

Thanks to some excellent indie titles, Metroidvanias experienced an explosion in popularity in the 2000s and 2010s. There are thus tons of games in this genre to enjoy on modern systems.

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