HOLLOW KNIGHT
Like CRPGs, metroidvanias have also enjoyed a formidable resurgence over the last few years, and like CRPGs, metroidvanias also saw the release of a game that will forever be counted as one of the best the genre has ever had to offer. Hollow Knight is, simply put, metroidvania perfection. It distils everything that makes this genre so good, and captures that essence in a startlingly stellar game. The world of Hallownest is vast and varied, and the intricate and interconnected map here is one of the most brilliantly designed we’ve ever seen in a game. The combat is challenging, the platforming is silky smooth and feels unbelievably good, the constant sense of progression is perfectly paced, and there are countless boss fights and secrets to uncover, which makes exploration feel exactly as rewarding as it should in a metroidvania game. Like fellow genre giant Super Metroid before it, Hollow Knight is a game that will forever be regarded as one of the best games of its time.
