In this feature, we’ll be talking about what we feel have been the 15 best Metroidvania games of the last few years. Given how spoilt for choice we are, it goes without saying that we’ll be missing out on a few games, so sound off about those in your comments below.

So let’s kick this off, and let’s begin with the most obvious choice:

HOLLOW KNIGHT

To say that Hollow Knight is not only one of the best games of the last few years, but quite simply one of the greatest games ever made, would not be an exaggeration in the slightest. Team Cherry’s masterpiece exudes a breathtaking level of confidence in everything it does, from the crisp combat, the incredible atmosphere, and the tight platforming to the labyrinthine map design, the charming visuals, and the memorable boss fights. It’s the standard that all Metroidvania games should aspire to, and stands toe-to-toe with genre giants like Super Metroid.

]]> https://gamingbolt.com/15-best-modern-metroidvania-games/feed 0 429830 https://gamingbolt.com/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-my-time-at-portia-undertale-out-today-for-xbox-game-pass https://gamingbolt.com/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-my-time-at-portia-undertale-out-today-for-xbox-game-pass#respond Thu, 04 Jul 2019 09:32:22 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=406719

Microsoft had recently unveiled its next round of ID@Xbox titles for Xbox Game Pass including Undertale and My Time at Portia. Turns out they’re arriving sooner than expected – both titles will be available on Game Pass today along with Monolith Productions’ Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. That’s already quite the steal.

But that’s not all. However, recent tweets by the official Xbox Game Pass Twitter confirmed that Blazing Chrome, Dead Rising 4, LEGO City Undercover, Timespinner, and Unavowed would also be joining the service on July 11th. So whether you’re seeking open world action, side-scrolling action or adventure, this month should have you covered.

Xbox Game Pass is also available for PC, having launched last month with over 100 titles. These includes games like Imperator: Rome, Metro Exodus and much more. You can also expect The Coalition’s Gears 5 to be available on the service when it launches in September. In fact, those who pick up Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $15 gain early access to Gears 5.

https://twitter.com/XboxGamePass/status/1146404224697171975

Microsoft recently hosted a new ID@Xbox Game Pass Showcase, unveiling some of the indie titles that would coming to the Game Pass service. With Xbox Game Pass for PC now available, what can PC players expect in terms of game selection? To start with, Undertale, Yoku’s Island Express and My Time At Portia have been confirmed.

Undertale will actually be exclusive to Xbox Games Pass on PC. Other exclusives include Timespinner, Unavowed, Machinarium and For The King, each an incredibly solid release in their own right. Of course, there’s plenty more coming in the future.

Bloober Team’s Blair Witch is bound for Xbox Game Pass while tinyBuild will bring Pathologic 2 and Secret Neighbor to the service as well. Thunder Lotus’s Spiritfarer is also due for the service along with titles like Raw Fury’s Night Call. If that weren’t enough, you can expect Worms W.M.D., GoNNER and The Banner Saga 3 on there as well. Check out the showcase below for more information.

"Timespinner was influenced by the 2D pixel-art games of my childhood. From Super Metroid and Mega Man X, to Castlevania and Star Ocean, there are lots of pieces of those games that have inspired me."

It’s clear that the game is inspired from some video games from the ‘90s. Can you tell us more about these inspirations and influences?

Timespinner was influenced by the 2D pixel-art games of my childhood. From Super Metroid and Mega Man X, to Castlevania and Star Ocean, there are lots of pieces of those games that have inspired me. However, looking back on fond memories of those games, I’ve found that I have very rose-tinted ideas about them. If you ever go back and play an old game, you’ll see ways that they weren’t as great as you remember. For Timespinner, I wanted to capture the feeling of what I remembered those games being, despite the fact that those memories may be inaccurate!

How exactly do the protagonist’s time-bending powers affect gameplay?

The two largest time abilities are time-stop and time-travel. With time-stop you can briefly freeze all enemies and objects in the room, allowing you to safely manoeuvre them, or to even use enemies as platforms to reach new areas. Time-travel is used to explore two versions of the world of Lachiem: its barren present and its lush history, a thousand years in the past. Time-travel’s emphasis is on physical exploration and historical research- and how changing things in the past can affect the future world.

What are some of the main themes and ideas that the game’s story will be dealing with?

The two central themes to the game are sacrifice and resistance. As a Time Messenger, the protagonist’s original task is to sacrifice her own life history in order to save her clan. But, with the Timespinner broken, she decides instead to do the only thing left to do: fight against the powerful Empire that took everything from her. As the game progresses, these two themes weave together to create a powerful story.

"Older games were created within hardware limitations. When you try to evoke the nostalgia of those titles, it’s important to be mindful of those limitations. Which do you adhere to? Which do you let go of?"

What would you say are some of the crucial elements to get right when making a retro-inspired game?

Older games were created within hardware limitations. When you try to evoke the nostalgia of those titles, it’s important to be mindful of those limitations. Which do you adhere to? Which do you let go of? It’s a balancing act between making the game palatable for modern gamers and also keeping it evocative of the classics. An easy example is a save system: Older games stopped gameplay in order to make you choose a save file, confirm a save, and then wait for the data to write. In this situation it’s a better to use a sleeker modern approach to saving, such as auto-saving and checkpoints. Be careful not to take too many modern tweaks, though, as it can cause the game to lose its retro charm!

Can you tell us more about the roles that Familiars play in the game?

Familiars are small flying creatures that follow you throughout your adventure. They can even be controlled by a friend via local co-op! Familiars attack enemies and cast offensive or healing spells, but are generally weaker than the protagonist. The primary familiar, Meyef, is also an important character whose role grows as the story unfolds.

What is the progression system in the game like?

Player progression is similar to other RPG platformers: the player levels up, but so do your Orb weapons, spells, and familiars. The game is also designed such that the player will get new abilities and attacks fairly frequently so that their style can evolve as they play.

Will the game be quite difficult or will it remain fairly accessible?

The game features multiple difficulties to allow players to choose how they play: Dream, Normal, and Nightmare mode. Dream is the same as Normal, except you are revived instantly upon death (effectively making you immortal). Nightmare mode is unlockable and is very difficult, giving hard-core players something to challenge themselves with.

"One thing that’s been challenging for me (and still continues to be a challenge) is being a good “marketer” for the game. As a solo-dev you have to wear a lot of hats, and marketing/social-media tend to be very draining and time-consuming hat."

Are there any particular challenges you faced during the game’s development?

One thing that’s been challenging for me (and still continues to be a challenge) is being a good “marketer” for the game. As a solo-dev you have to wear a lot of hats, and marketing/social-media tend to be very draining and time-consuming hat. For example, after the Kickstarter, I needed a way to regularly communicate the progress of the game to the backers, but writing Kickstarter updates take me at least a half-day of work. I tried a few different things, like regular forum posts, but those had the same problem as the Kickstarter updates; I would spend time not working on the game in order to communicate about the game. The awesome solution I ended up going with was doing weekly Development Livestreams on Twitch! This let me both demonstrate to fans that I was making progress with the game without losing any time on development! Huzzah!

Will there be multiple endings in the game or is the story fully linear?

The game does feature multiple endings. Each ending changes based on decisions and progress you’ve made in the game.

Are there plans to bring the game over to the Xbox One and/or Nintendo Switch?

After life cools down after shipping the game, I’ll have time to work on the promised 3DS port as well as be able to look into the feasibility of other ports, such as Xbox One and Switch. It would be pretty awesome having Timespinner on those platforms!

Is there a specific reason why the game is not coming on Xbox One and Switch?

The current platforms that the game has shipped on (PC, PS4, and Vita) are a result of the 2014 Kickstarter campaign’s stretch goals. It’s been my top priority to get it on these promised platforms (including the future 3DS version) before anything else. I am, after all, the only programmer in a 1-man company, so doing multiple unrelated ports at once isn’t really feasible when trying to make a game at the same time. Not to mention, the Switch didn’t even exist when the Kickstarter happened!

Will the game feature PS4 Pro specific enhancements? What can players expect if they are playing the game on PS4 Pro? And how will the base PS4 version turn out in terms of resolution and frame rate?

The game runs in 1080p and 60 FPS. As the game is built using the XNA Framework, the maximum resolution is unfortunately capped at 1080.

"I’m glad I made the Vita version. It’s uniquely satisfying being able to play your own game on a handheld console. It’s kind of a dream come true!"

Sony is winding up production on the PS Vita soon. Two questions based on this- What is your reaction? Since production is getting stopped, do you think developing the game for the Vita was the right call?

It is a bit sad, but not unexpected. This seems to be par-for-the-course for older platforms.  I’m glad I made the Vita version. It’s uniquely satisfying being able to play your own game on a handheld console. It’s kind of a dream come true!

Next gen is coming sooner or later. From a development perspective, what is your biggest expectation from PS5 and Xbox Scarlett?

I hope that the next platforms make indie-game development as seamless as possible. Looking back, it seems like the big console companies have made big improvements in this department and I hope that that trend continues!

What is your take on the ongoing drama of loot boxes and microtransactions?

If you’re paying real money to gamble in a game, you’re still gambling. If your country regulates gambling, it should apply to games as well.

No one could have guessed this five years ago, but the PS Vita has been, sadly, a monumental failure for Sony- an excellent piece of hardware, let down by poor marketing, weird decisions, and a complete lack of support. It’s no surprise, then, that the system is dying out way earlier than it should have, while its direct competitor, the 3DS, somehow continues to do reasonably well for itself even now.

Sony recently announced that they would be ending production of the handheld in Japan not long from now, which comes off the back of the system’s game cards’ manufacturing already having been discontinued. According to Bodie Lee, founder of Lunar Ray Games, though, while that is sad, it’s not all too surprising.

We recently interview Lunar Ray Games about their recently released 2D platforming Metroidvania Timespinner, which, among other systems, has launched on the PS Vita as well. When we asked Lee about the state of the handheld, he said, “It is a bit sad, but not unexpected. This seems to be par-for-the-course for older platforms.”

In light of this news, though, what’re Lee’s thoughts on the fact that Timespinner has launched on the PS Vita as well? After all, just as an example, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s PS Vita version recently got cancelled after the developers decided it probably wasn’t worth the investment. Lee, though, is pretty happy with his decision to make the game for the Vita as well.

“I’m glad I made the Vita version,” Lee told GamingBolt. “It’s uniquely satisfying being able to play your own game on a handheld console. It’s kind of a dream come true!”

Timespinner is currently available on PS4, PC, and of course, PS Vita. Stay tuned for our full interview with Bodie Lee.