Team Cherry's Hollow Knight casts 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 since Hollow Knight's debut, fans have been craving another adventure, and Team Cherry has been working on a follow-up for more than five years. At this point, Silksong might 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 like Hollow Knight can fill the void while Silksong is in development.
Ori Games
Two Beautiful And Emotional Journeys
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Ori and The Blind Forest Ori and the Will of the Wisps Platform(s) Switch, PC, Xbox One Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Switch, PC, Xbox One Released 2015-03-11 2020-03-11 Developer(s) Moon Studios Moon Studios Genre(s) Platformer, Adventure Platformer, Adventure How Long To Beat 9 Hours 9 Hours OpenCritic Page https://opencritic.com/game/829/ori-and-the-blind-forest https://opencritic.com/game/7403/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps
Before trying something wildly different with No Rest for the Wicked, Moon Studios set its sights on Metroidvanias, specifically the Ori series. Initially released as Xbox exclusives, Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel, Will of the Wisps, are slightly more accessible nowadays, and they are both fantastic.
Ori And The Will Of The Wisps: Which Abilities To Purchase First
There are quite a few abilities that players need to unlock in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Here's a look at what to get first.
Similar to Hollow Knight, Ori drops 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. Ori primarily focuses on platforming and puzzle-solving, with combat playing a fairly minor role (although it is expanded in Will of the Wisps); consequently, Hollow Knight fans who specifically love its Soulslike combat might wish to look elsewhere.
Blasphemous Games
2D Soulslike Combat With A Stellar Presentation
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Blasphemous Blasphemous 2 Platform(s) Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox One Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Switch, PS5, PC Released 2019-09-10 2023-08-24 Developer(s) The Game Kitchen The Game Kitchen Genre(s) Soulslike, Metroidvania Soulslike, Platformer, Metroidvania How Long To Beat 14 Hours 16 Hours OpenCritic Page https://opencritic.com/game/8241/blasphemous https://opencritic.com/game/15371/blasphemous-2
If Ori is perfect for people who love Hollow Knight's exploration, storytelling, and puzzles, then Blasphemous is for those who are more interested in combat. Similar to Salt and Sanctuary, another solid option, Blasphemous garnered 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 first Blasphemous is 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 the sequel is slightly better.
Dead Cells
All About The Combat
Dead Cells
- Released
- August 7, 2018
- Developer(s)
- Motion Twin
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike
- How Long To Beat
- 15 Hours
Very few indie games can sit alongside Hollow Knight in terms of popularity (or quality, for that matter), but Dead Cells might 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 Cells still incorporates Metroidvania elements courtesy of a few permanent upgrades, so it is not a complete departure. Still, death means starting from scratch, and each run changes the stages to ensure some variety.
7 Best 2D Soulslikes
The Soulslike genre is ubiquitous across the industry, and some of the best attempts at this challenging game style can be found in 2D titles.
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. Like Hollow Knight, Dead Cells can 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 Cells is very replayable.
Ender Lilies: Quietus Of The Knights
Looks Good And Plays Good
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
- Released
- January 21, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Live Wire, Adglobe
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- How Long To Beat
- 13 hours
With immersive backdrops, well-crafted lore, and fun gameplay, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a pretty safe bet for anyone wishing to try out a 2D action RPG, as long as they are not also craving a Metroidvania. Ender Lilies opts 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 arguably Ender 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.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 24, 2017
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Hollow Knight
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania
- How Long To Beat
- 27 Hours