Summary
The indie Metroidvania genre is in a great place in 2024, with the recently-releasedAnimal Wellalready proving to be one of the year’s best indie experiences, and the highly-anticipatedHollow Knight: Silksongon the horizon. WhileHollow Knight: Silksongis still lacking a release date after a series of delays, the game has the potential to follow in the footsteps ofAnimal Wellas another indie Metroidvania hit. However, the two games share just as many differences as they do similarities, showing just how deep games in the Metroidvania genre can get.
Fans of indie games are likely familiar with the prevalence of games in theMetroidvaniagenre within this space, with many developers trying to recapture the feeling of iconic titles likeSuper MetroidandCastlevania: Symphony of the Night. This endeavor has produced some modern classics like Team Cherry’sHollow Knight, which has made the hype surrounding its sequel,Hollow Knight: Silksong, all the more palpable. During the wait forSilksong’s release,Animal Wellhas emerged as a new contender for one of the best entries in the genre, but the differences between these two games show they can coexist within the genre.
Animal Well and Hollow Knight: Silksong Represent Two Very Different Metroidvania Experiences
Althoughdetails aboutSilksong’s gameplay have been scarcein the years since it was announced in 2019, the game will likely follow the same formula as its predecessor. As such,Silksongwill almost assuredly have an emphasis on tough combat and precise timing for attacks, rewarding players for mastering the game’s controls and flow of combat. Exploration and unlocking power-ups were also core features ofHollow Kightand are likely to be additional factors inSilksong’s success.
Conversely,Animal Well’s approach to the Metroidvania genregoes in the opposite direction asSilksong’s likely will. Instead of focusing on combat,Animal Wellchallenges players to solve physics-based puzzles by thinking outside the box and using all the tools accessible to them in creative ways. WhileAnimal Wellshares the same genre-defining exploration elements asHollow KnightandSilksong, it almost feels like a game from a completely different genre due to its core gameplay loop focusing on an entirely different set of mechanics that require players to approach scenarios differently than they would in a more action-based game likeSilksong.
How the Differences Between Animal and Silksong Showcase the Potential of the Genre
Depending onSilksong’s release date, 2024 could end up having two hit indie Metroidvania releasing in the same year, both with completely different gameplay. With this possibility in mind, it’s clear that the Metroidvania genre holds a lot of potential for creativity in its gameplay and level design, as two games that share several fundamental elements of the genre at their core can feel like totally different experiences. There is something satisfying about figuring out an ingenious way to solve a puzzle inAnimal Wellthat creates a similar yet unique feeling to that resulting from beating a toughboss in a game likeHollow Knight.
Games likeAnimal WellandSilksongsucceedby giving players the tools for success but leaving them with little direction on how to use them, allowing players to discover for themselves how best to overcome the game’s challenges. Although these challenges come in different forms, whether that be puzzles or combat scenarios, they can both give players a similarly satisfying feeling of progress as new discoveries are made. These indie titles will hopefully serve as inspiration for other developers to fully explore the Metroidvania genre and find ways to deliver a similar feeling using a different gameplay loop that still follows the fundamental mechanics of the genre.
