I'm Matt, and I made Ghost Song -- thanks for reviewing my game! the long span of time between KS announcement and release probably leads some to believe the game should be absolutely huge and packed with endless content, but it's so much more complicated than that, and I must say that the things I view as shortcomings with the game are mostly due to time constraints (basically started over from scratch a few years ago)! I'm glad many people have enjoyed it, and making it was a great learning experience.
Congratulations on the game, Matt! I complain because I care. Looking forward to whatever you do next, whether it's a sequel or something completely different
Hey, I really loved your game! I even did the 100% completion after finishing the story for the first time and I enjoyed every second of it. Especially the great atmosphere and soundtrack! Can't believe there was only such a small team behind it. By the way, will the individual soundtrack songs ever be uploaded to youtube? So far the only official one on youtube is the full soundtrack in one video.
Thank you Nerrel for reviewing 9 Years of Shadows. I´m part of the wonderful team that made it. Always have been fan of your content and seeing you talking about it is just surrea! I´m very happy you like it and I´m very pleased to tell you there´s going to be more patches and a new major update towards the launch on Nintendo Switch that includes more balancing and a new difficult option if you want! Hope you can play it again soon! And again thank you, this is marvelous :)
@@Scarabola I meant the stuff about AI somehow violating copyright or stealing work, not the 'it's going to kill us all' jokes. Art majors seem uniquely incapable of understanding neural networks
@@KingHalbatorix He really didn’t though. The joke was so brief and offhanded that I’m surprised anyone would be complaining about it more than his defense of the cuckolding characters in Timespinner
Time for an update to the list: Cave story - 15/15 (so a 10) Axiom Verge - 9 Metroid Dread - 9 Yoku's Island Express - 8,9 Blasphemous - 8,7534 Timespinner - 8,6 AM2R - 8,5 Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - 8,5 Environmental Station Alpha - 8,5 Gato Roboto - 8,5 Guacamelee - 8,5 Touhou: Luna Nights - 8,5 Axiom Verge 2 - 8 Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth - 8 Ori and the Blind Forest - 8 9 Years of Shadows - 7,5 Kunai - 7,3 Ghost Song - 7 Hollow Knight - 7 Haiku the Robot - 6,9874 A Robot Named Fight - 5
Axiom Verge 2 is by far the worst game on that list. I'm not accepting any other options. It just drains all the fun out of the game and removes all the key pillars that actually works from the first one.
@@emilholst9789 Lol, you are tripping. :D I feel only Dread is above it from this list. Which is basically to agree with the above comment. The beauty of opinions.
@@emilholst9789 I have the same issue with Ori 2. What is it with Metroidvania sequels that are more Metroid-sided completely altering the core appeal?
I'm at the true ending of Cave Story and man, it's one of my favorite games. Never knew just how huge an influence it was on Undertale. For me simple yet effective writing is what can turn a great game into a masterpiece. Bosses aren't just enemies, they're speaking characters that might die. Music doesn't just score the level, it carries the emotional context of the narrative. Yeah, deep and complex gameplay mechanics, huge open worlds and hundreds of hours of content is cool, but at the end of it that's what I crave most from a game-- the emotions. Cave Story delivers, wish there was more like it.
Despite its rough edges, Ghost Song's atmosphere, story, and soundtrack absolutely grabbed me, and I was really happy to complete everything. Definitely more than the sum of its parts.
@@yetiman0158 it's from axiom verge 1, i forget which track but i 100% know it's from the first axiom verge game EDIT: somehow instantly guessed it right on the first search, it was vital tide
Your thoughts on Axiom Verge 2 are really refreshing. I remember when it first came out there was a lot of pushback from fans who were upset that it was too different from the original. But you are absolutely right that with how prolific the genre is now, AV2 could not have gotten away with just being another AV in the same style. I loved the game and especially how it expands the lore from the original. Here's hoping we get AV3 sometime in the next decade.
@@sirhenrymfI know the game isn’t for everyone, but I think saying it sucks is a bit disingenuous. I’m a big puzzle game fan, so I really enjoyed Axiom Verge 2 and the puzzles in both exploration and story. I understand that puzzle games aren’t for everyone though, and a lot of metroidvania players prefer more combat-oriented games, and that’s fine! Just know that maybe the game doesn’t suck, it just isn’t for you
I love this series. I am here to grovel for you to consider La-Mulana 1 or 2 for your next Metroidvania video. It's a very unique game series which doesn't get a lot of coverage, and the cult following is strong.
I love La-Mulana myself, but if Nerrel was frustrated with Hollow Knight for "lack of guidance leading to boring aimless wandering" I can only imagine how nightmarish La-Mulana would end up being for him lol
@@MaximusPrimusKay Wait I jumped the gun on that. I noticed the names at the end of the patreon credits and checked the discord server for those names. Might be one of them instead, I might shoot them a message real quick
Ladybug Team (Luna and Deedlit devs) also made an SMT Metroidvania called Synchronicity Prologue that was free to hype up a new game at the time, so if you want more topics there ya go
Always great to see your Metroidvania videos. I played all of the games presented here and only Axiom Verge 2 held my attention enough to complete the game. I lost a week of my life to that game and still listen to the soundtrack (which is incredible). I actually like it more than the first Axiom Verge. Rock on! :)
oh man, it's a moment of happiness every time you release a new video. You manage to make enough videos to keep us around, but not too many to take you for granted.
Anytime Metroidvania's are discussed, I have to bring up Rabi-Ribi which is easily one of my favourite games, not even just in the Metroidvania genre. I understand that the character designs can put people off from wanting to try it, but I promise it's a great game despite that. It has a sequel coming out, called TEVI, which might be more appealing to people who get turned away from playing Rabi-Ribi, so you should keep your eyes out for that one, coming sometime in Q3 of this year.
Rabi-Ribi is soooo good! It does the bullet hell metroidvania style of gameplay so well that I haven’t seen any other games in the genre replicate. So excited for Tevi!
@@JustAPlayOnWords In general, most games that try to do bullet hell do them badly because they consider bullet hell in a vacuum. However, that's simply not how bullet hell design works. Bullet hell design depends on a lot of other systems and mechanics found in shmups (where bullet hell originated), so if the dev doesn't take these other systems into account, they'll end up with garbage. The brilliant thing about Rabi-Ribi is that GemaYue actually borrows a lot of design ideas from shmups and recontextualises them in the metroidvania setting. To name a few: combo system (from scoring systems), melee attacks doing more damage in general (from pointblanking), amulets (from bombs), level scaling (from rank). And there are also other parts of the game that follow good shmup design fundamentals: small hitbox, arenas constrained to a single screen (in general), no screen shake, good contrast between bullets and background. Grab any other game that claims to do bullet hell, and see how many of the above they implement. And once the dev starts to veer away from shmup fundamentals (e.g. making hitboxes large), there will be a snowball effect where downstream design decisions are made to compensate for these mistakes but end up creating more issues (e.g. making arenas larger than 1 screen, allowing enemies to unfairly attack you from off-screen). Sorry for the long reply, I just love talking about Rabi-Ribi!
Hey Nerrel. Love your reviews, and though this comment will probably get drowned out like a fart in a tornado, I'm surprised that you haven't done a review of some of the absolute best in the past couple of years. Ender Lilies is arguably the best Metroidvania I've played. Grime is also top tier, along with Astalon, Haak, Lone Fungus and Cathedral. Just thought I'd throw some titles your way in case you hadn't heard of them or checked them out. Anywho, love the channel and vids.
These videos are great to keep up with the genre in general. Wished they got more views as your comments and reflections on each game's design are pretty spot-on.
I'd recommend Vernal Edge for the inevitable continuation of this wonderful little series you got going. It's got the best melee combat of any Metroidvania imo and has gorgeous art and music!
You should try La-Mulana, the original freeware version came out in 2005 with a wiiware version coming out in the early 2010s, which was later ported to steam. It's a side-scrolling metroidvania with a major emphasis on puzzles, but not in a push blocks in a room kind of way (most of the time), but solving obtuse riddles based on tablets of lore and hidden secrets. A sequel also came out in 2018 with slightly less obtuseness to the puzzles.
I really liked Axiom Verge 2 by the end, but was pretty underwhelmed by the opening hour. I'm glad I stuck with it because I was very invested after that initial slog.
Dandara is a metroidvania I can't exactly wholeheartedly recommend for a bunch of reasons but its weird method of movement (which feels sort of like it's suited more to mobile gameplay--which is how I played it--over more conventional control) makes it pretty unique and, for at least part of it, it gave me that good Metroid feeling of excitedly anticipating getting to explore more of the map
I’m at least glad to see Axiom 2 getting more coverage. I haven’t finished it yet, but I admire a lot of the creative liberties Tom Happ took to make an experience that distinguishes itself from the first game. The corruption mechanic and story direction being my favorite improvements. Great vid as always!
Source? I love Super Metroid, and I played it long before playing Hollow Knight. I also enjoyed the gba remake of the original Metroid and I had a great time with Metroid Fusion.
Each time a new video comes out there seems to be a new disease present. NFTs, AI, I can't imagine what's next but I guess that makes me scared for the next upload.
If I may make a suggestion (particularly since you said you hadn't remembered about the boomerang in Axiom Verge II till near the end) it would be to replay Axiom Verge II and try attacking the boomerang as it returns to you; there IS ranged combat in this game, and it is something else. This mechanic can be difficult to perform in the heat of battle at first, but becomes very satisfying and very effective with practice. You can even keep the boomerang flying around by hitting it consecutively, and doing so feels very satisfying. Hope this helped =)
References to real-world history and culture in Axiom Verge 2? Man, I wish there was a game that made it its main thematic core. (I wouldn't mind seeing the La-Mulana games here) Great video as always, one of the more enjoyable series on TH-cam for me.
Great stuff! Some ones that have been bouncing around the metroidvania reddit lately are Aeterna Noctis, Lone Fungus, and Afterimage. I've played the first two and they're fun, if a little more platforming-focused than I'd like.
Ah yes that sweet Apocalypse brought to you by RE4 Demake Nerrel shat on. I'm glad we all got through it together and i can't wait for the next Apocalypse brought to you by Silent Hill 2 Misguided Edition.
Good god... another fantastic set of reviews from Nerrel. Pretty much agree on all of these this time around. There is always something Nerrels reviews, and critique that while funny does such a good job at analyzing what makes game development beautiful. He always highlights developer intent and I think it's the best way to air criticism. Developers are artists and they're often trying to provide us with their vision and creation. A lot of this makes sense now that Nerrel has revealed that he has an art degree! Also Awesome that he knows stuff about Assyrian culture and history. Another awesome one - thank you again Nerrel!
The art in 9 Years of Shadow looks gorgeous. I really do hope the developers can continue to patch the game and fix issues because I would love to just take in the pixel art and soundtrack one day!
So what is the lesson of why this one didn’t do as well as the last few? It was funny and informative, but I wonder why it didn’t catch on. Was it that you did three instead of 4 or 5? Are these not big enough titles? I hadn’t heard of 9 Years of Shadows… but AxiomVerge is indie royalty Please don’t stop doing these!
Great vid as usual. I’d love to see you review La Mulana and its sequel at some point here. It’s pretty unique in how puzzle oriented it is, and the first game was made way back in the early 2000’s around the time cave story was made. It was also the first metroidvania I’ve ever played and is still my favorite.
I agree the combat in AV2 is its biggest weak point. Thomas Happ said in a dev blog that he saw a vast number of players quit AV1 at a tough boss fight, so he wanted to prevent that roadblock and have those bigger "boss-like" enemies that were entirely optional. I'm not sure why, but that approach really worked for me in AV2. I did 100% completion and the lore, world, characters, and trippy story really kept me engaged. Flaws and all I loved it. And that soundtrack is one of the best in the genre. Those vocal tracks by Mayssa Karaa are /stunning/.
Great video as always. Waiting for 9 Years of Shadows to release on Switch. I share almost all your opinions on most of these games (I especially share your views of Hollow Knight, it's very boring and tedious. No save points close to the bosses was a big issue for me as the challenge was never getting to the bosses, but the actual bosses, so traveling between the save points and the bosses was a chore and felt like punishment for not defeating them). Looking forward to the next mega review. Hopefully you review Ender Lilies and Afterimage, two games I have been on the fence about.
It says a lot about how entertaining your videos are that I watch these Metroidvania reviews as soon as I see them in my notifs even tho I absolutely Loathe the genre and haven't played anything in it except SoTN, Super Metroid, and Hollow Knight, all three of which I dropped after a couple of hours lol.
I forget, have you played the Blaster Master Zero trilogy? They're not *true* Metroidvania but I felt like mentioning given games like Cave Story got a mention.
Thank you for the great content as always! I want to buy tears of the kingdom, but I'm going to do what you recommended and wait for your review so I can make an informed decision. Thank you Tingle Lord of Tuners!
I prefer Axiom 2 over the 1st. The limitations on combat/abilities I'd say is better being AV2 emphasized exploring as more puzzle solving even with fully aquired abilities the game never felt like "i don't have that ability, better come back later" that so many metroidvanias do including the 1st in the series. I found area progression in AV2 to be more of a challenge not because i didn't have a ability, tho that still is the case. More often area progress is making do with what i already have. Replaying the game i noticed i wasn't solving area puzzles the same way which is impressive feat to how intricate it is, all while w/o making it seem like i broke the game.
@@dalgusmaximus4557 If you actually looked at the comment section, you'll see thousands of HK fans respectfully disagreeing and pointing out the flaws in his review. Nerrel simply can't accept criticism and is still pettily holding on to that videos reception because god forbid people disagree and criticise what he himself calls a review.
I had hoped this vid would include The Last Case of Benedict Fox. Just finished playing it on game pass and had a great time for a metroidvania. Had some bugs though, but I really enjoyed it, and you can tell the devs put their heart into it. Woulda liked to see your thoughts on that one.
Rusted Moss is a fun metroidvania, no idea how good it is as an actual metroidvania because This is the first game in that genre I've played and liked but the physics based grapple hook made me love the first couple hours of it (haven't played much passed it because I have been busy) and the platforming challenges are pretty fun with the grapple hook (did I mention its physics based, god I love the grapple hook in this game)
I don't know if this game will be discuss on the mega review series but have you considered playing SMT: Synchronicity? It's pretty short and plays like a bit of a proof of concept then a full big metroidvania since exploration feels like an afterthought, but I would like to see your thoughts on the game.
No, this is not Tears of the Kingdom. Sorry.
I’m glad this isn’t tears of the kingdom
God damnit
Is okay love your videos
Tears of the kingdom is not a metroidvania? D:
thanks, i've been trying to dodge spoilers constantly, i just want something fun to watch that isn't totk rn
I'm Matt, and I made Ghost Song -- thanks for reviewing my game! the long span of time between KS announcement and release probably leads some to believe the game should be absolutely huge and packed with endless content, but it's so much more complicated than that, and I must say that the things I view as shortcomings with the game are mostly due to time constraints (basically started over from scratch a few years ago)! I'm glad many people have enjoyed it, and making it was a great learning experience.
Good job getting it out.
It’s still incredible work, I’m excited to see what’s in store for the future ❤
Congratulations on the game, Matt! I complain because I care. Looking forward to whatever you do next, whether it's a sequel or something completely different
Hey, I really loved your game! I even did the 100% completion after finishing the story for the first time and I enjoyed every second of it. Especially the great atmosphere and soundtrack! Can't believe there was only such a small team behind it.
By the way, will the individual soundtrack songs ever be uploaded to youtube? So far the only official one on youtube is the full soundtrack in one video.
@@Nerrel thank you! no need to explain, I can take it. :) I do plan more stuff!
Thank you Nerrel for reviewing 9 Years of Shadows. I´m part of the wonderful team that made it. Always have been fan of your content and seeing you talking about it is just surrea! I´m very happy you like it and I´m very pleased to tell you there´s going to be more patches and a new major update towards the launch on Nintendo Switch that includes more balancing and a new difficult option if you want!
Hope you can play it again soon! And again thank you, this is marvelous :)
Just bought it today and it looks awesome!
Any place to look to to see the update chain?
This game looks marvelous. I hope it's available on consoles.
Tears of The Kingdom looks so good, thanks for the review nerrel
Oh Nerrel was an art major, no wonder his voice sounds like that!
My guess was Theatre stagehand, looks like I was damn close
And no wonder he misunderstands how the AI stuff works
@@KingHalbatorix Pretty sure he's being sarcastic with the AI bits
@@Scarabola I meant the stuff about AI somehow violating copyright or stealing work, not the 'it's going to kill us all' jokes. Art majors seem uniquely incapable of understanding neural networks
@@KingHalbatorix He really didn’t though. The joke was so brief and offhanded that I’m surprised anyone would be complaining about it more than his defense of the cuckolding characters in Timespinner
Based and Metroid pilled. I pulled myself away from Zelda for this, and I'm glad I did. Good work as always!
Friendship ended with zelda, now metroidvania is my new best friend
I think it'd be really cool to see a video focusing on much older vanias, like Aquaria, LostWinds, and Shadow Complex
I haven't thought about aquaria in ages
I would love Rabi Ribi. So underrated. Still one of my favorites all these years later, if you can look past the art style.
Agree
I did not know Lost Winds (the WiiWare game?) is a MetroidVania
Time for an update to the list:
Cave story - 15/15 (so a 10)
Axiom Verge - 9
Metroid Dread - 9
Yoku's Island Express - 8,9
Blasphemous - 8,7534
Timespinner - 8,6
AM2R - 8,5
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - 8,5
Environmental Station Alpha - 8,5
Gato Roboto - 8,5
Guacamelee - 8,5
Touhou: Luna Nights - 8,5
Axiom Verge 2 - 8
Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth - 8
Ori and the Blind Forest - 8
9 Years of Shadows - 7,5
Kunai - 7,3
Ghost Song - 7
Hollow Knight - 7
Haiku the Robot - 6,9874
A Robot Named Fight - 5
Axiom Verge 2 is by far the worst game on that list. I'm not accepting any other options. It just drains all the fun out of the game and removes all the key pillars that actually works from the first one.
@@emilholst9789 that's the beauty of opinions :)
@@emilholst9789 Lol, you are tripping. :D
I feel only Dread is above it from this list.
Which is basically to agree with the above comment. The beauty of opinions.
@@emilholst9789 I have the same issue with Ori 2. What is it with Metroidvania sequels that are more Metroid-sided completely altering the core appeal?
I'm at the true ending of Cave Story and man, it's one of my favorite games. Never knew just how huge an influence it was on Undertale. For me simple yet effective writing is what can turn a great game into a masterpiece. Bosses aren't just enemies, they're speaking characters that might die. Music doesn't just score the level, it carries the emotional context of the narrative.
Yeah, deep and complex gameplay mechanics, huge open worlds and hundreds of hours of content is cool, but at the end of it that's what I crave most from a game-- the emotions. Cave Story delivers, wish there was more like it.
Despite its rough edges, Ghost Song's atmosphere, story, and soundtrack absolutely grabbed me, and I was really happy to complete everything. Definitely more than the sum of its parts.
the footage of the piano hammers is breathtaking
Does anyone know the name of the composition being played during that segment?
@@yetiman0158 it's from axiom verge 1, i forget which track but i 100% know it's from the first axiom verge game
EDIT: somehow instantly guessed it right on the first search, it was vital tide
I love the design of "9 Years of Shadows'" main character. The dress with the golden halberd is majestic.
Your thoughts on Axiom Verge 2 are really refreshing. I remember when it first came out there was a lot of pushback from fans who were upset that it was too different from the original. But you are absolutely right that with how prolific the genre is now, AV2 could not have gotten away with just being another AV in the same style. I loved the game and especially how it expands the lore from the original. Here's hoping we get AV3 sometime in the next decade.
I didn’t care that the game was different from the first. I cared that the new thing it was doing sucked
@@sirhenrymfI know the game isn’t for everyone, but I think saying it sucks is a bit disingenuous. I’m a big puzzle game fan, so I really enjoyed Axiom Verge 2 and the puzzles in both exploration and story. I understand that puzzle games aren’t for everyone though, and a lot of metroidvania players prefer more combat-oriented games, and that’s fine! Just know that maybe the game doesn’t suck, it just isn’t for you
I love this series. I am here to grovel for you to consider La-Mulana 1 or 2 for your next Metroidvania video. It's a very unique game series which doesn't get a lot of coverage, and the cult following is strong.
yes
La-Mulana is a great series but it's also infuriating and made by sadists for masochists, lmao
@@LounySchwarzbier it’s made for people who enjoy real-life adventure.
I love La-Mulana myself, but if Nerrel was frustrated with Hollow Knight for "lack of guidance leading to boring aimless wandering" I can only imagine how nightmarish La-Mulana would end up being for him lol
La-mulana is made for people who wanna be a IRL treasure hunter. Not hating but holy fuck that game makes Castlevania 2 crypticness blush
That Vital Tide cover at the end was amazing. A great song covered by a very talented musician
How did I miss it?!
It's my favorite track.
Who's the cover artist?
I've looked and can't find this specific version.
@@MaximusPrimusKay it's Nerrel himself yo
@@MathewWithOne_T Woah. That's pretty cool. Thanks for replying.
@@MaximusPrimusKay Wait I jumped the gun on that. I noticed the names at the end of the patreon credits and checked the discord server for those names. Might be one of them instead, I might shoot them a message real quick
Ladybug Team (Luna and Deedlit devs) also made an SMT Metroidvania called Synchronicity Prologue that was free to hype up a new game at the time, so if you want more topics there ya go
its legit great
I've been waiting for this one for who knows how long, thank you nerrel, your videos really make me FEEL like growing a neckbeard y'know.
This is probably the first mega review where I’m considered each game, they all seem so unique and interesting.
Always great to see your Metroidvania videos. I played all of the games presented here and only Axiom Verge 2 held my attention enough to complete the game. I lost a week of my life to that game and still listen to the soundtrack (which is incredible). I actually like it more than the first Axiom Verge. Rock on! :)
Finally, another entry in my favorite award eligible series.
oh man, it's a moment of happiness every time you release a new video. You manage to make enough videos to keep us around, but not too many to take you for granted.
It's kinda crazy when you realize the last metrodvania grab bag was nearly a year ago
Glad to see some more games in this space!
I also spent as much tine as possible as the drone in axiom verge 2. It was just really satisfying to platform with that lil boi
they really sold me on being a robot all the time in AV2 I'm ready to become bioengineered
You know, I would love to see you eventually review SOTN and Super Metroid just to see how well those games have held up.
Banjo-Tooie is a Metroid-Vania.
and the best game on the 64
Anytime Metroidvania's are discussed, I have to bring up Rabi-Ribi which is easily one of my favourite games, not even just in the Metroidvania genre. I understand that the character designs can put people off from wanting to try it, but I promise it's a great game despite that.
It has a sequel coming out, called TEVI, which might be more appealing to people who get turned away from playing Rabi-Ribi, so you should keep your eyes out for that one, coming sometime in Q3 of this year.
A fellow Rabi-Ribi enjoyer! I agree with you, it's one of the best games ever, period.
Rabi-Ribi is soooo good! It does the bullet hell metroidvania style of gameplay so well that I haven’t seen any other games in the genre replicate. So excited for Tevi!
@@JustAPlayOnWords In general, most games that try to do bullet hell do them badly because they consider bullet hell in a vacuum. However, that's simply not how bullet hell design works.
Bullet hell design depends on a lot of other systems and mechanics found in shmups (where bullet hell originated), so if the dev doesn't take these other systems into account, they'll end up with garbage.
The brilliant thing about Rabi-Ribi is that GemaYue actually borrows a lot of design ideas from shmups and recontextualises them in the metroidvania setting. To name a few: combo system (from scoring systems), melee attacks doing more damage in general (from pointblanking), amulets (from bombs), level scaling (from rank).
And there are also other parts of the game that follow good shmup design fundamentals: small hitbox, arenas constrained to a single screen (in general), no screen shake, good contrast between bullets and background.
Grab any other game that claims to do bullet hell, and see how many of the above they implement. And once the dev starts to veer away from shmup fundamentals (e.g. making hitboxes large), there will be a snowball effect where downstream design decisions are made to compensate for these mistakes but end up creating more issues (e.g. making arenas larger than 1 screen, allowing enemies to unfairly attack you from off-screen).
Sorry for the long reply, I just love talking about Rabi-Ribi!
Hey Nerrel. Love your reviews, and though this comment will probably get drowned out like a fart in a tornado, I'm surprised that you haven't done a review of some of the absolute best in the past couple of years.
Ender Lilies is arguably the best Metroidvania I've played. Grime is also top tier, along with Astalon, Haak, Lone Fungus and Cathedral. Just thought I'd throw some titles your way in case you hadn't heard of them or checked them out.
Anywho, love the channel and vids.
These videos are great to keep up with the genre in general. Wished they got more views as your comments and reflections on each game's design are pretty spot-on.
The Lamentation of Nerrel: Tears of the Art Degree
At this point new videos by Nerrel are the only thing I have to look forward to in life.
LITERALLY playing through Axiom Verge 2 right now. I missed a video of it before starting it but I think I'm doing fine.
I'd recommend Vernal Edge for the inevitable continuation of this wonderful little series you got going. It's got the best melee combat of any Metroidvania imo and has gorgeous art and music!
Just discovered this channel by looking for a Gato Roboto review. Great metroidvania reviews, keep them coming! :)
You should try La-Mulana, the original freeware version came out in 2005 with a wiiware version coming out in the early 2010s, which was later ported to steam. It's a side-scrolling metroidvania with a major emphasis on puzzles, but not in a push blocks in a room kind of way (most of the time), but solving obtuse riddles based on tablets of lore and hidden secrets. A sequel also came out in 2018 with slightly less obtuseness to the puzzles.
I really liked Axiom Verge 2 by the end, but was pretty underwhelmed by the opening hour. I'm glad I stuck with it because I was very invested after that initial slog.
One of the most pleasant narration voices in the business.
All of these games are coincidentally in a humble bundle right now. So here I am.
Ha, I was about to say the same thing!
Same
Same thing and I got the bundle, so worth it.
Dandara is a metroidvania I can't exactly wholeheartedly recommend for a bunch of reasons but its weird method of movement (which feels sort of like it's suited more to mobile gameplay--which is how I played it--over more conventional control) makes it pretty unique and, for at least part of it, it gave me that good Metroid feeling of excitedly anticipating getting to explore more of the map
That game looks really cool. Might give it a go soon.
Hell yes I have been waiting for another Nerrel Metroidvania review. Love these, keep up the great work
I’m at least glad to see Axiom 2 getting more coverage. I haven’t finished it yet, but I admire a lot of the creative liberties Tom Happ took to make an experience that distinguishes itself from the first game. The corruption mechanic and story direction being my favorite improvements. Great vid as always!
Ghost Song is so freaking good. Really, I can recommend it to anyone who likes Metroidvanias.
I clicked on the video too fast and had to go back to see what alternative to "reviewathon" Nerrel had found this time.
I was not disappointed.
I'm really not a Metroidvania guy at all, but I really like hearing Nerrel's take on things.
Hollow Knight is the favorite Metroidvania for people who haven't played any other Metroidvanias
... except Super Metroid that they didn't finish for some reason because they thought it was more obtuse than hollow Knight somehow.
my favorite part of playing hollow knight is dropping it after 20 minutes to play metroid prime instead.
Agreed
Source? I love Super Metroid, and I played it long before playing Hollow Knight. I also enjoyed the gba remake of the original Metroid and I had a great time with Metroid Fusion.
Each time a new video comes out there seems to be a new disease present. NFTs, AI, I can't imagine what's next but I guess that makes me scared for the next upload.
This is my favorite series on TH-cam
0:07 One of the text boxes on the far left says "I require Zendaya foot photography"😂
I don't care about any of these games. I just like hearing Nerrel talk
If I may make a suggestion (particularly since you said you hadn't remembered about the boomerang in Axiom Verge II till near the end) it would be to replay Axiom Verge II and try attacking the boomerang as it returns to you; there IS ranged combat in this game, and it is something else. This mechanic can be difficult to perform in the heat of battle at first, but becomes very satisfying and very effective with practice. You can even keep the boomerang flying around by hitting it consecutively, and doing so feels very satisfying. Hope this helped =)
I went the entire game without knowing this was a thing
Every time I see a nerrel upload I audibly scream nerrel as loud as possible. I have been removed from 3 libraries so far.
The last Metroidvania has been reviewed. The galaxy is at peace.
Title reads like it’s part 5-9, making one think there are 5 game reviews here. That being said great video!
References to real-world history and culture in Axiom Verge 2? Man, I wish there was a game that made it its main thematic core.
(I wouldn't mind seeing the La-Mulana games here)
Great video as always, one of the more enjoyable series on TH-cam for me.
New Nerrel video will always be the most exciting part about my day, thank you
Man, that voice acting in GhostSong actually sounds like something you did.
Great stuff! Some ones that have been bouncing around the metroidvania reddit lately are Aeterna Noctis, Lone Fungus, and Afterimage. I've played the first two and they're fun, if a little more platforming-focused than I'd like.
I pretty much disagree with Nerrell like 85% of the time, still I'm so fucking excited everytime the Metroidvania takes drop.
This wasn't the Tears of the Kingdom review I expected but it's the one I needed. Thank you 😢
Ah yes that sweet Apocalypse brought to you by RE4 Demake Nerrel shat on.
I'm glad we all got through it together and i can't wait for the next Apocalypse brought to you by Silent Hill 2 Misguided Edition.
I'm glad Matthew at least agreeeeees. with me.
FUCK REMAKES!
No pizza tower? That technically counts.
That's a Wario Land clone, not MetroidVania if I recall.
Good god... another fantastic set of reviews from Nerrel. Pretty much agree on all of these this time around.
There is always something Nerrels reviews, and critique that while funny does such a good job at analyzing what makes game development beautiful. He always highlights developer intent and I think it's the best way to air criticism. Developers are artists and they're often trying to provide us with their vision and creation. A lot of this makes sense now that Nerrel has revealed that he has an art degree! Also Awesome that he knows stuff about Assyrian culture and history.
Another awesome one - thank you again Nerrel!
Nerrel, in the Metroidvania genre, what are your “must play” titles?
Genuinely hoping for a new Nerrel and here it is.
Nerrel: "I've got another batch of bad takes ready to upload to your neural net"
Me: woohoo!
The art in 9 Years of Shadow looks gorgeous. I really do hope the developers can continue to patch the game and fix issues because I would love to just take in the pixel art and soundtrack one day!
So what is the lesson of why this one didn’t do as well as the last few? It was funny and informative, but I wonder why it didn’t catch on. Was it that you did three instead of 4 or 5? Are these not big enough titles? I hadn’t heard of 9 Years of Shadows… but AxiomVerge is indie royalty
Please don’t stop doing these!
I released it the day Tears of the Kingdom came out and everyone was too busy Zeldaing to watch. My fault for not getting it done on schedule
Great vid as usual. I’d love to see you review La Mulana and its sequel at some point here. It’s pretty unique in how puzzle oriented it is, and the first game was made way back in the early 2000’s around the time cave story was made. It was also the first metroidvania I’ve ever played and is still my favorite.
11:29 The lore of this dumpster truck and this channel goes so far in history lmao.
One of the best running gags of any Internet show.
this channel is so damn good!
I could watch Nerrel talk about his favorite dry wall company and i would still watch it.
"Shitting garbage out of its game asshole," is the kind of bold, industry-defining vocabulary that I sub to this channel for.
Holy balls its a new Nerrel video!
would love to hear your thoughts on the GBA/DS castlevania games. love these mega-reviews.
Silksong was delayed because they fear you.
Love to see Silk Song review, thanks!
Does anybody know any other accounts on youtube who make good game reviews like this? Good video nerrel
I agree the combat in AV2 is its biggest weak point. Thomas Happ said in a dev blog that he saw a vast number of players quit AV1 at a tough boss fight, so he wanted to prevent that roadblock and have those bigger "boss-like" enemies that were entirely optional. I'm not sure why, but that approach really worked for me in AV2. I did 100% completion and the lore, world, characters, and trippy story really kept me engaged. Flaws and all I loved it.
And that soundtrack is one of the best in the genre. Those vocal tracks by Mayssa Karaa are /stunning/.
Knytt Underground is one of my fav MetroidVanias ever. Far from the best, but in a world of its own and I love it. A fucking classic.
Nice, I’ve really been looking forward to more of these
Great video as always. Waiting for 9 Years of Shadows to release on Switch.
I share almost all your opinions on most of these games (I especially share your views of Hollow Knight, it's very boring and tedious. No save points close to the bosses was a big issue for me as the challenge was never getting to the bosses, but the actual bosses, so traveling between the save points and the bosses was a chore and felt like punishment for not defeating them).
Looking forward to the next mega review. Hopefully you review Ender Lilies and Afterimage, two games I have been on the fence about.
It says a lot about how entertaining your videos are that I watch these Metroidvania reviews as soon as I see them in my notifs even tho I absolutely Loathe the genre and haven't played anything in it except SoTN, Super Metroid, and Hollow Knight, all three of which I dropped after a couple of hours lol.
I forget, have you played the Blaster Master Zero trilogy? They're not *true* Metroidvania but I felt like mentioning given games like Cave Story got a mention.
Thank you for the great content as always! I want to buy tears of the kingdom, but I'm going to do what you recommended and wait for your review so I can make an informed decision. Thank you Tingle Lord of Tuners!
Finally a video I can watch without spoiling Tears of the Kingdom
I prefer Axiom 2 over the 1st. The limitations on combat/abilities I'd say is better being AV2 emphasized exploring as more puzzle solving even with fully aquired abilities the game never felt like "i don't have that ability, better come back later" that so many metroidvanias do including the 1st in the series. I found area progression in AV2 to be more of a challenge not because i didn't have a ability, tho that still is the case. More often area progress is making do with what i already have. Replaying the game i noticed i wasn't solving area puzzles the same way which is impressive feat to how intricate it is, all while w/o making it seem like i broke the game.
I love that he continually craps on hollow knight just to piss people off😂
They deserve it after how they acted over some light criticism of an already well off game in the industry.
@@dalgusmaximus4557 If you actually looked at the comment section, you'll see thousands of HK fans respectfully disagreeing and pointing out the flaws in his review. Nerrel simply can't accept criticism and is still pettily holding on to that videos reception because god forbid people disagree and criticise what he himself calls a review.
Axiom verge 2 was a refreshing game honestly, I would have not guessed that I would have liked it after the first one.
Nice video, as usual. I'm a Nerrel sheep and will absorb these opinions as my own!
Can you perhaps do The Messenger next? Had a blast with that one!
YOU CANNOT AVOID REVIEWING RABI-RIBI FOREVER, NERREL. IT WILL HAPPEN ONE DAY.
9YOS looks brilliant, lovely art.
I'll buy it for that alone.
I had hoped this vid would include The Last Case of Benedict Fox. Just finished playing it on game pass and had a great time for a metroidvania. Had some bugs though, but I really enjoyed it, and you can tell the devs put their heart into it. Woulda liked to see your thoughts on that one.
More piano segments please, before all music becomes AI synthesized. That old piano is very mesmerizing to watch (and to listen to, of course).
Props to my fellow fine arts major - and down with art history tests that aren’t open note/book (unlike the industry it emulates).
Rusted Moss is a fun metroidvania, no idea how good it is as an actual metroidvania because This is the first game in that genre I've played and liked but the physics based grapple hook made me love the first couple hours of it (haven't played much passed it because I have been busy) and the platforming challenges are pretty fun with the grapple hook (did I mention its physics based, god I love the grapple hook in this game)
I don't know if this game will be discuss on the mega review series but have you considered playing SMT: Synchronicity? It's pretty short and plays like a bit of a proof of concept then a full big metroidvania since exploration feels like an afterthought, but I would like to see your thoughts on the game.
The Nerrel memes never get old 😂
I’m glad there’s someone else in the world who doesn’t really like hollow knight, I’ve gotten death threats over saying that
sorry jesus, I'm saving myself for nerrel
Never heard of 9 years of shadows, i think i might pick it up
Day improved once again
For all games there's cool ideas but I can't say I'm that eager to play any of them.