Metroidvania classification initially wasn't desired by Hollow Knight creators, yet inadvertently established a benchmark that subsequent games such as Silksong have had to acknowledge.
In the gaming world, the Metroidvania genre has seen a resurgence, and at the forefront of this revival is Hollow Knight, the critically acclaimed game developed by Australian indie studio Team Cherry.
First released in 2017, Hollow Knight has been a significant inflection point for the genre, with over 1,350 games following in its footsteps since then. Despite not being originally intended as a Metroidvania, Hollow Knight has since been categorised as such, thanks to its nonlinear exploration and ability-gaining mechanics.
Hollow Knight, often described as a masterpiece, has recently experienced a surge in players, even beating out EA's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in terms of peak players. This success has set a high bar for games that follow, particularly in terms of atmosphere and exploration.
The game's success is not surprising, given Team Cherry's focus on feel over genre. Ari Gibson, a member of Team Cherry, stated that they did not consciously decide to make Hollow Knight a Metroidvania, but rather focused on building an interesting world with lots to discover.
This approach has paid off, with Hollow Knight now considered the top Metroidvania on Steam, boasting a 96.08% positive rating. It's not far behind the lifetime sales of the entire Castlevania or Metroid series, having sold over 15 million copies.
Other games in the genre have tried to emulate Hollow Knight's success, but some struggle to apply a light dusting of Metroidvania ideas without looking meager in comparison. For instance, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, a platformer from the makers of Streets of Rage 4, features impressive combat mechanics but has issues with inconsistent hitboxes and blind jumps.
On the other hand, games like Animal Well, Nine Sols, and Rain World, with their focus on inventive puzzles and metroidvania design, are considered true standouts in the genre.
Journalist Wes Fenlon, who has been covering games and hardware for over 10 years, has been following the Metroidvania genre closely. In a recent article, he highlighted Hollow Knight's impact on the gaming industry, raising the bar for other games, particularly RPGs.
As the Metroidvania genre continues to grow in popularity, it will be interesting to see how future games measure up to the high standards set by Hollow Knight. For now, though, it's clear that Hollow Knight's impact on the genre is undeniable.
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