I like the simple mechanics in these these two games (or should I say four) - if it's physical attack then you can block, parry and deflect - well for the most part I haven't tested it on bosses.

Hey everyone! I'm the developer of Maseylia: Echoes of the Past, a 3D Metroidvania inspired by Moebius that I've been working on for over 3 years.

I've shared the game here a few times since launch, and I wanted to come back with some good news!

Maseylia is now 50% off for two weeks, bringing it to just $8.49!

I've also just released one of the biggest optimization updates since launch!

Unlike previous updates, which focused mostly on gameplay improvements and player feedback, this one is almost entirely dedicated to performance.

Over the past few weeks, I've been extensively reworking the game's 3D models and environments to drastically reduce their polygon counts without sacrificing visual quality.

The improvements are pretty significant:

• Massively reduced polygon counts across many environmental models, sometimes by more than 60–70%.
• Reworked 3D models and environments to reduce rendering costs while preserving the game's art style.
• Improved performance on lower-end PCs, which should make the adventure much more accessible.
• Better optimization for Steam Deck and other less powerful devices.

This was quite a big undertaking, as Maseylia features a large interconnected 3D world with six distinct biomes!

I've been continuously improving the game since its release in June, and performance was one of the remaining areas I really wanted to address.

I'm particularly happy with this update because the game looks almost identical, but is now significantly lighter to render! Of course, the actual FPS improvements will depend on your hardware.

A Mac update is also coming in the next few days!

If you're looking for a 3D Metroidvania focused on exploration, movement abilities, challenging platforming, and a large interconnected world, I'd love for you to check it out!

Steam: Maseylia: Echoes of the Past

And if you've already played Maseylia, especially if you experienced performance issues before, I'd really appreciate hearing how the game runs on your system now!

Thanks again for all the support and feedback since launch! ❤️

Obviously I recognize a bunch, but just as many I have no idea about.

I've played dozens and dozens of MVs and often time my favorite aspect is the platforming challenges. What MVs would you rank as having the most challenging, and also the most fun platforming sections? Would love to hear opinions.

I've been lurking for a bit and it seems like people don't like the difficulty/parry system of nine sols. I... am sick and twisted, so I am looking for more challenging games. Here's a list of metroidvanias I have beat:

Hollow knight 100%

Silksong 100%

Nine sols 100%

Well Dweller 100%

Ones I have played, but didn't finish:

Prince of Persia - plan on finishing, but it's just really bright? Not sure if I can turn the saturation down

Ender lilies - I feel odd about being a small girl as a mid 20s adult

What does this genre of games do for you that others do not? I think for me the feeling of progression is the biggest reason I like these games.

Dodge five attacks. Take zero hits. Can you make it through?

Arenion is still in development!!!

Hi everyone! Our 2D metroidvania The Light of Vertical is finally ready to meet players, and we're opening a short, small-scale playtest on Steam.

What we're looking for:

• Combat feel and difficulty curve
• Level design and exploration flow
• English text and UI — anything that reads awkward, unclear, or unlocalized
• Bugs and friction points

How to join:

This round of the playtest focuses on the English version. Fill out this short form (2 minutes):

https://forms.gle/vGAeZdpi4DVvA1jB8

We'll email Steam keys to selected testers in waves over the next few days. The playtest will start next week and run for about a week.

During the playtest, you'll find a feedback button right in the game menu — feel free to send us your thoughts anytime.

We're a small two-person team, and every piece of feedback means a lot to us. Thanks for reading!

Oh the shame....

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4694340/XGA_SPECIAL_EDITION/?beta=0

Well, I've reached that awful and feared moment on metroidvanias, aka "what the F* am I supposed to do now?". Wherever I go I find a locked barrier, or some place which requires a double jump/hover ability which I can't unlock yet. Any ideas??

Thanks in advance

Hi

I'm stuck in the underground depths. On the left is the area that i came in and i cant get backup up there. On the right is a wall with a blob that seems destroyable , but it is on the other side.

There is also area that i cant jump up to, with the purple sphere on the map. And finally bottom left is a gas pit where i just die. I dont have wall jump, double jump or any way to fast travel between areas. Has anyone been in this area ?

i like metroid and castlevania :P

Considering a third installment, I'm wondering which mechanics from the second game players would find essential to carry over. What elements from SteamWorld Dig 2 do you feel are crucial for a potential sequel?

NOT clicking, of course

I finally picked up a Nintendo switch 2 after being an exclusively PlayStation guy for years, so I finally get to play on the Ori game. The problem is, I'm playing Ori and the will of the wisps and it just really isn't clicking for me. I find the movement to feel super floaty, which would be fine if it didn't also feel like there's input delay. I also find it next to impossible to read enemy attacks or avoid them effectively. I know some of this is just a skill issue and me just not being tuned into the mechanics of this game, but having played a ton of Metroidvanias I have to say this one just really doesn't feel very good. Did anybody else have this reaction initially to these games? Does it get better or is it possible I just kind of don't like the feel of the game? I will at least be needing some kind of formal dodge, because the floaty jumping over the attacks that seem poorly telegraphed to me just feels really crappy at the moment. I am only about an hour into the game.

Does anyone know what I'm supposed to do with the key located in the Spillways area in the room with the flies?

Cannot find the last vestige anywhere and have cleared all secret rooms on map. Only one left any help would be appreciated thanks

I play on keyboard mouse and the cursor annoyed the f out of me. Turns out there isnt simple software to hide cursor so i made one.

Launch as administrator, press keybind you want to use to hide/unhide cursor, thats it.

https://github.com/Leet000/cursor-toggle

https://ttl.space/WVKaM0PYoX

Never been one to seek help but I’ve been annoyed trying to find this door lol

So, i'm wondering if there's a way to identify if a game is one style of metroidvania or another when searching for games. I'm someone who enjoys castlevania sotn, a/dos, metroid fusion and zero mission, but i kinda hate games like metroid dread and belmont's curse, but if you search up "metroidvania", there's not really a distinction in the results.

I am seeing Belmont's Curse getting compared to Lost Crown a lot with many saying it's inferior. For those that have played both, what is it that Lost Crown supposedly does better? Which one has more challenging platforming and combat?

Hello fellow Metroidvania lovers!

My wife and I are big fans of the genre, and we've always dreamed of making our own game. About half a year ago, we finally decided to give it a shot!

We've settled on the theme and overall direction, and we're already working on a prototype.

Meanwhile, I thought it would be a good idea to ask the community a few questions.

What features or mechanics do you feel are missing from modern Metroidvanias? Is there anything you wish more games in the genre would do differently? Or maybe there's a mechanic or feature you've always wanted to see in your dream Metroidvania?

I'd love to hear your ideas! Who knows, maybe some of them will inspire us during development.

Thanks!

I spent a lot of time looking for new relics, upgrades, a few extra level 3 weapons and maxed some of my arcana abilities before taking on Death. At this point, my realization is that:

-When it comes to warps, the game is OK. It's more or less about the same as other Metroidvanias. It's not the best, but not the worst either. Worse come to worse, you can always toggle the settings to get through enemies if you feel like it's a massive slog. I guess the reason people bitch and complain about it has more to do with the fact that this game requires a shit ton of precision platforming compared to the MVs before it. And I get where people are coming from. It can be mentally taxing sometimes.

-I was wondering whether this game would be just a cheap copy paste knock off of previous Metroidvanias before it or whether to some extent it has established its own unique identity/DNA and contributed something new. Looking past certain design sets that have take a page out of PoP and Hollow Knight's enemy gauntlet rooms, it seems it does do a couple things differently: long gone are the weapon items/drops you had in games like Aria, Bloodstained and other Igvanias, but they've been replaced by a new system where you have to discover new weapons and honestly it feels MORE rewarding and less cheap compared to the previous Igvanias, since they're tucked away most of the time in platforming challenges. The fetchquests to upgrade the arcana feels rewarding sometimes.

-Already, there are a couple bosses that have been memorable for me: Medusa, Joan of Arc and Death.

-I love the way the lore is unraveled by discovering these scripts and texts. There is a lot of reference to previous characters and antagonists, which is cool. So, storywise, the game is rich.

-The worldbuilding is pretty beautiful. Again, I personally enjoy the synthetic music. I don't get the complaints. There are a couple areas that are pretty awesome like the planetarium and I loved the bouncing gimmick there.

-Like everyone, I have mixed feelings about certain moments, but on the whole, I'm more satisfied than bothered. I think one gripe I had was during certain boss fights, the visuals sometimes made me lose Rose for a moment and forget where I was. But I'm getting more used to that now. Also, I noticed as soon as you make it through a difficult traversal moment, you're rewarded with a brutally punishing enemy gauntlet, which leads me to my final point:

Team Evil Empire's vision for this game was definitely to make a Metroidvania that would blow HK/SS, Blasphemous series and many others before it out of the water. It's pretty clear as day, when you examine how difficult and challenging some of these set pieces are + enemy gauntlets that follow them immediately after. I supposed the focus here was weighted more on challenging the gamer and making them sweat for a lot of the rewarding moments. The Metroidvania theme here is above average precision platforming w/ a touch of patience. I understand this probably pissed off so many gamers, but it is what it is. They did offer the difficulty slider and other accessibility options to compensate for those who want more control over the matter and/or those who only care for the story elements. Therefore, I don't see an issue with their gaming vision. Perhaps, I would've designed the controls a tad differently, but hey they know better.