Who Needs Silksong When We're in a Metroidvania Renaissance?

[@Abezilla]

Recently finished Nine Sols, and I can confirm that the final boss is on a whole other level of difficulty, but I was SO SATISFIED when I finally defeated her.

[@lowellbell]

I was gripping my controller a little too tight throughout

[@hkprx6911]

Easier than Nightmare Grim imo, the deflect/parry gameplay allow the bosses to be way more fast and aggressive but when you master the parry you adapt way faster to your ennemies than in Hollow Knight.

[@ΣπυροςΣτεφανιδης-δ3θ]

Nah nkg took me like 1 hour to master eigong is def more difficult hell most hollow knight bosses get really easy once you get down their attack pattern and that's coming from a dumbass thats beaten every boss on radiant ​@@hkprx6911

[@KillYaEgo]

There were a few bosses in nine sols that gave me trouble.. great gsme

[@lamoynebillups3665]

Yeah I've heard the horror stories about that fight. I'm halfway through the game and am prepared to die a bunch to get it done

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

Nine Sols is an incredible game, as well as the most EGREGIOUS snub at The Game Awards.

[@lowellbell]

I actually agree. It got SO little attention, especially with the PC release

[@ChrisKliewer]

@@Soooooooooooonicable I agree..I voted for it for game of the year on Steam..

[@shadesbird]

we're at the point where we're convincing ourselves we don't need silksong 😭

[@lowellbell]

Haha maybe this entire video is cope, yeah

[@tvav69]

We live in the best of times for Metroidvanias. 😊

[@Fuzzf]

Nine sols mentioned

[@ricardofiani8383]

Nine sols is the best of all times, in love with this game. Eigong in true ending is one of the best boss I ever saw in my life. What a master piece this game is!

[@tostxd9266]

I do, i very much need silksong :P

[@lowellbell]

Don’t blame you

[@jphillips4620]

"Much better music" he says...

[@lowellbell]

I stand by the statement

[@jphillips4620]

@@lowellbell as you should my man.

[@zeldamaster52]

This year alone also had Biomorph, Voidwrought, and Crypt Custodian. Truly an amazing year for metroidvanias.

[@lowellbell]

Yeah way too many to keep track of! I wish I had more time to play them all, though I did dabble in Voidwrought at BitSummit

[@ChuckBassFGC]

Finished Nine Sols today, loved it all.

[@Darknessssxz]

I had a slow start with the game, but once i got the game loop after the second boss I'm utterly hooked. Incredible game that needs more attention!

[@lowellbell]

Definitely a game that ‘clicks’

[@OneAndOnlyUday]

The final boss, especially if you've gotten the true ending, is one of the coolest bosses I have ever fought in a videogame. It truly felt amazing when I beat it.

[@lowellbell]

I still have nightmares fighting her

[@RenanTheBoss21]

Just finished the game today, the final boss was one of the best boss fights i've ever had in a video game

[@lowellbell]

I still have nightmares about it

[@robbyhanlon]

I’m playing thru 9 sols right now. I’m enjoying it. Quite the learning curve. Only thing is though, HK had a certain feel. One where I wasn’t always so swept up in wanting to “beat” it, but exist in that world. 9 sols definitely hits different. Downright creepy vibes sometimes. Everything is cold and industrial. Bosses are sometimes tortured and disturbing. Definitely leans more toward horror. That being said, I’ve never had a game raise my heart rate during a boss fight like 9 sols. The beginning game disclaimer is real, lol.

[@lowellbell]

Yeah I still have night terrors about some of the bosses lol

[@Tech_9332]

great video my dude. You're super underrated, keep up the good work!!

[@lowellbell]

Too kind -- thank you! I plan on making another for early next week.

[@Paroex]

While the metroidvania "genre" has been one of my favourites since before I played SotN at release, it takes more than just solid metroidvania mechanics to elevate a game to the heights of HK in my heart. - Controls amazingly - Lovingly crafted, gorgeous art - Actually distinct biomes - The feeling of a living world Most metroidvanias, past and present, stumble at the starting blocks. They control stiffly and sluggishly. I would to some extent include most Castlevania games here, as much as I enjoy them, and they're not even close to the worst culprits. While something like the recent Prince of Persia nails the controls and combat, it's lacking in the rest, in my opinion of course. Nine Sols has amazing controls and combat and then additionally has a very nice visual style, but again, lacks the diversity of biomes and cast of characters and lore to make the world feel alive.

[@HellGod67]

Turbo granny went cooking

[@lowellbell]

Took me a minute to get this

[@fatihyildirim4802]

I need Silksong. Playing Nine Sols at the moment.

[@lowellbell]

Great choice

[@fatihyildirim4802]

@ it I cannot to beat even Hollow knight quality. Hardness is good but neither scenario nor narrative isn’t good

[@mrgerund3060]

DEATHS GAMBIT MENTIONED.

[@jameslwjtoler]

The final boss of Nine Sols is the hardest video game boss I've fought since the demon of hatred.

[@lowellbell]

Yeah I still have night terrors thinking about turbo grandma

[@jurtheorc8117]

One of my favourite metroidvanias in recent years is Cookie Cutter. I can warmly recommend it. Awesome art, fully hand-drawn 2D animated, colorful setting of sci-fi/cyberpunk nature. I did not expect to resonate with it as much as I ended up doing. Cookie Cutter can be out-there and pushed me away a few times too, but i am *very* glad i stuck with it and am excited for what is planned. The setting is almost a lawless land where you could encounter anything. The protagonist for example is a chubby android with a lot of anger who gets to wield an electric guitar and a chainsaw, amongst others, and is dressed like a waitress, has a red Chelsea cut and a second android named Regina on a... strategic place on her body. Regina acts as a voice of reason. Her being a vagina-shaped robot is already going to make some people go "What the heck is this?" or laugh at the absurdity of it-- but while some characters do point it out, they don't linger on it. She gets to be just as much of a normal character as the other folks in the story. There are other things and creatures to encounter, such as a robot psychic, tentacle mutants, a buff bird mercenary with a rather rectangular head, an insane flying server that shoots missiles, toad folk with buzzsaw axes, a robot skeleton with an afro, hoodie and pajama pants, a cycloptic gimp creature with a paintbrush on her hood... And for the combat, aside from aforementioned different weapons, there are brutal and cartoony Finishers that are different for each enemy. Like throwing a gaint screwdriver through a gloopy container-headed creature's face, sawing them in half with a giant buzzsaw, tightening a metal collar like a vice to squeeze out the insides' of that creature's head, and many more. In the combat, a resource called Void is used to fuel all weapons and "spells". A number of which are hidden around the world or only obtainable through a side quest. Void can be used to heal yourself too. Void is recovered by attacking normally, killing enemies, or performing the special Finisher which gives both Health and Void. Lead dev was inspired by some fighting games and old 2D beat-em-ups for the combat. Platforming and navigating around is good, bosses are good (although the D-heads gave me a lot of trouble), there's a system of Charms, lots of different hazards that can be used to your advantage... On a technical level, Cookie Cutter won't blow people away. And it doesn't need to. It's a solid, competent game. Although the dev team is small right now (was about fifteen people in the last two years of its development), the lead dev is very serious about fixing bugs and issues soon. In the lead dev's own words, "I will continue to put my ideas and characters out there until i'm not better, not worse, until i'm different." Or, in a recent tweet: "The rat race wants you to be on top, to be the best one. We prefer to be the really tasty niche one, for few beautiful b#$%@rds with a great heart. " He's got a lot more planned for the future. Story beats, weapons, NPCs, sidequests, a battle arena, enemies, bosses, etc. until the full story is told. I love it a lot and will keep spreading word of it where I can.

[@lowellbell]

Wow that’s a full review. I’ll have to check it out - much appreciated!

[@chuckfood5783]

Holy your underrated as hell

[@lowellbell]

Damn that’s high praise thank you. Videos like this one take too long to edit so I’ve shifted to a bit of an easier format but plan to return to this style when I get more followers. Cheers!

[@oltayaltintop8396]

S tier video

[@ChrisKliewer]

I've been enjoying Voidwrought on my Steamdeck so far.. it's a pretty sick dark metroidvania..

[@matthewt8214]

Silksong has work to do to top its predecessor and Nine Sols

[@felipeemanuel5790]

It's easy, nine sols is not at the same level of hollow knight, if silksony wi

[@felipeemanuel5790]

It's easy, nine sols is not at the same level of hollow knight, if silksony is as good as hollow knight, it's enough yo easily top nine sols.

[@matthewt8214]

@@felipeemanuel5790 I agree but that's easier said than done.

[@chanwooksook]

I’ve just recently got myself into metroidvania and it’s crazy how many masterpieces there are. I don’t think I will have time for other games outside of MV for half a year minimum

[@lowellbell]

That’s the danger of them. I haven’t touched the genre since the PC release of Nine Sols…

[@chanwooksook]

@@lowellbell soul reaver 1-2 remastered are launching in few minutes) remember loving second part back in those years. And just realised that they are basically MVs. Now it’s time to revisit!

[@crinklyonion1410]

I NEED Silksong. Even with Nine Sols being as good as it is.

[@lowellbell]

At least we have lots of time to replay Hollow Knight?

[@TheFerretmancer]

Nine Sols.Nine Sols.Nine Sols.Nine Sols.Nine Sols.

[@tvav69]

Thank you for pronouncing Tao correctly. 😂

[@lowellbell]

I did a little research!

[@mchammer5592]

Me. The answer is me.

[@lowellbell]

Fair

[@davidhollaus]

Dude this the first video I've seen on this channel and I already know you're way underrated. Keep up the good work, it will pay off eventually!

[@lowellbell]

You all are too nice! Inspiring me to make longer well edited videos like this one instead

[@GamingInTheWild]

Me. I need Silksong.

[@lowellbell]

Fair

[@Killabee88]

WE STILL NEED IT !! 😭😭🤣 but yeahh nine sols is awesome !!

[@amokriinprolgiid3409]

I recently beat Nine Sols, and it's straight fire. The story is a little heavy in exposition, but it's good. Another amazing metroidvania I don't see many talking about is a game from a few years ago called The Messenger. Story wise, it doesn't take itself too seriously and it's actually pretty funny. And gameplay wise, it's awesome. The game features on the fly time travel, in which you'll swap back and forth between the past and future in order to do a bunch of puzzle platforming. And when you're in the past, it's 8bit, while in the future, it's 16bit artstyle. It's really cool.

[@lowellbell]

Love the devs behind The Messenger

[@-God_Usopp]

“Who needs Silksong?” Me, and probably every other fan of Hollow Knight. Nine Sols is great. But Silksong, that’s what I need. Silksong ain’t a want. It’s a necessity.

[@tvav69]

Why can’t I find Biomorph in the Nintendo store?

[@lowellbell]

Couldn’t tell you lol

[@simonfarre4907]

I sort of wish the aggressiveness of Sekiro was possible, but due to the fact that one of the blocking mechanisms *requires* one to hold a button, that makes that impossible, which is so, so unfortunate. That being said, the combat system of Nine Sols almost reaches all the way to Sekiro, which is the best combat system ever designed. And the aesthetics of this game is also fantastic.

[@TOWALMARTBVR]

how do you not have 1M subs i was shocked at the end when you said this is your second vid

[@TOWALMARTBVR]

#3rd

[@lowellbell]

You’re way too kind. Very much appreciate the support!

[@aizazizzat6060]

While sotn has better music....no, no, it does not.

[@lowellbell]

I respectfully disagree!

[@aizazizzat6060]

@@lowellbell and I respectfully disagree with your disagreement.

[@JeannieLove]

Yeah, that's why I think people should chill on Silksong. That way, when it does come, it will be out of nowhere and super exciting.

[@lowellbell]

A lot of people upset they heard nothing at The Game Awards!

[@shutup1037]

I really wish Made in Abyss game made like metroidvania, seems fitting going further and further underground in metroidvania style

[@lowellbell]

I’m not familiar with Made in Abyss. Is it an anime?

[@shutup1037]

@lowellbell yes it's an anime about going to this massive hole in an island that have its own ecosystem

[@christianstephan7301]

@@shutup1037 I get where you are coming from, but Made in Abyss is also a lot about not being able to return and keep pushing forward. A lot of Metroidvanias I've played capitalize on reexploring areas, where new movement mechanics open up new paths.

[@brettsgotmail]

Surprised F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch didn't get at least a should out! It was the free Epic Games Store game a while back, and it was the first game I picked up after completing HK. The story is compelling, exploration and fighting are both challenging but rewarding. I wanted to play Blasphemous after FIST, but you may have convinced me to play Nine Sols first instead! Thanks for the video.

[@lowellbell]

I haven’t heard of that one! I’ll check it out. There’s too many to keep track

[@n3rfpho3nix16]

hollow knight is more than a metroidvania

[@deringjosuegarcia1531]

Nice try slim, but I still want my Silksong

[@lowellbell]

Who’s slim?

[@goblack3661]

Good stuff

[@jadebotes2128]

Bro missed Rainworld

[@lowellbell]

Can’t catch em all

[@Verdpast]

I do, I need it, nine sols is okay-ish, not open map enough too linear, not even close to hollowknight

[@lowellbell]

Totally fair! I hope we see it at The Game Awards but I doubt it

[@jiggilowjow]

youve really gotta try BIOGUN !!!! it grabbed me harder than super metroid first did... and only a tiny bit less than how hollow knight became part of my soul

[@aaronyoung8690]

me I need silk song for fack sakes

[@johanandersson8646]

"While Sotn has much better music..." lol

[@JuanAMatos-zx4ub]

That was a jab I never expected to hear haha

[@runicslay3r]

I absoulutly loved this game perfect game honestly only unfun part was the forced stealth area but i was okay with that when we got our powers back.

[@lowellbell]

Yeah that was rough. Forced stealth is always controversial

[@sion7651]

unsigthed!! it is top down/isometric. it has an unique time mechanic which can be turned off if someone does not like it and a crafting system that lets you break the game completely from the beginning if you know the craftings specs/items needed which you only have to remember and not find in the world! also parrying!! just way slower rythm than nine sols.

[@lowellbell]

Awesome I’m going to add that to the list!

[@demoniob4019]

wow, just.... so you are the reason we dont have silksong het huh, you told the man himself we dont need it............. how bold

[@lowellbell]

To be fair I was kidding! I'm sorry for any timelines I altered

[@demoniob4019]

@ lol anyways i will try nine sols, also i didnt watch the whole video i closed it after you showed 2 boss fights, dont wanna spoil it for myself.

[@TheHatManCole]

Dude telling me it took you a whole 50 attempts to defeat the final boss is not an encouragement to me. It took me about 100 attempts to defeat the Lady Ethereal, and always takes me a few dozen attempts for the other bosses, so thank for ramping up my anxiety

[@lowellbell]

I am so terribly sorry. Good luck!

[@mattpenix8438]

Venture to the Ville Devil with the Satgat BioMorph all just dropped on console Cookie Cutter - insane art style, weak metrovania aspects but if play as a stylish platformer it’s fun. Again, not on this par but worth mentioning

[@lowellbell]

All great suggestions. So little time

[@BrendaKincaid]

Team cherry delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness. A whole batch of metroidvania games. And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. For two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. And that my friends, is the hard truth. Hollow knight was pivotal. Silksong will be forgotten. Merry xmass all and likaclit!

[@lowellbell]

I disagree but I appreciate the LOTR reference

[@BrendaKincaid]

@@lowellbell I understand the disagreement, but alas... the damage has been dealt.

[@heagridswager]

I have few metroidvania recommendations: Both ori games Tevi Rusted Moss

[@lowellbell]

Ori and the Blind Forest is one of my GOATs

[@Ali-yr1bk]

(Death's door) a mazing ( I am not sure if it's metroidvania!)

[@lowellbell]

Good game! I’m not sure if it is either

[@hkprx6911]

I finished Nine Sols recently, the game was amazing but not at the level of Hollow Knight who's still the best Metroidvania 7 years later... I am still covinced we need Silksong 😂

[@lowellbell]

Haha sorry I couldn’t convince you. Here’s hoping for early 2025

[@Ghost-ul8eu]

while I enjoyed Nine Sols and I think its underrated I dont think it was this mind shattering game like so many had me believe.Its true the combat is one of the games best aspects it fell short in a few areas. The exploration is significantly less interesting to me Nine Sols is pretty linear up until near the end which is a big no for me in a metroidvania. Im also not a big fan of the huge focus on narrative which is subjective I know but narrative is something I dont care about in metroidvanias.Nine Sols is a far more linear game with a very big focus on narrative with its best aspect being combat which does beat most metroidvanias. I also wish platforming had a little more emphasis then it does platforming is pretty boring in this game and I wish there were some more exciting challenges centered around platforming. But like Ori and so many others before it Nine Sols falls short in a few areas that it still doesnt dethrone Hollow Knight,Aria Of Sorrow,Symphony Of The Night,and Metroid Zero Mission for me. The reason people love hollow knight is how it nailed every single aspect it was going for. The combat might be pretty simple in Hollow Knight but it does get very difficult near the end.I managed to beat the true final boss of Nine Sols which wasnt easy but I did it.Meanwhile I could never beat the final pantheon of Hallownest thats still far more difficult then anything in Nine Sols. I beat all of fromsoftwares souls games still cant do that final pantheon. Because its a slog of a boss rush with three super hard bosses near the end. Having to fight Nightmare King/Pure Vessel/Absolute Radiance is fucking brutal and I couldnt do it.

[@okuzhori]

I do

[@lowellbell]

Fair

[@HollowmantisGD]

0:32 BLASPHEMY! I’m sorry but you are simply wrong.

[@scolioreset]

I don’t consider Hollow Knight perfect as some of its moments are either flawed or downright bad. There’s still so much good stuff that they make up for the shortcomings. If Silksong disappoints, it’ll be tough. The game may change a whole lot more since its initial reveal and the trailer where Xbox pretty much lied that it was coming in at least its next year following that 2022 showcase. In fact, I would accept a new title since “Hollow Knight” is about the story of the Vessels. Fun fact, I’ve beaten the game without the use of Charms because I loathe this sort of system in a game that, frankly, doesn’t need it. I only find them for completion, not because I need them. I never was a fan of RPG systems so the “Vania” part of the so-called Metroidvania genre is something I immediately try to avoid all the time. I’m glad that games like Dead Cells, Guacamelee and Carrion pretty much did their own twist on the exploration-based action genre.

[@lowellbell]

I did something similar as you with Ori and the Blind Forest, not upgrading the character at all to keep it as straightforward as possible. Was definitely the best way to play - I’ll have to try this with Hollow Knight too!

[@lukecoleman3643]

"while symphony of the night has much better music" who thinks this?

[@lowellbell]

Me

[@lukecoleman3643]

@@lowellbell :(

[@sychuan3729]

Some people don't care about "difficult fights", "controls", "boss mechanics", etc. I like HK and Dark Souls/Elden Ring becouse of world and stories. And most other metroidvanias or souls-like aren't interesting for me at all. Nine sols for example is good... but I'm not invested in it as, I don't have any feeling of exploring mysterious strange world like in HK or DS

[@lowellbell]

I definitely agree the world wasn’t as interesting as others

[@luare333]

me

[@djlarrylar7905]

Sony buys katokawa. So you've chosen death have you. I've made it halfway through I can't watch anymore I bought it like 3 days ago I need to beat that game 😂

[@lowellbell]

Sorry!

[@jhonayo4887]

Hollow Knight has a horrible map. This is a big thing that most metroidvanias get wrong. Metroid Dread routes the player the best by one being complex but is intuitive to route.

[@lowellbell]

It's been too long since I played it to remember what the map was like. I'll keep that in mind for next time!

[@zyad553]

Nine sols is way better tbh

[@lowellbell]

I’m not so sure myself but you’re not the only one who thinks so

[@FoxyCAMTV]

Nine Sols is better than Hollow Knight. Just killed Ethereal and boy is this game a painful pleasure.Story and characters is awesome too.

[@lowellbell]

Ethereal was my fav fight

[@ericschuster2680]

cope

[@lowellbell]

nope

[@jiggilowjow]

i thought nine sols felt like a ninja baby sitting job. it was boring and once ya git gud at parrying it was a wrap. i stomped nine sols out in a few hours.. the game looks great and im familure with the legend this game is based on. i think the devs did great work and everything. it just didnt feel inspiring or soul touching to me

[@pouihurmen]

Highly doubt Silksong will be able to top something like Nine Sols, PoP TLC or Ori WoW. Hell I’ll be surprised if it’s better than Blasphemous II or Bo

[@felipeemanuel5790]

Lol, just be as good as hollow knight, it's enough to be better than all of those games, with a good margin.

[@hkprx6911]

I'd love to hear your criteria 😂