Zackari Greif is a List Writer at DualShockers who has been covering games professionally since 2021. A lifelong gamer and former writer for GameRant and Fix Gaming Channel, Zackari has written across news, guides, interviews, previews, reviews, features, and lists, bringing a broad background in gaming journalism to his work.
Starting new games can feel like a lifelong commitment when you think about them in terms of their playtime. I think we've all had one game we've impulse-purchased and then found ourselves playing for weeks and months, unaware it was over 50 hours long when we got it.
Out of the many options we have with video games, the Metroidvania genre is one of the best sweet spots in terms of length. Most Metroidvanias can take a few hours if you know them well. Some understand this and expand what they offer to keep you adventuring for way, way longer.
You know how that feels, right? When you finally beat the boss that you said was your goal for the day, and you look back, and it feels like it took twice as long? That's the power of a good Metroidvania. Where the world is so large, inviting, and engrossing that time feels like a complete myth around you. With these games, it doesn't matter how long you spend with them. What you get out of them is the most important thing here.
You're probably looking for a long Metroidvania to sink a few days of time into, right? Luckily, I've gathered the best ones that really immerse you in their worlds. Just make sure to poke your head out of the sand every once in a while. We don't want you to lose your senses as a person in general.
10 Aeterna Noctis
Polarizing and Promising All at Once
Get comfortable, because a lot of the games on this list are going to be hand-drawn 2D adventures. It seems to be an unspoken rule among Metroidvania developers that if they're going as far as to draw countless frames of animation for their games, they're going big or going home. Because there's a trend that these gorgeous games have impressive levels of content within them, and Aeterna Noctis is no exception.
Aeterna Noctis is quite literally the most hit-or-miss Metroidvania out there. It's sitting at a 50% recommendation rating from critics and being recognized as the dividing line between those who like a platforming focus in their Metroidvanias and those that don't. If this sounds like your kind of game, then you've got plenty of land to cover. There are plenty of interesting locations, like a church with a foreshadowed boss rising in the background, a crystal mine filled with abandoned, short-circuiting technology, and, of course, plenty of backtracking.
This game might not be a Metroidvania that makes you forget you've got a controller in your hand, but it'll resonate with the right people. Is that you? Only one way to find out.
9 Metroid Dread
The Smoothest, Scariest Ride You Can Find
I don't think I could have gotten through this list without naming Samus or a Belmont or two at least once. My pick might be one of the shorter games on this list, but it does wonders in making the brief time you spend with it memorable. It's almost easy to forget exactly how long you've been playing Metroid Dread for when you're trying to keep yourself focused while panicking. There's an E.M.M.I on your tail. Oh, God!!
The Metroid series has been recognized as a master class in atmospheric design, mindful progression, and as perfect, ominous sci-fi adventures for a long time. Dread, for me, takes all of this to eleven and cranks it further into the horror angle than ever before. Even with how I went from being cocky against the E.M.M.I to being mad at myself for deciding to try that one-frame parry, I enjoyed getting lost and unsettled by Metroid Dread. I cannot wait for this story to continue in Metroid Ravenous. I really hope it runs just a bit longer.
8 Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
And Here's the Other One
I was pretty unsure about if I should put Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on here, or if I should just include Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Bloodstained, however, is close to being three times as long if you aim to do everything. Which means more time to get invested, immersed, and attached. That was enough for me to vouch for RoTN instead of Symphony. We're already plenty attached to Symphony.
There's a lot there in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The concept and gamification of the Shardbinders was an interesting twist to the upgrades of the genre that I enjoyed. It was fun uncovering plenty of side quests on my journey, and the amount of content kind of makes up for how it was clearly originally made for the Wii U era. All of this was made even better with the multiple endings that made different playthroughs pretty worthwhile.
If you disagree with me, go ahead and go play Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for what I assume is higher than your fifth time. It's not going anywhere or being taken from you just because I said RoTN is worth sitting with on its own merits.
7 Nine Sols
What Are You Fighting For?
If you enjoyed the frame-perfect parries found in Metroid Dread, Nine Sols might be a good experience to play after if you haven't already. It's not as overly fear-inducing, but it has its own sense of ominous vibes that carry through to Nine Sol's two endings. It also features a unique aesthetic called taopunk that was made for this game in particular. It might not be the same breed of sci-fi, but it'll certainly test what Samus taught you about parries.
Parries in Nine Sols are critical, and might keep you in this world longer than you expect. Nine Sols is a challenging game, if you let it be. The story mode option features a difficulty slider, so you can make it easier if you want to. I don't think you should make it too easy, though, because the combat is the best thing about Nine Sols in my opinion. Nine Sols' world might feel a little lackluster in areas, but mastering the combat should keep you in this game for some time, if you're up for the task. It's insanely worthwhile, and the observation might help you see more of this world that you wouldn't have noticed before.
6 Blasphemous
My Kind of Sunday Mass
Because of the general atmosphere of Soulslikes, a lot of us associate difficulty with dark fantasy, sometimes with a side of church gothic. Blasphemous takes these same feelings and brings them to the Metroidvania genre with some gorgeously detailed and refreshing pixel art. Blasphemous is genuinely a treat. If you have no life, it could be beaten in a day, but I really don't recommend pushing yourself to get through this game as fast as possible. Blasphemous is best experienced at a slow pace, absorbing the world and its atmosphere.
That said, the biggest reward you get for learning this game's intricacies is that the movement that used to fight you at every turn will become incredibly satisfying. If you've run into the opposite when playing Blasphemous, you might just need to unlearn some muscle memory and try again. If it still doesn't resonate with you, there's Blasphemous II waiting for you, and it improves on the movement. Both games use their time wisely, and it's not to feel like your sins are on your back with its gorgeously pixel-perfect yet painterly surroundings. A delight to look at, and the right kind of egregious to explore.
5 Hollow Knight: Silksong
Going Up!
You probably knew at least one Hollow Knight game had to go on here. Objectively, Hollow Knight: Silksong improves on the art of its predecessor, thanks to its lengthy dev time, and that's why I chose it.
But really, both Hollow Knight games are immersive dreams-come-true for not just Metroidvania fanatics, but classic gamers everywhere. Team Cherry is living proof that video games can still be made how they used to be. Complete with innovative level design that invites players to learn as they go.
Of course, if you haven't played the original Hollow Knight, you definitely should before jumping into Silksong. Silksong is designed as a follow-up. It does not hesitate to throw some more complicated enemy designs at you that ask you to have a basic understanding of pogo jumping, combat mechanics, and more. It's not impossible, but it won't be a fun challenge unless you like being mean to yourself. Either way, no matter how you decide to jump into this lovely, creepy bug-infested world, you'll likely stay there beyond the two playthroughs you need, bare minimum. What can I say? It's good to be a bug.
4 Salt and Sanctuary
The True 2D Dark Souls
Hollow Knight gets a lot of credit for being a Soulslike Metroidvania these days, but one game did it first. And this particular game did it right. Salt and Sanctuary entered the scene ten years ago and had earned cult classic status among plenty of Metroidvania fans before Team Cherry made the genre completely explode. What makes this the true Dark Souls Metroidvania, you ask? It's difficult, wears its inspiration on its sleeve, and actually has a dodge roll and stamina bar that truly makes the combat flow as well as you'd expect. Yes, even with its lack of a third dimension.
Once again, the best Metroidvanias are never the longest games out there. If Salt and Sanctuary resonates with you, though, you'll likely revisit it a few times in between other games. It allows people to create detailed builds — a must in a Soulslike – and also has plenty of lore to uncover along the way. Unlike a lot of other games on this list, though, the sequel Salt and Sacrifice doesn't live up to what Salt and Sanctuary brings at all. Such a shame.
3 Rain World
Literally Limitless
Rain World is the perfect mix of procedurally generated experiences (through real-time AI-controlled enemies), impressive world-building, and storytelling told as directly through gameplay as it can. And I love it.
Because of the way that enemies can navigate the world on their own and encounter you at any point out of the blue, and the DLC that expands the roster of playable slugcats, Rain World is a game that will grip your soul and straight up not let go. It's a game where each experience will be truly your own, and between the difficulties, playstyles, progression, and beautiful game design, you'll definitely sit with it for a while.
I think Rain World is my favorite Metroidvania to get lost in beyond the 70-hour mark thanks to its unpredictability. If you haven't tried it, and you're looking for a game to escape into, I can't suggest it enough.
2 Animal Well
The Only Rabbit Hole You'll Ever Need
In this era of social media and talking about games online, it's very easy to run into discussions about a game you've never played before. You've likely heard of Animal Well, but if you still have no idea what it's about or what it entails, go get it right now. Animal Well is best played blind because it's another experience that doesn't hold your hand at all, leaving you to discover everything for yourself. Generally, a lot of people find that the main game can be finished in an average of 7 hours, but there's far more to Animal Well than that. Much, much more.
It might not be an overly lengthy game when you put all of it together, but Animal Well is so full of secrets and discoveries that it will likely stay in your head long after you're done with it. Or maybe you just think you're done with it? There are dozens of secrets in this game, some of which can only be fully discovered after the main objectives are complete. Is there something more to the strange markings on the wall? Have you used every item in every room where they're important? You're just going to have to try it all and find out.
1 La-Mulana
Don't Forget, You're Here Forever
If Animal Well is a great example of a modern game taking on classic game design to create something beautiful, La-Mulana is a classic with so many obtuse odds and ends that it might circle around and strangle itself with its own ambitions. But I love it.
La-Mulana is the Metroidvania genre's answer to Spelunky's Roguelike legacy. You play as an archeologist aiming to find the rumored Secret Treasure of Life within the titular ruins of La-Mulana. These ruins are big. Perhaps even too big. Aside from a few hints that routinely don't spell out solutions for you, it's up to you to figure out how to solve puzzles, defeat bosses, and generally make your way through. You will be trapped in these ruins for years upon years if you're stubborn and try to get through things with no guides and only your own notebook as supplementary material. And for some of you, that's probably just how you like it.
Source: DualShockers