We didn’t need Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2024

digitaltrends.com:

Metroidvania fans like myself spent all of 2024 impatiently waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong, but we didn’t really need to.

Take a step back, and you’ll see just how good of a year 2024 was for the Metroidvania genre even without that one game. From the AAA space with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown to the indie scene with games like Nine Sols, many fantastic games dropped in this well-trodden platforming subgenre this year. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you aren’t checking out other well-made Metroidvania tiles while you wait for Team Cherry to drop the game it has been teasing since 2019.

I do not doubt that Team Cherry’s long-awaited sequel will be a monumental release, but we shouldn’t use that as an excuse to ignore how the genre evolved over the course of the year. It’s misguided to place all your opinions on whether a year was good for games on a single title. The video game industry is much too diverse and flush with options for that — and 2024 proved it.

• Hollow Knight: Silksong is also coming to PS4 and PS5

The many Metroidvanias of 2024

The original Hollow Knight is considered one of the best Metroidvanias of all time. It sported gorgeous visuals, had a lot of intriguing lore to dig into, gave players a massive and secret-filled world to explore, and featured silky-smooth platforming. No matter which of those things about Hollow Knight you liked the most, some new Metroidvania game this year appealed to that sensibility.

Want to play a game with gorgeous art? Look at the stunning animation of Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus or the detailed pixel art of Gestalt: Steam & Cinder. Are narrative and action the most important elements of a Metroidvania for you?