Some of the most iconic gaming protagonists of all time can be found in Metroidvania games, such as the space bounty hunter Samus Aran from Metroid, the monster slayer Simon Belmont from Castlevania, and even Batman himself, Bruce Wayne, in the case of Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Over the decades, these characters and more have been able to have their history and personalities fleshed out through numerous sequels, reboots, and remasters, but there are several entries in the Metroidvania genre that don’t feature set protagonists, with the games’ world and events instead serving as the titles’ focus.
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For gamers who want to play through or at least try out such games, here’s a list of seven Metroidvania games that don’t have people play as a set character and instead have people play as multiple characters.
8
Aliens: Infestation
Another 2D Bug Hunt
Developer
WayForward
Release Date
September 29, 2011
Platform
Nintendo DS
Ever since 20th Century Fox released the Alien and Aliens films, countless books, comics, and video games have been made based on the story, world, and factions shown in those two films, with several Aliens games being FPS, survival horror, and Metroidvanias like Aliens: Infestation.
One of the many Nintendo DS Metroidvanias, Aliens: Infestation has players control Fireteam Fox of the USS Sephora as they board the USS Sulaco after the events of Aliens, only to encounter hostile robots and a new Xenomorph outbreak before eventually traveling to LV-426.
Aliens: Infestation initially has people choose between playing as one of Fireteam Fox’s four members, Cameron, Whistler, Johnston, and Paulson, but if people aren’t careful, each member of the squad could die but could be replaced by other surviving Marines found throughout the Sulaco and LV-426, making it a bit of a challenge to have all of Fireteam Fox survive.
7
Guacamelee! 2
A Luchador Can Always Use a Bit of Help
In 2013, DrinkBox Studios released one of the most charismatic and stylized Metroidvanias of the seventh console generation with the initially PlayStation-exclusive Guacamelee!. While the first game was great, DrinkBox outdid itself with its 2018 sequel, Guacamelee! 2.
The first Guacamelee! only featured two-player co-op and, as such, players were only able to play as the series protagonist Juan Aguacate and luchadora Tostada, but Guacamelee! 2 expanded upon its gameplay by not only featuring four-player co-op but also over eight playable characters that can be used in the base game and DLC.
These include Aguacate, Tostada, Flame Face, Chamoya, Coscorrona, Ramirez, Uay Coco, El Muneco, Uay Pek, Jaguar Javier, and more, with each character featuring unique attributes that can spice up repeat playthroughs solo or with friends.
6
Astalon: Tears of the Earth
The Adventures of Arias, Kyuli, and Algus
Given Metroidvania’s 2D, pixelated origins, many modern developers have strived to create new entries in the genre that harken back to older gameplay and visual styles of games from the 1980s and 90s, and one game that perfectly does so without featuring one character is Astalon: Tears of the Earth.
Developed by LABS Works, Astalon: Tears of the Earth has people play as not one but three characters simultaneously, with those characters being the sword- and shield-wielding Arias, the bow-wielding Kyuli, and the magical staff-wielding wizard Algus, as they set out to save their village from mysterious dark forces of a menacing tower.
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Each character has their own unique abilities and people can seamlessly switch between characters at campfires found throughout the tower, making solving puzzles and traversing certain areas of the tower a bit tricky but highly rewarding once players master Astalon’s mechanics.
5
Valdis Story: Abyssal City
Fighting Through a Sunken City
Some of the best games out there are those created by smaller indie developer studios rather than bloated AAA companies, and this remains true with titles within the Metroidvania genre, as Valdis Story: Abyssal City is one of the more unique and impressive Metroidvanias created by a small team.
Often described as a 2D Devil May Cry thanks to its visceral, action-packed combat, Valdis Story: Abyssal City follows two young warriors called Wyatt and Reina as they set out in search of Wyatt’s father, only to wind up in the sunken city of Sitheil and be forced to fight through hordes of demons and angels.
Valdis Story initially has people choose between playing as the gruff, sword-wielding warrior Wyatt or the more spiritual mage Reina, but after players complete the game once, they’ll unlock two new characters to play as: the demon Gilda and the gun-wielding angelic experiment Vladyn, giving the game a decent amount of replay value.
4
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Dracula’s World War II Tale
The Nintendo DS era was arguably a high point for Metroidvania games, as its dual-screen design and perfect hardware capability with 2D titles made it the most popular platform for Metroidvania games during the early 2000s, with one of the handheld’s most unique Metroidvanias being Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.
One of the last games in the original Castlevania timeline, Portrait of Ruin takes players far beyond the franchise’s typical medieval setting to the tumultuous time of World War II, with players embodying Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin as they attempt to stop Dracula’s resurrection.
Similar to Astalon, Portrait of Ruin has players simultaneously control both Morris and Aulin, with people being able to seamlessly switch between both characters at any time, while the game’s other modes allow players to control other characters like Loretta and Stella Lecarde, Richter Belmont, and Maria Renard.
3
Revenge of the Savage Planet
Exploring Alien Worlds
Most Metroidvania games are played in a somewhat rigid, 2D side-scroller-like perspective, but every now and then, developers release a Metroidvania that’s more open and played from a more modern, over-the-shoulder third-person perspective, with one such game being Revenge of the Savage Planet.
Unlike most other Metroidvanias that tend to feature dark, serious stories, Revenge of the Savage Planet simply has people play as unnamed astronauts exploring five planets, studying and capturing local wildlife, and crafting and unlocking new tools to traverse new areas.
Arguably, Revenge of the Savage Planet is one of the most fun and comedic Metroidvanias seen in the 2020s, thanks in large part to its colorful art style and the ability to play with friends in local split-screen and online two-player co-op.
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2
The Mummy Demastered
A Good Game For a Terrible Movie
It’s rare for movie tie-in games to be developed these days, but it’s even rarer to find movie tie-in games that are far better than the film they’re based on, with one such Metroidvania being The Mummy Demastered based on the failed Dark Universe debut film, 2017’s The Mummy.
Taking place concurrently to Tom Cruise’s adventure seen in the film, The Mummy Demastered has players embody several unnamed Prodigium soldiers as they’re deployed to hunt down the Egyptian Mummy Princess Ahmanet and her legion of undead warriors.
What makes The Mummy Demastered fairly fun and unique is that every time the player dies, they’re sent back to the beginning of the game and embody a different Prodigium soldier with players being able to retrieve lost items by killing the undead version of their previous character.
1
DIVE or DIE – Children of Rain
Live, Dive, Repeat
While Drop Rate Studio’s DIVE or DIE – Children of Rain is technically a Lovecraftian roguelite, I would argue that it should also be considered a Metroidvania, as it requires players to explore large, interconnected areas and acquire certain items in order to progress, just like most Metroidvania games.
DIVE or DIE has players control a wide variety of survivors as they’re forced to dive into the Abyssal Pool full of submerged city ruins, Lovecraftian sea monsters, and unknown otherworldly horrors in order to gather resources for their camp and hopefully save humanity within 40 days from the supernatural Black Rain and the Cthulhu-like Maker.
Every playthrough of DIVE or DIE does have people initially play as Joe Saltman, but if players aren’t careful, Saltman can quickly die from injuries or being eaten by grotesque sea creatures, forcing players to quickly recover and train other survivors and risk their lives for the camp by repeatedly diving into the Abyssal Pool.
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