Best Metroidvanias That Focus On Ranged Combat

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 28, 2025 3 Views 10 Min Read
Best Metroidvanias That Focus On Ranged Combat
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Metroidvanias typically come in two flavors of combat: ranged or melee. Most modern Metroidvanias tend to favor action gameplay with a few ways to target enemies from a distance from bows and guns to magic. Then there are Metroidvanias with more intense shooter mechanics that may or may not have a way to melee enemies as well.

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The latter of which is, again, rare which is funny considering the genre seemingly started as ranged only via the Metroid series. So, what Metroidvanias including Metroid, have come out in the past few decades that focus on ranged combat? These games will be ranked based on overall quality.

8

Shadow Complex

Uncharted As A Metroidvania

Shadow Complex was one of many games in the late 2000s wherein companies wanted their Uncharted experience with the help of voice talent from Nolan North, the leading star of the Uncharted series. The game begins kind of like Uncharted as two hikers, Jason and Claire, are looking for a cave to explore when Claire gets kidnapped by a secret organization underground. Jason has to find Claire and resist this shadowy organization with the help of typical hardware like pistols, assault rifles, and grenades. It’s a solid Metroidvania but it’s also not that fantastical compared to some others.

7

The Knight Witch

A Classic Genre Reborn

The Knight Witch took one of the most established arcade shooter types, the Bullet Hell, and merged it with a Metroidvania. A Bullet Hell simply refers to a vertical or horizontal shooter wherein enemy blasts are so frequent that they are hard to dodge thus making the sub-genre extremely hard. While The Knight Witch can be challenging, it’s easier to overcome thanks to the Metroidvania elements like permanent upgrades and new powers players can find in shops. As the witch Rayne, players will explore an interconnected map, gain new traversal powers, and fight enemies, and the whole nine yards. The Knight Witch was a bit overlooked when it launched in late 2022 due to many websites and streamers getting ready for Game of the Year content instead of new games, but it has since gained a bit of a cult status.

6

Blaster Master Zero

A Melding Of Genres

Blaster Master Zero is a remake or reimagining of the first game that debuted on the NES. This series has always been good at blending various genres together or control types. For example, most of the game will be controlled with a tank that can shoot projectiles.

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Players can get out of the tank for various reasons, including exploring corridors that switch the perspective to a top-down one. There are permanent upgrades to open new paths, but also a lot of the usable weapons are disposable or will reduce in power once players die. Since the remake was successful, the developer Inti Creates went on to make two sequels in this same Metroidvania style and all three are worth checking out.

5

Gato Roboto

An Adorable Catroidvania

  • Developer: Doinksoft
  • Publisher: Devolver Digital
  • Released: May 30, 2019 (PC/Switch Version)
  • Platforms: PC, Switch, Xbox One

Gato Roboto, while not the best Metroidvania with shooting mechanics on the list, is easily the cutest one. Players will assume the role of Kiki the cat who climbs into a mech suit to try and rescue their master who got injured. This mech suit looks a lot like Samus’ Varia Suit from Metroid, so the homage is quite clear beyond the gameplay style. Kiki can get out to explore tighter spaces too, and there are other suits to commandeer like a sub. The art style helps the game stand out beyond its adorable protagonist as it’s all in black and white.

4

Cave Story

The Indie Game That Started It All

Cave Story was first released as a freeware game for Japanese PCs in 2004. While it was quickly shared online globally, the first official English port was in 2010 for the Wii and DS. Players assume the role of an android who wakes up in a cave with amnesia. In this cave system are rabbit-like creatures called Mimiga who are being oppressed and players can help rescue them. They will gain various guns which will level up upon collecting materials and if players get hit, these levels will dissipate like Blaster Master Zero. Cave Story is important not just to the Metroidvania community but it was one of the first big success stories in the indie era.

3

Blade Chimera

Shooting Demons In The Future

  • Developers: Team Ladybug, WSS playground
  • Publishes: Playism, WSS playground
  • Released: January 16, 2025
  • Platforms: PC, Switch

Blade Chimera is the next Metroidvania from Team Ladybug who also developed the excellent Touhou Luna Nights and Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth games both of which were more focused on melee action. Players accustomed to those games or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will know what they’re in for: a great 2D action RPG set in a Metroidvania world.

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Go around, slay enemies, level up stats, grab some abilities from a basic skill tree, and so on. The twist compared to the other Team Ladybug games is that the hero, Shin who is a demon slayer in the future, uses guns as his main weapons. There are plenty of melee weapons too, including his ghost sword Lux, but ranged combat is definitely a high priority in Blade Chimera.

2

Axiom Verge

A Glitched Nightmare

Axiom Verge starred a scientist, Trace, who gets warped into another world when his experiment goes haywire. A mysterious AI guides him along this interconnected maze filled with monsters. It’s not just a foreign world filled with nasty creatures, there are glitches everywhere too, breaking the fourth wall of reality. Beyond the trippy setup, Trace will get a few weapons in the game which can gain different powers from shooting multiple beams to fire. There is even a drill power-up to add a bit of melee to this otherwise shooter-focused Metroidvania.

1

Super Metroid

No One Can Outdo The Genre’s Origins

While Metroid-like games existed before and after the original Metroid game on the NES, Super Metroid was THE game that helped cement the formula. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is the other half of this equation which added RPG elements. Decades later, Super Metroid is still a mesmerizing and haunting game to play. Brilliant pixel art, a mysterious world, tons of power-ups, giant boss battles, and so much more have helped it stand the test of time. The only range-based 2D Metroidvania that can beat Super Metroid is another Metroid game like Metroid Zero Mission, Metroid Fusion, or Metroid Dread.

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