You should at least play one Metroidvania game in your lifetime. Just do it. You don’t have to be good at it; you just have to at least get a feel for what it’s all about. Maybe you could try jumping off a nearby pit or encounter a tricky platforming challenge, only to find out it’s just the tutorial section.
Metroidvania games are great. They are essentially video games in true videogame form (whatever that means). It follows gaming’s formula of going from point A to point B, but don’t let that fool you. Between that simple system, getting to point B requires bringing 5 separate keycards, 3 double jump abilities, and defeating 5 unique bosses.
But I don’t see that as a bad thing. I love Metroidvania games, which is why I make it a habit to recommend at least one Metroidvania title to my friends. But before you say no to me, just hear out the reasons why I recommend it:
It Builds Spatial Awareness
Metroidvanias build spatial awareness. If you ever find yourself getting lost in a city you haven’t been to and find that Google Maps isn't leading you the right way, Metroidvanias can actually help you with that. Its entire purpose is to deliberately confuse you with its winding pathways and labyrinthine halls. You’re constantly opening your map every time you take a few steps, and you should always be on the lookout for suspicious walls and ceilings that feel out of place. It might be a secret area.
If you’ve played enough Metroidvania games, you could directly apply that map knowledge in real life. Silly as it may sound, you begin to find patterns wherever you go, and you can use those to pinpoint where you are, avoiding the hassle of being lost.
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It Trains You Mechanically
Metroidvania games will train your mechanical skills. You might be good at fighting games and doing good reads of your opponents’ Drive Impact, but you are not ready for the nightmare that follows Metroidvania’s obstacles. Even FPS players find it hard to navigate through its tricky corners and devious traps.
Some Metroidvanias are known for their rage-inducing platforming sections. Just look at Hollow Knight’s Path of Pain, or Silksong’s diagonal pogo antics. These games are designed to train your fingers, giving you the right kind of exercise in the event you need to use them again in competitive titles like Marvel Rivals or Overwatch 2.
From falling boulders to pits filled with deadly spikes, Metroidvanias love to test your patience wherever you go. And if you manage to overcome the many torture chambers it provides you, your reflexes and temperament might improve. It’s sort of like a pseudo-therapy session, but you’re going to have to make do with a whole lot of screaming and cussing first.
It Invites Curiosity and Instinct
See that suspicious-looking boulder in a Metroidvania game? That’s going to drop anytime soon, and you’ll only feel bad about yourself if you fall victim to its obvious design. Metroidvanias actually train players to be ‘careful’ when navigating through the game’s myriad of annoying and frustrating levels. This doesn’t actually translate well to real-life survival skills, but it somehow gives you a little bit of understanding when faced with an imminent danger.
Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight games have wired my brain to hit every suspicious-looking wall to find secret paths. It’s not a healthy habit, but it is a recommended ‘pro gamer move’ when playing with single-player titles that love to hide their secrets in tricky locations. (I’m looking at you, Elden Ring.)
Overall, Metroidvanias are great. They always have been. And you should at least try out one too!
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