LogFAQs > #981542213

adjl posted...

It's mostly the progression style: Non-linear exploration, with unlocks that open up new areas and let you find new stuff by backtracking. Any other elements don't stop something from being a metroidvania, but they aren't necessary.

Saying that, though, genre labels are often a bit of a crapshoot. You're better off looking at actual gameplay videos and other information about how the game plays than just trusting that you'll like a game because it's a metroidvania.

Exactly. The progression style I just call Metroid-like. When you tell me something is a Metroidvania, I expect that with some sort of RPG elements. Which is why I liked say Hollow Knight, but not as much as I might have if I had not been told it was a Metroidvania.