Hollow Knight

This game set the bar so high for many video game genre such as platform rpg, metrodvania, indie games. Brilliant.

Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere. Boss fights, exploration, platforming, and lore are all elevated by pitch perfect atmosphere created through art, music, and sound design to make a truly great experience. My favorite moments in a game filled with stellar boss fights were spending 5 minutes just listening to a butterfly ghost sing a song and sitting next to an NPC staring out at an endless underground lake.

Talk about getting a bang for your buck. My first play through of the game was over 40 hours long and it only costs $15 with free DLC. The world is very diverse and expansive and you can pretty much explore the map at your own pace. This is the best indie game that i've played and I can't wait for the sequel.

My controller needed a bath after finishing the pantheons.

Perhaps it's just not the type of Metroidvania that I want. I see all the praise, and I can understand why people love it. The atmosphere is incredible, the music is good, the areas are designed well. Admittedly I didn't beat the game but little things bugged me such as the map, which I guess sounds strange. Also didn't love the combat, don't love how little conveniences that make the game smoother are charms and whatnot.