Was Silksong the best Metroidvania that released year 2025?

[Will be deleted]

It is by far the most popular but I’ve seen many people rank other Metroidvanias released in year 2025 above it so what do you think?

[Jake]

Its one the only games I can think of when I think souls-like metrodvania. No other series scratches the itch like these and I would say that they define the genre

[Anderson]

Silksong wins by a landslide, but this year also had Ender Magnolia which was a fine game (and which some prefer to Silksong).

[catsgomeow]

This made me question what other metroidvanias even came out this year, looked at a huge list and the only 2 that stood out to me were Zexion (Looks like some polished old-school soul) and Metro Gravity (looks fairly original mechanically + its a rare 3D MV). Everything else looked like some overly blatant flavor of Dark Souls/Sekiro, complete with dodge rolls, parries, and 'weighty' movement up the wazoo. I love DS1 but im sad to see so many new releases taking inspiration from its least interesting aspects.

Ender Magnolia seems like a popular pick but I personally despise that specific style of 'puppet' 2d animation, wont be playing it (probably a good game just personal taste getting in the way).

[königplatzen]

The only one I see is Ender Magnolia, but didn't play, yet. Still not finished Ender lilies, mainly again because of time and now it's hard to pick up again.

[Will be deleted]

Ender Magnolia I’ve seen a few people rank above Silksong although not played it myself.

[Zelakon]

Well I've played both, and found ender magnolia even more forgettable than ender lilies.

Silksong is vastly superior imo, so yes; the best MV this year, maybe even of all time.

Mandragora's a close second for me, and that came out this year too.

[KROLYGAMERS]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Jake:

Its one the only games I can think of when I think souls-like metrodvania. No other series scratches the itch like these and I would say that they define the genre

[Traumaturgy]

I need to play Mandragora, but played ender magnolia and it was super boring. I dont even know why, I liked Ender lillies, but this one was so slow and tedious and not interesting at all.
Silksong is like 3 tiers higher.

[Terrorize Exercise]

Other Metroidvania's existed in 2025? Must not have been half as comparable to Silk Song or PoP Lost Crown and that was made by Ubisoft of all things which released almost 2 years ago.

Metroidvania genre clearly needs higher standards.

[Phirestar]

I've not heard anybody talk about other metroidvanias to the same degree, with the same level of emotional expression, as I've seen from Silksong.

[UnchangingWindow]

Zexion. Personally, I'd put Ender Magnolia up there because I love both Ender games. But Zexion was the best Metroidvania released this year.

[catsgomeow]

Oprindeligt skrevet af UnchangingWindow:

Zexion. Personally, I'd put Ender Magnolia up there because I love both Ender games. But Zexion was the best Metroidvania released this year.

How fun is the randomizer mode in Zexion, if you've given it a try? Based on the store page trailer alone it looks obviously superior to almost everything else in the genre released this year, but I am slightly more hesitant than usual when giving complete unknowns a shot, cant even really find solid info about the games length or side content.

[Defmonkey]

The best Metroidvania of 2025... im not sure.... quite a few MV released this year but many quite different... Personally ive played alot of older games this year to catch up on stuff that ive missed previously.

Silksongs art, music, atmosphere and all is really good, very hard to beat. However, I think some of the creative decisions regarding the games mechanics etc i dont think are the best at all.

Of 2025 releases, I've enjoyed Ender Magnolia, Somber Echoes, Blade Chimera, Guns of Fury, Plus Ultra Legado.

[Pnume]

The only one for me who may have competed is Aeterna Lucis (the sequel to Aeterna Noctis) but it has been postponed to 2026...probably to avoid being crushed by SS since it was initally scheduled for Sep-25

It was dry year for MVs

[Zelakon]

Oprindeligt skrevet af UnchangingWindow:

Zexion. Personally, I'd put Ender Magnolia up there because I love both Ender games. But Zexion was the best Metroidvania released this year.

Not to nitpick about genre-labelling too much, but many people get this wrong about MVs; they should really be borrowing elements from both metroid & castlevania to count as one.

So I'd say Zexion is more of a metroid-like than an MV, in the same way Chronicles of the Wolf is a vania-like.