Ori ruined Metroidvania games for me...

[Ghoul Crompton]

Does anyone have any recommendations on other sidescrollers/MVs that compare to the Ori games?

I've always loved MV games but after playing Ori over the years, I've been on an endless quest to find something comparable. I haven't personally found anything that truly compares in terms of combat and progression besides Hollow Knight and Ender Lillies. Have a Nice Death has gotten pretty close, combat-wise but its still in fairly early stages.

[Spirit]

try out hollow knight

[DAS-Problem]

Just want to let you know...i feel your pain.
Ori was/is the best in Graphics,Gameplay,Sound,Atmosphere and nothing will ever beat these Games i believe.
Maybe another Game from Moon Studios that would play in the Ori Universe.
With hopefully the same Engine and Artstyle/Graphics Gameplay and Sound.
Bring back Ori NOW! ;)

. .. ...D;

[freddypad]

What about Dust - An Elysian Tail? Did you play that one?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/236090/Dust_An_Elysian_Tail/

I love this game so much! It's addicting, it's high quality, it's not so far from an Ori Game regarding quality and it was there earlier than Ori I think.
I highly recommend Dust!

[Ghoul Crompton]

Originally posted by freddypad:

What about Dust - An Elysian Tail? Did you play that one?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/236090/Dust_An_Elysian_Tail/

I love this game so much! It's addicting, it's high quality, it's not so far from an Ori Game regarding quality and it was there earlier than Ori I think.
I highly recommend Dust!

I actually did buy this and I didn't get super hooked - but due to your recommendation, I'll give it another go and try to get further along - Thanks for the suggestion!

[Stormspark]

This is harder than Ori with a greater focus on combat, but it's really fun as well.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/275390/Guacamelee_Super_Turbo_Championship_Edition/

This one is also worth checking out...it's primarily a Metroidvania, but also has Dark Souls elements.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/774361/Blasphemous/

Both of these games are also available on Switch, and they are just as good as the PC versions.

[Roshambo]

1. Blasphemous - great animation and soundtrack with lots to see and do. Combat is deliberately stiff but that may be an issue if it was part of the reason you didn't get into Hollow Knight.

2. Valdis Story - Great soundtrack, cliffhanger story since the dev never made a sequel, solid combo and leveling systems

3. Touhou Luna Nights - low budget, less polished precursor to Record of Lodoss War

4. Bloodstained - Aims to copy/paste Castlevania SOTN and succeeds in most ways.

5. Steamworld Dig 1 and 2 - Perhaps too Minecraft-esque but a solid Metroidvania experience with both. The sequel offers the most bang for the buck.

6. Guacamelee 1 and 2 - Fun tongue-in-cheek adventures with smooth combat. Perhaps a bit too simplistic but still challenging endgame content.

7. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom - Cartoon graphics make it stand out. Sequel to the Wonder Boy remake that seems more polished and fleshed out but still quite linear overall from what I have played.

8 Axiom Verge - Very reminiscent of Metroid. A sequel is available on EGS. Can be easy to get lost without a guide.

9. Timespinner - Very similar gameplay to Castlevania SOTN. Story is a bit anime and hammed up but the soundtrack is great. Multiple endings and side content to explore on NG+.

10. Cave Story - You fight with a gun but it has the exploration of a Metroidvania with multiple outcomes to discover.

11. Minoria - Pseudo-sequel to Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight. Short with a interesting art style and solid mechanics. Made by a very small team.

12. Environmental Station Alpha - Metroid on an Atari 2600. Great sound design with upgrades to find as you explore.

13. The Messenger - To be fair, this game is more Ninja Gaiden than Metroidvania for the most part but it does open up to involve more exploration in the second half. Story is humor-riddled with some interesting plot twists.

14. Hyper Light Drifter - More of a top-down, Zelda-esque adventure but it has plenty to find and upgrade for a NG+ run. Great music with solid controls and premise.

15. Death's Gambit - This game got a free overhaul adding new areas, bosses, etc. I thought it was ok on release but I never loved it. Think 2D Dark Souls, stamina dependent attacks.

There are also some other good options that are not on Steam.