BleedOrange
Banned
Buy Ori and the Blind Forest too!
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Hollow Knight vs Axiom Verge
- Thread starter Hello? This is Hailun!
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Buy Ori and the Blind Forest too!
Sgt.Pepper
Banned
I hope so. I find it pretty damn slow for a Metroidvania.
It's best played with a soft dpad like the dualshock 4s dpad. But I also played sections of it with the elite controllers analog stick. The switch joycon dpad won't be a deal breaker. Its not a bullet hell, and a lot of your movements are punctuated by dashes, and its as easy to keep pogoing off people with an analog stick as a dpad.
The first hour or so can be a tad slow. Once you get your first movement ability it picks up both in traversal and combat, then you get another in the next zone. After that it's pretty fast paced and open.
Kadin
Member
I hate that because I lost a large chunk (950ish) of the currency in HK, it completely killed my desire to keep playing. I've read that it comes fast but this took a good bit to accumulate. And what makes me even madder is the way I lost it. I jumped onto a roaming monster in a large passage of water, thinking I could land on it since it didn't take any damage from me. I took damage, fell into the water and died. My soul then decided to spawn way over on the other side to which I couldn't get to it (at least not yet). I then proceeded to die again on my way around...
This is the kind of shit I hate because it just made me quit out with no desire to go back. I guess I'll return to Axiom for now.
This is the kind of shit I hate because it just made me quit out with no desire to go back. I guess I'll return to Axiom for now.
Played both, loved both. I see Axiom Verge as more of a love letter to original Metroid than what we call "Metroidvania" today. It's a short, but fun experience. Hollow Knight is more of a modern Metroidvania with some Souls-like flavor thrown in, and it's an amazing experience. One of the best of the genre for sure.
One thing the game could do better is to teach players that you can bounce off enemies and spikes. Those that fail to learn this seem to come to some ridiculous complaints about the game. Like the combat being really campy, or the purple bounce mushrooms being finicky. They should at least make it so that only the super dense don't realize that you can by the end of the forgotten crossroads. I would make the wooden plank floors in the Ancestral Mount to be only breakable by the down slash and not the side slash, and after doing the slash you would bounce upwards, illustrating that it is a mechanic before leaving the first area.
Kadin
Member
I'll be the first to admit I can be incredibly dense at learning mechanics in games. This creature that I referenced, was I supposed to jump on him and down swing to then bounce myself back up and keep doing this as it moved to get across? I assumed I had to come from a different area to get to the other side.
Axiom Verge failed to grab my attention after hearing so much praise for the game online, the soundtrack is fantastic but that's the only nice thing I'm able to point out from my 2-3 hours with the game, had to drop it simply because I was not having any fun.
I'm waiting for the console port of Hollow Knight.
I'm waiting for the console port of Hollow Knight.
Ghostmaster
Member
If that creature has a spiky shell and is walking in acid, then yes you are supposed to bounce of it with downward slashes while it moves... for now, later on that can be circumvented.
I tried getting into Axiom, but didn't really like it. Played over an hour and nothing I found in terms of weaponry was really ever very fun to use, which in turned killed my desire to play the game. Exploration is great, enemies to encounter while exploring is great, having absolutely no fun way of eliminating them isn't. /shrug
And yes, I know there wasn't a lot in the first metroid, but the game wasn't full of bullet sponges.
And yes, I know there wasn't a lot in the first metroid, but the game wasn't full of bullet sponges.
disappeared
Banned
If we're talking legit good Metroidvanias here...
Kadin
Member
Well shit... I'm an idiot. Thanks, I would have never thought to do that.
Well shit... I'm an idiot. Thanks, I would have never thought to do that.
They dont explicitly teach you to do that until the 3rd area. They expect you to experiment with all the enemies that crawl on the ground, but they should really force the player to learn that early. The game is a lot more fun if you are practicing that in the first few areas.
hey_it's_that_dog
benevolent sexism
Hollow Knight doesn't have the brisk pacing typical of metroidvanias. It feels more like a Souls game in the way that you take up residence in the game's world for a significant amount of time.
Sgt.Pepper
Banned
Yeah, I noticed.
First area was a huge slog. I guess I'm just used to this genre being fast/short.
depths20XX
Member
If we're talking legit good Metroidvanias here...
Yep, great game. Wish it was a bit longer, personally.
Soodanim
Member
I love seeing recommendations for good Metroidvanias. Just bought Ori and and a few others in the sale, now I'm going to look into Momodora.
As for Hollow Knight vs Axiom Verge, I haven't played more than an hour or two of AV yet but I do enjoy it. Hollow Knight on the other hand I've finished, but I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as other people in the early days of the OT or seemingly people still do now. It was a game I finished then uninstalled, knowing I was done with it. One of the flaws I do remember is that late game navigation took longer than I feel it should do. I've played Guacamelee through to 100% twice, and part of the reason is because once you've got a full power set you can get around most of the world with ease and with great speed. HK leaves you slowly traversing until the end with few places to use the ability you get.
As for Hollow Knight vs Axiom Verge, I haven't played more than an hour or two of AV yet but I do enjoy it. Hollow Knight on the other hand I've finished, but I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as other people in the early days of the OT or seemingly people still do now. It was a game I finished then uninstalled, knowing I was done with it. One of the flaws I do remember is that late game navigation took longer than I feel it should do. I've played Guacamelee through to 100% twice, and part of the reason is because once you've got a full power set you can get around most of the world with ease and with great speed. HK leaves you slowly traversing until the end with few places to use the ability you get.
If we're talking legit good Metroidvanias here...
I really liked Momodora but it felt like the prototype of a game more than a full game. It was very short and the combat never seemed to fully develop to an interesting system.
I picked up Hollow Knight during the steam sale and I prefer it significantly, the movement and combat already feel more interesting. I've only beaten the first two bosses, but they were more fun to fight than any of the Momodora bosses.
Can't speak to Axiom Verge, but if it's half as good as Hollow Knight I should probably pick it up.
Stealthcobra
Member
I just couldn't get into axiom verge, found it to be very boring
Finished Axiom Verge some time earlier in the year and it was a cool throwback to the original Metroid.
Played the first hour or so of Hollow Knight yesterday and I loved the Dark Souls vibe the game has and the early map shennanigans the game throws at you.
If you want some Metroid-style pew pew pew go for Axiom Verge, if you prefer what feels like tight melee combat go for HK.
Anyone could tell how Valdis Story fares in regards to those two games?
Played the first hour or so of Hollow Knight yesterday and I loved the Dark Souls vibe the game has and the early map shennanigans the game throws at you.
If you want some Metroid-style pew pew pew go for Axiom Verge, if you prefer what feels like tight melee combat go for HK.
Anyone could tell how Valdis Story fares in regards to those two games?
Another great metroidvania, very combat focused. I'd rank them:
1 Hollow Knight
2 Axiom Verge
3 Valdis Story
But if you value combat over exploration you could switch 2 and 3 around. Hollow Knight just kicks too much ass, it's the bully of metroidvania land.
Earthpainting
Member
I loved both, but if you're looking for the differences between the two, Axiom Verge is more like Metroid, while Hollow Knight is more like Castlevania. This isn't just in terms of types of combat, even though that'll be the most direct difference, but also in the style of exploration. Hollow Knight has light RPG systems in place, like pins to equip and money to grind, and has a much greater focus on its melee combat. Axiom Verge had no currencies to grind, is more about traversal than exploration, though all your upgrades are things you find in the world. If player skill is a factor for you, Axiom Verge is a much easier game, than Hollow Knight. The latter I had trouble with in several instances, while Axiom Verge was smooth sailing for the most part. If you're into this genre though, I'd recommend both easily.
Axiom Verge was fine for what it wanted to be, A 8-Bit Metroid with some new elements.
Played Hollow Knight yesterday the first time, and it just stands on his own as a great Metroidvania contender.
Can't wait to play more, but I'm getting the Pc next week, had it yesterday to try it out, where it can run in 4k and HDR, which is absolutely awesome on a 65" OLED!
Played Hollow Knight yesterday the first time, and it just stands on his own as a great Metroidvania contender.
Can't wait to play more, but I'm getting the Pc next week, had it yesterday to try it out, where it can run in 4k and HDR, which is absolutely awesome on a 65" OLED!
ronaldthump
Member
axiom verge was great. fun game. great take on metroidvania with some cool skills. had a blast with it. looked great for what it is to.
IIRC Team Cherry is relatively small and they're still working on the game (there's a free content update coming next month). I think work on the port only started recently when they contracted another team to help on the port. Source.
Oh well, it's less than 4€ in the current Steam Sales. BOUGHT.
Imp the Dimp
Member
After having finished both, I can conclude they're both absolutely goddamn excellent and well, WELL worth their money. I think I enjoyed HK more and frankly, it might just be a top 3 Metroidvania ever. Axiom Verge is very close, but it really oozes a different vibe, and also deviates strongly in gameplay by being ranged combat only.
You are a fool to skip either.
You are a fool to skip either.
breadtruck
Member
Im playing through Axiom Verge right now, and its amazing. I love everything about it.
Hollow Knight looks okay too, but I 100% feel I chose correctly when I was deciding between the two this past Steam sale. Axiom Verge is the fucking bomb yo.
Hollow Knight looks okay too, but I 100% feel I chose correctly when I was deciding between the two this past Steam sale. Axiom Verge is the fucking bomb yo.
Axiom Verge is a good game, but the movement abilities you attain do not make the game more fun to play and there are chunks were the game is tedious as hell until you unlock a movement ability. It's a flawed Metroid clone, but still an 8/10 game.
Hollow Knight is legit the best 2D Metroidvania game I've ever played, and I've played almost all of the big ones. Quick disclaimer: I love the Souls games, and Hollow Knight is the most effective non-Souls Souls game I've played as well. But back to Metroidvania. A key part of what makes the good titles stand apart from the generic ones is that each ability makes the game more fun to play instead of alleviating tedium that was present before. Like Metroid Zero Mission, all of the movement abilities in Hollow Knight make the movement, traversal, and combat systems more fun and engaging. The game starts out feeling like Shovel Knight, but after a few abilities gained, it's suddenly a mix of Super Meat Boy + Bleed. You're (mild ability spoilers
) in a beautiful dance. The Soundtrack, art, story, world, map design, etc are all fantastic, and there is only one room I can think of in the entire game that is badly designed. No hyperbole. The game is incredible and gives BotW, Persona, and Nier a run for their money in my favorite games of this year.
If I had to rank the Metroidvanias of my life, it'd be...
HK = Metroid Prime (Wii) > Metroid Zero Mission > Super Metroid (dislike the controls) > MP2 (Wii) > Order of Ecclesia = Aria of Sorrow > AM2R = Metroid Fusion > SotN (too easy, but that end credits song tho) > The Rest (including Axiom Verge)
Note: I have not played Ori, Momodora, MP3, Valdis Story, or Portrait of Ruin. I have not completed the original Metroid either as it's sadistically difficult.
Hollow Knight is legit the best 2D Metroidvania game I've ever played, and I've played almost all of the big ones. Quick disclaimer: I love the Souls games, and Hollow Knight is the most effective non-Souls Souls game I've played as well. But back to Metroidvania. A key part of what makes the good titles stand apart from the generic ones is that each ability makes the game more fun to play instead of alleviating tedium that was present before. Like Metroid Zero Mission, all of the movement abilities in Hollow Knight make the movement, traversal, and combat systems more fun and engaging. The game starts out feeling like Shovel Knight, but after a few abilities gained, it's suddenly a mix of Super Meat Boy + Bleed. You're (mild ability spoilers
walljumping, dashing, shooting shit, downstabbing, bouncing
If I had to rank the Metroidvanias of my life, it'd be...
HK = Metroid Prime (Wii) > Metroid Zero Mission > Super Metroid (dislike the controls) > MP2 (Wii) > Order of Ecclesia = Aria of Sorrow > AM2R = Metroid Fusion > SotN (too easy, but that end credits song tho) > The Rest (including Axiom Verge)
Note: I have not played Ori, Momodora, MP3, Valdis Story, or Portrait of Ruin. I have not completed the original Metroid either as it's sadistically difficult.