I love Hollow Knight. It is a beautiful and difficult game with a wonderful soundtrack.
i never beat hollowknight. I think i really wanted to beat it without looking anything up but that made the game too boring for me. I'd probably have more fun if I just looked up where to go. I've only played a few 2d metroid games + hollowknight but I think metroid fusion was probably my favorite. It felt more polished then super metroid but wasn't a very generic metroid experience like zero mission.
not a big fan of hollow knight, although i havent played it in a while. i've often had no idea what to do. it is a metroidvania, so i guess thats the point, but it always felt annoying seeing a few spots on the map that look like i could go through, only to waste a few minutes of traveling to see that its blocked off and i need an ability i dont yet have. and losing the shade felt annoying. especially when i was fighting a tough boss fight. i know i can often just destroy the shade and travel somewhere else, but i always think "im already at the boss fight, so might as well try and fail again". and sometimes i cant even do that and have to accept ill either have to fight a boss fight thats way too difficult for me or lose all my geo. it never felt like a fun challenge, it just felt annoying and wanted to make me rip my skin out. that being said, im glad people did enjoy the game. i wish i could overlook all that and enjoy it as well, because it can be very interesting. i would probably love it if just a few things were altered
as for my favorite metroidvania, its probably kirby and the amazing mirror (and the great cave offensive subgame in kirby superstar). it feels like the world in it fully open, and my progression isnt blocked off because i dont have a random ability yet. however, you still need the right copy abilities to get plenty of treasures. its a perfect mix of letting the player go around freely and things being closed off, and i wish more metroidvanias worked like this. exploration and combat are easily the most fun parts of kirby games, so i dont understand why hal leans so much into platforming when making them. seriously, that feels like the least interesting part of kirby games
I haven't played many.
Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission were very fun tough.
I tried SOTN, but it wasn't so fun.
Outer Wilds is my favourite metroidvania
But actually, I really liked La Mulana. Still need to finish the sequel.
Blasphemous 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lExJihxMXw