[PC] 2D, dark fantasy metroidvanias that are actually dark, not edgy or cheesy
Recently I had a look at some metroidvanias, and I noticed a trend. Whenever someone makes one in a dark fantasy, it always goes in one of two directions: either the cheesy, tacky, anime-like kind of dark fantasy, inspired by Castlevania (e.g. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Odallus: The Dark Call), or the edgy, gothic kind, no doubt inspired by Dark Souls 3, that bashes you over the head with how "dark" it is, by including a small town's worth of dismembered bodies, about 5 gallons of blood, and a dozen satanic symbols as part of every room's decor (e.g. Blasphemous, Dark Devotion).
What are my options if I want something actually dark and eerie? Something that instead of making me go "that's fucking brutal" in Nathan Explosion's voice, will make me feel intimidated by its environments and somewhat scared of its enemies, even despite the fact I can take them on?
TIA.
Posted Oct 11, 2023, 8:43 AM UTC · edited