I am once again asking you to get my pick for the most underrated Metroidvania on Steam while it's only $5

Nov. 24, 2023



Everyone and their dog should play Valdis Story: Abyssal City

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After 10 years, Valdis Story: Abyssal City still sits in my brain like an oddly comforting Mind Flayer tadpole, and with it being$5.24 in the Steam Autumn Sale, you have no reason not to join me in the bliss of this criminally underrated Metroidvania.

It’s one of the more RPG-heavy Metroidvanias I’ve played, but exploration feels great too, with that classic gameplay flow of obtaining new abilities that unlock previously out-of-reach areas. My fondest memories are of the boss battles, or rather, of absolutely destroying bosses by combining specific skills with armor pieces that feel like a prelude to the Hollow Knight charm system that’s become so popular nowadays. Look past the magic swordsman motif and you’ll find some off-beat warrior-monk builds that are a blast to play.

The music is great and it’s got a lot of game on its bones. I just checked my Steam library to confirm: my playthrough took 24 hours, and that’s just with one of the game’s multiple playable characters. Valdis Story may have 2,219 Steam user reviews and a “very positive” score, but it’s still my pick for the most underrated Metroidvania out there.

Here are our picks for the 25best Metroidvania gamesout there.

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