Multiformat

It’s obvious this is all part of the same madness that has overtaken every (non-Japanese) publisher since the beginning of the year, with the layoffs, the sudden pivot to live service games, and going multiformat.

Most Metroidvanias are multiformat indie games, so there’s Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, Axiom Verge (the closest to the actual Metroid series), Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night (the closest to Castlevania), SteamWorld Dig 2, Guacamelee, and Owlboy.

Ignoring the Red Ring of Death controversy was reasonably easy when you put into consideration the quality of the online service, the controllers, the multiformat performance and achievements becoming a thing.