Axiom Verge

While Axiom Verge saw a sequel in 2021, the 2015 original still stands out as the superior game. And what a game. Too many Metroid-likes make the serious mistake of attempting to directly emulate Nintendo’s classic series, and die by comparison. Axiom Verge boldly decides to be extraordinarily similar, and then shines by the comparison.

Trace Eschenbrenner is a scientist who finds himself, after a Hadron-like device goes rather wrong, on the alien planet Sudra. He’s tasked with trying to re-power a giant metal head called Elsenova, which involves—as you might expect—exploring in multiple directions at great length, gathering new exploratory abilities along the way.

Its 16-bit aesthetics and familiar gloomy passageways hide an enormous amount of smartness going on here, where the emulation is all part of the narrative, complete with glitching screens that must be “debugged” to make progress. Also, you get a grappling hook, which automatically makes it a great game.