The best Metroidvanias capture what makes Metroid and Castlevania so iconic and combine them to make a product that stands on its own. This task is much harder than it sounds, but one title that rose to the occasion is 2018’s Timespinner by Lunar Ray Games.
Timespinner is such a success that a sequel has been announced on Steam. Unfortunately, the Steam listing doesn’t elude to a release date, but the title can be added to your Wishlist. You can also check out the trailer on Lunar Ray Games’ official YouTube Channel.
There’s plenty to unpack in the trailer, but the gameplay looks silky smooth, and the visuals are gorgeous. The original Timespinner was heavily inspired by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and that inspiration is evident in the trailer footage as well.
Timespinner entered development after a successful Kickstarter Campaign all the way back in 2015. The project quickly grew in scope, and backers wouldn’t see their pledges come to fruition until 2018, but it seems it was worth the wait. Timespinner received favorable reviews and is sitting on an 88% positive review score on Steam at the time of writing.
Kickstarter is a fantastic resource for game developers as it can unlock funding and serve as a proof of concept. The site is also great for judging critical reception and highlights public interest in projects. That said, many are wary of Kickstarter projects, as for every success story, there are plenty of publically reported failures. Timespinner is a great example of crowd-funding done right, and it’s fantastic to see they don’t even need Kickstarter to develop the sequel.
If you’re a fan of Metroidvanias, this is one to keep an eye on. Learn more at timespinner2.com.
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