From Dracula’s Halls to New Metroidvania Frontiers
For players raised on Castlevania’s candle-lit corridors and looping backtracking, Metroidvanias remain the most reliable comfort food in games. That familiar rhythm—finding a new ability, mentally rewiring the map, and opening up old areas in surprising ways—still defines the genre’s appeal. But instead of endless gothic castles, a new wave of Metroidvania games is experimenting with themes, art styles, and combat flavors that channel the same core itch without feeling like cover bands. Wolfhound, Rewilders: The Lost Spring, and Possessor(s) all borrow Castlevania’s tight combat, labyrinthine exploration, and steady progression, then remix them into pulp war fiction, creature-collecting roguelite runs, and neon-drenched urban horror. Each speaks to a different type of Castlevania fan: those who crave grim, besieged strongholds; those who enjoy system-heavy experimentation; and those who chase eye-catching, art-driven indies. If you miss the grind of Dracula’s castle, these are the new metroidvania games to watch next.
Wolfhound: WWII Pulp As a Castlevania Style Metroidvania
Wolfhound is the closest spiritual cousin to classic Castlevania, even though its monsters wear jackboots instead of capes. You play Capt. Chuck “Wolfhound” Rossetti, a one-man army infiltrating a mysterious Axis base hidden in the Bermuda Triangle. Structurally, it’s pure Metroidvania: a dangerous island layered with forests, caverns, and fortified interiors that gradually open up as you gain new tools and skills. The hook is its sci-fi WWII backdrop—Nazi super-science experiments and horrific creations replace vampires and werewolves, but the sense of pushing deeper into enemy territory will feel instantly familiar. Previews describe it as an 8-bit throwback that has clearly studied the classics, evoking late-’80s exploratory platformers in both difficulty and tone. If you love Castlevania’s punishing combat loops and the satisfaction of mastering a hostile map, Wolfhound looks like a Castlevania style Metroidvania with a fresh, pulp-war coat of paint.
Rewilders: The Lost Spring Reimagines Exploration Through Creatures and Roguelite Runs
Where Castlevania leans into cursed castles and creeping decay, Rewilders: The Lost Spring swings in the opposite direction: bright, creature-filled landscapes and a focus on healing a damaged world. Early Rewilders Lost Spring gameplay showcases a blend of creature-collecting and roguelite structure layered over Metroidvania-style traversal. Instead of steadily conquering a single static map, you tackle runs that remix routes and encounters, then use what you’ve earned to push farther next time. The creatures you befriend become your toolkit, enabling new ways to move, attack, or access previously unreachable paths, echoing how classic Castlevania spells and relics unlocked shortcuts and secrets. That roguelite angle means a higher tolerance for experimentation and failure, rewarding players who enjoy replaying areas with different builds. If your favorite part of Metroidvanias is iterating on your loadout and testing new synergies, Rewilders may be your next obsession.
Possessor(s): Style, Speed, and a City Under Siege
Possessor(s), from Heart Machine—the studio behind Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash—targets Castlevania fans who chase atmosphere and aesthetics as much as mechanics. Recently launched on PS5 and PC, this stylish Metroidvania is now jumping to the new Switch hardware, expanding its reach to handheld players. You control Luca, a high-school student possessed by the demon Rhem, trying to survive in the ruined city of Sanzu. The possession premise fuels both story and combat: rather than wielding traditional swords or whips, Luca fights with everyday objects like hockey sticks, guitars, and even a computer mouse, creating a scrappy, improvisational feel. Reviews at launch were mixed-to-positive, praising the fast-paced action and narrative while noting some rough edges, but its visual flair remains undeniable. If your favorite Castlevania entries are the ones with striking art direction and slick movement, Possessor metroidvania Switch owners can soon dive into this moody urban labyrinth.
Which New Metroidvania Belongs in Your Backlog?
All three of these new metroidvania games echo Castlevania in different ways. Wolfhound is for purists: its 8-bit throwback look, tough combat, and sprawling, interconnected Axis base mirror the methodical grind of pushing deeper into Dracula’s castle, just with Nazi super-science and mutants instead of vampires. Rewilders: The Lost Spring will appeal if Symphony-like exploration is only half the draw for you, and the other half is experimenting with builds and systems. Its creature-collecting and roguelite layer promise endless runs that keep traversal feeling fresh. Possessor(s) is the pick for art-driven indie fans, folding fast, expressive combat and a possession-driven narrative into a haunting urban setting that feels far from high fantasy but hits similar emotional beats. Whichever path you choose, Castlevania’s core loop—fight, explore, upgrade, repeat—remains the beating heart, proving the formula is far from running dry.
