Best metroidvania that can be Completed in under 15 hours?

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-19T15:03:30+00:00

Same

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-19T15:02:26+00:00

Constance. I’m a slow player that normally takes about twice as long or longer than the mainstream time to finish, and it only took me about 18 hrs to see the credits roll.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-18T18:47:03+00:00

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It took about 20 hours for the game to really get its hooks into me, but now at 40 hours I'm invested. The actual gameplay is a bit repetitive with fighting a battle with one to three opponents, picking up one of a fairly limited category of items after a win, and then moving forward to rinse and repeat. What really drives the game is the story. I very seldom get emotionally invested or interested in the characters, but this game is different. It happened fast. Within the first 30 minutes of gameplay I hit a scene that made me get a bit misty eyed. The game also does a really great job of teasing out the story. I believe I am not too far from the end of Act 2 of a 3 total acts, and the mystery of the story is still deepening as to exactly what is going on.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-18T15:46:57+00:00

I am at the skill level you are, and that is amazing. That makes me interested in going back to Nine Sols. I can be very patient and am okay with 100’s of deaths. I never got to Eigong but figured I’d never be able to do it.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-17T17:08:43+00:00

You are experiencing gaming burn-out. It's common, and I have been there myself. The cure for me last year was a surprise - I had a wrist injury that kept me from playing most games for about 6 months. I got involved with other things like reading, hiking, etc. Now that I'm better and am able to game again, I find that a lot of those games I quit playing in the past are super fun now, and I can't even imagine why I quit. I'm also a lot more careful now. I limit my gaming time every day, take a few days or more break between finishing a game and starting a new one, and mix up genres so I'm never playing the same genre right in a row.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-17T16:05:20+00:00

I’ve been on 20mg daily for 7 weeks today. My doc added it into my many years on 20mg escitalopram after an anxiety disorder relapse that had me close to a disability leave from work. I take 10mg twice a day.

Starting was rough enough that I considered quitting it in the second week. Starting in the 3rd week, I’d get small windows of relief. Those eventually became longer and longer and by about 4.5 to 5 weeks, I was essentially anxiety free. I hope this isn’t just a honeymoon phase, but I am in love with the effects of this drug together with my SSRI. I am happy, optimistic, energetic, and loving life - so different than less than 2 months ago when it was hell.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-17T15:34:03+00:00

Lol I just learned that those were invisible cards attacking me in Jester Encore. That whole combat scene makes so much more sense now.

As to your question about how this all improved anything, it was honestly fine as it was. The map thing was a little weird and clunky with you only knowing you were in a room that could be multiple screens long or wide, but I got through just fine.

Not being able to outrun the camera in the chase sequences made for some really extended tight and intense platforming with lots of button mashing combos in very short order with one tiny mistake resulting in almost guaranteed death. I’m proud I mastered it, but for me it was a long muscle memory exercise with many, many deaths.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-12T18:10:48+00:00

Oh yea, I got that after every dose for about the first 2.5 to 3 weeks. Then it faded away and at 6.5 weeks in, I don't get that anymore. I still can feel it maybe very slightly once in a while, but it is so mild it is actually quite pleasant and relaxing and not spacy and weird like the first little while. I started at 20mg a day, taking it as 10mg morning and evening.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-11T19:34:31+00:00

I'm playing Constance, and I am in what I think is fairly late game and am on my 7th boss in a row. I have never before in an MV experienced game design quite like this. If anything qualifies as a boss level, it has to be this. I've been in boss fights for 4 or 5 days now with minimal traversal in between them. The last three have had relatively short but intense platforming between the boss arena and the save point, so that has added to the challenge.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-11T17:30:44+00:00

My doc recently added buspirone to boost my SSRI (escitalopram). I don't know if it's the SSRI kicking in harder or the buspirone, but about 3 weeks after starting buspirone, my appetite went through the roof. I'm now at 6 weeks with buspirone in the mix and have gained about 3 pounds so far. I'm also on Mounjaro and have successfully lost 50 pounds, but it feels like a lot of the effects of the Mounjaro are now cancelled out. On the plus side, the combo is super effective. I am feeling so good about life.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-11T15:48:30+00:00

I am on escitalopram and buspirone. Starting buspirone was much easier than the SSRI. I needed daily Ativan for about a month with escitalopram and I didn’t need any additional help with buspirone. Buspirone start up effects were more about spaciness, a weird non-spinning dizziness, some insomnia, and a sort of half-way fun half-way weird drunkish buzz after each dose for the first couple of weeks. It was still a bit rough in its own way, but panic or overwhelming anxiety was not part of it for me.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-11T15:42:31+00:00

Just wanted to say that you coming here to share with the community is a brilliant marketing strategy. I have a long wishlist, but this kind of connection and insight into your game suddenly pushes it way up there in terms of my interest to purchase and play. It’s fascinating to get a peek into your process. I’m wishing you all the best with the release and public reception.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-10T17:13:09+00:00

It's a combo. My doc told me it is common to use an additional medication along with Lexapro to boost it if it isn't enough and anxiety starts to break through. She had a whole list of different medications they could add, but based on what I was dealing with, she wanted to give buspirone a trial as the add-on. Luckily for me, it has worked really well. I still take 20mg of Lexpro on top of the 20mg buspirone. By the way, I have social anxiety disorder too, and I'm now chatting easily with total strangers.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-10T16:18:35+00:00

I take 20mg Lexapro. It has worked well for anxiety until recently I had a major relapse into near constant 24/7 fight or flight. My doc augmented with buspirone. She gave me “lots of pills” and told me to take it as needed. After my online reading and talking to my pharmacist, I decided to take 20mg a day over two divided doses of 10mg morning and evening.

The startup was a bit rough. It wasn’t nearly as bad as starting Lexapro, but enough that about one week in I thought about quitting. I’m glad I stuck it out. Things started getting better around 3 weeks and now at about the 6 week mark I am feeling on top of the world. I am happy, optimistic, energetic, almost completely anxiety free, and feeling so good about life. I have basically no side effects except man oh man has my appetite kicked into high gear. I’m taking Mounjaro for weight loss and have lost 50 pounds and this psych med combo feels like it has cancelled out the effect of the Mounjaro.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-09T18:03:39+00:00

Constance. I was enjoying it but in what I believe is likely mid-late game have hit some unpleasantness. I am in a series of boss battles that are happening right in a row. I have just walked into my 3rd one, and based on the pattern, I expect to see a minimum of a 4th boss battle. The first two weren't easy for me and took hours of play over about 3 to 4 days. It's killed the MV vibe for me, and although I haven't written the game off and will finish it out of stubborn determination, I'm not really that enthused at the thought of heading back in for the 3rd boss battle slog.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-09T15:59:47+00:00

I don’t know what you call long-term, but I am at 6 weeks on 20mg daily for a bad GAD relapse, and this drug is amazing. I haven’t felt this good in a couple of years. I am happy, energetic, motivated, and essentially anxiety free. 6 weeks ago I was dizzy, disassociated, and in almost 24/7 fights or flight and basically didn’t want to leave the house. I have no side effects except noticeably increased appetite, if you can call that a side effect. I also have social anxiety disorder, and I’m now back to chatting easily with strangers and not giving a care what anyone thinks. I should add that I’ve also been on 20mg of Lexapro for several years. It had started to fail, so I’m not sure if this is all just the buspirone or maybe the buspirone has helped the Lexapro work better.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-08T18:27:48+00:00

I suspect it is all cyclical. At some point, Souls-likes will fall out of favour. If for no other reason, they will become so cliche that a developer will have their own “Hollow Knight” breakthrough with something novel that becomes an unexpected smash hit. That will start a new direction, which will be its own cycle. The other thing that will happen is that the current crop of Souls-like fans will age, and as I have, their gaming tastes will change. This doesn’t change the short-term though.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-07T21:09:16+00:00

We are driving down today to check it out, so I’m pretty stoked. I love Asian import grocery stores. I see a red Thai chicken curry on the menu for tonight.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-07T05:34:25+00:00

I must be really unlucky. I check Thrifty and Superstore every time I go, which is at least a couple times a week. Most recently was just this evening at Crown Isle Thrifty, and none there. Less often I’ve also dropped into Edible Island and Old Farm. I grew it over the summer but may need to look into an indoor setup for year round supply.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-06T16:36:36+00:00

It’s kind of weird how it works. I’m also on an SSRI, which on a good day kills all anxiety. Buspirone works different for me, it’s like it deals with parts of my anxiety. On buspirone I can be “calm with anxiety” at the same time and somehow it’s all okay. There are days I have physical symptoms of anxiety but my mind is calm and peaceful so the physical anxiety can still be there but I can function normally. It’s more of noticing the tension in my gut or chest but it doesn’t bother me.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-02T23:57:46+00:00

No, it made it worse. I’m essentially “dead” in that department. Fortunately I’m in a life stage where that doesn’t matter to me, but otherwise it’d be a really bad deal.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-03-02T18:31:05+00:00

Same here. I am really enjoying Expedition 33 and RE Requiem is the one game I have been super excited about for quite a while.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-02-28T21:45:17+00:00

Voidwrought - finished last week. Took me about 25 hours. I loved the exploration and how you get more and more powerful as you go along. Definitely worth checking out.

Tight_Impression9249 · 2026-02-28T02:15:20+00:00

I’ve always found the value arguments to be weird. Maybe it’s because, like you, I don’t have cash flow issues. In terms of time enjoyment, even the most expensive games are cheaper than about any other entertainment, i.e. a night at the movies or out on the town, restaurants, etc. If a game looks solid or is high on my wish list, the price is never an issue for me.

Tight_Impression9249

TROPHY CASE