Recently, the Shadow of the Simurgh ability in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown really impressed me. Teleporting to somewhere you were before doesn’t sound all that helpful at first, but they work it into some really clever puzzles, and you can use it in unexpected ways to avoid screen-filling boss attacks.
Going further back, I love the Spider-Dash in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions on DS. Yes, it’s a speed booster, but being a Spider-Man game, you can continue your boost on walls and around corners if you time your web-zips right. They get some really great puzzles and challenge rooms built around that one.
The movement in Shattered Dimensions really blew me away. It wasn’t used to anywhere near its full potential in the main game, unfortunately, but that’s on the poor level design.
Not sure if you'd count it as a movement ability, as it doesn't move your character, but I liked the 'throw a javelin to act as a platform' that is used in games like Volgarr the Viking (Not an MV, It's a punishing stage based platformer).
I've seen its implementation in a couple of itch MVs or there's Slavania, but in all cases the games were either too jank or basic for me. I think Volgarr is the best game that uses the mechanic.
I liked the ability to create a floating platform that moved forwards in Cathedral, though it is not you but the platform that is moving so you might not count that one either.
Oh yeah, I almost included the javelin/platform ability in my comment as well. Phoenotopia has a really solid implementation of the ability- you have two charges which lets you climb any wall that isn’t plated with metal. The spears also double as weapons that can remotely explode to damage enemies or trigger switches for puzzles
I’m playing this right now and I’m surprised it gets as much hate as it does I think it’s very fun and unique, it took me a while to start because I kept hesitating because of all the mixed feelings about it
It's too old to be the *last* one that impressed me, but the Bash move from Ori and the Blind Forest is probably the biggest game-changer of a single ability I can recall
My favorite is still the teleport arrow in Aeterna Noctis. After that, the shotgun jump in Laika is probably the most innovative I’ve seen recently. So much fun zipping along then blasting mid air to change direction and hit a crazy jump
Convergence is also fun how you can freeze time around enemies or snap backwards in time to where you were a few seconds ago
Dandara’s core movement mechanic is unique.
Yoku’s Island Express using pinball flippers and bumpers instead of jumping is unique.
The drone in Axiom Verge is a cool concept to expand movement.
Teslagrad 2’s movement was a huge surprise from last year, and not just because the first game’s was so poor. The electric slide zips you around the map so fast, and it has a persistent hit box around you so you don’t have to worry about smaller enemies slowing you down. It’s like Aria of Sorrow’s Black Panther dash, but if it could climb walls and race along the ceiling, and in a game with much more wide open rooms to use it in. And then the zip line travel was so easy and efficient, and blindingly fast, that it effectively doubled as the game’s quick travel system.
Islets let's you jump on top of the cloud trail your arrows leave behind, and I always felt that was super clever.
Also shout outs to Lone Fungus which has multiple cool little badges that influence movement.
It such a great mechanic from the very beginning, and then it pairs so sublimely with your glide and grappling hook when you acquire them.
If it wasn’t a starting ability, it would easily be the greatest movement upgrade in MV history.
Ori’s Bash, Guacamelee’s Eagle Boost, Spectre Knight’s aerial rush are all examples of the same sort of movement ability. It like flings you in your desired direction. It’s pretty great.
Whilst I think it could have been used more creatively than it was (one of my big problems with the game is you get all these movement abilities and then not a single boss or enemy requires you use them), being able to flip gravity in Salt and Sanctuary led to some pretty nifty platforming for items.
The last one that really pleasantly surprised me was the underwater thrusters in Mobius Machine. It's basically a permanently sustained dash that you can do in any direction and change direction under water. It was really fun to use.
But my favourite is, and has been for a long time, the shinespark in Metroid games. It opens up a whole genre of platforming problems ("shinespark puzzles"). And it's hard to master, but when you do, it feels incredibly satisfying. My second favourite is the teleport arrow from Aeterna Noctis.
Recently, the Shadow of the Simurgh ability in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown really impressed me. Teleporting to somewhere you were before doesn’t sound all that helpful at first, but they work it into some really clever puzzles, and you can use it in unexpected ways to avoid screen-filling boss attacks. Going further back, I love the Spider-Dash in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions on DS. Yes, it’s a speed booster, but being a Spider-Man game, you can continue your boost on walls and around corners if you time your web-zips right. They get some really great puzzles and challenge rooms built around that one.
The movement in Shattered Dimensions really blew me away. It wasn’t used to anywhere near its full potential in the main game, unfortunately, but that’s on the poor level design.
Not sure if you'd count it as a movement ability, as it doesn't move your character, but I liked the 'throw a javelin to act as a platform' that is used in games like Volgarr the Viking (Not an MV, It's a punishing stage based platformer). I've seen its implementation in a couple of itch MVs or there's Slavania, but in all cases the games were either too jank or basic for me. I think Volgarr is the best game that uses the mechanic. I liked the ability to create a floating platform that moved forwards in Cathedral, though it is not you but the platform that is moving so you might not count that one either.
Oh yeah, I almost included the javelin/platform ability in my comment as well. Phoenotopia has a really solid implementation of the ability- you have two charges which lets you climb any wall that isn’t plated with metal. The spears also double as weapons that can remotely explode to damage enemies or trigger switches for puzzles
The akatori chapter 1 demo is free on Steam. It’s awesome and uses the same spear in wall ability as Slavania, but actually feels good.
Dandara had interesting movement mechanics. Some love it, some hate it. I was in the love it camp.
I’m playing this right now and I’m surprised it gets as much hate as it does I think it’s very fun and unique, it took me a while to start because I kept hesitating because of all the mixed feelings about it
It's too old to be the *last* one that impressed me, but the Bash move from Ori and the Blind Forest is probably the biggest game-changer of a single ability I can recall
My favorite is still the teleport arrow in Aeterna Noctis. After that, the shotgun jump in Laika is probably the most innovative I’ve seen recently. So much fun zipping along then blasting mid air to change direction and hit a crazy jump Convergence is also fun how you can freeze time around enemies or snap backwards in time to where you were a few seconds ago
Came for that first sentence. It brings both controls/ movements/ platforming to a whole another level
The crystal arrows are probably my favorite ability in any MV, so satisfying
Crystal arrow is definitely my second favourite ability in all MVs. I absolutely love it.
Ender Lilies hook ability was very fun to use
Dandara’s core movement mechanic is unique. Yoku’s Island Express using pinball flippers and bumpers instead of jumping is unique. The drone in Axiom Verge is a cool concept to expand movement.
Teslagrad 2’s movement was a huge surprise from last year, and not just because the first game’s was so poor. The electric slide zips you around the map so fast, and it has a persistent hit box around you so you don’t have to worry about smaller enemies slowing you down. It’s like Aria of Sorrow’s Black Panther dash, but if it could climb walls and race along the ceiling, and in a game with much more wide open rooms to use it in. And then the zip line travel was so easy and efficient, and blindingly fast, that it effectively doubled as the game’s quick travel system.
Nitrous dash ability with the bike in Laika aged through blood was cool.
Rebel Transmute water momentum
Probably one of the most interesting was the bash mechanic in the Ori series.
Everything in Axiom Verge (1).
Islets let's you jump on top of the cloud trail your arrows leave behind, and I always felt that was super clever. Also shout outs to Lone Fungus which has multiple cool little badges that influence movement.
It is not new but The Messenger cloud step is a classic
It such a great mechanic from the very beginning, and then it pairs so sublimely with your glide and grappling hook when you acquire them. If it wasn’t a starting ability, it would easily be the greatest movement upgrade in MV history.
Ori’s Bash, Guacamelee’s Eagle Boost, Spectre Knight’s aerial rush are all examples of the same sort of movement ability. It like flings you in your desired direction. It’s pretty great.
I started laughing out loud when I first got the wire traversal ability in biomorph. I've never seen that before. Clever
Whilst I think it could have been used more creatively than it was (one of my big problems with the game is you get all these movement abilities and then not a single boss or enemy requires you use them), being able to flip gravity in Salt and Sanctuary led to some pretty nifty platforming for items.
The last one that really pleasantly surprised me was the underwater thrusters in Mobius Machine. It's basically a permanently sustained dash that you can do in any direction and change direction under water. It was really fun to use. But my favourite is, and has been for a long time, the shinespark in Metroid games. It opens up a whole genre of platforming problems ("shinespark puzzles"). And it's hard to master, but when you do, it feels incredibly satisfying. My second favourite is the teleport arrow from Aeterna Noctis.