roid van ia ▁is ▁generally ▁associated ▁with ▁game ▁levels / maps ▁that ▁are ▁laid ▁out ▁as ▁two - dimensional ▁side ▁scroll ers , ▁with ▁the ▁player ▁character ▁moving ▁left , ▁right , ▁up ▁and ▁down ▁through ▁the ▁level . ▁These ▁games ▁typically ▁are ▁rendered ▁using ▁two - dimensional ▁graphics , ▁but ▁can ▁include ▁ 2 . 5 D - render ed ▁games ▁using ▁ 3 D ▁graphics ▁engines ▁but ▁limit ing ▁player ▁movement ▁to ▁two ▁dimensions , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁a for ement ioned ▁Sh adow ▁Complex . ▁The ▁expl oration ▁and ▁character ▁development ▁concepts ▁of ▁Met roid van ias ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁other ▁gen res , ▁though ▁these ▁games ▁typically ▁are ▁not ▁categor ized ▁as ▁Met roid van ias . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁Met roid ▁Prime ▁tr il ogy ▁is ▁a ▁first - person ▁advent ure ▁that ▁builds ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁style ▁of ▁expl oration ▁play ▁as ▁Met roid . ▁Dark ▁Sou ls ▁is ▁a ▁third - person ▁action ▁role - play ing ▁game ▁lo os ely ▁considered ▁a ▁Met roid van ia ▁featuring ▁" soft ▁lo cks " ▁– ▁obst acles ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁b oss ▁characters ▁that ▁are ▁difficult ▁but ▁not ▁impossible ▁to ▁defeat ▁when ▁the ▁player - character ▁is ▁starting ▁out , ▁and ▁become ▁much ▁easier ▁to ▁defeat ▁with ▁increased ▁experience ▁and ▁ab ilities . ▁The ▁third - person ▁action / b raw ler ▁Bat man : ▁Ark ham ▁series ▁also ▁uses ▁similar ▁concepts ▁as ▁a ▁Met roid van ia , ▁with ▁Bat man ▁collect ing