Both of these genres aren’t well defined words, and because games can vary so much in mechanics and presentation, they only need to share some qualities to be understood as such
If the map is gated by movement/combat abilities, used identically to how you use them in actual combat, it’s a metroidvania. If it’s gated by anything else, it isn’t.
Both of these genres aren’t well defined words, and because games can vary so much in mechanics and presentation, they only need to share some qualities to be understood as such
Metroidvania is extremely well defined.
If the map is gated by movement/combat abilities, used identically to how you use them in actual combat, it’s a metroidvania. If it’s gated by anything else, it isn’t.