The long-awaited game, titled “Hollow Knight: Silksong,” is now available for players! Over the years, there were numerous delays that left some questioning whether it would ever see the light of day or become a running joke indefinitely. Fortunately, the developers at Team Cherry utilized this additional time to strive towards creating an exceptional game, if not nearly perfect. Despite encountering numerous obstacles along the way (some caused by internal pressures and others possibly due to harsh development conditions), Team Cherry has once again delivered a top-notch, immersive gaming experience.
The upcoming game, titled Hollow Knight: Silksong, is the highly-anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed and commercially successful indie game Hollow Knight, released in 2017. Initially conceived as an expansion pack for the original game, Silksong eventually surpassed those initial plans and evolved into a full-fledged sequel that took a total of eight years to develop. First unveiled in 2019, it was finally launched on various platforms including Nintendo Switch (and its successor), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on September 4, 2025.
The small indie studio behind Silksong, consisting of just a few team members, is poised for greatness, though they still have room to grow. While the game is remarkable, there are flaws present in this sequel.
Rating: 4/5
| Pros | Cons |
| Beautiful aesthetics | Unfairly punishing at times |
| Solid progression of difficulty and improvement | Long runbacks lead to poor pacing |
| Phenomenal lore and storytelling | Overpowered enemies |
| Excellent price point | Frustrating economy |
Silksong Looks Amazing — And Its Detail Is Why It’s Such a Success
In Silksong, the first thing you’ll notice is its intricately woven world. It’s meticulously constructed with such detail that each region feels unique and visually stunning. The interactions within the game are smooth, but it’s the art design that truly sets this game apart from others: it’s breathtakingly beautiful to behold. In a sense, its art design shares similarities with that of the Ori games. However, what makes it uniquely distinct is its color palette. It seems as though each area is characterized by a single shade, although multiple variations of this shade are present on the screen simultaneously. And the way the Hornet contrasts against these hues ensures that the main character always stands out, even when the backdrop tries to overpower.
This setup enhances the game’s atmosphere significantly, thanks to a captivating soundtrack. Over time, video game music has improved drastically, and some fans can even enjoy listening to it apart from playing the game and become enamored with the game world. This is precisely what Silksong achieves. However, your persistent drive to advance and excel might make you press on, yet there are instances when the music fades slightly, making you feel as if you’re truly in the cave, showcasing exceptional design in game development.
Exploring the world of Silksong brings a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction. The joy of traversing through levels and discovering new elements is undoubtedly what I cherish the most about the game – exploration offers the greatest rewards. While boss fights mainly serve as progression markers and don’t provide much in return, exploring can yield valuable items, upgrades, and precious rosary beads. Unfortunately, this focus on exploration has resulted in my first significant challenge with the game: managing its economy.
Silksong’s Economy Holds It Back and Makes the Game Tedious At Times
In contrast to what capitalistic principles might suggest, the game Silksong is priced at just $20, reflecting Team Cherry’s dedication to delivering an affordable product in today’s market where $80 has become almost standard. Yet, in the fictional world of Silksong, capitalism is depicted as one of the major antagonists you will encounter.
In this game, some benches, fast-travel spots, and various items require beads for use or acquisition, yet acquiring these beads can prove challenging. Only a limited number of enemies drop beads upon defeat, and while you might come across strings and containers of beads during exploration, the supply is often insufficient to purchase all desirable items. Farming the currency is feasible but becomes repetitive, detracting from the game’s enjoyable aspects.
Instead of adventuring or battling numerous strong leaders, I encountered frequent roadblocks by repeatedly entering rooms, slaying adversaries, gathering trinkets, leaving, taking a rest on the bench, and then repeating this cycle. Despite the swiftness in finding these trinkets, it disrupts the game’s rhythm. The only purpose for this repetition is that items are costly, and many enemies do not drop them. Additionally, I discovered that they can easily be misplaced, especially during a challenging boss battle that necessitated a lengthy return trip after death.
Brutal Runbacks and Painful Boss Fights Hurt Silksong‘s Pacing
In simpler terms, some aspects of this game can be incredibly frustrating. For instance, I encountered a challenging boss fight in Shellwood, where multiple waves of enemies required me to navigate between rooms. Due to my skill level, I had to repeatedly jump back and forth in the previous room for what felt like an eternity, only to die during the third wave and start the process all over again. This wasn’t a one-off experience; there are numerous battles where you must retrace your steps due to the lack of a quick save point, which can be quite tedious.
If foes lurk on those paths, similar to those encountered while jumping across that room, it can be tough to return to the boss with maximum health and resources like silk. In such situations, these bosses may prove too formidable to overcome unless you start in optimal condition. Interestingly, reattempts are a common feature of both Soulslikes and Metroidvanias, but they are arguably the least enjoyable aspect of these genres.
The problem is exacerbated by challenging supervisors. A significant number of these managers you’ll encounter, right from the start, dish out double the damage compared to ‘Hollow Knight’. Although the healing mechanism has been enhanced, it doesn’t quite compensate for the increased damage, making the game even more difficult. Regrettably, this isn’t done to make the experience more rewarding; it’s just designed to be tough for its own sake.
After defeating a formidable foe in a game, there’s an overwhelming sense of joy, but it’s not fulfillment – it’s a sigh of relief. Relief from avoiding the grueling onslaught of powerful attacks by the enemy or the tedious journey back after repeated failures. It’s expected that tough bosses should provide a sense of accomplishment, but in ‘Silksong’, it often seems like you’re being subjected to challenges without any clear justification. Most of the bosses simply open a door – just a door – and considering the effort put into defeating them, players like me feel that we deserve more than such minimal rewards.
In essence, there’s an element in these battles that keeps gamers engaged repeatedly. I wasn’t aware of any substantial reward at the end, yet I persisted in attempting to conquer the boss over and over again. To be honest, I feel quite proud of myself for eventually defeating Fourth Chorus without suffering a single scratch. However, it took me an extensive amount of time to accomplish this, which noticeably slowed down the game’s progression.
Skill Issue or Not, Silksong Makes Things Harder Than It Needs to
It’s clear that the increased difficulty in Hollow Knight’s sequel isn’t unique to me; seasoned players from the genre have also noted this challenge. Despite being a follow-up to a tough game, it’s essential to remember that a sequel is simply another installment, not inherently required to surpass its predecessor in terms of difficulty. Team Cherry opted to make the game more difficult, not because they were obligated to, but out of their own creative decisions.
Several elements of this game seem excessively challenging, making it feel unfairly difficult at times. For instance, the ordinary opponents are both powerful and annoying, often knocking you off platforms even if you manage to dodge their attacks. Additionally, the airborne enemies can be especially problematic. The game’s design appears to focus on capitalizing on any errors, with even the slightest mistake leading to severe penalties.
One of my significant irritations was that slight mistakes in timing an attack could lead to my character’s demise, requiring a restart from the beginning of the boss fight. Moreover, Hornet’s move set is all about speed, which I greatly appreciated during dash attacks for swift damage and positioning adjustments. However, if the enemy is even slightly closer than anticipated, a slight touch can cause substantial harm, even when the enemy seems to be stunned or downed.
The game design in Silksong seems to have an issue; it asks for both quick movements and pinpoint precision from players, which can be challenging and frustrating. In an action-packed game like this, players should be encouraged rather than penalized for slight mistakes during fast-paced play. If, on the other hand, precision is prioritized, then the speed aspect feels out of place and makes things more difficult for the player.
Silksong Is Sometimes Maddeningly Difficult but Always Alluring
Each of these points might result in some discouraging instances. When you almost conquer a boss, but then need to start from scratch, it’s quite challenging. Since the moves aren’t always repeated in the same sequence, memorizing them won’t bring you any closer to winning. I can’t even count how often I came within just a few blows of vanquishing an adversary, only to lose during the initial phase on the next try. It may seem like you’re not advancing or picking up new skills.
Beneath the surface of frustration lies an unwavering desire to understand. I’ve never been the type of gamer who seeks challenging games, preferring to ease up on the difficulty whenever possible (something I secretly wish was adjustable in Silksong). My goal is enjoyment, not perspiration and irritation due to my limited skills. However, with Silksong, it wasn’t about improving or showing off; it transformed into a compulsion.
In my numerous attempts against that formidable boss or navigating through an extremely tough platforming level, every setback served to intensify my relentless determination to emerge victorious. Even if I failed after 87 attempts in another game, I wouldn’t have persevered; however, in this case, I couldn’t quit. Quite the contrary, I yearned for the challenge. The frustration felt fueled my ambition for a triumphant victory. While the actual rewards within the game weren’t particularly fulfilling, I found myself compelled to continue. This is what makes Silksong exceptional despite its demanding and occasionally cruel challenges. As I played, thoughts like “This is a work of art” and “I can’t stand this game” could both cross my mind.
As you advance, the difficulties seem less formidable because your skills and abilities have improved over time, making earlier challenges appear more manageable now than they did initially. This isn’t to say that the challenges themselves become simpler, but rather that your growth allows for a smoother experience as you revisit earlier sections of the expansive map.
The game effectively enhances your skills over time through its features and challenges. It’s well-balanced such that the difficulty level progresses at a pace similar to your own skill development. As you advance, the game becomes more challenging, but due to your improving abilities, the increased difficulty often goes unnoticed because you find yourself “getting better.” In the words of Hornet from the initial game, it’s like you’re “becoming skilled.
Through it All, Team Cherry Has Crafted a Hit With Silksong
Although it may appear that I have numerous complaints about this game, that’s not the full story. As someone who doesn’t typically enjoy Metroidvanias, this specific title has piqued my interest and made me want to explore more games within this genre. Despite its flaws, I find myself returning to it time and again, even though I didn’t anticipate enjoying a sequel to Hollow Knight for years. It’s clear that the game is excellent in its own right, despite any shortcomings it may have.
A significant aspect of Silksong is skillfully woven into its narrative, with a rich tapestry of lore that is not force-fed but subtly conveyed through character interactions, making them optional yet immensely rewarding. While the game does feature cutscenes, skimping on these engrossing moments would be missing out on valuable insights about Hornet, Pharloom, and other intriguing characters. Despite my occasional gripes about the pacing, I found myself looking forward to the carefully placed cutscenes, as they provided tantalizing glimpses into the world’s depth.
The captivating storyline of Hornet’s Tale may not be hastily transformed into a film or TV series, yet it underscores the increasing standard and abundance of genuine storytelling in video games. Interestingly, the game didn’t necessarily need an engrossing narrative; its immersive environment, thrilling gameplay, and wealth of content were sufficient on their own. However, the developers opted to incorporate one anyway.
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2025-09-12 03:43