After 7 years from the first title, Silksong is in our hands! Team Cherry has finally given birth to one of the most awaited titles by players around the world. The question is: will it be worth waiting so long?
It was February 14, 2019 when Hollow Knight: Silksong was announced with a trailer. The title, which was previously supposed to be a DLC, becomes a stand-alone game and therefore a full-fledged sequel.
From that day on, there was a blanket of silence about the title without fans knowing anything about it. The hype continued to grow and with it the desire to see more. An unfulfilled desire that created many doubts and memes with which the community tried to mask the frustration and anticipation. There was also a fear that the title might never see the light of day until August 21, 2025.
During Gamescom, out of the blue, a trailer announces the release of the game on September 4, 2025.
From that day on, delirium! On day one, digital distribution platforms go down due to the amount of users connected at the same time. There are no official figures yet, an estimated 5 million copies have been sold so far on all platforms. Just think that it reached 3 million in the first 3 days of launch. This data, if confirmed, would represent the best launch ever for an indie game.
Now the question is: was it worth it?
Let’s see it together.
Hornet, the princess-protector of Hallownest
Hornet already plays a key role in the first Hollow Knight. It protects, tests and simultaneously helps the Hollow Knight in his adventure.
In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hornet is the main protagonist. Trapped in a cage by insects foreign to Hallownest, she manages to free herself. Finding herself in the lower part of a new region (Pharloom), she wants to make her way to the citadel to understand the reasons behind her kidnapping.
Hornet is not the hollow knight: he speaks and interacts with the world around him. This makes the narrative more active, giving excellent NPCs and interactions that are definitely worth remembering.
Once the game has started we have 5 masks and the spool underneath them. This is the new healing mechanism that allows you to collect silk to heal yourself. Unlike the previous chapter, once we have collected the right amount of silk we can cure ourselves. We take care of 3 masks at a time and run out of silk. We can collect this resource by hitting enemies with our needle.
Hornet starts with a moveset similar to the first Hollow Knight, except for one detail: the pogo stick. In fact, this maneuver is different from the previous chapter because it involves a 45 degree descent instead of the downward blow. At the beginning this maneuver can be unsettling, especially because from the first hours the game presents us with difficult platform phases.
You can remedy this “problem” and also change the moveset, we will talk about it now, dealing with the next topic.
Gameplay and character progression
The gameplay is more frenetic and acrobatic, perfect for representing the protagonist. In Hollow Knight: Silksong the character progression has been intelligently developed and articulated. Interconnected with this is the creation of character builds thanks to two factors: tools and skill pins.
The tools are one of the new features of the gameplay: they can be equipped in special slots and have limited use. They can be refilled at benches by spending shard fragments, one of the 2 currencies in the game. The skills, already present in Hollow Knight, are divided into different categories with different symbols and colors. Speaking of this subdivision, the system of emblems comes into play. Hornet can choose from several.
Each emblem has a different moveset, unique abilities, and skill slots. The slots are finite in number but can be expanded thanks to the memory lockets, scattered throughout the depths of Pharloom. The emblem can vary both the amplitude and speed of the hits, with consequences also on the pogo stick. Without giving away spoilers, there is an emblem that will make those who were used to the platforming of the first title feel at ease. Hornet can also equip special attacks at the cost of silk, you can obtain this magic moves in very different and hard ways.
More than in the first game, in Hollow Knight: Silksong the right emblem with the right abilities can make the difference between victory and defeat. I won’t say how many there are because some are hidden or decidedly cumbersome quest rewards. There is no shortage of powers to unlock during the adventure, mask fragments, upgrades for the needle and the spool.
World building and interconnection
Let’s start by saying one thing: the map building in Hollow Knight: Silksong is incredible. The work done is jaw-dropping, both on an aesthetic and map design level. Pharloom is a region where pilgrims travel to the citadel in search of salvation, or supposed salvation. The areas that compose it are truly many and are integrated with each other with great care. There are so many details on the screen and there are many ways and approaches to reach the same area.
The same approach to an area can vary from player to player. Already in the first hours we can choose multiple roads and even arrive in decidedly dangerous areas. The world of Hollow Knight: Silksong is constantly changing, thanks in part to our actions. A system of primary and secondary quests helps the player not to lose sight of the objective, but at the same time encourages him to explore. The secrets and hidden areas are numerous, passages, secret benches and shortcuts are the order of the day. This leads the player to control any walls and ravines. Each wall could contain a passage and its reward. I don’t think I found all the secrets during my run, but I can say that even the most “normal” place can contain something.
In addition to this, each area has its own challenge to offer the player, not only in combat but also in platforming. In Silksong the platforming element is enormous and at certain points it becomes extreme. The player will have to know how to use all of Hornet’s capabilities, where some sections are really not for everyone, and I’m not kidding.
A not silent narrative
The narrative evolves thanks to the fact that Hornet speaks and has a very strong character. This allows the inclusion of interesting NPCs. Hollow Knight: Silksong has also surpassed its predecessor in the creation and characterization of NPCs. Well designed and well written, and some will be able to win the hearts of players.
The interactions are engaging as Hornet confronts and clashes with the world and creatures around her. In some areas we find settlements where we find NPCs, merchants and the secondary quest board (Wish). Check the noticeboards at constant intervals because they update based on certain events. Completing side quests also changes the surrounding world. For example, a mini boss fight that others usually face in a certain place, I faced in another area of that area and later in the game. This is because I had completed a quest previously which simply altered the course of events.
This quest system tells more about the surrounding world and helps the player with good rewards. Do as many quests as possible because unfortunately no one tells you that completing certain quests can lead you to a secret quest and the infamous Act 3. In fact, the imprint of Souls is reflected on Hollow Knight: Silksong, beyond the corpse run, almost exclusively on the progression and discovery of “secrets”. Buying all the goods from the merchants, exhausting the NPCs’ dialogues. Checking their movements is essential! In this case, listening to dialogues and backtracking are essential, especially after certain events.
There is also a gem that recalls a traumatic (for me) event in Bloodborne. Try to meet a fly with a strange cage, no need to say anything else.
Despite all the precautions, you still risk missing some quest lines or particular events. And without anyone telling us. What a shame.
Aesthetics and music
I cannot avoid what Silksong gives to the eyes, ears and soul of the player. The aesthetic realization is valuable, rich in details and very varied. Pharloom areas are very varied in color appearance. Each area has a unique color theme that represents the mood it wants to convey to the player very well. The protagonist and the NPCs are well cared for and animated. Furthermore, the details are so many and meticulous. The enemies are also well characterized and have their own animations and movesets. Furthermore, all this care serves to tell the lore of the game, where even the smallest detail is not placed by chance.
Now let’s talk about the soundtrack and sound design. Let’s start with the soundtracks composed in an excellent, relevant and engaging way. Each area, event or boss fight has a theme that manages to enhance what is happening even more. Sometimes I had to turn down the volume because I was too busy listening to the music rather than concentrating on the challenge. The composer’s ability is evident when the audio commentary adds emotion and tension, involving the player. Even a simple battle becomes epic thanks to the music that accompanies it. To give you an idea, I can tell you that I think it is slightly inferior to the work done on Expedition 33, to give a better idea.
Regarding the sound design, the idea of singing is notable. Natural and primary communication way of man, which is used as a means of discovery and lore. All NPCs sing and, despite the language made of “strange sounds”, the feelings and sensations they transmit are unmistakable. Often we will hear an NPC before we see it. His voice will guide us towards him across the map. As a final treat, and without giving too many spoilers, Hornet can “make the NPCs sing”. This is a detail that serves to enrich the lore of the characters and demonstrates the care with which this game was made.
A DLC-flavored sequel
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the issue why Hollow Knight: Silksong is creating conflicting opinions. The difficulty of the game is not simply a perception of some, Hollow Knight: Silksong is really difficult. Both the platforming and combat phases are brutal and offer no discounts to the player.
In this case the game reveals its previous nature as DLC. From the first hours, the game poses challenges comparable to the second half of the first Hollow Knight. Complex platforming phases even on the first maps and common enemies that remove two masks with one blow. Compared to the previous title, Silksong has numerous gauntlet challenges that are reminiscent of the arena ones in the old title and that sometimes make them pale in comparison. Plus at the end of this, there is often a complex (but beautifull) boss fight. It goes without saying that if we are defeated by the boss we have to do it all over again. Obtaining Hornet’s upgrades and powers also requires more effort than in the old chapter of the game.
The developers assume that the player is familiar with the previous game. This can be deduced from the fact that after the first few hours the challenge level already increases almost exponentially, not to mention act 3.
Difficulty and artificial difficulty
Hollow Knight: Silksong reaches truly extreme peaks in terms of difficulty. Although the game itself offers the tools to make life easier (at least in combat), the level remains high. Although the authorial choice of difficulty may be accepted, there are situations and moments where this concept becomes an end in itself. In some really complex boss fights, the checkpoints are set up in a really difficult way. This forces the player into a corpse run made up of complex platforming that adds nothing except frustration. There is no shortage of traps and environmental dangers placed specifically to punish the player, sometimes falling into a sterile trial and error.
Talking about this also implies talking about the cryptic nature of the game. Although I really appreciated the secrets, the challenges and the Souls approach to quests, sometimes the game is too enigmatic. I understand the desire to create exchange, sharing and dialogue in the community, but sometimes it gets too much. Even reaching act 3 becomes almost impossible if you don’t have a completionist spirit and even a bit of luck.
A shame not to reach it because in terms of history and lore it offers many explanations, despite its difficulty level which surpasses the previous parts of Hollow Knight: Silksong. Paradoxically, despite the extreme difficulty, in Act 3 the game becomes more honest about the concept of checkpoints and corpse runs.
My two cents
Hollow Knight: Silksong, despite its tunnel vision, is the pinnacle of action metroidvanias. From now on every product that tackles this genre will necessarily have to deal with this title. Care and fine workmanship in the graphics, soundtrack and sound design immerse the player in the world of Pharloom. I’m sure you will love/hate all the creatures that populate this world. The level design itself is cared for almost obsessively: secrets, shortcuts, curiosity and satisfaction in having passed a certain point will be the order of the day. However, all this beauty comes at a price, and sometimes it is too expensive.
Although the controls are excellent and responsive and only a few times the game feels “unfair” towards the player, the effort that Hollow Knight: Silksong asks for is great and undeniable. The boss fights themselves (of which there are many) reward the player’s positioning, patience and ability to find the right opening for the boss. The same goes for the platform phases which sometimes make those in the White Palace seem easy. Above all, act 3, designed as a reward for the daredevils, is not really for everyone and I don’t say this with elitist disdain. I honestly can’t stand these terms and I believe that there are no series A or series B players, because a game should entertain and unite, not divide.
There are rumors of further patches to improve quality of life. They are welcome because I think that such a beautiful and fascinating game, despite its “roughness”, should be played by as many people as possible. Filing some aspects will not compromise the experience, because structurally Hollow Knight: Silksong will remain the gem that it is, with a level of challenge that we will remember for a long time.
Hollow knight: Silksong
PRO
- Care and fine workmanship in the graphics, soundtrack and sound design
- Incredible map with great level design
- Frenetic and complex gameplay
- Good and varied character progression
CON
- Tunnel vision towards a sometimes artificial difficulty
- Some traps and environmental dangers placed specifically to punish the player
- Sometimes the game is too enigmatic about its progression
9.3/10
