When the Going Gets Tough: Hollow Knight: Silksong by Team Cherry

 

It took nearly seven years and lots of lamentation of the fans, but finally (and with only a surprise announcement on the date), Hollow Knight: Silksong arrived on all platforms. Those who had backed the original kickstarter rejoiced, other game developers groaned, and the original Hollow Knight suddenly had one of the highest concurrent player count seen in recent times. No one got an early key to review the game. There was no “Digital Deluxe to play three days early”. Just everyone getting to experience the joy all at once. 

That is a surprising thing in today’s gaming industry. Also surprising was the price-point. Silksong premiered at $19.99 USD, which was incredibly refreshing giving that most AAA games with less success than the original Hollow Knight are now being priced at a very steep $69.99.

Gaming politics aside, the game itself has so far not disappointed. I am writing this at 11.4 hours into my playthrough. That’s after finally playing and beating Hollow Knight in the weeks leading up to it. I was inordinately proud of actually completing it, especially given that the first game trends towards the more difficult end of the Metroidvania spectrum. Silksong, so far, has been harder for me to get a grasp on. 

First, Hornet (the character you play) is taller than your unnamed knight in the first game. Her ability to jump using her weapon to bounce higher is at an angle (until you get a different crest). With a different skill set, I have struggled to get really far. For a lot of people, that might be a dealbreaker for any game. I know that’s why a lot of people avoid the Dark Souls games (it’s me… I avoid the Dark Souls games). 

Despite the difficulty of the game, it maintains the same charm as the first game did. The world is open - your path is one that you chose for yourself based on the abilities you have collected. The artwork is gorgeous, the music haunting and lovely, the characters memorable. I’m entirely loving the Flea caravan, with its rescue mission of strange, dog-like fleas who have managed to get themselves caught in all kinds of places. 

There are a lot of quality of life improvements from the first game. For one, there is the ability to track missions, including extra missions called “wishes” which you can get from the notice board in the main area. It’s a lot easier to strike upward than in the last game (especially with Hornet’s height). The enemies are definitely more difficult, but that reflects the fact that you are playing a character who has been trained in combat (as opposed to someone who is basically unnamed and anonymous). There are additional abilities beyond just the equivalent of spells - you can have “tools” that can help, like a sort of throwing knife and traps that can be thrown at enemies.

And oh, oh the story. Pilgrims, making their way towards the top of this citadel. Hornet, kidnapped and mysteriously freed by a single touch of what looks like a feather. Rosary beads. Tool building. Thread powers your spell abilities.

I feel like this was well worth the wait. What originally was going to be a DLC for the first game has become a fully realized nod to the fans that waited and groaned as every gaming convention went by without an update. 

Team Cherry knocked this one out of the park, and I am curious to see what they will do going forward. Hollow Knight: Silksong is available on all major platforms.

Remember, friends, when the going gets tough, I shall be here with another suggestion, should you need it.