“Hollow Knight: Silksong Review” – beauty, brutality, and everything in between

They say patience is a virtue, and while I may not be a religious man, “Hollow Knight: Silksong” is for sure a blessing. After a long wait of six years since its announcement, #1 most wishlisted game on Steam and follow-up to the critically acclaimed indie classic “Hollow Knight (2017)” is finally here — the result of a small three-person team, Team Cherry, pushing the limits of what an indie can achieve.

The original “Hollow Knight” draws heavily from classics like “Metroid” and “Castlevania,” blending exploration with challenging combat. While it begins fairly linear, the world quickly opens up, letting players choose their own path. Combat is difficult but deeply rewarding.

“Silksong” builds on that foundation with familiar yet distinct mechanics. The first act is more linear, but the second branches out significantly. Combat emphasizes customization, letting players craft loadouts to match their playstyle. New abilities and styles expand options without serving as direct upgrades, keeping combat fresh and varied.

At launch, “Silksong” faced a decent amount of criticism, many players voicing frustrations about the punishing nature of the game. The most prominent critique being that bosses and enemies do double damage in a majority of their attacks, which – especially in the early game – felt far too steep of a difficulty curve.

I initially agreed with a lot of those concerns, however, I eventually began to enjoy it much more in the second act. I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the game on my first playthrough. It was wonderful to see that I missed a lot of content even after I beat the game despite taking my time to explore. Right when I thought my journey was somewhat close to being over, there was still a lot more to find and discover.

In sheer size, “Silksong” dwarfs its predecessor, the map alone feels like it spans three times the size of the first game. However, exploration does not feel nearly as rewarding, unlike games in the same genre. Most of the time, the reward for beating bosses on the main path is the privilege to progress further into the game. Even simple rewards such as in-game currency would be enough to make the accomplishments feel worthy. “Hollow Knight” already did this, but “Silksong” refrains from giving the player much if at all.

Despite the low parts of the game being frustrating at worst, the highs of the game are incredible. Even with the issues, the pros easily outweigh the cons, a large map to explore, unforgettable boss fights, immaculate music and art direction. It’s clear that the magic and wonder of discovery that was present in “Hollow Knight” was not lost in “Silksong.”