Playing a sequel to your favourite game of all time through a critical lens can be counterproductive. That’s why I decided to put Hollow Knight: Silksong on hold when I reached the end of Act 1. I wanted to play it at a time when there were fewer reviews and new releases. I returned during the Christmas holidays, feeling more courageous and with a fresh perspective. However, two days after putting it down, having seen my first ending and sworn to make this the conclusion of my playthrough, I decided to pick it back up and explore even more of what Pharloom has to offer.
The Knight and the Hornet
Some of you may not be familiar with the Hollow Knight IP, so let me provide a bit of context for Hollow Knight: Silksong. Back in 2017, Team Cherry released the original Hollow Knight following a successful Kickstarter campaign. This 2D action platformer takes you into the caverns of the ruined nation of Hollow Nest. Playing as the knight, a nameless and silent protagonist, you must fight the bosses of this twisted nation and gain power-ups and charms to fend off the evil looming over this land. The combat is challenging and has a learning curve, but over the years, this unique game has gained a large following, resulting in its release on almost every current and last-gen platform.
As part of the Kickstarter campaign, Team Cherry set a stretch goal to create DLC for the game in which Hornet, one of the bosses/antagonists, would become playable. However, the developers enjoyed making this DLC so much that they decided to release it as a full sequel to Hollow Knight. They announced this in 2019, but there was little news for years, with only the occasional trailer or quote from the developers. In the meantime, more and more people played and loved Hollow Knight, and its cult following grew, gaining mainstream traction. The release of Silksong even became a running joke for some people who believed the game would never be released. That was until 29 August 2025, when Team Cherry revealed that Hollow Knight: Silksong was finished and would be released on 14 September 2025.
The game’s release crashed Steam and other storefronts; I only managed to access it on Switch 2, so I settled for that version. For personal reasons that I will explain shortly, I decided not to review Silksong but to just enjoy the game. But why did I change my mind and decide to write a review after all? Let’s move on to my review of Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Godslayer
In Hollow Knight: Silksong, our protagonist Hornet is captured and taken to the kingdom of Pharloom. Shortly after breaking free, she discovers that this nation is ruled by a god and that groups of pilgrims travel through these dangerous lands to reach the citadel and join their deity. So what does Hornet do? Only the most logical course of action, in her opinion. She stays, vowing to climb the citadel and slay the god who rules from its summit. What follows is an action-packed search that takes you through all the regions of the land in search of a way to the top.
For the most part, the similarities with the first Hollow Knight end there. Hornet is much quicker than the knight, allowing for more fluid platforming and more challenging puzzles.
The charm system is replaced with crests. You can compare them with classes that alter your moveset. For example: With the starting hunter’s crest, Hornet has a sideways downward dash attack, but when you change it to the wanderers’ crest, her base moves become quicker and shorter in range, and the down attack becomes a normal slash. First, you need to find all the other crests in the overworld, but it’s a great way to switch up your style. You can also add extra moves and abilities to your arsenal by equipping tools. Each crest has different slots that can be opened up to equip them, so you can choose a more offensive lineup for combat, or others that help with healing or exploration. There are about 65 tools to find, so take your time and explore! You never know what you might find around the corner.
No way but the hard way
But let me make one thing clear: this game is hard. The entire world is out to kill you, and it shows. There are lots of enemies that deal double damage, so mistakes are punished much more severely than in the original Hollow Knight. Some boss fights and areas can be frustrating at first, but they aren’t impossible. Luckily, though, this game is much bigger, so if you get stuck, I suggest exploring another area; you might discover something that makes the current fight easier. A great example of this is the double jump ability. I went through a hard area before discovering it. Had I not continued butting my head against the challenge and changed course, I would have had a much easier time competing this area. This would have made the subsequent platforming challenge much easier.
A choice that makes a lot of sense narratively, but which was much more frustrating in terms of gameplay, was the choice to have two currencies. Shards are used for crafting, while prayer beads are the main currency in shops. This adds flavour to the story, which is all about faith. However, especially in the early game, it can be expensive for Hornet to buy benches to rest on because beads are hard to come by. That said, I played Act 1 before a patch lowered the cost of benches and fast travel points, so my opinion may be a bit skewed. In Act 2, unlocks were much easier, but beads are easier to come by in the Citadel, so I can’t give a balanced opinion on this issue.
Garama!
As most protagonists in action games tend to be silent, I was quite surprised to find out that Hornet could speak in this game. While this may not be that significant for most players, it’s amazing how many more layers are added to the story and world-building by this small detail. Hornet has her own opinions on certain issues in this world and figures things out on her own terms, independently of the player. If you interact enough with NPCs, accepting their quests and fulfilling their wishes, you can change her character arc significantly, even altering the ending of the story and unlocking another chapter in the game: the third and final act, in which you witness the impact of slaying a god on the world around you. I never imagined that a small indie team could create such deep lore for a game. If this is the result of the long development time and a rejection of the crunch culture so prevalent in triple-A gaming, then I’m happy to give even large teams plenty of time for development, even if it means waiting seven years to play a game after seeing a trailer.
Attatchment
But why didn’t I want to review this game in the first place, and what made me change my mind after completing Silksong? The answer is simple. I was afraid of dethroning my favourite game of all time. I have replayed Hollow Knight at many key moments in my life to find comfort in a challenge that is separate from everyday life. I played it before finishing my studies, a couple of years later when I experienced burnout, and during happier times, such as right after my son was born. I’m even thinking of replaying it again now that my second child is due in a few weeks. Hollow Knight is special to me, but having completed it, it’s clear that Silksong is the superior release, a perfect sequel. Ultimately, though, a ‘favourite game’ is just an emotional response. The original game will always have a special place in my heart because of my emotional attachment to it. I used to advise people to play Hollow Knight, and I still do. But now, I will be just as big an advocate for Silksong. I’m urging everyone to take the pilgrimage. That’s why I ultimately decided to write a review of this game, maybe people will have the same experience with this game as I did with the first one. I want to show that if they complete this challenging quest, they can achieve anything in life.
Conclusion
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the perfect sequel. It’s bigger and better in every way imaginable. The world of Pharloom is a joy to explore, despite the added challenges of boss fights and platforming. The split currency can be frustrating at times, but patches have mostly fixed the problem, and resolving this imbalance wouldn’t make sense in the context of the story.
The addition of a voiced protagonist in the form of Hornet also enhances the immersion in this world, and once Pharloom has its hooks in you, it won’t let go. The game may be difficult to master, but with enough practice, you can work your way through and even slay gods.
