Hollow Knight: Silksong – Game Review

Hollow Knight: Silksong – Launched in 2017, Hollow Knight quickly became one of the biggest “hits” of the indie game industry at that time. With impressive gameplay quality, a meticulously built, mysterious world and an incredibly huge amount of content from a Team Cherry team of only… three people, Hollow Knight immediately became a new ‘giant’ in the gaming industry, and became one of the most important faces representing indie games many years later.

Hollow Knight: Silksong has become a true phenomenon, with communities being born just to… find information about the development of Silksongto independent games… racing to postpone the release date so as not to have to compete with Silksong. For many people, Silksong is no longer a game, but a very important event.

And then, Hollow Knight: Silksong launched, and the community exploded again! So the question here is whether Silksong will become an improved, expanded version of the original game, a version Hollow Knight completely new, or will the Team Cherry team continue to take ‘safe’ steps with an existing successful formula?

Let’s find out with Vietgame.asia in the following article, everyone!

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The call from afar!

Hollow Knight: Silksong takes players in the footsteps of Hornet – an important supporting character who appeared in the game Hollow Knight. Understanding who Hornet is, her role in Hallownest and the Pale King’s kingdom can enrich the playing experience, but the most impressive thing Team Cherry does with the story is that Hollow Knight: Silksong tell: skillfully build a separate, massive and detailed story line so that you don’t need to “lean on” the previous part too much.

Pharloom, the new land that Hornet arrives at, appears as a lively and unique world. Each environment is both beautiful and iconic, carrying extraordinary histories that players can only imagine, and from there, piece together a panorama with discrete fragments found during the journey of discovery.

From the wild, bright Bone Bottom and Moss Grotto to the majestic and mysterious Grand Gates and Whispering Vaults of The Citadel, to the sinister Hunter’s March and desolate Blasted Steps, every area of Hollow Knight: Silksong has its own theme, its own story, and every corner of the world is filled with confidences and concerns about a world that no longer exists.

However, what is truly impressive about Silksong comes from the way the inhabitants of Pharloom are present in the world. On her journey from the wild Moss Grotto to Hornet’s majestic The Citadel, she will meet countless other bugs, from the adorable, sincere pilgrim beetle Flick, the innocent Sherma, the traveling flea troupe, to Forge-Daughter, the dashing adventurer and hunter Shakra, and the adorable ‘pet express’ Bell Beast, these NPCs will always follow Hornet’s journey throughout Pharloom.

And Hornet’s choices will sometimes change their lives in very obvious ways that the writer will not reveal here, but like the way players ‘hold in their hands’ Solaire’s fate in Dark Souls 1always be careful about stepping into a new land without going back to “visit” the lovely bugs that Hornet had previously befriended.

Not stopping there, the way the enemies are designed and scattered throughout the world of Pharloom also has its own stories, from the Skarr warriors in Hunter’s March with armor, weapons and skillful fighting abilities, they represent a harsh but traditional warrior society in Hunter’s March, to the mysterious mechanical enemies appearing in Blasted Steps, The Citadels or even Deep Docks, showing the technological development of the elites How advanced is the Pharloom flower?

And these stories are told most completely through bosses, which are not only difficult “tests” that test the player’s abilities, but also act as the climax of the story for that area. They’re so impressive that the writer actually had a hard time coming up with an example without affecting the playing experience, so readers have to… roll with it yourself.

At the center of it all is Hornet, the battle-hardened red-shirted ‘princess’ who turns from friend to enemy of the player in the first part. Unlike The Knight (or The Vessel) in the first part, Hornet is an extremely unique character with very unique dialogue and interactions, no longer acting as an inanimate storytelling tool (literally!).

Hornet is fierce, somewhat arrogant but very affectionate and always watches over the friends she meets on her journey. Hornet’s personality is guided through interactions, meticulously written dialogue, and vivid animations (like how Hornet will… slap NPCs in the face that annoy her, or pull out the guitar to play for her friends to sing).

Hornet’s journey is much more interesting because players will always look forward to seeing how Hornet will comment and interact with new lands, friends and enemies.

World, characters, plot… these elements are connected by a particularly vivid visual and audio experience. The integration of two-dimensional and three-dimensional space, as well as the exceptionally detailed animations of the characters and the world, make Pharloom and its inhabitants much more vivid and spectacular.

This is a playing experience that makes the writer have to keep pressing the screenshot button! No matter how “boiling water, burning fire” the situation is.

The most impressive thing Team Cherry did with the story Hollow Knight: Silksong tell: skillfully build a separate, massive and richly detailed story line so that you don’t need to “lean on” the previous part too much

The characters are also voiced very carefully and vividly, even though the language they speak… is completely meaningless (just like the characters in The Sims)! The game world also stirs and emits extremely vivid sounds, and is also dotted with music that embellishes each environment and each different encounter. It is this meticulous audio-visual experience that makes exploring the game world extremely fascinating!

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Butterflies fly, bees sting!

Playstyle of Silksong clearly shows Team Cherry’s ambition: to take the Metroidvania platform that was very successful in the first part and then enhance every element to turn it into a more extreme and diverse experience.

If staying Hollow Knightthe pace of combat and movement is a balance between speed and calculation Hollow Knight: Silksongeverything is faster, more intense, forcing players to both skillfully survive and patiently explore.

Hornet possesses many Silk Skills that expand both attack and movement, and unlike the Charm system of the previous part, these skills are directly tied to the opening process, forcing players to return to old areas or do side quests to take full advantage of the toolkit.

The Tools and Crests system also marks a big step forward compared to the first part. While previously Charms mainly supported fighting style, now each tool or badge both creates tactical options and actively promotes exploration.

Building your equipment directly affects how you enter a new area, deal with enemies that deal heavy damage, or overcome platforming challenges. Equipment, upgrades, and progression items often force you to do “sidequests” or return to old areas with new skills, still keeping the “Metroidvania spirit” but much tighter and more seamless.

The difficulty of the game is also much harsher in comparison Hollow Knight. Many normal enemies deal two health damage for each attack that hits the Hornet, while the boss almost defaults to that level of damage, making each of our mistakes pay the price!

Sightseeing is no longer a leisure time but becomes a challenge on par with combat, many areas contain traps and dangerous terrain forcing you to combine “dash”, wall climbing and special skills to overcome. Areas like Bilewaters or Mount Fay are cleverly designed to push players, increasing the already familiar pressure from part one even higher.

The boss design also reflects that philosophy, with boss battles that are especially memorable in both mechanics and content such as Cogwork Dancers or Lace. In a context where every attack takes away two health, the pressure is even greater, forcing you to dodge accurately and make proper use of Silk Skills and Tools to be able to stand firm and find opportunities to counterattack.

This is not a meaningless difficulty, but a comprehensive test of equipment, movement, ability to learn rules and reflexes, thereby strengthening your position. Silksong not just as a new benchmark, but as a brilliant pinnacle of the metroidvania genre.

If staying Hollow Knightthe pace of combat and movement is a balance between speed and calculation Hollow Knight: Silksongeverything is faster, more intense