After years of waiting by excited fans, "Hollow Knight: Silksong," the sequel to the acclaimed "Hollow Knight," was released by indie developer Team Cherry on Sept. 4. The game was so highly anticipated that it crashed Steam, a widely-used platform hosting thousands of video games. After years of "Silksong tomorrow" jokes and theorizing, fans across the globe descended upon Steam all at once. As a Hollow Knight fan I, too, coveted my chance to play "Hollow Knight: Silksong" with bated breath until I finally got the opportunity. Through all this excitement, however, we must ask ourselves: Is it worth the hype?
After pouring hours into the game, I can finally answer the question with a resounding yes. "Silksong" successfully follows its predecessor's legacy of weaving together gameplay and world-building into an overall great game with hours of content.
"Silksong" follows the hunter Hornet, a major character from "Hollow Knight," after she is captured and taken to the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom. There, Hornet must fight through the kingdom, learn its secrets and ascend to Pharloom’s Citadel to learn why she was captured and how to escape the grasp of her veiled kidnappers once and for all.
"Silksong" continues the franchise’s tradition of 2D platforming with an expansive map and skill-prominent progression. The game's mechanics encourage players to comb through every area and boss to discover secrets that grant items, upgrades or access to other areas.
The combat and movement mechanics are smooth, fast and fun to use but require precision and focus, leading to a higher difficulty than its predecessor. Enemies and environmental hazards often stack up in tight spaces, forcing players to creatively use different mechanics.
Also, limitations in certain facets, such as the number of tool slots, can be frustrating at times, but it overall allows for more strategy and specialized customization. Whether they prefer access to stronger attacks, larger range or increased speed, players can choose whatever play style works best for them.
In terms of boss fights, some are weaker in gameplay than others. One of my major issues was some bosses relying on summoning other enemies to increase difficulty instead of using more challenging attack patterns.
Despite their flaws, several boss fights are genuinely incredible. The fight at the end of Act 1 is climactic and demanding, requiring players to use their creativity and rewarding them for previous exploration. Every death felt like a challenge to change strategies and tools, and defeating the boss felt extremely satisfying.
The story of "Silksong" tells a tale of community and free will versus fate. The game’s blatant references to religion and the effects that it, caste systems and the abuse of labor has on society further cement the themes of control, fate and freedom. Pilgrims and citizens alike are taken advantage of by the system until they become husks of themselves.
Despite its horrors, Pharloom is a living place with living people who want to make the most of their lives. Throughout Hornet’s journey, communities come together to rebuild after the disasters brought by authorities who take advantage of labor and sincere faith. At its core, "Silksong" is a story about overcoming who we are told to be in order to become who we want and need to be for our community.
Although I would not recommend "Silksong" to beginners due to its difficulty, "Hollow Knight" fans and regular gamers alike will love the attention to detail, gameplay and lore. "Silksong" lives up to the hype, and I cannot recommend it enough.
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