“Hollow Knight: Silksong”, the long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed “Hollow Knight” (2017), has finally been released. Left waiting for years, fans found many ways to entertain themselves by predicting the game’s release every time a game direct, or video presentation featuring information about an upcoming release, was staged. Finally, a release trailer was posted in August, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. The game was immediately lauded for its affordable price point compared to other hyped titles, and once released, the game was so popular that it crashed the Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo online stores.
“Silksong” is a metroidvania, or 2D game featuring essentially a connected world without levels, that focuses on the returning character Hornet, a powerful silk-weaving arachnid-type creature. The game begins with a group of other weavers capturing her for being a half-breed, bringing her to the Pharloom, a dungeon-like distant land. However, Hornet escapes her captors and wants to ascend to the Citadel’s peak to find the being responsible for ordering her capture as well as ensnaring her fellow bugs in Pharloombugs. Along the way, she encounters assorted pilgrims, warriors and citizens that either help or harm her.
“I was quite excited when the game finally released after waiting for over 5 years,” Tatiana Good (10) said.
Australian independent game developer Team Cherry, the masterminds behind “Silksong”, boasts gameplay that does not stray too far from the original “Hollow Knight”, but there are many new inclusions that heighten the experience without forgetting the original game’s identity. Hornet’s abilities begin quite simply, but players can unlock fixed movement abilities such as running, wall jumping, double-jumping and more.
The game also includes a new feature called crests. Crests are similar to combat styles in more traditional side-scrolling or first-person fighting games, as they alter Hornet’s movesets in ways that can enhance Hornet’s speed range and her pogo ability, which is one of the difficulty checks outside of the bosses, consisting of an (initially) diagonal spike that can bounce on enemies or designated objects in platforming sections. The bosses in “Silksong” do not differ too much from “Hollow Knight” either, but they’re much harder. Bosses do double damage and require much more skill. A lot of critics complain about the added difficulty, but Team Cherry has decided to let it remain the same, especially since it’s a dark fantasy metroidvania similar to “Dark Souls”.
“‘Silksong’ is a very detailed platform game that has taken over the gaming community as one of the best platformer games for console and Steam,” Eli Schultz (9) said.
During its first month of release, “Silksong” has already satisfied fans and critics alike. The game offers an amazing experience, and the innovation will wow even those who were tepid on its predecessor. Personally, I was never a fan of the original “Hollow Knight”, so all of the alterations made in this sequel have pleasantly surprised me and won me over. Many fans, including myself, are very excited to see more projects from the incredibly talented indie studio Team Cherry both within and beyond the “Hollow Knight” franchise.
