Hollow Knight: Silksong Review – Is It Worth the Hype?

After years of anticipation, countless delays, and mounting expectations, Hollow Knight: Silksong has finally arrived. The sequel to Team Cherry's critically acclaimed 2017 hit has been one of the most anticipated indie games in recent memory. But after spending over 100 hours exploring the hauntingly beautiful world of Pharloom, I'm here to answer the question on every gamer's mind: Is Hollow Knight: Silksong really worth the hype?

The Long Wait for Silksong

First announced in February 2019, Hollow Knight: Silksong has had one of the most prolonged development cycles in recent indie game history. Originally planned as a DLC for the original Hollow Knight, the project evolved into a full-fledged sequel featuring Hornet as the protagonist. The extended development time created enormous expectations, with fans growing increasingly anxious with each passing year.

This context is crucial because it sets an almost impossible bar for the game to clear. When a game is anticipated for this long, it risks suffering from "hype backlash" – a phenomenon where even excellent games are criticized for not meeting unrealistic expectations. As we dive into this review, we'll examine whether Silksong manages to overcome this challenge.

Gameplay and Mechanics: A Familiar Yet Fresh Experience

At its core, Hollow Knight: Silksong retains the tight, responsive gameplay that made the original a masterpiece. However, Team Cherry has introduced several significant changes that differentiate Hornet's adventure from the Knight's journey through Hallownest.

Combat Evolution

Unlike the Knight's methodical, defensive combat style, Hornet is faster, more agile, and more aggressive. Her primary weapon is a needle and thread, allowing for swift strikes and rapid combos. The combat system emphasizes speed and precision, with Hornet able to dart in and out of range while maintaining offensive pressure.

After 100 hours of gameplay, I can confidently say that the combat feels both familiar and refreshingly different. The addition of new abilities like the "Silk Dash" and "Weave" attacks creates a more vertical and dynamic combat experience. Boss fights are particularly impressive, requiring mastery of Hornet's entire moveset rather than simple pattern recognition.

Traversal and Movement

Movement in Silksong has been significantly overhauled to reflect Hornet's more acrobatic nature. While the Knight relied on the Mantis Claw and Monarch Wings for vertical movement, Hornet can naturally climb walls and perform mid-air dashes from the beginning. This fundamental difference in mobility changes how levels are designed and explored.

The silk mechanic serves multiple purposes – it's used for traversal (creating silk lines to swing across gaps), combat (weaving attacks), and puzzle-solving. This multi-function system creates interesting gameplay scenarios where players must balance resource management with exploration and combat needs.

World Design and Atmosphere: Pharloom's Haunting Beauty

If there's one area where Silksong unquestionably delivers, it's in world design and atmosphere. Pharloom, the game's setting, is a vast, interconnected kingdom with a distinct identity that separates it from Hallownest while maintaining the same haunting beauty that made the original so memorable.

Environmental Storytelling

Team Cherry's mastery of environmental storytelling is on full display in Silksong. Without heavy exposition or lengthy dialogue, the game tells a compelling story through its environments, enemy placements, and subtle details. Each area of Pharloom has its own identity, from the shimmering Silkfall to the ominous Deep Docks.

After spending dozens of hours exploring, I'm still discovering new details and connections between areas. The world feels alive and purposeful, with every location carefully crafted to serve both gameplay and narrative purposes.

Art and Sound Design

Visually, Silksong is a stunning achievement. The hand-drawn art style has been refined and expanded, with more detailed backgrounds, smoother animations, and a broader color palette that reflects Pharloom's unique aesthetic. The game runs smoothly even during the most chaotic moments, with only occasional frame drops during particularly effects-heavy sequences.

Christopher Larkin's soundtrack once again elevates the experience, with haunting melodies that perfectly complement each area's atmosphere. The sound design is equally impressive, with every strike, jump, and environmental interaction producing satisfying audio feedback that enhances immersion.

Narrative and Character Development: Hornet's Journey

While the original Hollow Knight was relatively sparse in terms of explicit narrative, Silksong takes a more direct approach to storytelling without losing the mystery that made the first game so intriguing.

Hornet as a Protagonist

Playing as Hornet rather than the Knight provides a fresh perspective on the world. As a established character from the first game, Hornet comes with her own history, motivations, and personality. The game does an excellent job of developing her character beyond her role as an antagonist/ally in the original, showing vulnerability, determination, and growth throughout her journey.

The dialogue is well-written and purposeful, with each conversation revealing more about Hornet, Pharloom, and the various characters she encounters. The supporting cast is equally memorable, with each NPC having their own distinct personality and role in the larger narrative.

Themes and Storytelling

Silksong explores themes of identity, duty, and transformation. Hornet's journey through Pharloom is not just physical but also psychological, as she confronts her past and uncertain future. The game doesn't shy away from darker themes, addressing loss, corruption, and the weight of responsibility.

What impressed me most after 100 hours with the game is how the narrative unfolds gradually, rewarding player curiosity and persistence. The story never feels forced or rushed, instead flowing naturally as players explore deeper into Pharloom's secrets.

Difficulty and Progression: A Balanced Challenge

One of the most discussed aspects of Silksong has been its difficulty compared to the original Hollow Knight. After completing the game and spending significant time with post-game content, I can provide a nuanced perspective on this aspect.

Difficulty Curve

Silksong is generally more accessible than its predecessor, with a gentler initial difficulty curve that gradually ramps up to challenging levels by the mid-game. This approach makes the game more approachable for players who found the original too daunting while still providing substantial challenge for veterans.

The boss difficulty is well-balanced, with each major encounter requiring different strategies and approaches. While some bosses may feel easier than Hollow Knight's toughest challenges, the final few bosses and optional encounters will test even the most skilled players.

Progression Systems

Silksong introduces several new progression systems that add depth to character development. The shell system allows players to equip various shells that provide different bonuses and abilities, similar to the charm system in the original but with more pronounced effects.

The crafting system has been expanded, with resources gathered throughout Pharloom being used to create tools, weapons, and upgrades. This adds a resource management layer to exploration, giving players additional reasons to thoroughly investigate each area.

Technical Performance and Issues

No review of Silksong would be complete without addressing the technical issues that have plagued the game since launch. While my experience has been largely positive, there are some problems worth noting.

Launch Day Problems

Like many highly anticipated games, Silksong experienced significant server issues during its first week of launch. Players reported connection problems, save file corruption, and occasional crashes. Team Cherry has been responsive with patches, addressing many of these issues, but some problems persist.

After 100 hours of gameplay, I experienced several crashes, particularly during area transitions. While the game's auto-save system minimized progress loss, these interruptions were still frustrating, especially during intense boss fights or exploration sequences.

Performance Across Platforms

Performance varies significantly between platforms. On high-end PCs and current-generation consoles, the game runs smoothly with only occasional frame drops. However, players on older hardware or last-generation consoles may experience more significant performance issues, including stuttering and longer loading times.

It's worth noting that Team Cherry has committed to ongoing optimization, with several patches already improving performance across all platforms. However, players with lower-end systems should check the latest requirements and community feedback before purchasing.

Content and Replayability

One area where Silksong unquestionably delivers is in terms of content volume and quality. The game is substantially larger than the original Hollow Knight, with more areas to explore, bosses to defeat, and secrets to uncover.

Main Campaign Length

The main campaign will take most players between 30-40 hours to complete, depending on skill level and exploration thoroughness. This is significantly longer than the original Hollow Knight's 20-25 hour campaign, providing excellent value for money.

After 100 hours with the game, I had completed the main story, defeated all major bosses, and explored approximately 90% of Pharloom. This speaks to the game's impressive scope and density of content.

Post-Game Content

Silksong features substantial post-game content, including additional boss challenges, secret areas, and an extended story sequence that provides closure to Hornet's journey. This content is among the most challenging in the game, designed specifically for players who have mastered the mechanics and want to test their skills.

Replayability Factors

Several factors contribute to Silksong's replayability:

Multiple Endings: The game features several different endings based on player choices and completion percentage.
Shell Builds: The variety of shells and equipment allows for different playstyles and approaches to combat and exploration.
Speedrunning Potential: Like its predecessor, Silksong is designed with speedrunning in mind, featuring built-in timing systems and leaderboards.
Challenge Modes: Unlockable challenge modes provide additional difficulty for players seeking extreme tests of skill.

Comparison to Hollow Knight: Evolution or Revolution?

It's impossible to review Silksong without comparing it to its predecessor. After all, the original Hollow Knight set an incredibly high bar that few games, indie or otherwise, have managed to clear.

What Silksong Improves

Silksong improves upon the original in several key areas:

Combat Variety: Hornet's moveset allows for more varied and dynamic combat encounters.
Visual Presentation: The art is more detailed, with improved animations and environmental effects.
Quality of Life: Improved mapping, fast travel options, and a more forgiving checkpoint system.
Narrative Integration: A more direct storytelling approach that maintains the mystery of the original while providing clearer narrative progression.

Where the Original Still Shines

Despite Silksong's many strengths, there are areas where the original Hollow Knight remains superior:

World Cohesion: Hallownest felt more interconnected and organically designed than Pharloom.
Atmospheric Density: The original had a more consistent and oppressive atmosphere throughout.
Challenge Balance: Hollow Knight's difficulty curve was more consistently challenging throughout.
Character Mystery: The Knight's silent protagonist created a different kind of immersion that some players may prefer.

The Verdict: Is Silksong Worth the Hype?

After 100 hours with Hollow Knight: Silksong, I can confidently say that while the game doesn't revolutionize the formula established by its predecessor, it represents a thoughtful evolution that expands and improves upon the original in meaningful ways.

Is Silksong worth the years of hype and anticipation? That depends on what you were expecting. If you were hoping for a complete reinvention of the Hollow Knight formula, you might be disappointed. However, if you wanted a larger, more refined, and more accessible version of the original with a fresh protagonist and setting, Silksong delivers in spades.

The game's strengths—tight gameplay, beautiful art direction, atmospheric world-building, and satisfying combat—outweigh its technical issues and occasional pacing problems. Team Cherry has created another masterpiece that stands alongside the original as one of the best metroidvania games ever made.

Who Should Play Silksong?

Silksong is highly recommended for:

Fans of the original Hollow Knight looking for more of the excellent gameplay and world-building.
Players who enjoy challenging but fair action-platformers with deep exploration elements.

Anyone interested in a well-crafted, mysterious world to explore at their own pace.

Who Might Want to Skip It?

Silksong might not be for you if:

You were expecting a radical departure from the original Hollow Knight formula.
You dislike challenging games that require mastery of mechanics to progress.
You're bothered by occasional technical issues or performance problems.
You prefer games with more explicit storytelling and less environmental narrative.

Final Thoughts

Hollow Knight: Silksong is a triumph of indie game development, demonstrating Team Cherry's growth as developers and their commitment to quality. While it may not completely revolutionize the genre like its predecessor did, it stands as an exceptional game in its own right—one that will be remembered and celebrated for years to come.

After 100 hours exploring Pharloom, I'm still discovering secrets and mastering challenges. The game has that rare quality that keeps players coming back, not just for completionism's sake, but because the core gameplay is so satisfying and the world so compelling.

Is Silksong worth the hype? In most ways, yes. It's a fantastic game that builds upon the foundation of its predecessor in intelligent and exciting ways. While it may not be the revolutionary leap some were hoping for, it's an evolution that honors what made the original special while carving out its own identity.

For fans of metroidvanias, challenging action games, or simply expertly crafted experiences, Hollow Knight: Silksong is an essential play. It may have taken years to arrive, but the wait, in the end, was worth it.