Six years, six months and 21 days is how long I waited for “Hollow Knight: Silksong.”
That wait was the most intense anticipation for a game I have ever witnessed. I still remember the heightened heartbeat, the rush of excitement I felt on Valentine’s Day 2019 when I opened my Nintendo Switch to see that my favorite game, “Hollow Knight,” was getting a sequel. I never expected that excitement would last until the game’s release in 2025, much less that the game could live up to the hype.
This project was developed and published by Australian independent game studio Team Cherry, which transformed a Downloadable Content of “Hollow Knight” into a full game, an effort that has withstood a global pandemic, a tumultuous industry landscape and rabid speculation by tens of thousands of fans.
Yet, against all odds, “Silksong” is an absolute triumph.
Players are dropped into the shoes of Hornet, an immortal spider demigoddess-turned knight, who was transplanted from the ruined kingdom of the original “Hollow Knight” and brought to the strange land of Pharloom. The land is facing an epidemic that has ensnared its denizens with sinister strands of silk, puppeteering them. Hornet must climb her way to the top of the world and destroy the source of this infection. And everyone and everything is a cartoonish, anthropomorphized bug.
“Silksong’s” richly imagined world expands almost exponentially. There are over 30 map areas, 75 nonplayable characters, over 230 enemies and more than 40 bosses, each hand-drawn. Pharloom is alive and beautifully realized in art and animations by Ari Gibson, one of the three members of Team Cherry. The vivid color and unique design pop is especially apparent in cutscenes. The soundtrack by returning talent Christopher Larkin is performed by an orchestral ensemble. Larkin & Co. have crafted a gorgeous and stirring accompaniment to the game that succeeds in cultivating melancholia, hope and curiosity. Sound design, also by Larkin, is rich and full and adds real character to tumbling boulders, rustling foliage and swishing silk.
In many aspects, “Silksong” iterates on the gameplay of its predecessor, improving established systems and tools. A particular strength is in movement. “Hollow Knight” had dashes, wall clings and, eventually, a double jump. “Silksong” gives you all that plus ledge grabs, a hold-to-sprint button, grappling hook mechanics and charged upward movements. Right off the bat, I felt a difference with Hornet’s ledge grab ability. It’s a small difference, but one that adds an entirely new degree of elegance to platforming, a feeling that is compounded by the carefully animated flips and turns of Hornet as she dives, dashes and soars through the vast world. Movement feels remarkable and ten times more fluid than in the first game.
Another thing that has changed for the better is the presentation of the story. “Silksong” has the same scope in worldbuilding as “Hollow Knight,” but is able to divulge the story to the player more. “Silksong” boasts an expanded collectables system, higher volume of NPCs and, in what is perhaps the biggest divergence, a player character with personality. Hornet is far from a silent protagonist, and her dialogue characterizes her in a really interesting way. She often shares her thoughts and opinions in conversations with vendors, in-game journal notes and showdowns with villains. Her actions are decisive, no-nonsense and strong. She is a princess, but neither meek nor dainty. Without spoiling, Hornet is a character with agency who steers her destiny, and the destiny of others, by acknowledging that she is the one who can change the world. All in all, the emotional beats of the game hit much harder.
I’ve yet to play anything that contends against “Silksong” for my game of the year. Even with over 50 hours to my save file, I feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface; it has trapped me in its carefully woven web. As someone who was eagerly anticipating the game, the difficulty was only rarely frustrating. It mostly felt like a challenge that I could really sink my teeth into. Even when I die over and over again, shouting “No!” to the dismay of my roommate, I keep coming back to “Silksong,” on late nights and lazy afternoons. To me, that return is the highest praise I can give. “Hollow Knight: Silksong” is a certifiable ten out of ten.