Hollow Knight Silksong Review

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Hollow knight was a banger indie much loved by everyone. While I’m a fan of a good metroidvania I am finding it harder to keep up with ‘get good’ culture now that im into my 30s. Reflexes are waning almost us much as my free time to game is. This meant I was always looking at an uphill struggle with Hollow Knight Silksong. Was it worth me taking the beating? Has it lived up to the hype? Was it actually worth the wait?

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Fast facts

Developed by : Team Cherry

Published by :Team Cherry

https://hollowknightsilksong.com

Genre : Metroidvania, Platformer

Platform : Steam OS

Age Rating : PEGI 7+

Release Date : 4/9/25

Price : £16.75

No codes were provided for review purposes

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Gameplay

Hollow Knight Silksong is a game that is mechanically sound and wonderfully put together. The game’s gameplay is tight and punishing but has never felt unfair.  That’s my benchmark for good gameplay: am I enjoying myself?  If I’m losing do I feel like it’s my fault or the games?  Whenever the game was mean I found it to be doing so with a wink – a kind of humorous punishment that makes me laugh either at my own silliness or the developers’ tongue-in-cheek design. 

There’s some currency juggling, in-game economies and some other news mechanics that enhance the experience without feeling like a massive overhaul of the original . It’s challenging, yes, and viciously so, which is my problem. I don’t have the time or reflexes to master these games fully like I used to.  Is it too hard? Honestly, yes. For me at least. I’ll delve deeper into Hollow Knight: Silksong in the coming weeks and months im sure but right now I really wanted to enjoy the journey. The difficulty made doing that a real challenge, and while I’m disappointed I won’t be powering through to the end anytime soon, I can already tell it’ll be a game that I’ll be chipping away at for a good long while.

Story and Characters

The story , world and characters are beautifully crafted.  A huge amount of information doesn’t need to be crammed in when a vision is so perfectly executed and concepts so beautifully put together. The art style is gorgeous, no surprise there, and it’s reminiscent of the original with just a touch more sheen and polish.  It’s a world that doesn’t tell you everything but gives you enough to want to explore and learn.  Its a Metroidvania. Explore. Meet characters, learn about the world, unravel the mystery that this character finds themselves in. Enjoy it. Until the game humbles you with a swift backhand of course.

Graphics and Art Style

The graphics and art style are simply stunning.  The visuals are beautifully illustrated and exquisitely presented, with lighting that brings every detail to life. There’s a captivating depth to the art and design that keeps you fully engaged as you explore. Fans of the original Hollow Knight will find the aesthetic familiar but developed, demonstrating clear growth in both presentation and visual sophistication.

With all this in mind, it’s worth noting that the game ran great. I was playing on a Legion Go S with a Z2 Go chip running Steam OS and never felt anything but exactly what the game intended. It ran wonderfully.

Music and Sound Design

The music and sound design are exceptional. The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, enhancing the overall experience. Every effect, bark and note is immersive, drawing you into the world and making you feel like you’ve fallen headfirst into the world that the art invited you into.

The soundtrack is beautiful and eerie, perfectly complementing the journey.  From subtle scritches and scratches to minimal and heart-wrenching music, the audio is used wonderfully throughout. While it’s impossible not to compare it to Silksong’s predecessor, it manages to capture the magic of the original and even surpasses it in places. It successfully launched me into boss fights and encounters with thumbing orchestral pieces one moment before grounding me and pull at my heartstrings the next. 

The Big Question…

…has it been worth the wait?  That’s the question I had going in, and it’s a tough one to answer. If someone told me I had to wait almost a decade for the next game, would I? The answer is yes, I would. It’s a great game. Do I see a decade’s worth of work in Hollow Knight Silksong? Not really, and that’s perfectly fine.

Team Cherry are clearly masters of their craft. They are Wizards of indie game development that continue to both raise and be the bar in a crowded market. In an age obsessed with the next big thing, it’s refreshing to see a studio taking their time to create something they love at their own pace.  It’s a luxury few in video game development can afford, and between Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight Silksong, they’ve earned every right to do as they please. They released a banger in 2017 and another masterpiece in 2026. Good on them. They might have announced it a little early? It might feel a little late…but a wizard is never late…

Conclusion

Beautiful, infuriating, engaging, melancholic. Hollow Knight Silksong lives up to its promise. It’s a sequel to a smash hit indie that stole hearts back in 2017, and it’s quite simply a masterpiece of a platforming 2D metroidvania video game. It excels in every possible area and improves on its predecessor in every way, except perhaps in difficulty…maybe that’s me though? This might actually be the game that convinces me to ‘get good’.

5 out of 5

5

Hollow Knight Silksong is available now on Steam and all other major platforms.