Hollow Knight: Silksong is not just one of the most anticipated games of 2025, but sits comfortably with Grand Theft Auto VI as one of the most anticipated games of the generation. The original Hollow Knight was a pretty big hit when it was first released in 2017, but over the past few years, its popularity has only grown. A sequel was announced in 2019, but it took an additional six years to arrive, and now after all that waiting, it’s finally here. With the hype behind us and having enough time to marinate on the experience, let’s answer that fateful question: was Hollow Knight: Silksong worth the eight-year wait?
Back and Harder Than Ever
Much like the first game, Hollow Knight: Silksong places players directly in an unforgiving but remarkably evocative world, where every nook and cranny can cause equal pain or unexpected discovery. Instead of playing as the “The Knight” protagonist from the original Hollow Knight, you instead control Hornet, the tall and agile hero that once served as Hallownest’s protector. Speaking of, Silksong does not take place in Hallownest, but instead sees Hornet captured and whisked away to the tenuous kingdom of Pharloom. Here, the world is gripped by an unknowable force that’s driving its denizens mad, and only Hornet can save the day.
Despite the new character, world, and story at hand, there’s one thing about Silksong above all else that has people talking: the difficulty. While the original Hollow Knight was tough, Silksong is remarkably more challenging in every sense of the word. Enemies hit harder than normal, platforming sections are far less forgiving, and bosses can become major roadblocks for those who lack razor-sharp focus. In comparison to the first game, it feels exceptionally tough to survive, let alone thrive, and this overbearing level of difficulty has caused many players to throw in the towel entirely.
Yet, Silksong is not a game that feels unfair in the way that other ultra-tough games do. For starters, Hornet can earn several different “crests” in the game, which offer completely different attacks, letting players adjust their offensive technique to their liking. Hornet can also use a variety of new “tools”, including pointy traps, downward drills, a winged companion, and some tonics to boost stats. Even on her own, Hornet is far more agile and malleable from a gameplay perspective than The Knight ever was, but her kit requires some fine-tuning to feel perfect for each player. Even with that perfect kit, you can still expect Silksong to bully you at every turn.
A Big Mystery Awaits
Fun combat and cool bosses aside, Hollow Knight made a big impression with its quiet but poignant emotional storytelling, and Silksong expands that narrative experience quite a bit. Overall, the game contains much more dialogue than its predecessor, with Hornet now speaking in sprawling sentences, whereas The Knight remained silent throughout his adventure. Instead of exploring a world completely in ruin, Pharloom feels like it’s on the brink of catastrophe, and if you can piece together the clues within, it might still be saved. There’s a deep sense of mystery that permeates the entire game, starting with the very first cutscene and persisting past the climactic final boss. It also rewards exploration and curiosity in much more meaningful ways, where players are encouraged to try and “break” the game, often left to discover cleverly hidden alternate paths to success.
Still, for as good as Silksong is, the game is not without its faults. Apart from the previously mentioned high level of difficulty, which can at times be more annoying than rewarding, some elements of the game’s design feel at odds with each other. The emphasis on exploration is offset by countless enemy arenas, punishing boss run backs, and ridiculously low item drop rates. Speaking of bosses, they are plentiful and unique, but they often leave absolutely no reward, making the victory feel appropriately hollow. In fact, you rarely feel rewarded when playing, only ever scraping by. You’re always clawing back, even at your most powerful, and for a game that wants you to explore and become immersed in its world, it sure puts a lot of obstacles in your way.
Overall, Hollow Knight: Silksong might not be the sequel that everyone was expecting, but it’s still very good, as long as you have the patience to deal with its less savory aspects. That considered, is Silksong better than the original Hollow Knight? Really, that’s something that will be subjective to each player and what they value in their Hollow Knight experience. For me, Silksong is a fantastic follow-up that occasionally gets in its own way, and while it was definitely worth the wait, part of me wishes that it was slightly more compelling and less demanding in combat. Sometimes, I just want to chill out and explore a creepy, vibe-filled world, and Silksong offers that, but sometimes you have to suffer through some frustrating gameplay sections to even get there.
