Much like its predecessor, Hollow Knight: Silksong may be viewed as the quintessential metroidvania. It's defined by constant backtracking, powerful movement abilities, and steady, meaningful progression, putting it in conversation with the likes of Blasphemous, Ender Lilies, and, of course, Metroid and Castlevania.
But Hollow Knight: Silksong owes another genre a great debt as well. Soulslikes, AKA third-person action games pioneered by Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, are largely responsible for the genre conventions of Hollow Knight and its successor. There are obvious parallels, such as the bonfire-like checkpoint system and corpse-running mechanic, but also less on-the-nose elements, like the grimdark world filled with characters slowly, tragically going insane. And while they might not have the exact same 3D action-RPG combat as other soulslikes, Hollow Knight and Silksong are still brutally difficult, with an emphasis on boss battles that reward players for learning attack patterns and dodging with I-frames (after a few upgrades). That said, there's at least one area where Hollow Knight: Silksong excels, not just in comparison to its predecessors, but also to some of the best of the soulslike genre.
How Hollow Knight: Silksong Pushes Back Against Bad Soulslike Habits
You Can't Just Run Past Tough Enemies in Hollow Knight: Silksong
A typical soulslike is broken into two broad-strokes categories: boss battles and traditional exploration sections with lower-level enemies. Naturally, those foes that make up the second category can often be rather tough as well, serving as mini challenges before the main boss of the area. This structure has served the genre well, but it has one glaring shortcoming that undermines its otherwise elegant construction: players can simply avoid these lower-level enemies en route to the boss, especially on subsequent attempts, once they've gotten the lay of the land.
This isn't typically the ideal way to play a game like Dark Souls, but it's virtually impossible to leverage this playstyle in Hollow Knight: Silksong. This is because, while Silksong adopts a structure similar to classic FromSoftware games, it punctuates many of its areas with inescapable enemy gauntlets, wherein the fodder-type foes of the area will converge on the player in a coordinated attack. Oftentimes, defeating this onslaught is the only way to progress to the next area, and there's usually no option for escape either. If a player repeatedly runs past these same enemies during the exploration sections, then they will be ill-equipped to face them in the gauntlet, as they won't have learned their attack patterns or weaknesses.
Silksong's Use of Enemy Gauntlets Makes for Elegant, Waste-Free Game Design
On its face, the aforementioned formula of exploration-style passages combined with basic enemy gauntlets is rather simple, but it only works because of Silksong's sterling combat design. In order to beat a series of enemies, players need to have a solid grasp on their movement and attack styles, identifying openings, clocking safe moments to heal, and getting parry timing right. The only feasible way to do this without being immediately overwhelmed is to engage with these same enemy types before the gauntlet, thereby becoming better prepared.
Hollow Knight: Silksong's corpse-running mechanic further synergizes with this formula, prodding players to keep attempting a gauntlet so as to not lose their precious Rosaries.
Silksong isn't an easy game, but it's certainly conquerable, given the right level of attention and effort. This tough but rewarding design is par for the course for most soulslikes, but the option to simply run past fodder enemies, most of whom will never be seen again, has always been a bit awkward. By reincorporating fodder-type enemies within boss-like challenge arenas, Hollow Knight: Silksong ensures that none of its enemies, nor its enemy placements, go to waste.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- September 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
WHERE TO PLAY
Become the Princess Knight
As the lethal hunter Hornet, adventure through a kingdom ruled by silk and song! Captured and taken to this unfamiliar world, prepare to battle mighty foes and solve ancient mysteries as you ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure. Journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover secrets tied to your nature and your past.
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Hollow Knight
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Wiki
