Hollow Knight: Silksong

Steam Reviews

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• Recommended Posted September 6, 2025 on Steam This game is full of bugs... and they're kicking my ass It's really, really good
• Recommended Posted September 13, 2025 on Steam Completed 100% achievements today after around four playthroughs — what a ride! All of this for just €19.50 is insane compared to overpriced AAA games. I'll break down my thoughts by different aspects. For context, I've completed Hollow Knight multiple times, got 100% achievements, and even finished Path of Pain. [h2]Art[/h2] The art is improved. HK was really dark and gray, while Silksong is much more colorful. Zone designs are magnificent, and the enemies are equally impressive. I don't think there's another Metroidvania that can compete visually besides the original Hollow Knight. [h2]Map[/h2] The map is HUGE compared to the first game. HK had 16, Silksong has 28 — almost double. Every zone has its own charm. Some areas remind me of the first game but they are still unique enough to stand on their own. [h2]Music[/h2] I've listened to Christopher Larkin's soundtrack from the first game a lot - enough that he's in my Spotify top 10. Silksong's OST is on the same level as HK. [h2]Story[/h2] The story is the most important aspect of the game, but I can't say much about it since I've only understood part of it. I'll probably wait for Mossbag to release a video explaining it fully. The atmosphere is still that "haunting"/"infection" type from the first game, with most enemies appearing in a kind of zombie-like state. I loved the cutscenes and the dialogue with NPCs. Another major win is that Hornet can talk, unlike the Knight — it adds a lot of personality and depth. [h2]Enemies & Bosses[/h2] HK had 168 (counting bosses + DLCs). Silksong has 235 in the base game, which is impressive. The design of enemies and bosses is excellent, and their attack patterns are interesting - each feels distinct. There are a few downsides that many players (myself included) have noticed: 1. Too many flying enemies. They're often tanky, ranged, and frustrating to deal with. You spend time waiting for them to come close, only for them to dash backward and attack from a distance. 2. Double Damage. Around 90% of players (myself included) complained about this early on. After a few playthroughs, I've gotten used to it, but I still think it's unfair to throw double damage enemies at you right from the start. Overall, I'd say double damage feels unfair for some enemies, but fair for others. 3. Environmental damage. This one's a mixed bag for me. I'm used to it now, but some zones were very frustrating at first. 4. Arena / Trials lack meaningful rewards. Usually, completing a trial just opens a new path instead of giving something worthwhile Bosses I consider some fights excellent([spoiler]First Sinner, Cogwork/Clover Dancers, Phantom, Second Sentinel, all Lace fights[/spoiler]), challenging, fair, and memorable. Others, like [spoiler]The Unravelled, Groal the Great, and Moorwing[/spoiler], feel poorly designed or frustrating rather than fun. Bosses in general are a bit of a coin flip. Some runbacks are awful. [h2]Platforming[/h2] Exploration comes with plenty of platforming challenges. A lot of people criticize the diagonal pogo, but I've gotten used to it over time. That said, my view might be a bit biased since I usually play with the [spoiler]Wanderer crest[/spoiler] - its pogo and attack style feel very similar to the Knight's in the first game. Overall, platforming in Silksong is faster-paced and more varied than in HK, thanks to the different skills you gain along the way. Personally, I find it really fun. [h2]Combat and Skills[/h2] Combat is faster than in the first game. Crests give unique playstyles with different attacks. I tried most of them, but Wanderer stuck with me the most. Each crest has its own attack style and sometimes even a unique way of healing, with clear upsides and downsides. In HK, you had 3 skills - here you get double that, and each skill feels useful for different encounters. My personal favourite is the parry - it's good in every game, and Silksong is no exception. Movement skills are unlocked gradually, with some returning like dash, wall climb and double jump. There are also new ones, such as sprint, float, a different type of dash, and a super jump (similar to super dash from HK, but only works upward). [h2]Tool System / Charms[/h2] Honestly, I think the charm system in HK was better, simply because it allowed for more varied builds and creativity. In Silksong, tools are tied to the crest you're using, which is both a W and an L depending on how you look at it. Personally, I find the red tools the most fun, and usually they make the biggest impact. Some tools are very situational, shining in specific boss fights or areas. [h2]Quests[/h2] I liked most of the quests, especially since in HK the only real quest we had was the White Flower. The only ones I genuinely disliked were the courier quests. As for the standard quests, most are needed for completion percentage and for progressing into Act 3, so at least they feel more connected to the main game. [h2]Progression[/h2] The game is divided into 3 acts, with Act 3 being somewhat of a secret. Unfortunately, the pacing often feels ahead of the player. Upgraded your mask? Congrats — now you can die in 3 hits... again. Most of the time, you're stressed about dying or which enemy will hit for double damage. As I've mentioned, the difficulty is high from the start and the learning curve is punishing. Many encounters feel downright unfair, which led to some players to quit or use the popular 1x damage mod. I get why - they own their game and can play how they want - but unfortunately, the Hollow Knight community has become somewhat toxic, often mocking players who struggle with the infamous "git gud" ragebait. Silksong seems designed specifically for hardcore HK fans who enjoy extreme challenges like "fireb0rn" - not for casual players. [h2]Game Currency / Economy[/h2] The game has two types of currency: [b]1.Shell Shards[/b] - These drop from most enemies, especially beast-like ones, and are used to recharge tools and for certain quests. I often run out of Shell Shards, and farming them can be annoying. In Steel Soul mode, you get a semi-infinite supply... kind of. I haven't tried a proper farming method besides just killing everything in the way. [b]2.Rosaries[/b] – The main currency, used to buy most items. They drop from some enemies in small amounts, so farming is often necessary. Rosaries can be converted to strings to prevent losing money on death, but even with strings, money can be scarce. Farming typically requires repeatedly killing the same enemies. You also need to pay Rosaries for benches and travel stations, sometimes at high prices. Overall, the economy could use better balance. [h2]Extras[/h2] I really enjoyed the minigames, though there aren't many- around five in total. There's a dice game, a race game, and three minigames with the fleas: Pogo, Dodge and Juggle. I'd love to see more content of this kind added in the future. I was also hoping for something like a Godhome or an area to practice bosses. [h2]Final Thoughts[/h2] I've really enjoyed Silksong, but at the same time, it's been frustrating. Some parts of the game feel unfair and time-consuming. It feels like the game doesn't respect your time. Rewards for trials and bosses are rare and usually underwhelming, which can be frustrating if you only have a few hours to play. I had the free time to adapt, but not everyone will. In terms of improvements it surpasses the first game in about 90% of aspects. The game still deserves all the praise it gets - it's phenomenal for the price, especially considering it was mostly made by a team of three. The worldbuilding is astonishing, which isn't surprising given how incredible the first game was. I'd suggest reading a variety of reviews, including negative ones, since they tend to be honest. Then you can decide if Silksong is worth playing. Personally, I think it is, but I'd also recommend trying the first game first if you haven't already.
• Recommended Posted September 8, 2025 on Steam 100%'d today with 64 hours on my save, and what a ride. Every time you think the game is big, it just keeps opening up more, you keep finding new things. After spending so much time playing, the difficulty stopped feeling particularly frustrating and became more like a puzzle that I needed to work out. The game doesn't get easier, hell, it gets harder. But you get better. I have no idea where they would fit in any DLC at this point, the game feels so full as is, but I'm absolutely looking forward to more. Wild that this is only $20.
• Recommended Posted September 4, 2025 on Steam Trying to buy this game on release day was the worst and most painful, two and half hours long edging session in my entire life... It was worth it.
• Recommended Posted September 4, 2025 on Steam A game about bugs, where your a bug that fights other bugs. The only thing that really bugs me is how long it took for this buggy little bug of a game to finally bug its way onto my screen. 10/10 - No software bugs, just actual bugs.
• Recommended Posted September 5, 2025 on Steam No spoiler review. Just shy of 7 hours in, several bosses down. This game was worth the wait. It is what a sequel should be. I know I am in full shill mode here, but I cannot stress enough just how great this game is. Pretty much everything in this game is either an upgrade, answer to, or alternative to something in Hollow Knight. Being that Hornet is different from The Knight, she moves differently, fights differently, and has a different set of skills/equipment. They REALLY leaned into her being an agile hunter compared to the little knight we played last time. She has an angled pogo compared to The Knight's downward pogo. She sets traps instead of using shadow magic. I legit cannot wait until people WAAAAY better than me figure out some insane movement tech with how agile she is. While the silent protagonist worked PERFECT for Hollow Knight, Hornet speaking with people and voicing her concerns/opinion/etc (Hell she even threatens and talks ♥♥♥♥ when it has been warranted to so far!!!) works perfect with her character juxtaposed against the silent knight from the first game. Even small quality of life changes have been amazing. In the first game taking a compass or the flies that gathered geo took up a precious dps trinket slot, whereas in here you have offensive trinket slots, defensive trinket slots, and support/QOL trinket slots. I wont even comment on the story in fear of spoiling anything but so far it's awesome and again I am only roughly 7 hours in. Normally I would wait until I either beat the game or was just about done with it, but having played their first game several times and from what I have experienced here so far, this will be the best 20 dollars you ever spend in your life. EDIT: Now that I am MUCH farther in the game, I wanted to add some NON STORY but ability/upgrade spoilers since I have seen QUITE a few comments from people who definitely haven't gotten far enough in the game to know what they are talking about. However, if you don't want to be spoiled on even abilities, DON'T READ BELOW Ok 1) I was sort of wrong. While Hornet has an angled pogo, this is with her default crest. You can find different crests throughout the game that change your attack patterns such as how you swing down, up, jump attack, dash attack, etc. They are literally different fighting styles. One of them is extremely similar to the Knight's with the downward pogo. 2) People have claimed that you can't upgrade your weapon like you could in Hollow Knight. That is completely wrong. These people just didn't get there yet. It is a BIG game. There is an entire secondary objective in the game that is huge and impossible to miss. If you don't ignore it, you will unlock a vendor who can upgrade your weapon. If I find out any more that won't spoil anything serious, I will try to add it here. But please do yourself a favor and avoid looking ANYTHING up. This game has some truly AMAZING moments, just like the first game.