Imitation, as they say, is the highest form of flattery, and that seems to be a motto to which indie developer Mongoose Rodeo closely adheres. Its upcoming Metroidvania title Crowsworn—the Kickstarter for which was launched a year ago—bears a not-insignificant semblance to many beloved entries in the genre, Team Cherry’s 2017 hit Hollow Knight being chief among them. A new Kickstarter anniversary trailer for Crowsworn recently went up on YouTube, and it showcases gameplay features and visual elements that almost seem to have been directly lifted from Hollow Knight, the game’s primary inspiration.

Taking place in the forsaken kingdom of Fearanndal, players must work to unravel an intricately connected world and decipher a self-described souls-like story while coming to grips with an intricate moveset and a parade of more than thirty boss encounters. Plus, with a hub town, a suite of unlockable moves that aid in both combat and environment traversal, and a dark, gothic art style, fans could be forgiven for mistaking Crowsworn’s new trailer for a Hollow Knight: Silksong spotlight. The two are so close in terms of presentation that they’re almost difficult to distinguish.

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Crowsworn does, however, deem to offer one important distinction in the form of ranged combat. While ranged attacks were possible in Hollow Knight, they weren’t especially common and required the use of unique charms. In Crowsworn, a set of dual handguns seem to provide players with new outlets for both attack and defense, though this inclusion introduces comparisons to another gothic horror title with a melee focus offset by offhand firearms in FromSoftware’s 2015 PlayStation exclusive Bloodborne.

Weirdly enough, Mongoose Rodeo also seems to pay attention to what’s going on in the Bloodborne community, as the team is currently making their own version of the "Bloodborne Kart" meme. In early 2022, a single indie dev released an awesome recreation of Bloodborne’s introductory area in the style of a PS1 game, and it was subsequently announced that a kart racer title based on that effort would be their next project. In a similar vein, Crowsworn will receive a companion title in the form of Crowkart, though the game also doesn’t have a definite release date.

As interesting as Crowsworn looks to be, a set-in-stone release schedule has yet to be announced, and the title may run the risk of being overshadowed by the long-anticipated Hollow Knight Silksong. Hollow Knight Silksong made an appearance during the 2022 Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, but, much like Crowsworn, it still doesn’t have a definite release date.

Crowsworn is in development for PC.

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