The Metroidvania and souls-like indie game Crowsworn is being compared to Team Cherry's IP Hollow Knight by fans and critics alike due to the blatant similarities between the art and gameplay.
On July 4, 2021, Mongoose Rodeo started a Kickstarter campaign and achieved its goal of roughly $99,000 in 3 hours; on the official Kickstarter page are details on the game's influences, including Hollow Knight, Devil May Cry, and Bloodborne. The critically acclaimed games inspiring Crowsworn seem to be apparent in the playable character's design, the game's aesthetic, and most of all, the gameplay. Despite the list of influences, Crowsworn is most often compared to Hollow Knight for several reasons.
Similarities at First Glance
At first glance, the game looks almost exactly like the level design used in Team Cherry's Hollow Knight, which is no coincidence. Mongoose Rodeo uses the Unity Engine to develop Crowsworn, which is the same engine Team Cherry uses for its game and its upcoming sequel, Silksong. This explains why fans of Hollow Knight initially mistook the upcoming game as a ripoff of the popular Metroidvania. However, Crowsworn is not the ripoff that some have claimed, as the design going into the world, enemy design, and a faster-paced feel to the combat all make it unique.
Crowsworn is a side-scrolling fast-paced Metroidvania with an emphasis on an exploration through platforming in each area. In true Metroidvania fashion, the player will be encouraged to backtrack and find hidden areas through unlockables that allow the player to reach areas that were once unreachable. This is a technique employed by Hollow Knight, such as obtaining the Moth Wings that give the player access to a double jump to get to some platforms that were once out of reach. The similarities between the two games truly lie in its Metroidvania 2D side-scrolling/platforming. However, there are other similarities between the games in terms of combat.
Combat Similarities
The main character of Crowsworn, much like the playable character from Hollow Knight, is armed with one main weapon and a projectile attack. In the official trailer for Crowsworn, there is a moment in the hub town where the bullets shown underneath the health UI seem to be missing but still appear in combat sections throughout. Like its main influence, the upcoming game will feature abilities that the player will obtain through platforming challenges, boss battles, or happening upon them in the world. The player character will also have access to Corvian Magic that will act as a third type of weapon, much like the spirit magic earned in Hollow Knight, giving the player access to a powerful arsenal of abilities.
The game will also feature creatures reminiscent of Hollow Knight's enemy design, requiring a different approach depending on abilities, hazards, and careful use of spacing. There will be a dodge roll option that is similar to the unlockable dash ability in Hollow Knight. However, the dodge roll in Crowsworn seems to be more of a combat-oriented ability than a platforming tool. It is too early to tell how exactly Mongoos Rodeo will implement the dodge roll into the game. However, the skill trees in the game's teaser trailer do reveal Mongoos Rodeo's answer to changing the badge system from Hollow Knight. Perhaps the skill tree will be a more permanent way for players to upgrade parts of their character.
Metroidvania Maps
Potentially the most important aspect of what makes a Metroidvania is the world map, as vast interconnected networks are used to link areas together. On the official Kickstarter page for Crowsworn, an image of the overworld map has been shared. It follows this exact design philosophy behind Hollow Knight, where parts of the overworld are connected through Stag Stations and hidden paths that can be found and unlocked through abilities. The devs have not given any glimpses at the actual in-game map, yet it may be similar to other games in the genre.
The official Kickstarter also shares information on the world of Crowsworn, and just like its contemporaries, the game features a world on the brink of insanity. Crowsworn takes place in the world of Fearanndal, where "inhabitants speak of a world cursed by a dark god." The game's story takes similar beats from Hollow Knight and Bloodborne, where the player is a stranger in a strange land, and to unravel the mystery the player must venture into peril to unlock the memories lost. With the main character void of memories and full of confusion, they must go on a god-hunting journey to answer the big questions that they have.
Crowsworn has no official release date, but the game is aiming for a late 2023 launch.