Edge Magazine has revealed a world exclusive look at the highly anticipated action-adventure game, Hollow Knight: Silksong. Monthly issue 354 provides a vast trove of fresh details about the gameplay, characters, and world of Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Originally shown off in February 2019, Silksong is a sequel to the action-adventure game by developers Team Cherry, Hollow Knight. Based on characteristics from Metroid and Castlevania, it is renowned for its challenging boss battles and beautiful art style. But unlike the original, players will now take control of a recognizable side character from the first entry, Hornet. While the reveal trailer showcases a tease of the upcoming game, information since then has been scarce.
From the main details, it sounds like fans of the indie success story Hollow Knight can look forward to plenty of new gameplay qualities and features. Some highlights include that Hornet will travel much faster than the original protagonist, and even mantle onto ledges. Enemies will also be more complex, and early encounters can dish out two full hits to Hornet's health bar. According to Team Cherry, players will likely either be at full health or almost dead most of the time. That said, the goal is to have difficulty remain around the level of the original Hollow Knight experience.
For those who struggled to get into the first game due to its very open-ended nature, Hollow Knight: Silksong sounds to remedy some of those issues. For instance, Hornet can speak, a quality that results in a much stronger personality than the original hero. Rather than aimless exploration, there will be a noticeboard with various tasks to keep track of. These can involve combat challenges or secret locations, and are available alongside the main quests. In case anyone did not try out the first game, Team Cherry assures that those players can jump into the sequel without any problem.
Hollow Knight is a popular game in part because of how it combines the Metroidvania genre with a Soulslike. These games can be a dime a dozen, but Team Cherry's attempt is held up by the fantastic atmosphere, characters animated by hand, and combat that pushes players to the limit. Thankfully, it sounds like many of these desirable characteristics will be returning for Silksong. Oftentimes sequels depend heavily on the original game and do not try to push the buck. With how long the sequel has been kept secret, it is great to see that the experience will offer plenty of complexity but still be accessible for new players.
That said, with such secretive development, it is possible that the sequel will not live up to the hype. It is not the first time that a game in development for years ended up getting roasted for misleading claims. Who knows how a protagonist with a voice could go over with fans of the series too. A silent player character can be key to the feeling of isolation in Metroidvanias, especially the melancholy tone of the first game. However, Team Cherry's first entry deserved the praise it received, so fans and new players can likely expect Hollow Knight: Silksong to be a solid game.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is currently in development for PC and Switch.
Source: NintendoEverything