I fear I may catch some heat for this, but I need to come out and say it and I mean it with respect: I simply don’t get the hype around Hollow Knight, and I’m indifferent to the impending release of Silksong. That’s not to say I’m not excited for everyone else that seems to be hyped for it, but it’s a game that I’ve tried several times to get into, and have simply never been able to grasp. Genuine question – is it a me thing? Is it a classic case of needing to “git gud?” Is there some super top secret club that holds all the secrets for the Hollow Knight community fandom that I didn’t get an invite for? Somebody help me, please. I don’t get it, but I’d like to try.
Let me be clear: I have tried already to. Three separate times I started the game, and made it about 8-10 hours in before giving up. The first time was in 2021 on my Switch, when I was looking for a game to keep me occupied during my chemotherapy sessions. The second time was in 2023, when I started a fresh run on my stream and ran it for a couple of streams before giving up again. The final time was just this past spring, when I solicited some help from friends, downloaded a step by step walkthrough, and allowed my stream community to backseat my playthrough, certain this would be the attempt that finally got me over the hump. But alas, 3 sessions in, I ultimately put down the controller once again. I simply wasn’t interested.
What it came down to had nothing to do with difficult bosses or not appreciating the gameplay and artistic experience. The game itself is gorgeous, the music lovely and melancholic, and the characters whimsical and charming. I ultimately struggled with the navigation system, and the need to upgrade my map in order to navigate the world. Even with an upgraded map, all you really get is a 2D layout with a few key points of interest, and the rest needing to be earned. I found myself frequently getting lost, wandering into areas I wasn’t sure I was supposed to be and accidentally getting myself killed. This would send me back to a bench somewhere I didn’t remember and having to figure out how to get back to where I was to retrieve my Geo (the in-game currency).
I’m no stranger to the term “it’s slow at first, you have to get through X amount of hours and then it really picks up!” I got the same speech when it came to Death Stranding, but the experience ended the same. After 10 hours of trying to fight the game’s intended design, I simply lost my patience.
I don’t think this is a flaw with the game by any means. It’s designed this way for a reason. It creates a very specific kind of challenge for the player. In addition to having to fight your way through an obstacle course of bugs trying to kill you, you have to grow accustomed to a navigation system that is also trying to kill you. It’s immersive. I find that the passion of Hollow Knight players rivals that of Souls players and I appreciate it. They are deeply passionate, well versed in the game’s lore, and true savants when it comes to every challenge the game throws at you. I respect them greatly, I just don’t relate right now.
So no, you won’t see me playing Silksong anytime soon. But I would love to be wrong in my assessment of this franchise. Maybe there’s something I’m missing, some small thing that hasn’t clicked yet. Or maybe I’ll just never git gud. So it goes with getting old.
