Hollow Knight: Silksong is a Metroidvania action-adventure game that builds on the foundation of its predecessor with a focus on exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving in a vast, interconnected world.
Gameplay
In Hollow Knight: Silksong, you control Hornet, a agile hunter navigating the kingdom of Pharloom. The core loop involves traversing diverse environments like mossy grottos and misted moors, using acrobatic movements to platform and fight enemies. Combat emphasizes swift, precise actions with a suite of moves that allow dodging and striking in fluid sequences.
Exploration plays a central role, as you uncover new areas, collect resources, and craft tools such as weapons and traps to overcome obstacles and foes. Quests require hunting beasts and solving mysteries, which tie into the narrative and progression. The game features over 200 enemies and more than 40 bosses, each demanding specific strategies based on patterns and weaknesses.
Mechanics include an expanding arsenal that enhances mobility and combat options, letting you adapt to challenges. The world design encourages backtracking with new abilities, revealing hidden paths and secrets.
Game Modes
The main experience is a single-player campaign where you ascend to the kingdom's peak, battling foes and unraveling the story.
Steel Soul mode offers a heightened challenge after completing the game, with permanent death and no checkpoints, testing mastery of the mechanics.
Current State and Updates
As of March 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong has been available since its September 2025 release on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Team Cherry has released minor patches addressing bugs and balance, but no major content updates or seasons have been added yet.
Is It Worth Playing?
Hollow Knight: Silksong suits those who enjoy tough Metroidvania games with deep exploration and demanding combat. Player reception highlights strong praise for its world design, soundtrack by Christopher Larkin, and gameplay, with Metacritic scores averaging around 90 from critics. However, some reviews note the high difficulty as a barrier, potentially frustrating casual players.
If you thrive on challenging boss fights and intricate level design, this title delivers lasting appeal through its replay value in modes like Steel Soul. For newcomers to the genre, it might require patience, but the sense of accomplishment from progression makes it a solid choice for dedicated action-adventure fans.
- Exploration-focused Metroidvania with interconnected areas
- Acrobatic combat against varied enemies and bosses
- Crafting system for tools and weapons
- Challenging Steel Soul mode for experts
