Hollow Knight: Silksong is a timeless sequel that was worth the wait

In 2019, two years after the release of indie darling Hollow Knight, a teeny Australian studio called Team Cherry announced they were working on a sequel where enemy-turned-ally Hornet would take centre stage.

Naturally, fans blew up with excitement, thrilled by the prospect of a follow-up to one of the best Metroidvanias ever made — and the chance to play as the lethal, red-cloaked figure.

Then came the radio silence. For years, updates dwindled, prompting gamers to wonder whether Hollow Knight: Silksong would ever see the light of day. Thankfully, 2025 promised a release date that, miraculously, wasn’t far off from its reveal.

So, did Team Cherry bake too long, letting fan expectations swell beyond reasonable levels, or was the painstaking six-year wait worth it in the end? Fifty-six hours and a “100% complete” screen later, the short answer to the latter is, “Yes, absolutely!”

It all opens with our heroine being transported as a captive by unknown enemies to the kingdom of Pharloom — a once-grand land that now lies a mere shell of its former splendid self, thanks to a phenomenon known as the Haunting. The crown jewel of this kingdom, the Citadel, holds the answers, and despite the path to the top being fraught with danger, it remains a hot destination for pilgrims and other curious wanderers.

What’s surprisingly refreshing right out of the gate is that, unlike the silent insectoid protagonist of the previous title, Hornet speaks, revealing a multifaceted personality, even if it’s guarded behind a mask.

She may come across as cold and closed, yet beyond her fierce determination to unravel the mystery of why she was taken there are clear touches of regal elegance, sharp wit, and principled kindness. There’s also a sense of duty to those around her and the dire situations they individually and collectively face.

None of this happens with voice acting, mind you. Instead, a wealth of bite-sized lines of dialogue offer concise snippets of exposition that collectively weave into a grand tale filled with fascinating themes.

It’s all brought to life through the intriguing characters pocketed throughout Pharloom. From the fan-favourite Sherma, a pilgrim blessed with unbeatable positivity (and unbelievable “luck”), to the warrior cartographer Shakra sketching the trail of her master, conversations with others provide astonishingly poignant food for thought across light topics like religion, legacy and purpose.

How these characters move around the map or drop hints in “throwaway” lines strongly reminded me of FromSoftware’s approach in titles like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, where nothing is explicit. Bar the odd quest marker on the map, players aren’t beaten over the head with where they need to go or what’s going on around them.

What happened to Pharloom, why Hornet is there, what’s the deal with literal silk and song, and countless other questions need to have their answers strung together at a player’s own discretion.

If piecing together the wider story is an obstacle in itself, it pales in comparison to the gameplay challenges that players will encounter at every turn. Team Cherry evidently wanted Silksong to be difficult (there’s no deduction needed on that front). It’s also where their impeccable design skills truly shine, at least most of the time.

Almost certainly an intentional and symbolic decision, this title reverses its predecessor’s descent into Hallownest, instead tasking Hornet with ascending through Pharloom. The map, as expected, is massive — an unprecedented web of corridors and hallways that deviate and wind back together in clever ways. There’s also no shortage of secrets to find, with plenty hidden neatly almost in plain sight, often hiding a reward or handy shortcut to another area.

It’s simple to get lost, especially in the opening moments where there are no maps, nor a compass to accurately show location. And while it might be off-putting for some, that thrill of cutting forward into the unknown, mixed with the dread of stumbling across an untimely death, is a weirdly satisfying combination.

Granted, inching forward into a new place with a bag full of the game’s primary and losable currency, rosary beads, can be a stressful affair — particularly when there’s no bench (a checkpoint) in sight. That urge to keep exploring, though, to keep seeking a way up while digging into Pharloom’s buried past, is constantly engaging.

That said, Silksong’s audio and visuals deserve bonus credit for keeping players glued to the screen, and no in-depth explanation could ever effectively convey the sheer love and attention that has clearly been poured into both.

Graphically, the three layers of this 2D-looking world — foreground, player plane and background — intertwine gorgeously in every moment of gameplay, with lighting, particles and other artistic touches further complementing the side-scrolling action.

The same can be said for Hornet and her innumerable animations. The flair and grace behind each attack, dash and jump is beautifully realised, not to mention a breeze to pull off with pinpoint accuracy thanks to a tight, responsive control scheme — an absolute necessity for the more unforgiving platforming sections, where one misjudged leap could mean an unwelcome demise.

Christopher Larkin has somehow surpassed the orchestral majesty of Hollow Knight, doubling that original 26 track list to a staggering 53 pieces here. The variety and contrast on offer are stark, with themes of anxious ambience and haunting desolation balanced effortlessly with chords of hope and choirs of promise.

Silksong wears its difficulty on its sleeve. Death lies around every corner, even in the most unexpected ways. It may come in the form of a drawn-out platforming section, a lengthy enemy gauntlet, or a boss with a seemingly bottomless health pool. You just never know, and the best you can do is be on guard at all times, because even the odd bench can’t be trusted.

Therein again lies this strange duality touched on earlier with regard to exploration. It can be frustrating to face a boss repeatedly, yet learning those patterns and eventually choreographing a victory delivers an undeniable and addictive sense of smug satisfaction.

It also once again highlights Team Cherry’s intentional, smart design. I never once felt that I had been cheated. Rather, the correct solution to every obstacle is having the patience to observe and learn. It’s not like players don’t have choice at their fingertips either. Between an assortment of crests that alter attack sequences, and dozens of passives and tools, there’s really no shortage of ways to tinker and fine-tune an approach to every occasion, particularly in the late game.

The only thing completely out of one’s control, and my biggest problem with the game, is the long journey back to any given boss room. Behind most doors are foes that dish out fatal blows in mere seconds, leading to multiple respawns, a fight back through spiky pits and smaller fodder, usually for a minute or three, for another attempt at defeating a Big Bad. These trips can compound quickly to feel like an unnecessary friction point, particularly when facing a tricky foe.

There’s clearly a ton of talent in that small studio, and it’s safe to say that they know how to thread a needle. DM

Hollow Knight: Silksong was released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 1 & 2, and PC on 4 September. This review was first published on Pfangirl.