Hollow Knight: Silksong Review Summary

Exceptional soundtrack: The game's soundtrack is phenomenal, with a range of ambient and combat themes. It is described as a masterpiece and highly atmospheric.

Visually stunning and detailed: The game features beautiful hand-drawn visuals, detailed areas, and impressive artwork. The animations are fluid, and the overall aesthetic is highly praised.

Large and content-rich world: The game offers over 50+ hours of content with a large map, many secret passages, and plenty of hidden content to explore.

Challenging but fair gameplay: The game offers a challenging experience that is considered fair and rewarding. Boss fights and exploration are particularly highlighted.

Rich lore and storytelling: The game has a deep and engaging narrative with rich lore, memorable NPCs, and detailed world-building.

Artificial and unfair difficulty: The game's difficulty is often perceived as artificial and unfair. Many players feel that the game is designed to frustrate rather than challenge, with cheap shots, long runbacks, and punishing mechanics that detract from the enjoyment.

Unrewarding gameplay and exploration: Players find the gameplay and exploration to be unrewarding. Boss battles and platforming sections often feel tedious and exhausting, with little to no meaningful rewards for the effort put in.

Excessive backtracking and gauntlets: Players are frustrated by the excessive backtracking and gauntlets. The game often requires long treks through enemy gauntlets without saves, making the experience feel tedious and time-consuming.

Frustrating movement and controls: Players find the movement mechanics and controls to be frustrating and poorly tuned. The controls feel clunky and less intuitive, leading to physical discomfort and a lack of enjoyment in traversal and combat.

Poor tool and emblem system: The tool and emblem system is seen as restrictive and not adding meaningful variety to gameplay. Tools often feel useless due to their short duration and the fast pace of the game, requiring constant restocking and farming.

Challenging and punishing gameplay: The game is noted for its high difficulty, with many players finding the combat and platforming sections particularly challenging. This includes tough boss fights, complex enemy mechanics, and punishing runbacks that require precise jumps and reactions.

Boss battles and mechanics: Boss fights are a significant part of the game, with many bosses having unique mechanics and requiring specific strategies to defeat. Some bosses are praised for their design, while others are criticized for being unfair or overly difficult.

Exploration and map design: The game features a large, interconnected map with many secrets and hidden areas. Players appreciate the exploration mechanics and the rewarding feeling of discovering new paths and items.

Difficulty and accessibility: The game's difficulty is a major talking point, with a steep learning curve and a gradual increase in challenge. Some players find the difficulty unfair, while others appreciate the challenge and the sense of accomplishment it brings.

Comparison to Hollow Knight: The game is often compared to Hollow Knight, with players noting similarities in gameplay mechanics and difficulty. It is considered a sequel and is intended to be played after Hollow Knight, with a higher difficulty level.

Frequent technical issues: Players experience various technical issues such as screen stuttering, gamepad detection problems, and inputs getting stuck frequently.

Game fails to progress: Several players report that the game does not progress past the intro screen, which is a critical issue affecting gameplay.

Controller and performance issues: There are reports of constant controller issues, lag, and specific problems with Steam Deck buttons, affecting the overall gaming experience.

Zero frames issue reported: Some players have encountered a zero frames issue, although it is noted that there is no lag associated with this problem.

Recommended for Hollow Knight fans: The game is highly recommended for players who enjoyed Hollow Knight due to its challenging nature and high quality. It is suggested that players take their time to get used to the game and practice patience to fully enjoy the experience.

Not for casual gamers: The game is not recommended for casual gamers or those who dislike difficult games. It is more suited for dedicated gamers who enjoy challenging experiences and are willing to use mods to tailor the gameplay.

Play Hollow Knight first: Reviewers suggest starting with the original Hollow Knight for practice before playing this game. It is recommended to play the older game or use mods to enhance the experience.

Mixed feelings on series conclusion: The game offers a sense of identity and conclusion to the series, making it good for evening play. However, some reviewers suggest skipping it if it doesn't align with your preferences.

Use mods to reduce difficulty: Players suggest using mods to make the game less frustratingly difficult and to tailor the experience to their preferences, enhancing enjoyment.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback for the game reveals several key themes. The controls and gameplay mechanics are highly praised for their responsiveness and fluidity, although some users found them challenging initially. The game's difficulty and steep learning curve are noted, which can be demanding for new players but rewarding for those who persist. The visual and audio design received high praise for their quality and contribution to the overall atmosphere. However, some users reported technical issues such as crashes and bugs, which can disrupt the gaming experience. The game is highly praised for its compatibility and performance on the Steam Deck, with many users reporting a smooth and enjoyable experience.

Monetization: The game is highly praised for its lack of microtransactions, fair pricing, and high-quality content. Users appreciate the full game experience without additional costs and find the price to be very reasonable. The game's difficulty and certain mechanics are noted as challenging but do not detract significantly from the overall positive experience.

Mod reliance: The analysis of user feedback reveals several key themes related to the reliance on mods for Hollow Knight: Silksong. The most significant issues include game balance and difficulty, quality of life improvements, gameplay mechanics, user interface and controls, and a general preference for mods. Many users find the game's default settings unbalanced and overly difficult, often requiring mods to make the game enjoyable. Additionally, users frequently mention the need for mods to improve visual and functional aspects of the game, indicating a lack of quality-of-life features in the base game. Specific gameplay mechanics and usability issues are also commonly cited as reasons for using mods. Overall, the feedback suggests that while the game has a strong foundation, it heavily relies on community fixes to address various shortcomings.

External guides: The analysis of user feedback for 'Wiki Tax' reveals several key themes. The most prominent issues are related to complex mechanics and hidden secrets, which significantly impact the user experience. Users frequently mention the need to consult external resources like wikis and guides to understand game mechanics, find hidden areas, and manage inventory effectively. Navigation and exploration also pose challenges, with users struggling to navigate the game's vast world and find specific locations. Inventory management and the anxiety of hoarding items are notable concerns, as well as technical issues and bugs that detract from the overall experience. These themes highlight the areas where users feel the game could improve to provide a more seamless and enjoyable experience.

High praise and awards: The game has received significant acclaim, including being named Game of the Year on Steam. This indicates a high level of recognition and appreciation from the gaming community.

Comparisons to iconic media: Reviewers have drawn comparisons between the game and the opera scene from 'A Clockwork Orange.' This suggests that the game has memorable and impactful scenes that resonate with players.

Played on multiple platforms: Players have experienced the game on various platforms, including the Nintendo Switch OLED and Steam Deck LCD. This indicates the game's accessibility and appeal across different gaming devices.

Extensive playtime and updates: A review mentions a significant playtime of 110 hours and updates to the review based on this extensive gameplay. This suggests that the game offers substantial content and replay value.