Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong is the long-awaited sequel to the cult metroidvania from Australian studio Team Cherry, this time from the perspective of the agile hunter Hornet. The player traverses the sprawling interconnected kingdom of Pharloom, collects new abilities and silk weapons, and gradually unlocks shortcuts between already-visited areas, which open up in entirely new ways as more gear is acquired. Combat is faster and more acrobatic than in the first game, with an emphasis on precise dodge timing, parrying, and combining melee attacks with ranged strikes using needles and silk ribbons. The world is full of secret passages, bosses with their own distinctive style, and side quests that reward patient exploration and conversations with the strange inhabitants of Pharloom. The music and visual style continue from the first game, but the environment is more colorful and thematically varied, from damp caves to tall towers wrapped in cobwebs and crumbling temples beneath the surface. New ways of moving are also gradually unlocked, such as a quick wall-run or an extra jump, which open up previously unreachable corners of areas already visited.

On PlayStation 4, Silksong runs on already-older hardware, so compared to the newer generation one can expect lower resolution and a more conservative frame rate, especially in passages with a lot of on-screen effects. Content-wise it's exactly the same game with the same bosses, areas, and gear; the difference is purely technical and shows up mainly in the fastest fights, where fractions of a second matter for a precise dodge.

Why play it: Silksong is an ideal choice for players who loved the first Hollow Knight and want an even more refined combat system, a more varied environment, and a heroine with a different, more agile style of movement. Both the difficulty and the slower pace of the game will appeal to metroidvania fans who want to take their time with exploration, finding hidden shortcuts, and gradually uncovering the story of Pharloom, without rushing straight to the end credits.