Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong is the long-awaited sequel to the cult metroidvania from the Australian studio Team Cherry, this time seen through the eyes of the nimble huntress Hornet. The player traverses the vast interconnected kingdom of Pharloom, collects new abilities and silk-based weapons, and gradually unlocks shortcuts between already-visited areas, which open up in entirely new ways as more equipment is gained. Combat is faster and more acrobatic than in the first game, with an emphasis on precise dodge timing, parrying, and combining close-range 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 follow on from the first game, but the environments are more colorful and thematically varied, from damp caves to tall towers wrapped in cobwebs and crumbling temples beneath the surface. New movement options are gradually unlocked too, such as a quick wall-run or an extra jump, which open up previously unreachable corners of already-visited areas.

On Nintendo Switch, Silksong is playable both docked on a television and in portable mode, which is a great advantage for long exploration sessions. Given the console's age, this is technically the most demanding version to run, so the graphics settings are adapted to the weaker performance, and densely populated locations may see a slight drop in frame rate, especially during fights against multiple enemies at once.

Why play it: Silksong is the ideal choice for players who loved the original Hollow Knight and want an even more refined combat system, more varied environments, and a heroine with a different, nimbler movement style. The difficulty and slower pace of the game will be appreciated by metroidvania fans who want to take their time with exploration, finding hidden shortcuts, and gradually uncovering the story of Pharloom, rather than rushing straight to the end credits.