Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong is the long-awaited sequel to the cult metroidvania from Australian studio Team Cherry, this time seen through the eyes of the nimble huntress Hornet. The player travels through 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 new gear is gained. Combat is faster and more acrobatic than in the first game, with an emphasis on precisely timed dodges, parries, 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 environments are 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 fast wall run or an extra jump, which open up previously unreachable corners of areas already visited.

On Xbox One, the game runs on older hardware comparably to PlayStation 4 - that is, at a lower resolution and a more conservative frame rate than on the newer console generation. The gameplay content, map, and difficulty are identical to all other releases; only the smoothness during more demanding fights with many enemies on screen at once differs.

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