Hollow Knight: Silksong is a side-scrolling action-adventure game (Metroidvania) from Team Cherry. The Hollow Knight series is beloved in the gaming world, and the newest entry, Silksong, broke the internet and records upon its September 4 release on all major gaming platforms. The game’s Steam charts crossed over 587,000 concurrent players, a top-five all-time placement, making it one of the most successful games of all time already. It’s safe to say the three-person team out of Adelaide, Australia, has cemented its legacy by creating the most successful independent gaming franchise ever.
Hands On /Reviews
Silksong is a sequel to Hollow Knight, where you play as Hornet, the Princess Protector. You must explore the realm of Pharloom in search of new powers and upgrades to defeat enemies, navigate platforming puzzles, and beat bosses.
Silksong is incredible. I’m only two bosses into the game, but I know a great game when I play one. The game feels so incredibly smooth and polished, a testament to six years of development time well spent. I never played Hollow Knight, so I have zero clue what’s going on lore-wise, and I couldn’t care less. The mystery and haunted beauty of Pharloom are plenty to keep me exploring the world.
Exploring the map for new abilities is fun, and putting the map together slowly is a satisfying experience. Without a doubt, the game is challenging. As you gain more traversal abilities, the platforming sequences start to get rather intense.
The music has a beautiful, calming effect on the game, which is good when the combat and platforming can be excessively tilting after multiple failures in a row. The game strikes a balance where mastering the mechanics is rewarding, and the world-building, lore, and music fuel you to keep giving that boss fight one more try before bed.
Why Silksong’s Success Matters / Drama
Not surprisingly, the game is already garnering game of the year buzz. It should, after a seven-year wait expectations we’re almost impossible to meet expectations, but Team Cherry not only met the expectations, but knocked them out of the park.
Team Cherry and the Hollow Knight success story proves that good games sell. You don’t need a battle pass, and you don’t need to push microtransactions like a used car salesman with a coke habit. You can create a great game, and it will essentially sell itself at this point. Gamers crave fully contained experiences in a world where so many AAA games are half-baked at release.
Silksong was so successful that it spawned one of the dumbest arguments I’ve ever heard about how the game is too good to only cost $20. Other indie developers said the game should cost $40, because most indie developers won’t see the same level of success. Well, if you make games people want to play, you can charge whatever price you want.
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Feature Image Credit: Team Cherry’s Silksong Press Kit
