Hollow Knight: A Beautiful (But Maybe a Bit Overrated) Journey – Weekly Indie Spotlight

Hollow Knight: Silksong is here, and it’s probably the most talked-about indie game of the year. Now, despite its classic status, I never played Hollow Knight until very recently, despite having it on my Steam wishlist for years. However, the game was on sale recently, and with everyone talking about Silksong, I thought “what the heck?” and bought the original game. While I haven’t beaten it yet, I’ve played enough to get a feel for it, so let’s look back on why people call it a masterpiece.

Hollow Knight is a Gorgeous Game

Developed by Team Cherry, Hollow Knight sets out to be a work of art. Probably the first thing that everyone notices when they play this game is the amazingly beautiful atmosphere. The lovely hand-drawn graphics and ethereal music transport you into the world of the game. It can also be unsettling at times. For example, there are enemies that look like they’re wandering around lost and confused, which makes you feel guilty about killing them, even when they relentlessly attack you.

The game also throws you into the story without explaining much of anything, much like the original Metroid on the NES. While some people might prefer more orientation, having the story unfold through your own actions makes you feel like your actions matter, and you aren’t merely following instructions. The controls are solid, which is a good thing, since the game can be relentless in its difficulty.

Still, There Are Some Flaws

Despite its beloved status, Hollow Knight does have some flaws that dampen the experience somewhat. For one thing, it has a horrible map system. The game makes you pay for “extra” map features with in-game currency, and these features include things like seeing where you are on the map and marking significant areas. In most games, these features would just be standard.

In addition, checkpoints can be far apart. You save your game by resting on benches, but benches are sometimes scarce. If you die, even during a boss fight, you respawn at the last bench, and you have to backtrack to where you were, which can sometimes take a while. Since you die a lot in this game, you might find yourself getting frustrated at having to retrace old ground over and over just to have another go at the boss who keeps killing you.

Conclusion

Despite those flaws, Hollow Knight is still a beautiful game. I haven’t yet finished it, so I don’t know if it’s worthy of the “masterpiece” label yet, but it’s definitely worthy of a lot of praise. It’s engaging, emotional, and creepy. Yes, I will be picking up Silksong after I finish this game. Hollow Knight can be purchased on Steam for $14.99.