(Image courtesy of SteamDB. “Team Cherry’s ‘Hollow Knight: Silksong’ features a familiar hero in an all-new kingdom.)

Aaron Preziosi
Connector Editor

After six years in the making, three-person studio Team Cherry’s “Hollow Knight: Silksong” finally made its debut on Sept 4. 2025, to critical acclaim. Following its initial announcement in 2019, “Silksong” quickly gained a cult following among fans of “Hollow Knight” and newcomers hoping to experience more of the previously established world of bugs established by Team Cherry.

Most notably, the release of “Silksong” resulted in almost every major digital storefront crashing. Gamers found that Steam, the Nintendo eShop, the Xbox store and Game Pass, as well as the PlayStation store and others, much to the amusement and chagrin of gamers. Although it was a somewhat-unexpected outcome for an indie title such as “Silksong,” the initial shock and awe faded as downloads began and services were restored. Fans were subsequently blown away, already claiming the game to be Game of the Year material.

Right from the beginning, “Hollow Knight: Silksong” sets itself apart from its predecessor. Players are placed in the shoes of Hornet, a warrior-princess of the kingdom Hallownest. She has found herself captured and brought to the faraway kingdom of Pharloom, a haunted place consumed by ethereal silk and mysterious half-forgotten architecture. Armed with only her needle, a sewing implement repurposed for combat, Hornet tasks herself with ascending the path of Pharloom’s pilgrims to cut away the sickness at its heart. As they progress, players are able to acquire a wide variety of skills and tools which expand Hornet’s exploration and combat capabilities such as throwing knives and caltrops, or the ability to throw her needle outward or around her in a frenzy to deal devastating damage to any foes in her way.

Immediately, players will notice that “Silksong” is far less forgiving than its predecessor. Hornet is an agile protagonist, able to bob and weave through enemy attacks and retaliate with precise needle strikes, Silk skills and powerful tools, but Team Cherry makes up the difference by facing players with double-damaging hazards and enemies far more often than they did in “Hollow Knight”. Since players begin the game with Hornet only able to be hit five times, the skill floor is much higher and results in quicker deaths. Players have voiced their frustrations online, comparing the difficulty spike from “Hollow Knight” to “Silksong” to that of “Dark Souls” to “Dark Souls II.”

Even the world of “Silksong” is quite different from “Hollow Knight”, though Team Cherry’s art style lends a sense of familiarity to each handcrafted area. No matter where in Pharloom players are, they can expect Hornet to encounter a far more advanced civilization than that of Hallownest from the first game. Levers, cranks, and mechanical contraptions are far more common than before, and the entire kingdom has a sense of industrialization to it. Vast, bubbling pools of magma and bronze forges are beautifully contradicted by verdant plains, rainy ramshackle towns, and dusty bells.

Keeping up with the idea of advanced civilization, players will encounter many non-player characters and towns as they follow Hornet on her journey. They are able to carry out a multitude of tasks to help them, including deliveries, retrievals, monster hunts, and donations. All of these objectives result in some kind of reward for the player, usually in the form of currency or an upgrade for Hornet’s health bar or Silk meter. Many of these quests are made apparent by speaking to NPCs found in Hornet’s way or viewing “wishboards” in each major settlement, but some quests are mysteries meant to be uncovered by curious, explorative players.

All in all, “Hollow Knight: Silksong” builds upon everything established in Team Cherry’s previous “Hollow Knight.” After six years in development, it is apparent that every moment of development was spent further fleshing out the well-polished package that “Silksong” became, despite delays and radio silence along the way. Notably, “Silksong” is available on major platforms such as Steam, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Game Pass and store, as well as smaller platforms like Humble Bundle and GOG. At only $20, the game is worth every penny.

Grade: A+