Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2026: A Deep, Demanding Metroidvania Masterclass
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In 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong no longer needs to prove that it is more than a victory lap. Team Cherry spent nearly a decade polishing the follow-up to one of the most beloved Metroidvanias of the modern era, and the result is a sequel that knows exactly how to sink its teeth into players. At first blush, Silksong can look like more Hollow Knight with a diagonal pogo attack bolted on. That read feels quaint now. Within 30 minutes, the game opens up into a completely different beast, one that earns the sequel moniker and then some. A standard clear can land around 15 to 20 hours, with one documented run finishing at 15 hours and 16 minutes, but clock time is only the tip of the iceberg. A Sequel That Knows How to Sink Its Teeth In Silksong is no walk in the park. From the halfway point onward, the pressure ramps up and the game starts to feel like a Souls **** le in the best and most stressful ways. There is always one more upgrade to chase, one more boss standing in the way, and one more story-critical quest item that can send players combing through the map for hours. One early account describes spending three hours hunting for a crucial item, unsure whether it would ever turn up. That kind of friction is real, but guides are not the recommended first port of call. Navigation is generally more manageable than in the original Hollow Knight, largely because Hornet has a movement kit that puts the first protagonist to shame. She can float downward slowly, chain pogo attacks across platforming challenges, and call on a seemingly endless array of tools that reshape how any given situation can be approached. Once crests enter the picture, the design clicks. Crests function like weapon types that enable different tool and passive upgrade loadouts, turning Silksong into a highly customizable experience. Combat is deep, the vistas are beautiful and haunting, and mechanical puzzles keep the brain working between nail-biting encounters. Different players gravitate toward different favorite loadouts, which is a strong sign that Team Cherry has built something with real range. The story is also more engaging this time around. Hornet is a more prominent participant in the festivities, complete with a striking design that has inspired plenty of fan art. Team Cherry has honed its craft with bosses and NPCs too, creating some devilishly delightful characters that leave a mark. Open-Ended, Dense, and Downright Addictive Silksong is so open-ended that it can feel overwhelming, but in a good way. Players constantly mark maps to revisit later after gaining new abilities, and forcing through challenging zones while under-equipped is part of the thrill. It is a meticulously crafted Metroidvania that ranks among the best in the genre, and that praise lands even harder for anyone who has been playing these games and their inspirations since the 1980s. The combat against smaller enemies around Hornet's size is among the best ever seen in a 2D platformer. Learning patterns, countering moves, and cutting teeth on intense encounters gives the game a sharp, satisfying edge. With mastery of Hornet's mechanics and enough time spent studying a boss, anything feels possible. More than many genre staples, Silksong gives players complete control over Hornet and everything she does, and that amount of power is thrilling. Every 30 minutes or so, a new tool, crest, ability, or upgrade arrives to keep progression fresh. A key improvement over the original is density: areas generally feel more packed and less meandering. Getting from place to place is quicker and more fun, not just because of how Hornet moves, but because Team Cherry has years of hindsight regarding tight level design. The Difficulty Walls Are Real One issue that can throw players for a loop is the extreme amount of two-mask damage.
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https://dealnesthq.com
In 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong no longer needs to prove that it is more than a victory lap. Team Cherry spent nearly a decade polishing the follow-up to one of the most beloved Metroidvanias of the modern era, and the result is a sequel that knows exactly how to sink its teeth into players. At first blush, Silksong can look like more Hollow Knight with a diagonal pogo attack bolted on. That read feels quaint now. Within 30 minutes, the game opens up into a completely different beast, one that earns the sequel moniker and then some. A standard clear can land around 15 to 20 hours, with one documented run finishing at 15 hours and 16 minutes, but clock time is only the tip of the iceberg. A Sequel That Knows How to Sink Its Teeth In Silksong is no walk in the park. From the halfway point onward, the pressure ramps up and the game starts to feel like a Souls **** le in the best and most stressful ways. There is always one more upgrade to chase, one more boss standing in the way, and one more story-critical quest item that can send players combing through the map for hours. One early account describes spending three hours hunting for a crucial item, unsure whether it would ever turn up. That kind of friction is real, but guides are not the recommended first port of call. Navigation is generally more manageable than in the original Hollow Knight, largely because Hornet has a movement kit that puts the first protagonist to shame. She can float downward slowly, chain pogo attacks across platforming challenges, and call on a seemingly endless array of tools that reshape how any given situation can be approached. Once crests enter the picture, the design clicks. Crests function like weapon types that enable different tool and passive upgrade loadouts, turning Silksong into a highly customizable experience. Combat is deep, the vistas are beautiful and haunting, and mechanical puzzles keep the brain working between nail-biting encounters. Different players gravitate toward different favorite loadouts, which is a strong sign that Team Cherry has built something with real range. The story is also more engaging this time around. Hornet is a more prominent participant in the festivities, complete with a striking design that has inspired plenty of fan art. Team Cherry has honed its craft with bosses and NPCs too, creating some devilishly delightful characters that leave a mark. Open-Ended, Dense, and Downright Addictive Silksong is so open-ended that it can feel overwhelming, but in a good way. Players constantly mark maps to revisit later after gaining new abilities, and forcing through challenging zones while under-equipped is part of the thrill. It is a meticulously crafted Metroidvania that ranks among the best in the genre, and that praise lands even harder for anyone who has been playing these games and their inspirations since the 1980s. The combat against smaller enemies around Hornet's size is among the best ever seen in a 2D platformer. Learning patterns, countering moves, and cutting teeth on intense encounters gives the game a sharp, satisfying edge. With mastery of Hornet's mechanics and enough time spent studying a boss, anything feels possible. More than many genre staples, Silksong gives players complete control over Hornet and everything she does, and that amount of power is thrilling. Every 30 minutes or so, a new tool, crest, ability, or upgrade arrives to keep progression fresh. A key improvement over the original is density: areas generally feel more packed and less meandering. Getting from place to place is quicker and more fun, not just because of how Hornet moves, but because Team Cherry has years of hindsight regarding tight level design. The Difficulty Walls Are Real One issue that can throw players for a loop is the extreme amount of two-mask damage.
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