Being able to write about “Hollow Knight: Silksong” as a finished product is a surreal experience. The development took place over six long years of near-total silence from the developers—six years of agony for anyone who enjoyed its predecessor, “Hollow Knight.” To illustrate this agony, consider the concept of “Silkposting”—the practice of pretending, in increasingly cruel ways, that Silksong-related news had been announced, and that the viewer had missed it. For example, one 2024 Reddit post consisted of a fake tweet from the developer, Team Cherry, claiming that the reason for the long delay was the development of a collection of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), supposedly called “silkies.” In the end, the final wait was ironically short- the release date was announced on August 21, and “Hollow Knight: Silksong” came out September 6. The reason for the long silence was revealed in a Bloomberg interview with the developers: as an indie studio coming off a breakout hit, Team Cherry had unlimited funding, a passion for design and lacked both a public relations department and an executive to enforce deadlines. In the interview, one developer also referenced “silkposting” with a fabulous quote: “Feels like we’re going to ruin their fun by releasing the game.”

In a fitting end, “Silksong” managed to hurt its consumers one last time by preventing them from purchasing on release. Most larger games have pre-order windows. This practice is often decried by consumers as it locks in sales before reviewers can pass judgment, but it also has the practical purpose of easing traffic on online vendors. Team Cherry failed to anticipate this need, which is why “Silksong’s” release caused every major online game vendor to crash as over a million people simultaneously tried to buy one game. However, “Silksong” has now reached over 5 million players—not bad for a game made almost entirely by four people.

Now, is the game worth it? Yes. Team Cherry delivered a product that matches—and in many places, surpasses—the original “Hollow Knight.” In an economy where inflation has finally shattered the industry law that no video game can cost more than $60, “Silksong” is a steal at $20. “Silksong” is a shining example of how keeping a game development group small can result in great art at a cheap price… though we certainly paid for it by having to wait this long. For the uninitiated, I would strongly recommend playing “Hollow Knight” first, as “Silksong” is a sequel in every sense of the word. In order to unpack that claim, we first have to understand what makes “Hollow Knight” unique in the first place.

First, there’s the stellar premise and plot. Both “Hollow Knight” and “Silksong” take place in a mini bug-world. The two-dimensional world is designed to make the player feel like they’re looking into the side of an anthill as they uncover secrets in dark passages within a decaying feudal kingdom composed of every type of dangerous insect under the sun. But the biggest way “Silksong” departs from its predecessor is the protagonist. In “Hollow Knight,” you played as “The Knight,” a silent protagonist who is cute but ultimately boring. The prompt for interacting with other characters is not “talk”, but rather “listen”—it makes the player feel like they’re merely observing this bug world, rather than truly shaping it. “Silksong” stars Hornet, a character who was previously an antagonist and later an ally of The Knight. Hornet is, in contrast, oozing with personality. Armed with a razor-sharp needle on a thread of silk, she’s like if Princess Mononoke were raised by spiders instead of wolves. Compassionate when warranted, but lethal to anyone considered a threat. This is a great fit for a sequel—in the perilous world of “Hollow Knight,” it feels great to be hostile and dangerous in return.

Now, let’s touch on one of the biggest challenges Team Cherry faced. Should a sequel try to be a continuation of what made the original so great or a bold foray into new territory? The gameplay style presents this exact problem, but worse. What exactly does it mean to feel like you’re playing the second game in a series? Should it be more complex to play? The same controls, but more difficult? Or should it return the player to the place of comfort they feel when they play the original, and just place the player in new situations with the same toolset? The answer lies in what the original game is about in the first place. “Hollow Knight” is a game about struggle and exploration. Accordingly, “Silksong” should feel new and uncomfortable, even to a veteran.

Team Cherry has accomplished this by leaning into Hornet’s reputation as a lightning-fast hunter. “Silksong’s” gameplay prioritizes speed; Hornet can run so fast that the player can only safely traverse the world at full speed once they memorize its layout. Similarly, combat allows the player to be lightning-fast and deadly—but only once they know exactly what they’re up against. This is a genius way of solving “the sequel problem”; The Knight’s movement was precise, but sluggish for anyone who knew the landscape. Whereas “Hollow Knight” was tough but fair, “Silksong” is relentlessly, even hilariously cruel. In “Silksong”, your primary spot for a breather is a bench, which heals you. And yet, somewhere in the world, there’s a bench that’s booby-trapped, killing you before you have the chance to save. What better way to communicate that survival is a struggle than to keep a player on edge at all times, even when they’ve found their (supposed) lifeline?

The presentation also receives a major upgrade. Hollow Knight was infamous for its samey visuals, but “Silksong” ups the ante by making each area visually distinct and memorable, such as a cave made entirely out of multicolored bells and populated with spiders using a bell as a hermit crab-style shell. Another notable aspect is the outstanding orchestral score. Christopher Larkin has outdone himself in accompanying the visuals of “Silksong’s” expansive and decaying world with appropriate levels of musical grandeur, tragedy and excitement.

Furthermore, there’s a lot that’s new in “Silksong.” One notable addition is that of a fleshed-out quest system. “Hollow Knight” had a couple of unimportant side quests, but “Silksong’s” quests are unique. Many are fetch quests, but each macguffin has an original model and acquisition animation, which is almost unheard of in video games. Combined with the fact that the game is difficult enough to make every quest reward feel valuable, these are some of the best questlines I’ve seen in a while. The only thing “Silksong” lacks is choice—”Silksong”’s plot allows the player to shape the fate of the world, but what really brings worldbuilding to the next level is giving the player real control over what that fate will be. (Though, of course, having to design branching storylines means more development time, and I think that the player base has had quite enough development time.) You owe it to yourself to give this artistic masterclass a try.