This Game is Hard: Hollow Knight: Silksong Review
This Game is Hard: Hollow Knight: Silksong, finally leapt off the hype train and dropped into player hands and yes, it’s as brutal, gorgeous, and demanding as many feared. For fans of tough Metroidvanias, this sequel from Team Cherry delivers both rewards and frustration in equal measure. In this review, we’ll break down exactly what pieces shine, what parts sting, and whether Hollow Knight: Silksong is worth taking on.
What We Know & What’s New
Release & Platforms
Silksong launched on 4 September 2025, developed and published by Team Cherry. It’s out on nearly every major platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch (including Switch 2), PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Series X/S.Story & Protagonist
You play as Hornet, once from Hallownest, now kidnapped and transported to a new land called Pharloom. The goal is both story-driven and survival-based: explore, unlock abilities, face enemies and bosses, and try making it out alive.Gameplay Mechanics
Silksong keeps the core Metroidvania style of exploration, platforming, and boss fights from the original Hollow Knight, but adds new movement changes (Hornet’s pogo mechanics, more vertical traversal, etc.), new enemies/bosses, and a lot more agility for the player. Crafting tools, Silk Skills, Rosaries as currency. All these returns, but some with tweaked risk/reward.Difficulty & Community Response
From the moment of release, many players and critics noticed Silksong is harder than its predecessor in certain respects. Early bosses deal more damage, hazards hit harder or more often, and movement/traversal is less forgiving. People have reported that even because of slight mechanical changes like pogo jumping being diagonal rather than perfectly vertical as established muscle memory gets punished.
What Works and What Hurts
What’s Great
Aesthetic & Sound
The environments are lush, haunting, layered; the music by Christopher Larkin continues to elevate the atmosphere. It’s visually and sonically rich.Boss Design & Combat Depth
Bosses are a highlight: well-designed, immersive, often awe-inspiring. Their patterns demand attention and adaptability, rewarding players who study them. Combat is tighter, movement more responsive in key places.Exploration & World-Building
Pharloom feels massive, varied, and mysterious. Side quests, environmental storytelling, and secrets abound, giving players reason to go off the beaten path.
What’s Frustrating
Steep Difficulty Curve Early On
Some bosses early in the game already hit very hard. If you’re not used to timing, dodging, and mastering Hornet’s movement, expect many deaths. This may turn off some players.Runbacks and Punishment
Death often costs you, and returning to a boss or area (runback) with limited checkpoints or benches can feel punishing.Rosary Economy & Resource Scarcity
Currency (Rosaries) and upgrade opportunities are tight early on. Many feel the game demands a lot before giving sufficient tools or abilities.
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Recent Patch & Improvements
Team Cherry has already responded to community feedback. The second post-launch patch (version 1.0.28626) is live in the public beta branch and addresses many of the nagging issues without flattening the game’s challenge.
Here are some of the key fixes:
Added a Dithering effect option to reduce color banding.
Fixed many bugs: bosses getting stuck out of bounds, softlocks (for example Shaman Binding & Steel Soul mode), tools or NPCs not behaving correctly, damage multiplier misapplications, and more.
Importantly: no boss nerfs in this patch. The game still expects the player to adapt and endure. The adjustments help with quality of life and fairness in edge cases.
Verdict: Who Will Enjoy
If you:
love tight combat and mastering complex mechanics
enjoy punishing but fair challenges
are okay with dying, learning, retrying, and exploring
Then Silksong is likely to be one of the best indie games of 2025 for you.
If you:
prefer more forgiving difficulty early on
hate replaying sections due to missing checkpoints
get frustrated by resource scarcity or overly harsh punishment for small mistakes
Then parts of this game may be painful, and you may feel the difficulty overshadows fun in those moments.
All that said, the satisfaction when you do conquer a boss you’ve failed at many times is immense. The learning curve is steep, but many reviewers and players consider the climb rewarding. Silksong feels like a crucible built for perseverance and one that rewards those who endure.
Final Thoughts
Hollow Knight: Silksong isn’t just a declaration but it’s a promise. It’s a game that demands respect, precision, and resilience. It doesn’t hold your hand, but when it seldom does, those moments of triumph feel earned. With its beautiful art, deep mechanics, and immense world, it’s one of those games that will be talked about for years.
If you’re up for the challenge get Silksong, embrace the difficulty, and don’t forget to gear up via SEAGM for credits, top-ups, whatever helps you survive those early trials. Because once you slay your first boss, the rest might still be hard but oh, how sweet it will be.
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