Hollow Knight Silksong review: Beautiful, brutal, and worth the wait

After waiting for over six years, writing this Hollow Knight Silksong review is almost poetic. From a journey that began with a simple adventure in a funny game with bugs, to hearing "Silksong is never releasing" all the time, to finally getting my hands on it - it has been a grand journey.

If you are a fan of the original Hollow Knight, prepare to have your expectations blown massively out of proportion. Every single thing that I loved in Hollow Knight Silksong has taken it and somehow transformed it into something that I can only call "absolute cinema!" A deep lore, cryptic puzzles, amazing bosses, and a world that is so incredibly dynamic and huge that it might give open-world titles a run for their money.

Silksong just keeps on giving you more and more, although without being forgiving. Was six years of wait worth all of it? My answer is a definitive yes, a hundred times over, and this Hollow Knight Silksong review will tell you exactly why.

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Hollow Knight Silksong is the perfect sequel that takes it up a notch in all fields

Hornet's capture that leads to the events of Silksong (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

Hollow Knight Silksong isn't just about Hornet's adventures; it is about duality. While the Knight ascended in Hallownest to fight the Radiance, Hornet descends to fight a similar battle in Pharloom (that's the closest I will get to a spoiler in this review.)

Even if it was not very obvious from the beginning, Silksong improves everything from the base Hollow Knight. Faster movement, more fluid combat, and an extremely cryptic world. And then you have additional features like Crests and tools that make Hornet nothing short of an assassin - she's finally embraced the "git gud" mentality herself.

Silksong's world: Pharloom's treachery far surpasses Hallownest

You just drop in Pharloom without any idea of what to do (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

Pharloom is unlike anything you have seen earlier, and Hallownest does not even come near. Each region has a distinct flair, and you will be able to tell them apart extremely prominently. This time, the elements of nature are also your enemy, with magma pits and sandstorms in areas to bug you constantly. The best part? Silksong does not tell you what to do or where to go.

From a vibrant early game to some really dark, gloomy, and bilgewater-ish stink - the contrast is striking. What surprised me even further is how each of these lands are interconnected. If you have the eye (or luck) for it, there are secret passages that will reduce an insane amount of traveling time. I fell into a pit once and a panic-stricken button mashing led me to a secret room that I would have had no chance of discovering organically.

Died here more than just a few times (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

Danger also looms in every corner of Pharloom, be it in the form of an enemy, or some sneaky trap, or...a pogo-reliant parkour sequence that had me dangerously close to breaking my controller. If you thought enemies were unforgiving, I am going to tell you some regions (especially Hunter's March) will punish even the smallest pixel-level inaccuracy.

I died more times to parkour in some areas than to many of the bosses, and that includes some really annoying encounters. That aside, you will have to come revisit certain sections out of sheer necessity. Some sections are soft-locked behind late-game abilities, and I am not complaining. A familiar path and a change of surrounding actually helped keep things fresh.

Combat: Hornet's deadly needle is the one true solution

There are very few problems that Hornet's needle cannot solve (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

Hollow Knight was widely regarded as the hardest metroidvania title. With that as the baseline, it is safe to say Silksong dials up the knob by quite a few levels. In the early-game stages, combat seemed quite plain - very straightforward. Now I was perfectly fine with that, till I started unlocking my abilities, that Silksong calls Ancestral Arts.

By mid-game status, I was nothing short of a ninja. Hornet had abilities, tools, and even super-powers (to some extent). With each new ability, the dynamic factor of the game increased tenfolds. Suddenly, I did not need to get up close and personal to all the enemies, I could have my tools do it.

Elaborate "loadouts" can alter Hornet's playstyle (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

My combat was not just grounded and jumping, but I could wall jump into pogos that would put American Ninja Warrior participants to shame.

For bosses, I think I died at least once to all of them. Each boss is brutal, unforgiving, and a treat to watch. A giant bug crushing me with extreme prejudice - look how the turn tables. Great Conchflies was the only one that I could do with just a single death counter, and it's arguably one of the easiest fights in the game.

Great Conchflies are one of the easier bosses (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

That aside, every boss in Hollow Knight Silksong is unique, memorable, and has a musical theme that just amplified the overall experience. If you have some of the better audio gear like IEMs, I would totally recommend using those for Silksong instead of your standard gaming headphones.

Bosses are, however, not just a mindless fight; each one has its own personality. If you explore the areas, you might even come across inklings of lore about the bosses. And then, after defeating some, a feeling of sadness might also dawn upon you. A random bug that I met just a few minutes ago, who's actively trying to squash me, and yet I feel sorry for defeating it - that's the kind of game that took Team Cherry seven years to make.

One of my only two complaints with Silksong is its unforgiving combat. Survival in Pharloom is a constant struggle, and even mobs can finish Hornet off. Even from the early-game phases, certain mobs will deal double damage - it takes off two of its masks. Considering I only had a total of five masks for the first 15 hours of the game, this seemed too harsh.

Mob enemies also deal double damage (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

In turn, this leads to a situation where you can almost never win a boss fight on the first go. Without healing, three hits from any boss will kill you in the early game. The same holds true for most of the mobs, although you can farm Silk by hitting them easily to sneak in heals. It did not however, stop me, from killing the bosses. In fact, I loved the added challenge, and perfecting my moves for all encounters is a kind of thrill that I thoroughly enjoyed.

In hindsight, this might not be the mentality for every Hollow Knight Silksong player out there. In particular, those who are diving in to Silksong without having played the earlier one might find this to be a major roadblock. I remember noticing on Steam that only 30% of players had beaten Fourth Chorus after the game being out for three days. And this is one of the early-game bosses you have to beat as well.

What goes up, must come down: Hornet's descent into the Abyss

You climb up to reach the Citadel for the most part of the game (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

It's almost poetic how Hollow Knight Silksong's story is trying to climb to the Citadel, and in the final fight, she ends up diving into the deep, deep Abyss. You eventually find out that Hornet's kidnapping was not just a simple action, but part of a larger desire, or wish. Being a successor to anything is not an easy task, and it seems Hornet is part of a similar ploy, much like her sibling, the Knight. At the end of the day, she too is someone who takes on fights alone.

I mentioned earlier that Silksong does not tell you what to do or where to go. This directly compliments the overall plot, where Hornet is in an unknown land. You need to find your own path, frantically searching for anything in all directions. You encounter NPCs who will "guide" you sometimes, and will also impart some of Pharloom's lore. Some might also have wishes for you to fulfil, and let me tell you - these are mostly canon.

Silksong's lore is deep and even dark at some places (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

A major part of Hollow Knight Silksong's story is told in the form of wishes, which are just the game's word for quests. These can range from collecting items to recovering kin to even fending off bosses - they all tie down Pharloom's very intricate and expansive lore. On the positive side, you have an in-game journal this time that helps you track your progress. Team Cherry really did take everything into account for this masterpiece.

Now, the ending you get depends on some key choices, and I refuse to spoil any of them for any reader who has not played it yet. But when everything ties and you get the grand plot - it's a deja vu of sorts. In the end, you will also see a familiar face, your knight in not-so-shining armor to save the day.

Audio and visual: A spectacular experience

You can even be caught in a sandstorm (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

For a game that has minimal system requirements, Hollow Knight Silksong has graphics that put AAA titles to shame. The familar art style returns, and it's not just better; its fabulous. You don't always need to have realistic graphics to shine, and Silksong stands as a prominent testament.

The right colors with the right kind of setting can create an equally mesmerizing treat for your eyes that will leave a lasting impression. There's enough color-pop to make your screen exude colors at times, and there's enough gloom to manifest sorrow in front of you. Each region has its own theme of sorts, and the visual experience is amplified tenfold by its complimenting music.

Seeing something unfurl in-front of your eyes creates much more impact if there's equally good music that pairs with it. The local music of the regions matches the tone perfectly, and it modulates with scaringly good accuracy. Peaceful but menacing music, that suddenly transitions into an energetic boss-fight melody. And then we have the vocals of Sherma and Shakra - Pharloom does not lack singing prowess.

Shakra has an amazing vocal prowess (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

In particular, Shakra's voice modulations need to be praised over and over again. A low, deep voice that sings melodiously is something I can listen to on repeat. And when you head to a new region, the faint "ooshkalow..." is a sign that you're about to reach a safe spot. And might I add, Shakra is a fierce fighter who shreds enemies.

The small blemish in an otherwise perfect game

I already mentioned how the difficulty can be a deterring factor for many casual gamers out there. My only other small concern is the tremendous amount of backtracking in some of the mid-game and late-game levels. Some areas have a scarcity of benches where you can rest to save your progress.

Some regions require heavy backtracking due to lack of save points (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

To overcome this, you will need to remember exact routes, and traverse them perfectly to reach your destination. And if you die constantly, it means taking this same path multiple times till you are finally successful in your endeavour. You can, in some cases, unlock hidden passages, but they're not that frequent.

It's safe to say that Silksong relies considerably on your memory for these sections, although that might be my old age talking. (I am not old, this is just me coping). On the positive side, this also forces you to memorize the most optimal path, preparing you for the Steel Soul run if you're into that sort of torture.

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In conclusion

Silksong is fully worth every penny that you have spent (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

Hollow Knight Silksong is a masterclass in how to build a sequel that not only honors its predecessor but also redefines it. Team Cherry has taken the essence of Hollow Knight's intricate design, punishing combat, and deep world-building, then expanded all of it into something far more ambitious.

Pharloom is both a nightmare and a dream to explore, filled with countless secrets, deadly encounters, and moments of awe that will stay with you long after you put the controller down.

After six years of anticipation, the game not only lives up to the hype but surpasses it in almost every regard. Hollow Knight Silksong is not perfect, but it is breathtakingly close - and that is why it feels less like a game and more like a dream that I want to forget and start over once again.

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Hollow Knight Silksong

Hollow Knight Silksong scorecard (Image via Team Cherry || Sportskeeda)

• Reviewed on: PC
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
• Developer: Team Cherry
• Publisher: Team Cherry
• Release Date: September 4, 2025