Hollow Knight: Silksong - My First Hour Was a Reality Warp, Not a Revolution (and That's Totally Fine, Mate)
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
After a rare hands-on hour, *Hollow Knight: Silksong* appears to be a masterful and vibrant refinement of its predecessor, gently tempering expectations of a genre-shattering revolution with its familiar yet elevated gameplay and art.
Alright, gather 'round, curious digital wanderers! Let's talk about the gaming equivalent of a myth whispered around a campfire, a legend that's been cooking longer than my gran's Sunday roast: *Hollow Knight: Silksong*. For what feels like an eternity (and probably is, in gaming years), this highly anticipated sequel from Team Cherry has existed in a quantum state of 'almost here' and 'is it even real?'. Well, buckle up, because the biggest running joke in gaming is about to reach its punchline. *Silksong* officially launches on September 4th, and the air is thick with anticipation – and a fair bit of mystery, mind you.
See, Team Cherry, bless 'em, are holding onto their secrets tighter than a wizard hoarding rare spell components. No early review codes, no grand reveals, just... silence. Until now. Polygon, in a stroke of what I can only describe as pure magical luck, managed to snag a coveted hour of hands-on time with the game, running on an Xbox ROG Ally X. And mate, after years of our collective imagination running wild, it sounds like that quick taste was exactly what was needed to bring this mythical beast back down to something resembling reality.
Now, for those of us who've been theorising and dreaming, this is like peeking behind the curtain before the grand magician even starts his act. So, what did this lucky scribe find? Well, first off: yes, it’s real. And yes, it’s still very much *Hollow Knight*. But here’s the kicker – that hour apparently *reset* expectations. And honestly, I'm all for it. Sometimes, the most potent magic isn't a flashy explosion, but a subtle, elegant transformation.
After an eerie cinematic that set up a suitably cryptic story – and, fair dinkum, showcased how much Team Cherry's production value has leveled up since the original hit – the Polygon journo was dropped into Moss Grotto. Immediately, the art style was described as being dialled up a notch. Instead of the familiar, dreary corridors of Hallownest, it was a 'densely detailed sea of greenery'. Still ominous, absolutely, with that signature atmospheric music creeping in the background, but decidedly brighter. It's like Team Cherry cast a 'bloom' spell, but remembered to keep the shadows long and the threats lurking. This isn't just a palette swap; it's a testament to evolving a beloved aesthetic without losing its soul. A proper glow-up, if you ask me.
After some classic Metroid-like platforming and a few casual slashes at some not-so-friendly bugs, the first true test arrived: Moss Mother. This flying bug, a standard-enough encounter, served to reacquaint the player with Hornet’s basic moves. And it was here that the reviewer had a bit of a revelation. For years, the memory of *Hollow Knight* had morphed into this high-skill action game, cut from the same impossibly tough cloth as, dare I say it, *Dark Souls*. Ah, the old 'Dark Souls of X' comparison – a classic spell, often miscast and sometimes overused. But as the player recalled, 90% of *Hollow Knight*'s work comes down to pattern recognition. It’s less about lightning-fast reflexes (though they help, obviously) and more about reading the digital tea leaves of enemy movements, dodging, waiting, striking. It's an elegant dance of observation and execution, not a brute-force contest. Easy enough, right? For the Moss Mother, anyway.
How deep Hornet's full skill set goes remains, naturally, a delicious mystery. But a jump ahead to Deep Docks offered a sneak peek. This environment, described as more akin to the dreary levels we know and love from the first game, upped the ante. Hornet gained her dash (essential, obviously) and a thrusting strike. After some light spatial puzzling – because what's a Metroidvania without a bit of brain-scratching for hidden currency? – it was into an arena for some wave-based bug-bashing. My favourite detail? A cute little critter with a cymbal for a shield, forcing precise diving strikes. Absolutely brilliant character design, that.
This is where things got real. The reviewer admitted to dying 'a whole bunch of times'. Not because it was impossible, but because of a tweaked healing and spell UI. Both now pull from a single energy gauge, represented as a 'small spool of silk'. Apparently, it's a bit harder to judge exactly how much juice you've got left, leading to frustrating moments of trying to heal only to find the well dry. Fair dinkum, a new UI can feel like trying to cast a firebolt with a broken wand – takes some getting used to. It's these minor shifts that can really throw a player who's spent hundreds of hours mastering the predecessor.
The session culminated in a boss fight against a pint-sized menace called Lace. Initial attempts were so swift and brutal that the reviewer assumed it was one of those 'you're not meant to win this' fights. But nope! A couple more attempts, a bit of pattern recognition (see, told you!), and *boom*, victory! That 'little euphoria rush' – that's the good stuff, isn't it? That's the core of what makes these games so addictive, the wizardry of overcoming what initially seems insurmountable.
So, if none of that sounds like a reality-bending, genre-redefining revolution, then mate, you might want to recalibrate your hype-o-meter. Unless Team Cherry has a truly colossal ace up their sleeve (and let's be honest, they probably do have *some* surprises), *Silksong* doesn't seem to be out to utterly obliterate its predecessor. Instead, it feels like a 'classy refinement'. A vibrant, more colourful art direction that truly 'pops', almost as if it was custom-built for the next wave of super-bright, 120Hz handhelds. And sometimes, mate, a masterful polish and a perfect iteration is exactly what the wizard ordered.
This should be music to the ears of anyone who just wants 'more *Hollow Knight*'. But for those who never quite 'got' the original's hype, this might not suddenly convert them. The preview still hinted at classic *Hollow Knight* 'annoyances' – long treks between benches, brutally tough combat rooms. It's part of the charm, sure, but also part of the challenge. And here's where my inner wizard starts pondering. *Hollow Knight* has inspired countless games since its release, even critical darlings like *Nine Sols* that tried to iterate and perhaps even push the formula further. Can a 'very direct sequel' still feel fresh and exciting in a genre that its predecessor helped redefine and elevate? The bar has been set, and in some cases, risen. We’re all still mostly in the dark, peeking through a crack in reality, ready to see where these tunnels lead us together. The mystery will be revealed this week when *Hollow Knight: Silksong* launches for pretty much everything under the sun: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 (cheeky!), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Let's find out what's on the other side.
Tags: Hollow Knight, Silksong, Metroidvania, Team Cherry, Gaming Preview
Original article: Polygon