Silksong's Perfect Scores and Punishing Difficulty: Is It Too Good (or Too Hard) for the GOTY Crown?

AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·

Silksong's Perfect Scores and Punishing Difficulty: Is It Too Good (or Too Hard) for the GOTY Crown?

Early reviews show *Hollow Knight: Silksong* matching *Clair Obscur* in aggregate scores, setting up a potential Game of the Year clash, but *Silksong*'s notorious difficulty and indie/2D status might count against it in The Game Awards' historically AAA-leaning choices.

Right then, gather 'round, folks, because I've been tinkering with some fresh intel and it's wilder than a rogue spell cast in a crowded tavern. We're talking about the utterly bonkers situation unfolding in the lead-up to the 2025 Game of the Year awards, specifically concerning *Hollow Knight: Silksong* and *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*.

Now, a recent peek from Oli Welsh over at Polygon (whose original insights kickstarted this whole train of thought – cheers, Oli!) got me scratching my head and wondering if we're all witnessing a glitch in the Matrix, or perhaps a carefully orchestrated magic trick. Because, fair dinkum, the early critical scores for *Silksong* are almost an exact mirror of *Clair Obscur* – both sitting pretty with an aggregate of 93 on Metacritic and 92 on OpenCritic. On paper, mate, that's a dead heat, a proper photo finish that'd make any bookie sweat.

But here's the rub, the little wrinkle in reality that makes this whole thing far more interesting than just a numbers game. *Silksong*, bless its little arachnid heart, has had a rollout strategy that’s less 'smooth PR launch' and more 'mysterious artefact unearthed from ancient ruins.' No advance review codes, meaning critics have been hacking and slashing their way through the game just like the rest of us. And let me tell you, if you've been following the buzz, *Silksong* is already garnering a reputation for its difficulty – a challenge so formidable it makes some of us wonder if Team Cherry accidentally bound a demon to the difficulty slider.

Initially, when those first few reviews dropped, *Silksong* was sitting at a perfect 100 on both aggregators. Like a wizard's spell that goes off *exactly* as intended, except maybe a bit too well, causing immediate chaos. That perfect score deflated a bit as more reviews rolled in, but honestly, it’s settled remarkably high. We're talking 9s and 10s from major international outlets – Eurogamer, GamingBolt, Screen Rant, the lot. Only China’s Gamersky dared to dip to an 8.5, which, let's be honest, is still an excellent score.

Christian Donlan’s five-star review on Eurogamer perfectly encapsulates the critical sentiment, wrestling with *Silksong*'s brutality but ultimately finding value in its 'fearsome sense of conviction.' He even found himself having fun *despite* the grind, the lost rosaries, and the inevitable deaths. That's a profound statement, isn't it? It suggests that the reviewers, the ones whose job it is to dissect and analyse, have reached a point of understanding and even admiration for *Silksong*'s intentional cruelty. They get it. They value it. It's part of the game's unique personality, like a grumpy but ultimately lovable wizard.

However, and this is where my gentle skepticism kicks in, what about everyone else? The Game Awards jury, for instance, isn't just made up of the battle-hardened critics who spent weeks mastering Hornet's parry timing. It’s often broader editorial staff, a wider cross-section of folks who might not have the luxury (or the masochistic inclination, perhaps) to push through *Silksong*'s early stages. And let's be real, if a game's renowned difficulty 'sours the public discussion,' as Oli noted, then it stands to reason it might just sour some of those jury votes too. Nobody wants their GOTY pick to be the one that everyone rage-quit after three hours, do they?

Then there’s the whole 'indie' versus 'big production' dilemma. *Silksong*, for all its unprecedented hype and luxurious development time, is still fundamentally an indie game. And it’s 2D. The Game Awards, bless its shiny, star-studded heart, has a bit of a track record here. Not a single indie game has ever snagged the top GOTY prize, nor has a 2D title. It's like they're looking for the most dazzling, reality-bending spell, not necessarily the most elegantly crafted one.

*Clair Obscur*, on the other hand, seems to have found a sweet spot. It's a debut game from an upstart studio, oozing with passion project vibes – a proper underdog story, which often garners immense goodwill. Yet, it also boasts the slick production values and shiny 3D graphics that the TGA jury often seems to gravitate towards. It’s got that 'new hotness' appeal, too, being an original IP. *Silksong*, as sensational as it is, is a sequel. A brilliant one, no doubt, but familiar territory for anyone who delved into the original *Hollow Knight*.

This all leads us to Kalshi, the betting market that often acts as a digital crystal ball for these sorts of things. And what does it say? Despite *Silksong*'s utterly stellar critical reception, it's done almost nothing to dent *Clair Obscur*'s commanding lead in the GOTY race. It's like *Silksong* cast a powerful enchantment, but *Clair Obscur* already had an anti-magic field up. Bloody hell.

So, it looks like we might be waiting at least one more year for that elusive indie GOTY winner. Is *Silksong* too hard for its own good, or just too 'indie' for the mainstream awards? Perhaps it's a bit of both. But, as a curious wizard always says, there's always the next spell to cast, the next adventure to embark upon. And who knows, maybe *Hades 2* will accidentally blow a hole in the fabric of awards reality next year, eh?

Tags: Gaming Awards, Indie Games, Metroidvania, RPG, Game of the Year

Original article: Polygon