Why does "Hollow Knight" top the list despite repeated delays? | Discover Great Games

Text | Liu Chongjiang

Editor | Liu Shiwu, Guofu

During this May Day holiday, there was new news about Hollow Knight: Silksong (hereinafter referred to as Silksong), a game that has attracted much attention in the gaming industry.

According to a report by IGN, Silksong will be part of the "World of Games" exhibition at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, where players can try out the game starting on September 18, 2025. It is reported that this exhibition will not only offer a hands - on experience but also showcase the game's design concepts and artistic settings.

Poster of Hollow Knight: Silksong

Considering its brief appearance at last month's Nintendo Switch 2 event, I can only say: How lucky! I can play Silksong right after getting into the game! (Just kidding) You know, players have reached an understanding with Silksong when it comes to "delays": "How can this be considered a crisis of trust? Isn't it another form of trust when everyone believes it will be delayed?"

As early as 2023, the official announced the "final deadline" for its release - and that was two years ago. However, since its announcement in 2019, Silksong has consistently topped the Steam wishlist. It can be said that this independent game developed by the three - person team Team Cherry has truly "captivated players around the world."

Friends who haven't played Hollow Knight might be curious: What exactly is this game?

In this episode of "Play Something Good," we want to introduce an old game that has received rave reviews and whose sequel is highly anticipated by countless players.

A High - Quality Non - 3A Game

The origin of Hollow Knight can be traced back to a game design competition called "Game Jam" in 2013. The rule was that individuals or teams had to create a game from scratch within a limited time (usually 24 - 72 hours). As one of the participants, Team Cherry developed a small game called Hungry Knight.

Poster of Hungry Knight

This small game didn't make much of a splash at the time, but the creative inspiration of "insect knights and an ancient kingdom" was born in the minds of the creators. With this idea, Team Cherry raised 57,138 Australian dollars through crowdfunding in 2014. From then on, the development of Hollow Knight got on track.

Hollow Knight was originally planned for release in 2015, but as the content was continuously refined, the release date was postponed again and again until it was finally launched in 2017. Once released, it received an astonishing 97% positive reviews on Steam.

With such achievements, what makes Hollow Knight so special? Whether you've played it or not, please join us in "Returning to the Underground Kingdom" - before the official arrival of Silksong, let the "lucky players" relive the fun of wielding a nail!

The story takes place a long, long time ago. At first, there was chaos until two ancient gods, "Void" and "Radiance," were born... (Wait, I'm getting off - topic!)

At the beginning of the game, you will play as a "Three - Nothing Little Knight" with no memory, no goal, and no name. When the screen lights up, you arrive at a town called "Dirtmouth" and jump down a well, entering the once "Great Kingdom" - Hallownest. As you continue your exploration, you gradually venture deeper into the kingdom. Finally, you not only discover the truth behind the kingdom's downfall but also uncover your own origin...

Opening scene of Hollow Knight

It sounds simple, right? But when you first start the game, you might be completely "lost." You don't know who you are, where you are, or what you're supposed to do. You can only see some strange bugs saying strange things. Compared with the "Fated One" setting clearly stated at the beginning of Black Myth: Wukong, Hollow Knight can truly be described as "obscure."

"Crossroads" is the first scene in the game. However, here, players can only get familiar with the game's gameplay and map mechanics, and there is almost no plot development. The first significant plot advancement probably occurs during the boss fight in "Greenpath," which is also the first appearance of the core plot NPC, "Hornet" (in Hollow Knight: Silksong, "Hornet" will be the protagonist):

"Ghost, do not come closer. I've seen you, creeping through the underbrush, following me. There's something terrible stirring in this ancient kingdom... I can smell it in the air... I know what you are. I know what you want. But I won't allow it."

Although this is the first significant advancement in the main plot, the information provided is still quite vague. A "terrible thing" and "I've seen you" both imply the intricate connection between the little knight and "Hallownest." In addition, attentive players may also notice that there is a corpse that looks exactly like themselves in the game's background (yes, the game's art is that detailed).

Greenpath is a vibrant, emerald cave filled with various plants

Moreover, I believe that for many players, "Hornet" is the first boss that leaves a deep impression. As a Metroidvania - style Souls - like game, Hollow Knight naturally has plenty of combat scenes, and the boss fights are quite challenging. It's common to fight a boss ten or twenty times.

Take "Hornet" as an example. When players fight her for the first time, she has a total of four attack moves: horizontal charge, dive, silk dance, and flying needle. In the mid - to - late - game map, "Kingdom's Edge," players will fight her again. At this time, her moves increase to six: thrust, flying needle, aerial thrust, silk dance, step back, and hovering spiked ball. Compared with the first fight, there are simply two new attack moves, and her attack speed has increased significantly.

From the two fights with "Hornet," we can basically see the design concept of boss fights in Hollow Knight: The boss's moves are fixed, and the difficulty lies in the boss's attack speed and the cost of dodging skills. For example, when you first encounter "Hornet," her attack speed is relatively slow, and her skills are relatively easy to dodge (but even so, it still took 30 attempts). By the second encounter, not only has her attack speed increased significantly, but the cost of dodging her hovering spiked ball skill has also increased a lot (unsurprisingly, it took 100 attempts).

Kingdom's Edge

In short, it's definitely difficult, but it's the kind of difficulty that rewards hard work! The boss designs in the game pay great attention to patterns and rhythms, usually consisting of a combination of 3 - 6 attack methods. That is to say, as long as you play enough and get familiar with the combat patterns, there are no insurmountable difficulties!

Moreover, the creators have really gone to great lengths to help players get familiar with the patterns. The attack methods of the major bosses on the map are often the sum of the attack methods of ordinary small monsters. Take "Queen's Gardens" as an example. There are two types of mantis small monsters in this map: one type is on the ground, and they attack by jumping and charging; the other type flies in the air, and they attack by emitting white waves from a distance. The boss, "Traitor Lord," has a total of four attack methods: charge, jump, emit waves flying in the air, and emit waves on the ground.

The deposed lord of the Mantis Tribe. He betrayed his sisters and embraced the infection

This is a deliberate training method by the creators for players. As long as players master the combat methods against small monsters, they actually master the skills to fight against bosses. This design subtly reduces the game's difficulty by improving the players' own abilities. One of the most attractive aspects of Hollow Knight is that players can clearly feel their own progress. From being "killed instantly" at the beginning to "passing without taking damage" later, the sense of satisfaction is far beyond what can be achieved by "grinding small monsters to become a high - stats character."

In addition to boss fights, there are also many "platforming" scenes in the game. Different from boss fights, it's generally difficult to improve in these levels through hard work. The creators' solution is: come back later.

For example, "downward strike" is a skill - based operation method in the game, but for many players with poor hand - eye coordination, it's a nightmare. In "Greenpath," there is a scene where you need to use the "downward strike" repeatedly, and there is a pool of acid at the bottom of the map. One wrong move, and you're dead. However, if players can't pass this level, they can simply go to other maps first. After getting the item "Acid Swim" (a game item that allows the character to be immune to acid damage), they can come back to this level. Platforming? Downward strike? No problem. Just swim through!

There are many platforming scenes in Hollow Knight

Many extremely difficult levels seen on the Internet are actually not part of the game's main plot. For example, "Path of Pain" can be skipped without affecting the subsequent plot. In short, Hollow Knight is actually a game with considerable inclusiveness. Whether you're a player with poor hand - eye coordination or someone who pursues high - level gameplay, you can find your own fun in the game.

"A World Like a Mist"

Getting back to the point, after the exploration of "Greenpath," the game's freedom truly unfolds.

Depending on their preferences or luck, players will enter several different maps at different times and finally reach "City of Tears." This is the core of Hallownest and a sign that the game has entered the middle stage. There is also a famous scene in the game - in the square of the City of Tears, there is a huge black statue of the "Hollow Knight." There is also an inscription below: Under that lofty black dome, its sacrifice ensured the eternal prosperity of Hallownest.

City of Tears

After that, the game's pace significantly accelerates. In "Resting Grounds," players can receive the task of "defeating three Dreamers," which is also the only clearly conveyed main plot in the game: defeat the infected Hollow Knight and reseal the plague.

The little knight and the three Dreamers

"Herrah the Beast" is a powerful creature outside Hallownest. To make her a "Dreamer," the "White King" made a small deal with her: they had a child - that is, "Hornet," who always accompanies you.

In the Beast's Lair, Hornet tells the player about her origin

"Lurien the Watcher" is the most loyal warrior of the "White King" and is willing to give everything to the