Hollow Knight Review

Genre: Action-Platforming Adventure
Players: 1
Playtime: 25-35 hours (Includes beating the game at 91% completion in 25 hours; Continued digging into Hallownest and beat the true final boss at 107% completion in 35 hours; Still so many secrets to uncover; Played on the Nintendo Switch)


Having received a wide array of praise for what looked to be a simple and eye-catching Metroidvania, I decided to dive into Hollow Knight upon its release for the Nintendo Switch.  What I came to discover during the course of exploring this massive world was a game that exceeded every and any expectation I thought possible.  I won't even try to be coy in this foreword: This is perhaps one of my favorite games I've ever played, to which I can personally find nary a fault in this masterpiece.  With that said, this isn't necessarily a perfect fit for just everybody.  So if you're still on the fence about entering this foreboding realm of the Hallownest, press on into this review as we bring to light the positive and negative facets of this incredible feat of a game.

Exploration / Gameplay

As is typical in the Metroidvania genre, the world of Hollow Knight is filled with many nooks and crannies, in which players will find various new abilities that aid in their traversal and exploration of such corners of the world otherwise previously inaccessible.  It creates a satisfying feedback loop as players slowly unravel and push the boundaries of a continually expanding world.  However, much like how Breath of the Wild provided a liberating emphasis on free-form exploration to the Zelda series, so too does Hollow Knight stimulate the Metroidvania genre with such a more open approach to exploration.  So much of the world is teeming with secrets and various routes in which players with an attentive eye and fervent curiosity can explore the world in a natural and wholly unique way.  Further driving this desire to explore and get lost in this world is the fact that each new area / region contains no map data, requiring the player to push forward into the intimidating unknown.  Should players see any loose pages or hear a familiar hum, the happy map-making bug Cornifer will be close by and happy to sell a partially completed map of the area.  Players can then add their own bits of exploration to the map when they sit on a bench, but even then, what looks like a complete map will often hold many more secrets than can be even imagined.

Look for the scattered pages or listen for the happy hums of Cornifer to aid in your cartography needs.

Of course, a big wonderful world to explore would mean nothing if it didn't also feel good to play in.  Thankfully, the gameplay and controls of Hollow Knight are incredibly tight and responsive.  There is a satisfying amount of force and bounce-back to every swing of the nail (your main weapon).  And with loads of charms and abilities to uncover during the course of this adventure, players can customize their move-sets to fit their particular play-style and grow continually more bold with their increasing powers, only to continually have their pride kept in check with every new threat and encounter that crosses the path.  Some may say the challenge can be too much at times (more on that in the Negatives section), but I personally found the degree of challenge to be just right.  Similar to that of the Dark Souls games, patience and observation are key as players learn to identify the many enemies and their behaviors.  Every mistake feels entirely justified once you've learned the enemy patterns, and the mechanics in which players regain health is a beautiful balance between offense / defense.  Players must find safe opportunities to heal as it can be a slow process, but in the heat of battle, this means keeping calm to identify such windows of safety.  On the flip side of that coin, healing cost soul, which is obtained from landing hits on enemies, so players are required to take risks and be aggressive still.  There is also just enough of a penalty for death as players respawn at the nearest bench and are given one last opportunity to make their way back to their place of death to strike down their Shade and reclaim their bounty, less it be lost forever should they die again before doing so.  It adds just enough risk / reward that makes for an interesting dynamic as players then ere on the side of caution when facing a second potential death.  Every mechanic of this game contains such an amazing amount of forethought and subtle complexity to it that just feels so intriguing and natural at the same time.

Enemy / Boss Variety

There are over a whopping 150 variety of enemies / bosses to be found in the world of Hollow Knight.  To put that into perspective, that's double the enemy count found in the heralded Super Metroid (if you're generous in counting the numerous color variations of Space Pirates and other non-hostile creatures).  This vast amount of enemy diversity plays a significant factor into what makes every region of the Hallownest feel that much more unique and delivering a consistent dosage of surprise / delight.  It also helps to serve as a means for the player to be constantly immersed in the experience, as they are always required to be identifying, learning, and properly reacting to the enemy / scenario at hand.

The first big boss of the game, The False Knight, delivers an intimidating presence.

And let us not forget to highlight the thrilling bosses to be found in this game.  Every boss in this game has such a wealth of interesting and diverse set of attacks that build in intensity as players progress in each battle.  And each boss is so unique in comparison to one another, from their commanding appearances to their compelling, hidden backstories.  The triumph of overcoming these rigorous behemoths is always a rich and rewarding experience to revel in.

World Building / Lore

While the expansive size of Hollow Knight's world is an impressive feat in of itself, what's even more strikingly remarkable is how most every inch of this massive world is just dripping with purpose and lore.  There is such logic and structure in the world's design, and for those who pay attention to the small nuanced details, there are rich and captivating stories to be told.  Every region of the Hallownest is so unique and varied in design, from the colorful hues to the types of vegetation they behold, it helps to keep the player continually in wonder while also grounding their orientation in this large, complex world.

A statue dedicated to the Hollow Knight in a city of perpetual rain - One of but countless beautiful set pieces / moments.

For those who love a deep, chunky amount of backstory and lore to dig into, this game is stuffed to the brims with it.  But it is never shoved down the player's throat.  Rather, it is dispersed far and wide in many subtle ways.  Through snippets of conversation, a lone rune, or a hidden seemingly unimportant room.  They may not make complete sense upon first inspection, but as you gather more and more of these little pieces, a larger and greater picture begins to come into focus.  And the narrative that comes with it is so captivating (and deliciously dark at times), you can't help but want to dig further and learn more.

Music / Sound Design

It's worth mentioning when a game has some standout scores among its soundtrack, and Hallow Knight is no exception.  In fact, the whole soundtrack of this game is just remarkably amazing.  The curious and entrancing melodies that make each area of the game feel so incredibly unique and alluring.  The fast-paced and dramatic flair that makes each boss encounter feel that much more grand.  Every song in this game feels so perfectly suited and makes every moment so exceptionally memorable.  Coupled with a fantastic sound design, even of the sillier grunts of sentries or jubilant cheers of grubs, this is a game that you will never want to play on low volume.  Do yourself a favor, turn it up or grab some headphones, and let the incredible audio of this game immerse you that much more into the world of Hallownest:

Art Direction

If Guillermo del Toro or Tim Burton were to direct the likes of A Bug's Life, you might get something akin to what is the art direction of Hollow Knight.  The inhabitants of this buggy, creepy crawly world are a fascinating juxtaposition of cute and at times incredibly disturbing.  And the astounding amount of attention to detail in every piece of architecture and the environment is just an awe-inspiring sight to behold at times.  The more you play this game, the more you are amazed and enraptured at the visceral beauty to be found in this world.

We're making this screenshot extra-large so you can be sure to notice the strikingly potent beauty to be found in this game.

Memorable NPC's

The role of NPC's (non-playable characters) can be a simple, sometimes thankless role in games.  But Hollow Knight ensures that every NPC in the game is made to feel important and special.  This is done in a number of ways.  Some of the NPC's are found in various locations of the world, making each encounter part of a developing narrative with that character.  Other NPC's will continually surprise you with new conversations as new events unfold.  Some NPC's will surprise you with unexpected changes.  Most importantly though, every NPC has received the same care and attention as every other facet in this game, in which they share a considered degree of backstory and motivation to their character.  It's for these reasons that every single character in this game feels so real and is thus remembered so fondly.

So Many Secrets

There are an absurd amount of secrets in this game.  Secret areas.  Secret bits of lore.  Secret endings.  Heck, even secret mechanics (like "Overcharming").  Part of me laments the fact that so many players (myself included) will likely never discover all there is to be found in this game.  And yet, this is part of what makes Hollow Knight so special.  You can play this game again and again, and there will quite likely always be something new and interesting to be discovered.

Value

I try not to discuss value too often in game reviews unless it seems to particularly stand out, as value can be very subjective.  While my initial play-through ended up being 25-35 hours, I've heard others playing this game upwards to 50-70 hours before beating the game.  And for a game priced at $15 to contain not only such a wealth of playtime, but an exceptionally polished and masterfully made game at that, I can't help but feel the price point is selling itself far too short.  If after playing this game you should feel similarly, here are a few ways in which you might consider further supporting these well-deserving developers:

• First and foremost, recommend Hollow Knight to other players.  More players get to experience this amazing game and the developers receive more funding for future projects.
• If you enjoy the musical scores in this game like I do, consider purchasing the soundtrack.  It can be found on a number of platforms, such as Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, and more.
• Grab some Hollow Knight merchandise.  You get the joy of sporting some sweet swag or hugging an adorable grub, while still supporting the developers.
• While the first three DLC's have all been graciously free (with the 3rd DLC "Godmaster" set to release this week), more paid DLC is planned in which Hornet takes the lead.

This Grub Plush also makes six different sounds when you squeeze it.  Yay, woohoo!!

Accessibility

As previously mentioned above, I personally found the difficulty in this game to be just right, offering the perfect degree of challenge and satisfaction from overcoming notably difficult sections.  With that in mind, I can certainly see this being an intimidating and frustrating experience for those with less dexterity or the patience that this game demands.  I appreciate the fact that there is next to no hand-holding to be found in this game, but I would find it easier to recommend to a wider audience had there been perhaps a lower difficulty setting available to choose from.

What may look like a satisfying, doable challenge to some is an intimidating road-block to others.

Sprintmaster

Another small nitpick that may throw players off initially is the speed in which your character walks is a tad slow.  This is later amended once you either obtain the dash ability and/or Sprintmaster charm, the latter of which increases the walking speed of your character.  I understand the creators may have wanted the players to start off a little slow to teach the importance of careful, considered combat and exploration, but once you've gathered your footing and are frequenting repeated tunnels, you're ready to pick up the pace.  As such, the Sprintmaster felt pretty much a necessity to have always equipped, and quite frankly was a tad annoying that such should have to take up one of the valuable charm slots.

As you may infer from the extensive points of positive praise listed above, I am absolutely smitten with this game.  Hopefully such doesn't just come across as a rambling of gushing adoration, but helps illustrate the many elements that truly make this game a masterpiece of the medium.  Between the gameplay, the world building, the art and sound direction, every single fiber of this game has received the utmost care and attention to create one of the most intricate and captivating experiences in gaming.  For those with the unwavering will to take on the many challenges the Hallownest has to offer, brace yourselves for a thrilling adventure that will likely fly high above any conceivable expectations you could think possible.

If you have any questions or thoughts about this game, please feel free to comment and discuss below.  Thanks.  And happy gaming!