Hollow Knight is one of many Metroidvania that have released over the past few years. Inspired by games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and the Metroid series, the genre has spawned multiple games following their formula, such as Axiom Verge, Shadow Complex, and Ori and the Blind Forest.
When asked which game was their favorite, most Metroidvania fans would answer either Symphony of the Night or Super Metroid. That is until 2017, when Hollow Knight released. The debut game from Australian indie developer Team Cherry, Hollow Knight immediately surpassed all expectations. It took the tried and true Metroidvania formula and perfected it to one of the most polished iteration of the genre yet. However, the game did much more than just imitate Metroid or Castlevania.
The Atmosphere and Setting
The early days of the genre used 16-bit pixel graphics, something many modern titles have decided to retain. While this has led to a lot of beautiful "hi-bit" art, the none can compare to the breathtaking, beautifully hand-drawn 2D art of Hollow Knight. Coupled with some amazing animation, Team Cherry had a killer combo aesthetically. With gorgeous character designs and stunning backdrops, the world of Hallownest in Hollow Knight may just be one of the most beautiful worlds players can explore in a Metroidvania.
The appeal of Hollow Knight, however, is not just its art. With its immersive and haunting score by the extremely talented Christopher Larkin, Hollow Knight manages to create a world with an almost tangible atmosphere. Between the music, charming bug-like characters, the gloomy and poignant environment and the mystifying lore, Team Cherry created a setting that begs for every nook and cranny of it to be explored.
Related: 5 Features from Hollow Knight That We Hope Return in Silksong (& 5 We Don’t)
The Lore
Hollow Knight's lore is a huge part of what makes its exploration so captivating. It expertly utilizes a brand of storytelling called "environmental storytelling," which is quite notably seen in Souls games. Every corner of Hollow Knight contains a piece of unexplained item, artifact, character or text that contributes to its massive body of lore. The feeling of mystery and adventure of the unknown is particularly strong, with many pieces of the game's lore still being decoded by fans even now. Hollow Knight doesn't hold the player's hands, instead allowing them to figure out the story and missions for themselves through dialogue and environmental interactions.
In addition to its already massive base game, Hollow Knight has also received four DLC expansions. While the main game alone takes between 30 and 60 hours to complete depending on how much a player explores, the DLC makes the game last over 100 hours. The final addition, Godmaster, adds an extreme challenge for those brave enough to try it. Even better, the DLC is also free, making an already pretty cheap an even better deal.
Combat System and Level Design
Hollow Knight has some of the most difficult boss fights and platforming sections. Its bosses constantly change patterns and have unique attacks. In many cases, a player will need to die in a boss fight to figure out the boss's moveset and come up with a new strategy. Instead of beating bosses by overpowering them, players need to make conscious combat decisions. Some of these lie in the fantastically designed charm system, which grants the players various unique abilities through finite sets of charm combos. Neither the boss, nor any specific upgrade, is overpowered. Instead, players need to rely on their tactical skills and decision-making, leading to one of most fluid 2D combat experiences.
Some of the charms and upgrades also translate well outside of boss fights in Hollow Knight's various platforming sections. Levels are expertly crafted to allow players to head into any direction of the map they want to get upgrades and reach certain areas early, while simultaneously nudging the player in the right way through various design decisions. This, along with everything else about the game, merge to create one of the most enthralling, adventurous and beautiful Metroidvanias ever conceived. Hollow Knight is even receiving a sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, which will follow the extremely popular character, Hornet. While it doesn't yet have a release date, it's expected to come this or next year.