Players eagerly open their phones to a livestream, set to another point in the six year-long debate of “will they ever release Silksong, or is Team Cherry pushing it back again?” After a small trailer, it is finally revealed that the sequel to Hollow Knight, Silksong, is coming Sept. 4. Players cheer and rejoice over the fact that it is finally happening. For the first time ever, an indie game was so influential that it crashed Steam, as well as the Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox game stores on its release date.
Right off the bat, the game shocks players with big bold letters of “Act 1: Pharloom.” After only promoting and showcasing the Pharloom area — making it seem like that was the setting of the entire game — Team Cherry revealed that there was far more to Silksong than what they spent the last six years promoting. The game begins in Moss Grotto, where Hornet, the protagonist, awakens after being captured by mysterious bugs, and learns she must travel up to the Citadel to discover the nature of her capture. This introduction section sets the stage for the rest of Silksong’s gameplay, allowing players to get used to new mechanics.
Despite featuring the same 2D platforming and combat, Silksong is challenging to an almost infuriating degree when compared to Hollow Knight, which is the game’s only real flaw. Early game bosses do twice as much damage; almost every bench, or save point, costs the player at least 40 rosaries, which are the game’s currency; and the run back to The Last Judge boss makes players want to throw their controller across the room. All of this creates an environment that discourages players when they are only a few hours into the game. Yes, Silksong is a sequel and should challenge the player beyond the comfort zone created by Hollow Knight, but when it gets to the point that players rage-quit early on, it is excessive.
In spite of this, Silksong is still undoubtedly one of the best games to come out recently. From beautifully planned areas to fantastically designed enemies and merchants, Silksong fleshes out the world of Pharloom and beyond to an incredible degree. The loveable NPCs add another layer of enjoyment. In her climb to the Citadel, Hornet often encounters the wandering NPCs Sherma and Garmond, who make the whole journey a little less daunting for the player. On top of being endearing, Shakra, the recurring merchant and warrior, is always humming a tune and selling a map of the area, allowing the player to easily traverse every part of Pharloom.
Silksong is the product of years of labor and love from Team Cherry. It is, without a doubt, one of the most influential games of recent times, which is a huge step for indie games in general. If a game created by a development team of just three people can become one of the top 20 games on Steam after just one weekend, then other indie games have that potential to do the same. The beauty and creativity brimming in Silksong make it a strong contender to win Game of the Year, because it is already the game of a lifetime.
