Hollow Knight: Silksong is highly anticipated for good reason, as the upcoming successor to one of the most beloved indie games of all time. Hollow Knight received acclaim for its blend of challenging combat, charming visuals, and engaging exploration. It took inspiration from a number of classics, but made plenty of innovations itself. Now, Hollow Knight: Silksong may face more competition than ever.
It would be the understatement of the century to say that Hollow Knight: Silksong has had an infamous development cycle. Updates about the game have been few and far between, and even the announcements that have been made have done little to paint a clear picture. By contrast, Silksong's many competitors haven't stayed quiet during this period of radio silence.
Hollow Knight: Silksong May Have Lost Its Momentum with One Key Feature
Hollow Knight's Charms Were a Cornerstone of Gameplay
Players can still be certain that Silksong will maintain many aspects of the original, with new features to enhance the experience, and all played out on a larger scale. Hollow Knight is now seen as a bit of a trailblazer in its time, and its sequel no doubt has the same ambitions. However, Hollow Knight: Silksong has a difficult task ahead if it still wants to impress.
One of Hollow Knight's most defining features is its Charms. Charms can be equipped by a player in a number of possible loadouts, and each individual Charm provides a unique buff to aid the player on their journey. One can't emphasize enough just how much impact these buffs have on the rest of the game. Even many years later, there are still countless guides speculating about the best charms in Hollow Knight.
While Silksong has yet to properly reveal the extent of its gameplay, a few things seem clear. The general approach behind the sequel's design seems to be "take what works, and make it work harder". Hollow Knight: Silksong doesn't seem to include Charms verbatim. Instead, it actually seems to improve on the mechanic with an equivalent system utilizing Crests and Tools. Unfortunately, this is exactly where the troubles begin.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Needs to Address its Tough Competition
Hollow Knight: Silksong's system of Crests and Tools seems like a decent follow-up to its predecessor, but Hollow Knight isn't the only game in the conversation anymore. Many games have come and gone since the release of Hollow Knight, and many have included their own takes on similar features. With this in mind, Silksong simply can't afford to solely innovate on its predecessor.
Some indie games have used similar systems since, taking direct inspiration from Hollow Knight itself. Unfortunately for Hollow Knight: Silksong, competition isn't solely limited to its independent peers. Big budget games like Jedi Survivor have adopted this approach to item loadouts, and Silksong doesn't exactly have all the benefits awarded to a Star Wars game.
It's not as if Hollow Knight was the first game to ever invent enchanted items. Though Charms have a unique approach that encourages managing resources to optimize their build, this exact system has only become more popular over time. While innovating on it may have been enough several years ago, the wait for Hollow Knight: Silksong has only emphasized this issue.
The day Hollow Knight: Silksong was first revealed, it was already one of the most anticipated games of the generation. This largely remains true, but Silksong now faces a difficult path ahead. Charms were a key feature of the first game, and it's unclear how the sequel's equivalent can outshine not only its predecessor, but the rest of its competition as well. Worse still, this isn't the only feature facing this predicament. Hollow Knight: Silksong doesn't have to walk on eggshells just yet, but it should certainly move with caution.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- September 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
WHERE TO PLAY
Become the Princess Knight
As the lethal hunter Hornet, adventure through a kingdom ruled by silk and song! Captured and taken to this unfamiliar world, prepare to battle mighty foes and solve ancient mysteries as you ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure. Journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover secrets tied to your nature and your past.
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Hollow Knight
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
