Hollow Knight: Silksong

As Team Cherry continues working on Hollow Knight: Silksong, fans will also continue to speculate on what features the game could have. While the developer has provided glimpses of what to expect through the trailers and bits of information it has doled out, not everything has been unveiled, leaving numerous possibilities open. One such possibility involves a feature that could be a game-changer for Silksong if it were to be included, but it could also be detrimental to the sequel if not properly worked on and executed.

The original Hollow Knight is often described as a Soulslike, in part due to its high level of difficulty, and it is expected that Silksong will be as well. Since the game is likely to draw comparisons to FromSoftware's Souls titles, it could take certain features that are at the core of those game, and one that Team Cherry should consider is summons. Being able to call forth an NPC to aid in difficult boss battles is something that's available in many of FromSoftware's challenging titles, and Silksong could also have it, so long as its developer looks into the pros and cons of its implementation.

Hollow Knight: Silksong's Title Raises One Question for the Franchise

Hollow Knight: Silksong holds a lot of promise so far, but its title raises an important question that affects the franchise's future.

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By Enricko Ozoa

How Silksong Could Benefit From Adding a Summon Feature

New features are part of the expectations for Silksong, but perhaps one that involves summons has not been carefully considered. Still, it is something that could potentially be included, and it could also lead to a few benefits for the sequel, such as:

The option of using the summon feature could make the game more immediately accessible, as they could be used to get a feel for the game initially.
In Souls games, certain summons require players to converse with, and learn the personality and story of, an NPC before the character can provide help. Silksong incorporating that approach could help players further immerse themselves in the sequel's world.
Summoning an NPC to aid in difficult boss fights in Silksong could make it so that players can more easily enjoy progressing the story, rather than being stuck on a challenge that might cause them to quit the game.

The summoning feature would have a significant impact if implemented in Silksong, mainly due to how much it could affect what is expected to be one of the game's most difficult aspects: its bosses. If executed well, the feature could make the sequel even more engaging and memorable than its predecessor.

The Problem with Having a Summon Feature in Silksong

Silksong will have a challenging tightrope to walk if it does include a summon feature, and that's because of how easy it could make the game. Although the feature could be optional, allowing players to choose to ignore it, the fact is that summons could potentially negate whatever challenge the sequel intended. If the sequel is anything like the original Hollow Knight, then using skill and strategy to overcome hard fights will provide a feeling of great satisfaction. That feeling could be taken away if players could simply choose the easier way out and call in extra help. While this could be avoided by adjusting Silksong's overall difficulty to account for summoned units, that could in itself lead to balancing problems that negatively impact the quality of the game.

If the kingdom of Pharloom were to have opportunities for players to summon help, then Team Cherry must consider if Silksong really needs it. The sequel will likely do fine without the feature, but having it could also lead to interesting moments that could improve the game, which is why the developer must strongly consider it while it's still working on the project.

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