Thanks to its hand-drawn aesthetic, Hollow Knight looks like a cute game. However, when they pick it up, players are treated to one of the hardest Metroidvanias on the market instead. It has Soulslike elements, meaning players can lose progress upon death, and if they aren't careful recording their body, they’ll lose things for good.
Hollow Knight: Silksong did not fix some of the issues that fans had regarding the difficulty. In fact, Team Cherry doubled down on the challenge and made the sequel even more brutal. It has some fans divided, even though it is objectively a good game overall, so let’s get into what makes the sequel a more taxing experience.
Silksong: Best Tips for Beginners
These eight best Silksong beginner tips will help both new players and veterans find their footing in Pharloom's haunted lands.
Paying For Benches
The Citadel Is An Especially Hard Joke
Finding a bench in Hollow Knight is a nice moment of reprieve from the enemies and traps that are trying to kill players. They’re great to find in Hollow Knight: Silksong too, but a lot of them require payment to use. If the player doesn’t have enough Rosaries, Silksong’s main currency, they are out of luck. It gets worse once players reach The Citadel, as a majority of the benches need Rosaries and are temporary. There are a few paid benches in Hollow Knight, but not as many as in Silksong.
You Have To Fight The Fast Travel System
With A Lack Of Nearby Benches
Both games have similar fast travel systems, although there are different carriers. In the original Hollow Knight, players will meet a giant Stag Beetle who can talk and cart The Knight around Hollownest once a gateway is unlocked. Players have to fight the carrier in Silksong, the Bell Beast, before they can use it for transportation. At least it’s only one time, but it does initially make the game harder by comparison. Also, most Bell Beast stations don’t have benches, which is wild compared to Stag stations in Hollow Knight.
Two Currencies Splitting The Difference
Rosaries And Shell Shards
The main currency in Hollow Knight is Geo, while Silksong has Rosaries and Shell Shards. Only Rosaries will be dropped when players die, which is a plus. Shell Shards are primarily a source of ammo, but they are still useful as a currency.
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Best Early Side Quests
Don’t pass up these side quests (Wishes) and their rewards in the early hours of Hollow Knight: Silksong.
It can be a bit complicated to gather both, because some enemies only carry Rosaries while others only carry Shell Shards. It can be more taxing to try and gain both currencies for various quests or shop runs in Hollow Knight: Silksong.
All Enemies Hit Harder
Take It Easy On Us, Team Cherry!
The enemy damage is one of the most direct examples of how Hollow Knight: Silksong is more difficult than its predecessor. Small random enemies can hit Hornet for two health points, and since the player only has five to start, that’s an incredible amount of damage. Not every boss attack will even deal that amount of damage, which is astounding. If Hornet started with more health icons, it would make sense, but she is equal to The Knight from the start.
No Lifeblood Cocoons
Powering Up At A Cost Plasmium Phial
Similar to adventure games like The Legend of Zelda, players can collect items — in this case, Mask Shards — to increase health after finding four. In Hollow Knight, there were also Lifeblood Cocoons, which could give The Knight temporary health charges. While it could be a hassle, finding a Lifeblood Cocoon before a boss fight could help.
Silksong doesn’t have Lifeblood Cocoons, but it does have the Plasmium Phial. This item is technically better, but it takes a while to unlock it. Plus, recharging it between uses can be costly and a lengthy process, as there is no fast or easy way to reach the alchemist Zylotol.
Players Use All Silk To Heal
It Can Go To Waste
The healing system in this sequel has changed, which has fans split. In the original Hollow Knight, players can use a bit of Soul to heal one full shard of health. Healing three shards required using all of The Knight’s Soul. The change in Silksong has players consume an entire bar of Silk to heal three health shards at once.
What to Do First in Silksong
At the start of the game, prioritize these things to do first in Silksong to meet important NPCs and unlock useful items and abilities.
Technically, it’s the same, but here’s the issue some players are having. In the original Hollow Knight, if players only have one health shard that they need to heal, but have a full amount of Soul, then they will probably heal themselves to be safe. In Silksong, players may not be willing take that same risk for one shard, since it drains the entirety of Silk no matter how much health Hornet is restoring.
The Diagonal Slash
Looks Cool, But…
One thing Team Cherry did to differentiate Hornet from The Knight is her starting downward strike, which mimics attacks she uses in Hollow Knight. Hornet is a faster character, and watching her diagonally hone in on targets is cool, but there is a catch: it is a lot harder to platform with this starting downward option.
This attack can be changed via Crests like the Reaper Crest or Wanderer Crest in Silksong. However, it will take time to unlock either, making a good three to four hours of the game absolutely brutal from the start.
The Boss Run
It’s A Long Road
Hollow Knight had some taxing runs between benches and bosses, but Silksong cranked things up to the next level. For example, getting to either the Savage Beastfly or the Last Judge in Silksong will make players want to tear their hair out. Both of those bosses are tough on their own, but the trip there can be even more challenging and disheartening. At least the Savage Beastfly is optional, but Last Judge is not, and these are just two examples.
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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
