We’ve known about Hollow Knight’s upcoming sequel, Silksong, since the beginning of this year, when Team Cherry announced what was originally designed to be an expansion for the base game was just too big, and so would be made into a standalone title. We haven’t had much info on it since. No wonder then the queue I had to stand in to get my hands on the demo at EGX was so long (and there was also only one console with the demo available! Criminal considering how brilliant it is).
The demo is only short, but even that amount of time was enough to understand why Silksong is being made into a standalone game. The first playable zone I landed in seemed like the very first level, allowing me to play Hornet with her base abilities as she traversed through Moss Grotto. It’s an area reminiscent of Greenpath – and I say reminiscent purely due to the overgrown natural feel of it. It’s enough to remind the player this is indeed a Hollow Knight game, but brings its own unique atmosphere at the same time.
Hollow Knight Silksong Gameplay Trailer – Switch, PC Watch on YouTube
Hollow Knight’s platforming struck the right balance between fun and infuriating (especially when those damn flying enemies constantly spat orange goo at you), and Team Cherry has maintained that in Silksong too, though Hornet’s skillset is slightly different than the Knight’s in that it lets her grab onto ledges to reach platforms you might otherwise not be able to get to. The world of Silksong feels very much created for Hornet – the developer hasn’t just made another Hallownest and shoehorned a different character in – it’s tailored to her playstyle so it’s new and exciting to traverse, all the while maintaining the fluidity and familiar level design of the game that came before it.