After 7 years of development and 2 “Most Anticipated Game” awards, Australian developer Team Cherry has finally released Hollow Knight: Silksong.

This game is a sequel to the 2017 metroidvania game, Hollow Knight, which was praised by critics for its exceptional music score, art style, combat, and difficulty. In the sequel, Team Cherry improves and builds upon the original game’s formula, giving fans more of everything they loved about Hollow Knight.

Act 1 of Hollow Knight: Silksong starts with a bang, introducing the player to the protagonist, Hornet, with a more agile and acrobatic moveset as compared to the knight of the previous game. The game’s new mechanics, such as the harpoon, floating, and sprinting, change the pace of combat and exploration making traversing the world of Pharloom a joy.

The world of Pharloom is beautiful and meticulously designed, just as its predecessor, with layers of detail and an immense scale. But this time around, the story is more direct, with Hornet as a speaking protagonist, adding a new layer of character interaction and personality. 

The difficulty has been a large point of discussion among fans of the previous game, with some players finding certain areas and bosses to be too challenging for the average player. On the other hand, many veteran and hardcore players find the challenge to be rewarding, and praise the high skill ceiling.

Another new mechanic is “Wishes”, this game’s take on side quests. Coming in 4 different variations, (Gather, Wayfarer, Hunt, and Grand Hunt), they offer additional worldbuilding and valuable rewards to players who decide to put in the extra effort.

Once you get past the cruel, grueling, seemingly endless boss fights, you find yourself having the time of your life. Not being able to stop yourself from exploring the ends of the map, uncovering every secret of the nooks and crannies in the beautiful world that Team Cherry took 7 years to design.