Believers. Deniers. Skongers. The time has finally come. After its announcement in February 2019 and many delays later, Hollow Knight: Silksong launches on September 4th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. It’s an auspicious occasion – several other developers have already delayed their games to get out of the way – but what is there to know about Silksong? Besides serving as a follow-up to one of the best games ever made, what are some new mechanics and features that players can look forward to? Let’s dive into all of them here.
How it Connects to Hollow Knight
There was a time, more than a decade ago, when Team Cherry set a stretch goal for its Hollow Knight Kickstarter, where it would add a new playable character with their own quests. However, over time, it grew to become something much more, thus resulting in a standalone title – Hollow Knight: Silksong, where Hornet would take a leading role. And while there are likely to be references to Hallownest, Silksong is, by all accounts, its own adventure.
As Big or Bigger Than Hallownest
Team Cherry hasn’t committed to how large Pharloom, the new kingdom in Silksong, actually is, but it could very well exceed the first game’s world. Co-director Ari Gibson told Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier that the team recognized that it would “become another giant thing to rival the scale of Hollow Knight or probably exceed it.” And then because of how we work, obviously, the world ended up being just as big or bigger.” That’s without accounting for the multiple different towns or the new quest system.
Areas Revealed Thus Far
While we’ve briefly seen a portion of the overall map, multiple areas have been detailed. Greymoor, caverns where Hornet will encounter several new characters (and the new Crawbugs); and Deep Docks, which pops up later and offers a maze-like structure with challenging enemies to fight. The goal is to ascend to the top of the kingdom, and thus far, even with snatches of other locations, it feels like we haven’t even scratched the surface.
More Extensive Mobility
Compared to Hollow Knight’s protagonist, Hornet is far more mobile. While you can still wall hang and downward slash for a bit of extra momentum and height, Hornet can also throw her Nail at enemies, pulling herself towards them. This can also be used to hook onto different parts of the environment and traverse gaps. We also spotted a double-jump and a rather humorous floating ability amid all the trailers thus far.
Combat Mechanics
Mobility is as much a weapon as it is a traversal tool in Silksong. The usual slashing mechanics remain, but instead of a simple downward slash, Hornet can also dash diagonally from mid-air to attack foes. One attack turns her Nail into a drill of sorts, while another involves charging through multiple targets at once to deal damage. Compared to its predecessor, combat is much faster-paced.
How Healing Works
Of course, it can also be far more lethal, which means mastering the new healing system. By using a spool of silk, you can instantly heal and continue fighting without missing a beat. The downside is that this consumes the entire spool, regardless of how much health is missing. Do you heal whenever or keep pushing yourself and only do so when absolutely necessary? That’s the risk vs. reward nature of it.
Crafting and Tools
Crafting is a major part of the experience this time around with Hornet gathering materials from slain enemies to create new Tools. These range from the ranged Straight Pin to the Silkspear, which requires dealing damage to recharge. Other Tools spotted in the latest trailer include the Sting Shard, described as a “vicious stabbing trap”, and the Magma Bell, which “wards against the deadly lava and heat.”
More than 200 Enemy Types
Throughout Hornet’s journey, she’ll encounter many different creatures, some necessitating lethal force. There are over 200 enemy types to look forward to, which is interesting because during the game’s initial announcement, Team Cherry touted over 150.
Over 40 Boss Fights
Then there are the boss fights with over 40 foes that await. We’ve seen more than a few thus far, from the agile Lace to the giant roaring creature fought in a lava cavern and a pair of bosses who coordinate their attacks. And once again, if Hollow Knight is any indication, we’re in for a wild ride.
Quests
While you’ll be running about, talking to NPCs, and hopefully solving their issues, Silksong also features side quests and additional tasks. How in-depth they are remains to be seen, but hunting “rare beasts” falls in line with the new crafting system. To help keep track of them, you’ll use various noticeboards throughout Pharloom.
Rescuing Fleas
Fleas replace the Grubs from the original, based on information provided to EDGE way back in December 2020. While you still rescue them, it seems they won’t be waiting in jars for your help, instead getting into fights (and potentially requiring Hornet to bail them out).
Steel Soul Mode
If and when Silksong is conquered, you can do it all over again in Steel Soul mode. Promising a “more formidable challenge,” this was essentially the permadeath mode in Hollow Knight, where dying would end a run and reset your save (with some exceptions). While Silksong’s version is likely to follow these same rules, it wouldn’t be surprising if Team Cherry snuck in a few new twists.
PC Requirements
So this is pretty important. PC technology has come a long way over the years, but the sheer amount of detail in Silksong may generate some concern. So be prepared: on PC, you need an Intel Core i3-3240 or an AMD FX-4300, 4 GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 560 Ti or Radeon HD 7750 (with at least one whole GB of VRAM). The recommended requirements are even heavier, as a Core i5-3470, 8 GB RAM and a GTX 1050 or Radeon R9 380 with at least two GB of VRAM are needed. If that wasn’t enough, an insane eight – yes, eight – GB of installation space is necessary.
Post-Launch Content Plans
The one aspect of Silksong that’s as worrying as it is exciting is Team Cherry’s desire to add more. Co-director William Pellen told Schreier, “Launching it is obviously quite exciting. What comes after for us is equally as exciting. The most interesting thing now is what we can add to it next. We got a plan. Admittedly, some of the plans for that stuff are kind of ambitious as well, but hopefully we can achieve some of it.” And while that’s great, given all the free updates that made the original game so enjoyable, one has to remember how Silksong came to be. Will this move continue the cycle of madness? Only time will tell.
No Pre-Launch Reviews, Free for Hollow Knight Backers
Even with all the hype for its imminent release, Silksong has attracted some controversy after Team Cherry revealed that it wouldn’t send out pre-launch review codes. This is because it would be “unfair” for reviewers to get their hands on the game before backers and the general public. However, the developer also mentioned to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier that it takes “a lot of time to get codes and distribute them,” and it’s a small team with “lots to do in the next two weeks.” While many have decided to trust Team Cherry, given its stellar track record, there is the usual skepticism about releasing without any reviews. On the bright side, those who backed Hollow Knight, expecting to receive Silksong when it was first announced as DLC, will still receive it for free.
