Review in Progress: Hollow Knight: Silksong (PS5)

Hollow Knight is an underground indie phenomenon crafted by the three-person studio Team Cherry, a project that exploded in popularity and has since shifted more than 15 million copies worldwide.

Hollow Knight: Silksong, a follow-up that began life as add-on content, was unveiled in February 2019 and enthusiasts have been pleading for launch day ever since.

When it finally dropped on 4th September, the rush crashed several digital shops. Does the adventure justify the marathon wait and the mountain of anticipation?

On your maiden launch of Silksong, you are not met by the titular Knight but by his rival, Hornet.

Her tale kicks off as masked gaolers haul her to an unfamiliar kingdom called Pharloom, a place tormented by silk and melody.

Mid-transport, a tiny bug alights on Hornet’s cage, cracking the charm and catapulting it into the abyss where Mossy Grotto awaits. Who ordered her capture, and why drag her to Pharloom? Questions outnumber clues, so Hornet ventures through perilous trails toward the Citadel for answers.

Mirroring the first entry, you start stripped of gear—only a basic hop and a needle swipe—no gadgets, no chart to orient you.

This makes the opening stretch brutally demanding as you learn fresh surroundings, unfamiliar foes, and Hornet’s reworked arsenal.

While Mossy Grotto is relatively lenient—bulging with spiky caterpillars and moths to dispatch—skip the early purchase of a map and compass with the new rosary-bead coin and you’ll be ripping your hair out, hopelessly lost.

Journeying across Pharloom reveals that Hornet controls unlike any prior hero. Her superior agility lets her vault higher, sprint quicker, somersault, and slice diagonally beneath herself.

Crests steal the spotlight among Silksong’s fresh features: they reshape your needle’s assault rhythm, switching from brisk, tight jabs to sweeping arcs, and add coloured sockets for trinkets, charms, and pendants.

Every collectible bears a hue and fits into matching crest slots. The starter Hunter’s Crest, for example, allows one tool of each tint, while later variants offer alternative arrays, opening limitless build tinkering.

Wishwalls mark another leap forward. Rather than passively receiving knick-knacks from NPCs, you now fulfil posted desires. These bounty-like tasks line the noticeboard in the hub borough of Bone Bottom.

Contracts range from berry-picking for an alchemist to hunting squads of beasts for rare loot. The breadth of objectives keeps backtracking engaging.

Boss encounters have forever been the series’ crown jewel, and Silksong upholds that tradition with 40-plus fresh terrors to topple.

Our favourite thus far is the Bell Beast. Inspired by history’s largest arthropod, it charges laterally and excavates colossal bells you must evade. Survive its sprint-jig, leaps, and bell barrage and the creature signs on as your rapid-travel chauffeur between key zones.

Equally memorable is the Fourth Chorus, a towering automaton whose metal fists smash the very platforms underfoot, forcing pixel-perfect timing lest you become lava fodder.

Each duel is meticulously crafted and exhilarating to conquer. We’ve perished aplenty, yet every retry cements muscle memory and a clear sense of advance.

Be warned: Silksong raises the difficulty ceiling beyond its forebear, demanding tighter platforming and fiercer combat.

Nailing Hornet’s diagonal pogo-slash to spring off baddies and scenery for altitude takes practice.

Combat gauntlets now throw longer waves and a wider enemy roster at you.

Factor in mid-air pogos while dodging aerial nuisances and the sequel plainly escalates the stakes.

Conclusion

The devotion etched into Hollow Knight: Silksong already radiates through its breathtaking vistas, infectious soundtrack, and stern yet just acrobatic gauntlets. Pharloom is a realm we can’t quit, and we’re eager to discover where Team Cherry leads us as we push toward the finale.