Although the original Hollow Knight came out in 2017, I didn’t play it until last year. I was upset with myself for waiting this long to play it because it’s incredible. I’m not a huge fan of metroidvania games, but I was taken aback as to how much fun I had playing it. And I’m excited for the next chapter in the Hollow Knight story. Here’s everything you need to know about Hollow Knight: Silksong’s release date and gameplay. 

Hollow Knight: Silksong - Story 

Hornet, an important character in the first game, transitions to the main character for the sequel. She was originally a foe to the first protagonist, but eventually comes to respect and aid our hero in his mission to protect the Hallownest Kingdom.

According to developer Team Cherry’s website, in this new story, Hornet is captured and taken to a new kingdom where she has to fight her way to the top. Along the way, she will discover more about the kingdom and herself. 

Hollow Knight: Silksong - Gameplay

The first Hollow Knight was a metroidvania game, and the sequel doesn’t deter from that. You explore your environment, gain abilities, and learn techniques to progress further in the story and in the kingdom.

It takes a lot of trial and error; whether it’s learning where to go, learning how to defeat a certain enemy, or learning different techniques to reach certain places. Yes, you may feel frustrated but it’s rewarding once you defeat a boss that seemed unkillable. 

The Team Cherry website states that you will be able to take on quests. The original game had some side quests, but it seems that Hollow Knight: Silksong will have a more defined quest system where you will be able to keep track of what quest you are currently doing. The first game also allowed you the opportunity to craft your weapon into a stronger version of itself, but the website suggests that players will be able to craft different weapons and tools in the sequel. 

One element that is not changing are checkpoints. In order to save your progress, you will have to find a bench and sit on it. It’s definitely easier said than done. I remember playing the first game and panicking as I had one bar of health left, frantically searching for a bench. 

New Kingdom, New Danger

The kingdom of the first Hollow Knight game was broken down into different sections that looked completely different from one another and had different dangers in each. There was a section filed with bees, another filled with jellyfishes, and one filled with terrifying spiders. 

The sequel appears to follow the same format of breaking down the kingdom into different parts. 

Hollow Knight: Silksong Trailer and Release Date

As seen in the trailer, the player will be able to travel to these different sections and explore each of these unique places. These places include a green, lively section called Moss Grotto and a lava-filled section called the Deep Docks. Moss Grotto and Deep Docks were shown off in an E3 demo, but there are plenty of other sections to explore. 

And with a fresh environment comes fresh new faces. The Team Cherry website boasts that Hollow Knight: Silksong has over 150 enemies in the game. That number was last updated in December of 2019, so it remains a mystery whether that number has gone up in the last year. The original Hollow Knight had plenty of memorable bosses and allies, and we hope we’ll be able to say the same in this new installment. 

Unfortunately, it will probably be a while until we’re able to play the game as we still haven’t received an official release date since its announcement on Valentine’s Day of 2019. But with how amazing and fleshed out Hollow Knight was, we know the wait will be worth it.

I’ve put in over 30 hours into the first game, and I thought I had done a lot of exploring. It then turned out there were huge chunks of the game I never saw or experienced. If Hollow Knight: Silksong will be as deep as its predecessor, the developers can take all the time that they want.