Maybe the most anticipated game to still elude a definitive release date isHollow Knight: Silksong, which can attribute its continued development and secrecy to the growing scope and scale of the project since its initial reveal. Like many other sequels to beloved original titles in new gaming franchises,Hollow Knight: Silksonglooks to be attempting a one-up of everythingHollow Knightbrought to the table and then some. WhileSilksongis most definitely going to be a Metroidvania title in the same style as its predecessor, one area that has seen significant expansion is the title’s incorporation of RPG elements into its gameplay.
In addition to resting firmly within the Metroidvania subgenre,the originalHollow Knightalso squarely had one foot in Soulslike territory. Outside the methodical combat and teeth-gritting boss encounters like theDark Soulsseries, players also needed to speak with NPCs, read lore, and complete quests and side activities to truly see the entirety of what Hallownest has to offer. Like many other RPGs, exploration and story were just as important to game and character progression as the skills players acquired and builds that were orchestrated by equipping combinations of Charms.Silksongpromises to expand on all of these features while also adding some new ones.
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Silksong Introduces A Full-Blown Crafting System
Thebest Metroidvania gamesgive players plenty of incentive to thoroughly explore their expansive maps and search every nook and cranny in hopes of uncovering that next crucial upgrade that could unlock further portions of said map. One of the ways that the originalHollow Knightdangled this carrot over players' heads was by placing carefully hidden Charms around Hallownest. Discovering these charms could lead to significant shifts in the way players controlled the Knight and approached both encounters and traversal.
Interestingly,Hollow Knight: Silksongis supplanting the Charm system from its predecessor with a new fully-realized crafting system.Silksongintroduces two new in-game currencies, Shell Shards and Rosaries, and the Shell Shards are a necessary component in the act of crafting tools and repairing them. Team Cherry has also revealed that players will be able to craft their own charms. In terms of howSilksongwill balance its Metroidvania and RPG inspirations, it’s likely that crafting recipes and blueprints will now serve as the items that entice players toexplore and discover Pharloom’s secrets.
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Expanding on Hollow Knight’s Side Quests
Hollow Knightfeatured plenty of deviations from its critical path in the form of optional side quests, with many of these welcome distractions resulting in a nugget of important lore or valuable item for the Knight to use on their adventure. TheDLC expansions forHollow Knightintroduced new side quests, showing that Team Cherry was already interested in adding more new RPG systems and elements into its game.
These optional side quests could be completely avoided or engaged with by players, but anyone looking to get the most out ofHollow Knight’s story and gameplay likely completed many of these optional activities that enriched the core experience. What has beenrevealed ofSilksongso farconfirms that not only will optional side quests make a return in theHollow Knightsequel, but also be greatly expanded upon in terms of how they engage the player and affect the outcome of Hornet’s time in the Pharloom.
For starters, Hornet will have the ability to converse with the world’s NPCs. Already this is a departure from the Knight’s positioning as the classic video game “silent protagonist”, and the game could possibly include branching dialogue trees that give players different response options based on which quests they’ve already completed or have yet to complete for certain NPCs.
In terms of the types of quests players can expect to complete inHollow Knight: Silksong, it’s been revealed that most side-quests fall into one of four categories: Gather, Wayfarer, Hunt, and Grand Hunt. These categories fittingly fall into the side quest tropes of gathering or fetch quests, escort missions, and monster-slaying or optional boss encounters. Each biome inPharloom’s map will include NPCswho can assign quests and players can track their progress on all accepted quests via Notice Boards placed near the game’s Benches and fast-travel locations.
Hollow Knight’s Sequel Will Have New Silk-Based Magic and Abilities
In the originalHollow Knight, the Knight was granted control over both void and light magic that provided various bonuses in either combat or traversal. These magic abilities catered to the Knight’s mostly aggressive playstyle and reliance on bounce and dash moves in combat, allowing players to quickly deal damage to distant foes in a pinch when needing to crowd control. Because Hornet is a similar but different hero for players to control, it is appropriate that she get her own new magic abilities that make sense for how the character plays.
Thus,Hollow Knight: Silksong’s new Silk abilities. In addition to giving the player new abilities that make sense given Hornet’s more expansive suite of mobility options, the new Silk abilities also are the primary means through which players will heal and level up.
The void and light magic abilities the Knight possessed inHollow Knighthad an important context within the game’s lore, and the focus on Silk-based abilities seems to also tie in directly with the sequel’sSilksongmoniker. Players continue to wait for the announcement of a confirmedrelease date forSilksong, but already there’s plenty of cause for excitement regarding the ways the game expands its adventure into the RPG genre.
Hollow Knight: Silksongis in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
