Hollow Knight

About Hollow Knight

Team Cherry dropped Hollow Knight on February 24, 2017, and it quickly defined a generation of 2D exploration games. You play as a silent knight entering Hallownest, a once-great insect kingdom now abandoned and decaying. The game launched on PC before spreading to PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and even the upcoming Switch 2. It is a pure single-player adventure that blends tight platforming with deep combat. Players navigate interconnected districts filled with secrets while fighting insects and spectral horrors. This indie title set a new standard for the genre by balancing difficulty with atmospheric storytelling. The lack of hand-holding forces you to map out the world yourself as you uncover the fate of this fallen society.

Gameplay

Sessions involve sprinting across ledges, wall jumping, and slashing through enemies with your nail. You start weak but gain new abilities like the dash or double jump by defeating bosses or finding specific items. Combat requires learning enemy patterns because one wrong move often means death. You can explore freely once you unlock enough movement skills to reach previously blocked areas. The game features no traditional dialogue trees; instead, you gather lore from item descriptions and environmental details. A typical playthrough sees you hunting for hidden paths, collecting charm slots to customize your loadout, and battling massive bosses that test your reflexes. You must manage your health carefully since dying drops all your currency until you retrieve it from the spot of your death.

What Players Think

Critics loved this title immediately, with Metacritic holding an 88 and OpenCritic showing a 97.14% recommendation rate. Destructoid gave a perfect score calling it the best metroidvania in over twenty years. The PlayPile community shares this enthusiasm, describing the mood as cozy or atmospheric despite the grim setting. Average playtime sits around 27 hours for a standard run, though completionists chase the 63 available achievements. Only 26.5% of players unlock achievements on average, making them feel special when earned. The rarest trophy is Steel Heart, unlocked by just 3.70% of the user base. Many users report returning to the game long after finishing it to find every hidden corner and boss rush mode.

PlayPile's Take

Hollow Knight demands patience and skill but offers a massive return on investment for those willing to learn its mechanics. At $3.49 on Green Man Gaming, the price is absurdly low for this much content. The achievement system provides extra goals without breaking the flow of exploration. Players who enjoy punishing difficulty and rewarding discovery will find this game essential. Avoid it if you need constant hand-holding or fail states that feel unfair rather than challenging. This is a definitive experience for fans of deep world-building and precise platforming.

Storyline

Beneath the fading town of Dirtmouth sleeps a vast, ancient kingdom. Many are drawn beneath the surface, searching for riches, or glory, or answers to old secrets. As the enigmatic Knight, you’ll traverse the depths, unravel its mysteries and conquer its evils.