Hollow Knight

Developer and publisher: Team Cherry

Platform: PC (purchased from Steam)

Total time played: 90.1 hours

100%ed? I wish

Recommendation: Ever played a metroidvania? No? Don't start with this one unless you want an asskicking!

Summary

Okay, buckle in. This is gonna get weird.

So, abridged: A giant worm cast off his shell to join the kingdom of bugs (Hallownest), granting them sentience through his power. The bugs worshipped him as the Pale King, as did eventually the moths. Enraged at being forgotten by the moths, the Radiance caused what became known as the Infection. The Infection turned Hallownest's residents into mindless, violent husks.

The Pale King determined the best way to seal the Radiance away was through a pure, hollow vessel and so created the Hollow Knight. The Hollow Knight successfully absorbed the Radiance and was sealed into the Black Egg for eternity through the sacrifices of the three Dreamers, and so the kingdom was saved.

Tragically the Hollow Knight wasn't actually pure (scandalous!), so the Radiance was not successfully contained. The kingdom at some point collapsed and the Pale King died. You, the actual Hollow Knight, show up and fight your way through the entirety of Hallownest to defeat:

  • The not-Hollow Knight; or
  • The Radiance; or
  • The Absolute Radiance,

and so Hallownest is saved and you:

  • Are sealed in the Hollow Knight's place; or
  • Are sealed in the Hollow Knight's place with a friend; or
  • Kill the Radiance, dying in the process; or
  • Kill the Absolute Radiance and also unleash the Void; or
  • Kill the Absolute Radiance but contain the Void.

There's like a million other things to add to this summary, but this just about covers the big picture.

Game Overview

Like most metroidvanias, Hollow Knight begins with a limited moveset: you can jump, you can move left and right, and you can swing your weapon. As you explore and gain new abilities, you can get to new places on the map. You can increase your health and magic by finding special items. You can buy and find upgrades, only a few of which can be equipped at any given time. And you fight a lot of enemies and bosses.

The Godseeker DLC introduced boss rushes, if you're a glutton for punishment, and also the true ending(s).

Accessibility

There is no way around it: you need two functional hands with no tremors or other physical disabilities to play this game effectively. It requires precise movements and timings in basically every major fight.

While there isn't flashing, the screen will flash to white during some major story events.

It's partially voiced but the story is entirely told through written dialogue and environmental design.

Original Steam review:

Verdict: Recommended

There's so much to say about Hollow Knight, but in brief:

It's easily my favorite game of all time; I replay it religiously every year. Beyond its elegant art style, beautiful music, and incredible worldbuilding, Hollow Knight's most charming aspect lies in its gameplay. It's crisp. It's fluid. It's unflinchingly brutal. And as such, it is so, so rewarding when you finally beat a boss you've been working so hard to defeat.

Hard recommendation to play with a controller. Explore everything and anything you find. And truly, don't be afraid to take your time. It's a gorgeous game with a fascinating premise, and I promise you won't run out of things to do.