a game by Team Cherry - Hollow Knight: Silksong (2025)

[Krandor]

Whoever designed the little red fuckers who shoot drills at you is a complete dick. The way they constantly fly just out of range is pure asshole design.

I take this back, everyone who designed this game is an asshole.

Moving further into Act II and so many encounters and level designs are just straight rude.

[Odesseiron]

I just did that flying fucker where you get another crest.

Holy fuck was that an annoying fight until I learned it in full. Tons of HP and adds. I'm sure it's not even one of the harder fights in the game. I'm coming up to Greymoor.

I've not had too much of a problem yet as a whole. Best advice I can give is use your tools. they give you a much needed boost.

[Elcura]

I take this back, everyone who designed this game is an asshole.

Moving further into Act II and so many encounters and level designs are just straight rude.

Any flying enemy was designed to give you cancer

Also this game is fucking huge I just can't believe I keep finding new areas after thinking I finished lol

[Krandor]

As I keep going I like the game less and less.

The game just has zero respect for the player's investment. Grind away on a boss (which probably includes a difficult runback) or a difficult zone for awhile and maybe you'll get some rosaries that you'll lose dying 10 minutes later. Metroidvanias thrive on the constant drip feed of new abilities to open up more of the map, but this game takes hours between giving you new traversal abilities (also a lot of the gear you get seems straight booty)

I'm committed to beating it but this game was clearly designed by a bunch of masochists.

[Odesseiron]

I've not hit that point yet, but there are definitely some mods I'm eyeing if/when that happens, specifically the one that nerfs a lot (or all) of the 2 damage bullshit.

I realize that's taking away from the "vision" of the difficulty/game. Yes we all know every game is not for every person, but maybe have a couple friendly options in there too.

I hate being frustrated by games that are otherwise great.

[Roranora]

Metroidvanias thrive on the constant drip feed of new abilities to open up more of the map, but this game takes hours between giving you new traversal abilities (also a lot of the gear you get seems straight booty)

The map isn't as enjoyable to uncover (or as varied in sequence) as Hollow Knight's. There's no equivalent of 3 or 4 ways down to Ancient Basin. The player kinda ends up going where they have to go more than where they're curious to go.

It's obviously a different system without charms but no find so far has been quite as powerful or satisfying as Shaman Stone or Quick Slash was for me.

[Roranora]

..

[Krandor]

Reaper or Wanderer crests are cool since the default down air is a crime against humanity, but all the other crests I've found are straight fucking ass and wildly disappointing (especially with how annoying the unlock for the Witch crest was, had to look that one up since the game gave absolutely zero guidance and you're massively gimped until you finish said quest)

[Krandor]

Nah, fuck this game.

Hitting a segment of the game that is clearly just designed to be as miserable as possible with massive runbacks required (and no I'm not talking about the end of Act I, this is actually much much worse).

This game very quickly crossed the threshold into no longer being fun, and I got so many other things I could be doing.

Also fetch quests in 2025, come on man what are we even doing here

[Odesseiron]

We've got the mod for you!

https://www.nexusmods.com/hollowknightsilksong/mods/46 (I've not tried any of these yet, but expect based off others, I may)

[Andalusian girls]

finishing up Act 1 and love the game so far, don't mind the difficulty much but we'll see how it goes on the back half. did just play the Nioh games so my difficulty tolerance is prolly at a historic high.

what does suck is the game's economy, having so few beads then so many shell shards i'm usually maxed at 400 and don't bother picking up their drops is silly. Dark Souls 1 ahh runbacks are also trash in the year of our lord 2025, let me spam boss attempts game.

otherwise p mint. love the boss fights, platforming feels brilliant as in the first.

[Krandor]

So much of the difficulty just doesn't need to be there and just feels in place to be mean to the player.

Why does a rosary bead of 60 cost 80? Why the fucking runbacks in the year of our lord 2025? Why when you stun a boss does it still have an active hitbox? Why does the grappling hook have such a shitty hitbox and also cost silk (leading to scenarios where you can't use it because you're out of silk)

[Salodin]

Ew, a grappling hook with a resource?

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[Elcura]

So much of the difficulty just doesn't need to be there and just feels in place to be mean to the player.

Why does a rosary bead of 60 cost 80? Why the fucking runbacks in the year of our lord 2025? Why when you stun a boss does it still have an active hitbox? Why does the grappling hook have such a shitty hitbox and also cost silk (leading to scenarios where you can't use it because you're out of silk)

Pretty sure it's to save you money if your die and lose all your rosaries, the ones in your inventory remain (you lose 20 rosaries converting them but eh).

And the grappling hook taking resources does suck, it's super useful but the only time I feel I can use it is when I'm just relying on silk hearts to gain back silk.

As for the difficulty I'd say the game was pretty hard and requires practice to get used to the movement (I still dash attack the wrong way all the time) but certain things have made it much easier. Some enemies/areas are a nightmare but the only enemy I truly fear are those roaches, those fuckers are the worst.

Spoilers for crests and some items.

Spoiler: show

Wanderer Crest is obviously really good, mix in long range nail and you're basically playing Hollow Knight (add some silk regen and fast binding to survive while being aggressive).

The robot bugs are the best tool in the game, bring out 4 before a boss and rest and you'll effectively have 12 bugs that do stupid damage and home in on targets. Add venom if you want.

To add to that architect crest is absolutely busted, use bugs, bombs and the trip wire or whatever else then use silk to gain more charges. Just spam tools and watch everything die, I haven't really had to fight properly with this one lol.

[Krandor]

I can't use the architect crest because I have no fucking idea where to get craft metal. Think I've found 3 in the 18 or 19 hours I've played.

Like I'm saying, I'm a good way into the game but as it progresses the game just seems to have less respect for the player and just makes a bunch of stuff needlessly complex or difficult for no reason other than to fuck with them.

[Elcura]

I'm not sure about those aspects yet, I haven't felt particularly fucked with yet, there's nothing on the scale of White Palace of Path of Pain that I've seen so far (or hell, pantheon 4+).

A couple of areas suck ass but with decent prep aren't that bad, like a good crest to pogo with, protection from heat or worms, or a healing setup. The bugs I mentioned make a lot of annoying flying enemies a non-factor, and abusing lifeblood (plasmium or whatever they call it now it lol) can get you out of tough spots.

My biggest gripe (which is a problem for some of these games) is that it's impossible to know if you've missed a breakable wall or secret hole/tunnel somewhere. I've had to scrap my face across every tile of the map to get this far and I'm pretty sure I'm still missing at least...3 big items? maybe less.

[Roranora]

finishing up Act 1 and love the game so far, don't mind the difficulty much but we'll see how it goes on the back half. did just play the Nioh games so my difficulty tolerance is prolly at a historic high.

what does suck is the game's economy, having so few beads then so many shell shards i'm usually maxed at 400 and don't bother picking up their drops is silly. Dark Souls 1 ahh runbacks are also trash in the year of our lord 2025, let me spam boss attempts game.

otherwise p mint. love the boss fights, platforming feels brilliant as in the first.

just finished act 1 last night and now a bit into act 2 where rosaries seem more chill now. I got an easy 2000 just walking around with still much of the area to map out. I have a few thousand stringed up, only had to reach for a few frayed necklaces when i double died and had a bleak stretch of capitalist benches to endure

I'm sometimes maxed on the beast shards but have moments (like the fucking Muckroaches) where I use a lot of tools. I can carry 700, whatchu doing, mister small pouch

[Serra]

Nah, fuck this game.

Hitting a segment of the game that is clearly just designed to be as miserable as possible with massive runbacks required (and no I'm not talking about the end of Act I, this is actually much much worse).

This game very quickly crossed the threshold into no longer being fun, and I got so many other things I could be doing.

Also fetch quests in 2025, come on man what are we even doing here

I just finished the end of Act 1. That was pretty rough...

[Starby]

Act 2 (so far) has been easier then act 1. I just got another movement upgrade

Spoiler: show

the grappling hook

so I'm gonna detour and see what I can access now that I couldn't before. I'm pretty sure I can open up a needalin door at least

[Andalusian girls]

just finished act 1 last night and now a bit into act 2 where rosaries seem more chill now. I got an easy 2000 just walking around with still much of the area to map out. I have a few thousand stringed up, only had to reach for a few frayed necklaces when i double died and had a bleak stretch of capitalist benches to endure

I'm sometimes maxed on the beast shards but have moments (like the fucking Muckroaches) where I use a lot of tools. I can carry 700, whatchu doing, mister small pouch

I FORGOT WHERE THE POUCH UPGRADE MAN IS

also i don't really care hitherto shell shards are always maxed and never run out of ammo