I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the world. However the difficulty made me drop the game at the half of it. Since I turned 40, I play games to relax not to rage on bosses. Therefore altogether, a bit of pity I couldn't see the end.

oh boy!! rubs hands together

here we go: this is definitely my favorite game i've ever played. Maybe it just stands out as the first metroidvania that I really sunk my teeth into, but I think Hollow Knight is truly something special and, judging by the hype for Silksong, I know a lot of folks agree with me. The gorgeous hand-drawn art and hauntingly-beautiful soundtrack create a striking first impression. The initially-depressive atmosphere shifts to new moods throughout the game. The nuanced combat is reminiscent of Dark Souls, maybe the best game to make that translation to 2D. The "badge" system is a clever and streamlined upgrade system that lets the player shift playstyles almost on-the-fly.

And my favorite part: THE MAP (by which i mean both the game world and the map system)!!!! Omg I know a Metroidvania is made or ruined by its map, and so all well-regarded Metroidvanias have a pretty good map. Simply put, Hollow Knight is just a cut above all of them. Like all Metroidvanias, the map does the cool thing where paths are locked off to you until you get new abilities that act as "keys" to open up new areas. Hollow Knight differs in that the game starts off linear, and then two abilities you get within the first few hours act as the keys to open up almost the entire game world. So as soon as you get your legs under you and you are getting the hang of the combat, you can turn around and go almost anywhere you want as long as you are down for the challenge. Accordingly, almost every player of this game has a pretty different experience, which is really unique for non-roguelike.

Regarding the map system itself: unlike most Metroidvanias, the map does not automatically fill in as you go. Instead, you don't get any map for a new area until you find the traveling mapmaker NPC. Once you find him, you can buy his rough, incomplete map of the area, which is nonetheless invaluable. Once you buy the pen upgrade from the shop in town, you can fill out the unfinished map with areas that you have explored. However, the map only updates when you rest at benches (save points), so you still have to keep a mental map while you are exploring. And the pen does not work in an area until you find the mapmaker NPC (little ghost needs a piece of paper to draw on). The devs play with this - in some areas the NPC is pretty close to the entrance, but in others he is pretty deep into the area, so again you have to keep up a mental map for longer. And finally, the map does not show where you the player are on it unless you equip a specific one-slot badge (some badges take up more slots). Some players are frustrated by this, but it helps if you view that slot as like a bonus slot. Once you memorize an area, you can take that badge off to get a little extra power for a boss fight. In "exploration" mode, having that badge equipped makes you feel just a little less powerful, which adds to the tension.

Which segues into my final point: this game makes you feel like an adventurer exploring a forgotten kingdom, in a way that I have never felt in any other game, not even Dark Souls. The extremely open-ended design and MASSIVE game world mean that you the player will be constantly discovering new areas, even dozens of hours into the game. It just keeps surprising you over and over. This is why I like the map system described above. Many are turned off by the friction that the devs added to the map - they could have just given you an auto-updating map like every other Metroidvania. But the friction adds to the feeling that you are an explorer in a hostile land, and the tension you feel when you are exploring a new area without a map is unparalled. In Dark Souls, there are parts where you can choose where to go, but the game overall is pretty linear, so it rarely feels like you the player are driving the exploration. That sense of exploration, and the layers-upon-layers of mystery within the story, are why Hollow Knight remains my fave of all time to this day.

Side note: I suspect Elden Ring would give a similar feeling, given that it is Souls + open-world exploration. However, I have not played Elden Ring yet personally (i'm a patient gamer down to my bones). For folks that have played both: Are there similarities in Elden Ring's sense of exploration? Is there any intentional friction in the map system? Or did From go with an auto-updating map like most games?

breathes in

Hollow knight silk song will happen I am not on copium I believe it is real I will pop off so hard when the date is announced and when it comes out I love hornet maybe you could tell by my pfp you could say I am a little excited for the game and that I love the original and I'm so excited and ahhhHHhhhhhhhHHhhhhhhhhhhhh

SHAW

:3

For those interested, !metroidvanias@infosec.pub

I'm too baked to write a genuine answer rn but this is my favorite game. It isn't my most played but it is certainly my most enjoyed. Something about its dance like cambat really appeals to me

I'd seen stuff about this game for years before finally deciding to play it and boy was I not disappointed. The art for each area is gorgeous, and the character design for ghost and hornet is right up my alley; I adore capes/ponchos and little spooky things that deal massive damage to enemies.

I die often, and probably won't go for a steel soul run for my own health and sanity though I can see the appeal. The boss fights are unique and interesting, and my only gripe is when they're too far from a bench. The treck through the soul sanctum was frustrating, and I was seething every time I had to fight my way back to the hive knight. There is a certain euphoria that comes with finally beating them though.

The weaversong/grubsong charm combo has been invaluable for the colosseum. Not every charm seems worth their notch cost, so there are some (quick/deep focus and fury of the fallen) that I hardly ever use. But finding the right combo for my play style and whichever boss I'm facing is fun.

Haven't finished my first run yet, but am looking forward to what the white palace holds (aside from the freaking saws).

My all time favorite game and first metroidvania. Atmosphere, combat, and exploration are great.

Skong incoming any day now.

Other commenters have explained why it's good better than I can, so I'll just say: It's good enough that my biggest dissatisfaction is that my preferred playatyle (JUSTICE FOR NAIL ARTS!!!!) is unpopular.

First game I ever played where I was like "yo, I actively WANT to do the speedrun achievement, and the deathless achievement." So, first game where I ever did those things. Maybe I'm just crazy, but I found them way easier than I expected.

Also, a prime example of storytelling through music.

Overall great, but the movement, mainly during all the backtracking, just wasn't fun enough to carry it. You have a dash and that's it, the charge dash is too situational.

It might not be Metroid with Shinesparks and such, but maybe up the default walk speed at least? The rest of the game wasn't outstanding enough to make up for it either, besides the map being very open, even for a metroidvania. I like how there are 3-4 ways to enter the area with the Dream Nail.

I finally got this game through a steam key trade on barter, traded for a game I didn't need from a Fanatical bundle. It's now sitting in my library until I have the time to focus on it, as one of my best friends recommended it to me as one of his favorite games ever. So I want to give it the time and focus it deserves, hopefully it will click for me too!

would've enjoyed this better with an easy mode lol, also stopped halfway