Hollow Knight – Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong – The Hornet-led Sequel That’s Finally Here (And It’s Massive)

Attribute	Details
Publisher	Team Cherry
Developer	Team Cherry
Release Date	September 4, 2025
Genre	Action, Metroidvania, Soulslike
Platforms	PC (Windows), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2

What Is Hollow Knight: Silksong All About?

Remember that feeling when you finished Hollow Knight and just wanted more? Yeah, Team Cherry heard you loud and clear. After six long years of waiting, Silksong is finally here, and honestly? It was worth every single day of that wait .

So here’s the setup. You’re playing as Hornet, that speedy princess-protector you fought alongside (and against) in the first game. She’s been kidnapped and taken to a brand new kingdom called Pharloom, which is completely different from the ruins of Hallownest . Instead of descending into darkness, you’re climbing upward. Think of it as an ascent instead of a descent. That’s a nice touch from Team Cherry.

The story kicks off with Hornet escaping her captors, but she falls to the bottom of this strange new land. Now she’s got to fight her way back up, figure out who brought her here, and deal with whatever’s waiting at the top . It’s personal this time. Hornet isn’t some silent vessel with no past. She’s got history here. The Weavers, that supposedly extinct tribe of spider mages? Yeah, they’re connected to her. This whole journey is about reclaiming her heritage.

How Does It Actually Play?

Okay, let’s talk gameplay because this is where Silksong really shines.

First thing you’ll notice – Hornet is FAST. Like, noticeably faster than the Knight. She can grab ledges, sprint, wall jump, and even heal while moving or in mid-air . The platforming feels way less punishing because she’s so much more agile. Remember those frustrating sections in Hollow Knight where one wrong jump meant redoing the last five minutes? Those are mostly gone. Not completely gone, but way more manageable.

Her weapon is a needle and thread instead of a nail. This gives her crazy reach. You can throw the needle, zip to it, attack diagonally from the air, and generally control space in ways the Knight never could . The combat tempo is faster too. You’re not hiding and waiting for openings anymore. You’re constantly repositioning, dodging, and chaining attacks. It feels like a dance. A deadly, bug-stomping dance.

The healing system got a complete rework. Hornet heals faster than the Knight did, but here’s the catch – it uses your entire thread bar in one go. And if you get hit while healing? You lose everything . This changes the risk-reward calculation completely. You can’t just back away and heal safely anymore. You have to earn those healing windows by being aggressive and building up your resources.

Charms are out. That system is gone. Instead, you’ve got crests and trinkets . Trinkets come in three colors – blue for combat advantages, yellow for utility stuff, and red for consumable tools like throwing knives or traps. You can swap these out at benches, so you’re not locked into one build forever. Stuck on a boss that uses fire attacks? Equip the Magma Bell charm and suddenly you’re taking half damage . The game rewards you for experimenting.

There’s also a proper quest system now. Hollow Knight was famously vague about where to go next. Some people loved that. Others hated it. Silksong meets in the middle – you get waypoints for main objectives, quest boards in hub areas, and an actual journal tracking everything . You can still get lost in optional stuff, but the main path is clear. This is honestly a huge improvement for anyone who bounced off the first game’s “figure it out yourself” approach.

The world of Pharloom is bigger than Hallownest. Much bigger. Zones like Moss Grotto, Deep Docks, Greymoor, and the Coral Tower each have their own feel and mechanics . Verticality is the name of the game here. You’re constantly climbing, finding hidden paths, and discovering secrets in places you’d never expect. Breakable walls are everywhere. Hidden upgrades too. If you loved exploring in Hollow Knight, you’ll lose yourself in Silksong for hours.

Is It As Hard As Hollow Knight?

Short answer – yes, but different.

Long answer – Silksong starts easier than the first game. The difficulty curve is smoother, and you get more tools to deal with challenges. But the back half? The back half gets brutal . We’re talking boss fights that test your patience, enemy gauntlets with no breathing room, and some sections that feel genuinely unfair. One reviewer compared the first half to “the best Metroidvania since Metroid Dread” and the second half to “shock therapy” . That’s pretty accurate.

Here’s the controversial part. Silksong introduced a resource system that some players absolutely hate. You have two currencies – rosaries (like Geo, used for buying stuff) and shards (used for crafting and refilling your tools). When you die, you drop your rosaries, which is fine. But you also CONSUME shards on death if you’ve used any tools . This means dying repeatedly to a tough boss doesn’t just reset your progress – it actively makes future attempts harder because you run out of shards for your tools. Then you have to go grind for more. It’s a weird design choice, and a lot of people are not happy about it.

That said, the bosses themselves are mostly excellent. They have clear telegraphs, learnable patterns, and that satisfying “aha” moment when everything clicks. Some later fights drag on too long – ten seconds of dodging for every one second of attacking – but those are the exception, not the rule.

What Is the System Requirement for Hollow Knight: Silksong?

Good news here. Silksong is not a demanding game. Team Cherry optimized the heck out of this thing. You probably don’t need to upgrade your PC.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Minimum System Requirements

Here’s the absolute bare minimum to get the game running :

OS: Windows 10 version 21H1 (or Big Sur 11 for Mac, Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 for Linux)
Processor: Intel Core i3-3240 or AMD FX-4300
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 560 Ti (1GB) or Radeon HD 7750 (1GB)
DirectX: Version 10
Storage: 8 GB available space

That processor came out in like 2012. Your decade-old office PC might actually run this game. The Hollow Knight Silksong download size is only 8GB, so you won’t have to delete much to make room.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Recommended System Requirements

Want a smoother experience? Here’s what Team Cherry suggests :

OS: Windows 10 version 21H1
Processor: Intel Core i5-3470 (or Apple M1 for Mac)
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 1050 (2GB) or Radeon R9 380 (2GB)
DirectX: Version 10
Storage: 8 GB available space

Nothing crazy here. An 8GB RAM and a GTX 1050 will handle this game just fine. Even a laptop with decent integrated graphics might manage the minimum settings. Steam Deck users will be happy too – Valve already verified it as “Playable” on Deck .

What Makes Hollow Knight: Silksong So Special?

Let me be honest with you. Silksong had impossible expectations. Hollow Knight is one of the most beloved indie games ever made. People have been waiting for this sequel since 2019. Any game following that act was going to face scrutiny.

But Silksong delivers where it matters most. The core gameplay is fantastic. Hornet is a joy to control. The world is beautiful and full of secrets. The music is incredible (Christopher Larkin did it again). And the sense of discovery? Pure magic.

What really makes Silksong special is Hornet herself. She’s not a silent protagonist. She has personality, pride, and a kind heart under that tough exterior . Her interactions with NPCs feel meaningful. Her journey of reclaiming her heritage as a Weaver princess adds emotional weight that the first game sometimes lacked . You actually care about what happens to her.

The game is massive too. We’re talking 30+ hours for a first playthrough, easily double that for completionists. Multiple endings, secret areas, optional bosses, and a whole third act that only unlocks if you meet certain conditions . Team Cherry packed this thing with content.

That said, Silksong isn’t perfect. The shard system on death is frustrating. Some late-game sections feel cheap rather than challenging. A few bosses overstay their welcome. But these are complaints about a 9/10 game, not a bad one.

Reviews have been positive overall. GameSpot called it “an unforgettable climb” and said it takes everything good about the first game and makes it better . VGChartz gave it a 7.5, praising the first half but criticizing the difficulty spike and resource mechanics later on . The consensus seems to be – if you loved Hollow Knight, you’ll love Silksong. Just be prepared for some rough patches in the back half.