Hollow Knight Review

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch

Hollow Knight is without a doubt the best indie game I have ever played. Everything from the music to the gameplay is amazing, and I'd say that it's as close to a "perfect game" that one could get. This is especially surprising as Hollow Knight is made by only 3 people! The game is difficult, but the controls are incredibly tight and responsive meaning that when you die it's only lack of skill- not the game bugging out or being unfair. First I want to touch on the overall feel of the game. The environment and overall atmosphere of the game is dark, mysterious, and fills the player with a sense of wonder. There were times when I found new areas where I actually caught myself with my mouth wide open. The graphics fit the tone perfectly as they are hand-drawn and honestly quite beautiful. The music fits each area as well, being somber in darker areas and full of life in areas covered in plants and moss. You venture through this fascinating world as a bug, meeting and sometimes killing other bugs or creatures throughout your journey. There is no clear goal to the game at first other than exploration, but the motives of your character become more and more clear as you progress through the game. Every NPC you come across is memorable and interesting, and it can be quite easy to have favourites (I personally grew quite fond of a character named Cloth). Coming across bosses brings about a sense of joy because not only does it mean that you are progressing in some way, but the bosses are actually delightfully fun and provide a fulfilling challenge. Hollow Knight is a "metroidvania" style game, but I see it more as a 2D open-world game. You are free to go wherever you want almost whenever you want, with the exception of needing specific items or abilities to reach some new areas.

Hollow Knight excels tremendously when it comes to gameplay too. As stated previously the controls are super tight and responsive, and when you master all of the abilities at your disposal the game gets incredibly satisfying to play. Like most other metroidvania games you start off with limited tools, but as you progress you gain more and more abilities and become more powerful. When you gain a new ability it's explained very well how to use it and then you get a couple of tests so you can attune to the new ability. The user Interface is clean as well, and goes along with the tone of the game just like everything else.

There isn't much else that I want to go into when it comes to Hollow Knight as the best way to play is completely blind. This is the only game that I find suitable to get a perfect score: 100/100. I can find no flaws in the design of this spectacular masterpiece and I am as hyped as anything for the recently announced upcoming sequel. In conclusion: Buy this game. You will not regret it. It's an incredibly good bargain for a game that is 30+ hours long, and it is a game that is completely unique in every way.