Video Game Review: Hollow Knight Voidheart Edition by Team Cherry

Before you enter the world of silk and song, fill your heart with the void.

For those of you who may have dodged the indie gaming scene since 2017, Hollow Knight is one of the sparkling gems that come up in conversation quite frequently. Partially because of its overall quality and difficulty, and partially because its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong—announced in February of 2019—is not only highly anticipated but also missing in action. The most recent update from the developers confirms that “the game is progressing nicely” and that it really does exist. After finally taking the time to play Hollow Knight, I can understand the hype and the anticipation (albeit with a few caveats). Hollow Knight Voidheart Edition is the full package containing the base game and all of its DLC.

Hollow Knight is a beautiful, thrilling 2-D Metroidvania that focuses on platforming, melee/spellcasting combat, and exploration. The art is clean and crisp and manages to balance the contrast between adorable characters and infected monsters, with other intimidating friends and foes. Everything is hand-drawn, and the animations look and feel so precise and purposeful. The game has a charming aesthetic that is instantly memorable, and the style is consistent throughout all the biomes. Each level has a specific look and feel, a different history portrayed with a paintbrush instead of words. From the City of Tears to Queen’s Gardens, entering a new zone brings both a chance to enjoy Team Cherry’s beautiful aesthetic, as well as the chance to ponder the history of the new section of Hallownest.

Despite being a game of few words, Hollow Knight still tells a story. I’ll probably receive a lot of flack for this one, but I kept thinking of Souls-like games throughout my playtime. I’ve never played a Dark Souls game, but I’ve played Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Sekiro, and I have to say, despite Team Cherry not using any Souls games for inspiration, Hollow Knight feels precisely like a 2-D version of one of those games (though I suppose it could be said that Souls games are 3-D Metroidvanias). This isn't to say that's a bad thing or that there aren’t distinctions between them, but the similarities are rather uncanny. Nebulous story: check, lose currency upon dying and have to reclaim it without dying or you lose it all: check, enemies reset after resting: check, high focus on bosses/minibosses: check (just to name a few). There are a ton of parallels that one can draw from the game. If you like both the Souls-like gameplay system and 2-D games, you may very much like Hollow Knight.

The gameplay is pure and simple, though mastering movement in intense situations is where the complexity comes in. The game has an incredibly high skill ceiling: easy to learn, difficult to master. The game focuses primarily on combat, with platforming as a close second. The combat is the most challenging part of the game, especially the boss fights and overcrowded areas. Bosses and challenges that require platforming and aerial maneuvers while fighting can be extremely frustrating and require a lot of patience and practice. I could tell when I hadn’t upgraded enough when I had a lot of difficulty in a specific zone, so I’d go off and explore or upgrade my abilities.

While I found it a delight to discover a new zone, I sometimes found the road to discovery a bit of a chore. Sometimes the exploration flowed, and I felt like the game had a perfect pace, but other times I would get stuck, unsure of my next move. The beginning hours felt like a bit of a slog, especially before I got the Dash ability. The fast travel system isn't the most convenient, and considering enemies respawn every time you rest, I sometimes found it tedious to explore, especially when my next move was limited to only two options. The game is mostly cryptic, making discoveries feel rewarding, but it also makes getting stuck feel irritating.

As someone who places a game's story on the same level as (or in some cases above) gameplay, I find the enigmatic story not rewarding enough for some of the sufferings that I endured (which is the same way I feel about Souls-like games). Some of the challenges were so overwhelming or poorly paced that I almost put the game down entirely. While the Trial of Fools is still causing me grief, at least it’s optional (though the only reward is a currency I no longer have a use for). The main offender was the White Palace. Oh boy. For a game that has mildly challenging platforming interspersed between/with combat segments, this was a complete turn (and unfortunately necessary to advance the game). This level is a 100% platforming segment that not only overstays its welcome but is extremely difficult and out of place. I sincerely hope the developer learns from this and either completely omits content like this or makes it optional.

But I feel like I’ve been complaining too much. While the game can be frustrating at times, for the most part it is challenging and rewarding. Fighting a boss and learning its patterns, substituting different charms (little boosts to platforming/combat abilities) to get through an area/enemy, and discovering new zones easily make this game worth a shot. Not to forget the charming aesthetic and accompanying soundtrack. I love the calming music that plays in the City of Tears. Nothing like feeling a sense of peace while being attacked by a bunch of aristocratic insects. There’s a wistfulness that’s weaved throughout the soundtrack that can haunt and entrance at the same time.

When Hollow Knight is flowing, the game makes me feel like I’ve stepped into this microcosm of a larger world. Despite not being forthright with every historical detail, the few folks at Team Cherry made the world feel real, lived-in, and worth exploring. While I had the occasional disconnect because of uncertainty within the plot’s obscure framework, the overall feel was one of curiosity. What’s around the next bend? What’s behind that door? What do I get from defeating this boss and what does he have to do with the lore? Realizing a new ability would allow me to unlock a previously unreachable area was always a treat.

If you’re a fan of Metroidvania-type games, then you’ve probably already played Hollow Knight. To those who are fans of the genre and haven’t, I’d say it’s definitely worth a shot. To those who aren’t, you should answer a few questions before buying: Are you patient? Do you like a challenge? Is a sense of accomplishment from said challenge enough of a reward? Is discovery its own reward? Do you like backtracking and opening previously locked areas? If you answer yes to most or all those questions, Hollow Knight is probably worth your time. Its qualities significantly outweigh its flaws and make the wait for the sequel all the more exciting.

The Math

Objective Assessment: 9/10.

Bonus: +1 for beautfiul art and animation. +1 for worldbuilding, character design, and accompanying music.

Penalties: −1 for unbalanced difficulty spikes. −1 for exploration pacing issues. −1 for unrewardingly vague story elements.

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10.

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.