If you want better checkpoint system
Choose Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. It scores 5.0 vs 2.2 for checkpoint system, with a 4.4 overall score.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Review
Bottom Line
Choose Silksong for a gorgeous, demanding Metroidvania with superb movement, bosses, music, and secrets. Skip it when long runbacks, sparse checkpoints, resource grinding, or limited accessibility options would turn challenge into frustration.
Best for
Best for players who enjoy demanding Metroidvanias built around mastery, exploration, precision movement, and repeated boss attempts. Completionists also benefit from the dense map, optional endings, and many hidden routes.
Not for
Not for players who want generous checkpoints, broad accessibility options, low-stress exploration, or frequent material rewards after every challenge. Reviewers repeatedly warn that runbacks, currency loss, and early friction can sour the experience.
Verdict
Across the supplied reviews, Silksong emerges as an exceptionally crafted sequel whose strongest traits are movement, combat, exploration, art direction, music, and world-building. Reviewers repeatedly praise Hornet’s speed, the dense map, choreographed bosses, and the sense that Pharloom rewards curiosity. The tradeoff is that the same conviction also creates friction: sparse benches, runbacks, punishing two-mask damage, resource pressure, and some opaque progression can make the game feel cruel or exhausting. It is widely treated as a top-tier Metroidvania, but not a frictionless one; its best moments depend on a willingness to learn, retreat, experiment, and endure.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
62 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.040 (65%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.49 (15%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.47 (11%)
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Negative 1.5-2.46 (10%)
Pros highlights
-
Difficulty is the most divisive attribute: many reviewers call it rewarding and intentional, while others find it cruel, too punishing, or unfairly frictional.
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Art direction receives near-universal praise for hand-drawn beauty, color variety, style, and a distinctive visual identity.
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Exploration is a standout, with most reviewers praising dense secrets, rewarding routes, and curiosity-driven discovery, though a few disliked sparse rewards or risk pressure.
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Hornet’s movement is one of the clearest consensus wins, with reviewers praising her speed, agility, sprinting, and dance-like traversal.
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Combat is a major strength, described as fast, precise, tense, dance-like, and rewarding, though some reviews tie its highs to demanding difficulty.
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Boss design is broadly praised as memorable, choreographed, varied, and exciting, though some reviews dislike spongey health pools, rewards, or runbacks.
Cons highlights
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The rosary and shard economy is the most repeated systems complaint, often described as stingy, grindy, or slightly misbalanced.
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Checkpointing is a common concern, with long runbacks, sparse benches, paid benches, and poor placement repeatedly criticized.
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Platforming precision is mixed: reviewers admire Hornet’s acrobatics, but several criticize the diagonal pogo or inconsistent bounce feel.
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Quest design is split: some reviewers like wishes and missions as structure, while others criticize boring or grindy fetch quests.
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The learning curve is steep, with reviewers noting hours of mastery and occasional git-gud walls, but also rewarding skill growth.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in endgame content, writing quality, movement feel, near average in fun factor, progression system, below average in accessibility options, loot system, crafting system.
Comparison summary
62 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher46 (74%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts6 (10%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower10 (16%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| accessibility options | 2.0 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
| endgame content | 5.0 | 3.5 | +1.5 |
| loot system | 2.0 | 3.4 | -1.4 |
| writing quality | 5.0 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
| crafting system | 2.2 | 3.7 | -1.5 |
| checkpoint system | 2.2 | 3.5 | -1.3 |
| movement feel | 4.9 | 3.8 | +1.1 |
| value for money | 4.9 | 3.8 | +1.1 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better onboarding experience
Choose Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It scores 4.9 vs 2.8 for onboarding experience, with a 4.5 overall score.
If you want better map and navigation design
Choose Donkey Kong Bananza. It scores 4.8 vs 4.1 for map and navigation design, with a 4.5 overall score.
If you want better accessibility options
Choose SPRAWL zero. It scores 5.0 vs 2.0 for accessibility options, with a 4.0 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Elden Ring
- Compared: difficulty assists The reviewer compares Silksong's walling difficulty with Elden Ring's imperfect boss-easing tools.
- Similar: problem-solving through exploration The reviewer says Silksong asks players to leave walls and explore, similar to Elden Ring.
- Compared: punishment and difficulty The reviewer frames Silksong as less willing to relent than even Elden Ring.
Dark Souls 2
- Compared: respawn-point placement The reviewer likens Silksong's sparse, inconvenient benches to Dark Souls 2-style respawn placement.
- Compared: runbacks The reviewer compares Silksong's runback discourse to Dark Souls 2's notorious runbacks.
Animal Well
- Compared: genre evolution and identity The reviewer says Silksong still feels distinctive despite wondering whether Animal Well had moved the genre forward.
FAQ
Is Hollow Knight: Silksong harder than Hollow Knight?
Most reviewers say it is harder or more punishing, especially early on. Several still argue the challenge is intentional and rewarding once players explore, learn patterns, and experiment with tools.
What do reviewers praise most?
The strongest praise goes to Hornet’s movement, combat, exploration, boss design, art direction, soundtrack, and world-building. Reviewers repeatedly describe Pharloom as beautiful, dense, and rewarding to uncover.
What are the most common complaints?
The recurring complaints are long runbacks, sparse or paid benches, heavy two-mask damage, stingy currency and shard balance, occasional grind, and limited accessibility options.
Does the sequel stand on its own?
Yes. Reviews say prior Hollow Knight knowledge enhances callbacks and context, but Hornet’s story and Pharloom’s world can be understood as their own adventure.
How is Hornet as a protagonist?
Reviewers are very positive on Hornet. They praise her speed, charisma, dialogue, and stronger narrative presence compared with the silent Knight.
Is there enough content after the first ending?
Yes. Reviewers mention optional endings, additional zones, bosses, secrets, and completion goals, though some criticize how opaque certain requirements can be.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Particular Extras
- Review score
- 3.9
Article Reviews
gamesradar.com
- Review score
- 3.5
nintendolife.com
- Review score
- 4.8
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