Hollow Knight: Silksong Demo Ignites Hype at Gamescom
After years of anticipation, Team Cherry's highly-anticipated sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, has finally made its playable debut to select media outlets. Journalists at gamescom were treated to a 30-minute demo, confirming the game's existence and delivering overwhelmingly positive first impressions.
For those who've been waiting, Silksong casts players as Hornet, the protector of Hallownest and a formidable boss from the original Hollow Knight. This time, Hornet finds herself in a mysterious new kingdom described as a land of "silk and songs." What began as a planned DLC for the first game eventually grew into a full-fledged standalone title.
Xbox hosted private demo sessions before the main show, with Game Informer's Wesley Leblanc noting a significant queue of eager reporters for the six available demo stations. The sentiment among those who played was clear, as Josh West from GamesRadar eloquently put it: "If you ever feared that the hype around Hollow Knight: Silksong had grown so immense that the game simply couldn't live up to all those inflated expectations, I'm here to dispel your doubts. Team Cherry is clearly acting like a team ready to bravely meet the challenge, not collapse under pressure."
Hornet's Agile and Precise Combat
The demo kicked off with a cutscene showing Hornet's escape from captivity into the enigmatic new world of Pharloom. Players could explore two distinct zones: a mossy grotto, serving as an introductory area with straightforward platforming and enemy encounters, and a more challenging set of docks.
Right from the start, players could feel Hornet's distinct playstyle. She is noticeably more agile, mobile, and precise than the Knight from the original game. Her combat arsenal includes swift lunges and diagonal strikes, and her parry window felt clearer and more intuitive. New abilities like the "Direct Bayonet," a limited-use throwing weapon for quick attacks, and the powerful "Silkworm" strike, capable of "literally deciding the outcome of a fight" when used correctly, added depth to her moveset.
A significant change highlighted by Eurogamer's Dom Peppiatt was the alteration to vertical movement: "It was in the jump and dash that I felt the biggest difference from the original game. Instead of the (in)famous pogo jump from Hollow Knight (where a downward strike in the air launched you straight up), Hornet has a downward diagonal strike. You can no longer endlessly jump on enemy heads (which was a very useful and overpowered tactic in the original) without good positioning and understanding of physics."
A Challenging New Kingdom
While the mossy grotto allowed many journalists to feel somewhat invulnerable, the second area, the docks, quickly ratcheted up the difficulty. Enemies were faster and more aggressive, and the environment itself became a hazard. This "endless labyrinth" featured mechanical lifts, pillars of fire, and unforgiving checkpoints, making it both incredibly engaging to explore and a clear indicator of how challenging Hollow Knight: Silksong can truly be. As Josh West noted, it quickly "drained all the swagger" from players.
The healing system also sees a subtle but impactful change. Hornet can instantly restore three health points using a filled "silk" gauge. To replenish this gauge, players must re-engage in combat. Upon dying, Hornet's body forms a cocoon at the spot of defeat. Slashing this cocoon on a subsequent run fully restores her silk supply, providing a strategic element to recovery.
Promising Future for Metroidvania Fans
The general consensus among the press is that Hollow Knight: Silksong is poised to be an excellent continuation of the original's legacy. Attention to detail, both visually and audibly, stood out, with gameplay feeling smooth and character movements refined. While Team Cherry appears to have implemented mostly subtle changes, their impact feels significant. As Robin Valentine from PC Gamer observed, "If you're hoping for something revolutionary for the genre, I didn't notice anything like that in my 30 minutes of play. The game is new, but the team played it safe – the title works within the familiar formulas of Metroidvania."
Hollow Knight: Silksong is confirmed for PC (Steam, GOG), PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, with Russian localization included. Fans worldwide are eagerly awaiting further news from Team Cherry, especially with a "special announcement" slated for tomorrow at 17:30 Moscow time. This could potentially be the highly anticipated release date, as the game is currently expected in 2025. These first hands-on impressions suggest that the long wait will undoubtedly be worth it for fans of the beloved Metroidvania series.
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