It finally happened. After six years, a mountain of memes, and more silence from Team Cherry than we thought possible, Hollow Knight: Silksong is out. You can actually play it. You can jump, stab, die, and yes—fight a whole bunch of bugs.
So, was the wait worth it? Here’s how five of our writers felt diving into Pharloom for the first time.
“It’s brutal, but brilliant.” – Harvey Randall
Hornet is a blast to play—fast, sharp, and fluid in a way that makes every fight feel like a frantic brawl. But Randall’s main gripe? Silksong can be cruel. You pour all your upgrade money into one resource that you can lose on death, which makes every purchase feel like gambling away your sanity.
Still, the game’s so tight and atmospheric that even the annoying parts keep him hooked. Oh, and the Bell Beast? “Such a good boy.”
“Not sure I’m feeling it yet.” – Evan Lahti
Lahti admits he might be the outsider here. Compared to other platformers he loves—Spelunky 2, Dead Cells, Metroid—Hornet’s early movement feels a little flat. For him, platformers should be instantly fun to run and jump around in, and Silksong’s first hours haven’t quite clicked.
He’s waiting for that “aha” moment, when the movement opens up and everything just feels right.
“It’s more of the same, and that’s a good thing.” – Wes Fenlon
Fenlon points out that Hollow Knight was never about wild gimmicks—it was about doing the metroidvania formula better than anyone else. Silksong feels the same: the world is massive, full of secrets, and clearly designed to surprise you dozens of hours in.
It’s not mind-blowing yet, but you can already tell it’s building toward something big.
“Hollow Knight 2.0, basically.” – Sean Martin
For Martin, Silksong is exactly what he wanted: prettier visuals, tougher fights, and a map that makes you lose track of time. He spent six hours straight playing after work, which says plenty.
The weirdest thing to him is how huge the game’s launch is. Metroidvanias usually stay niche, but Silksong is everywhere. “It feels like sorcery,” he says—unsure if this kind of hype will ever happen again.
“I’m here for the bugs.” – Lincoln Carpenter
Carpenter didn’t even play Hollow Knight. He’s terrible at side-scrollers by his own admission. But Silksong hooked him anyway, not just with Hornet’s flashy combat, but with its characters.
Pharloom’s bugfolk are weird, funny, and full of personality. He keeps pushing through the pain just to meet the next oddball NPC. “I’ve never been this thrilled with bugs,” he says—and he’s not even a bug guy.
So… was it worth six years?
Honestly? Yeah. Silksong isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel—it’s doubling down on what made Hollow Knight so beloved. It’s harder, slicker, and every bit as weird as fans hoped.
If you wanted a genre revolution, you might not find it here. But if you just wanted more Hollow Knight—with sharper edges and way too many memorable bugs—Silksong delivers.
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