With Hollow Knight: Silksong’s big launch in full swing, group debate about its qualities and flaws has gone again and forth, with some gamers insisting their criticisms about issues like the sport’s issue are legitimate and shouldn’t be immediately dismissed as “hate.”
Silksong launched over six years after it was introduced amid big pleasure, and early indications are that it’s a crucial and industrial success. At the time of this text’s publication, the Steam concurrent participant rely was over half one million, with English language person evaluations sat on a ‘Very Constructive’ ranking.
Nonetheless, as extra gamers work their manner by the sport, some are expressing criticism throughout social media, subreddits, Discords, and Steam evaluations. Most of this criticism revolves round Silksong’s issue scaling, which is inflicting gamers issues, and brutal runbacks. There’s even one very early miniboss inflicting quite a lot of gamers an entire heap of hassle, too.
“Is it simply me, or are a few of the issues that make Silksong ‘tough’ simply merciless?” wondered redditor Machi-Ato.
“The sport has artificially inflated issue and playtime resulting from overtuned numbers and menial duties/runback,” reads a publish on Steam.
It’s the response to those kinds of criticisms that has sparked a debate inside the gaming group. Take that Steam publish, for instance. “Possibly you simply acquired older and your abilities have declined,” is the first response.
I really like studying the adverse evaluations of Silksong as a result of its simply individuals complaining the sport is simply too exhausting and does not child them pic.twitter.com/65Fv9lBtAx
— Johann (@LookAtMyMeat1) September 6, 2025
“It’s okay that Silksong is tough,” declared redditor jacked-deMamp in a thread upvoted 1,400 times. “It’s already getting previous seeing that each different publish on-line about this sport is somebody complaining about the issue, particularly when there are such a lot of unbelievable issues to speak about like the quest system and the new mechanics.
“The quantity of affection Workforce Cherry put into this sport is insane and you possibly can really feel it once you play, I want individuals would recover from the undeniable fact that it’s difficult as a result of there’s nothing you are able to do about it aside from get higher. The sport is lastly out, and it’s exhausting – similar to the unique. I personally love that the mechanics are so totally different and require quite a lot of studying once more, as a result of after enjoying tons of of hours of HK I didn’t need to simply breeze by Silksong.
“I feel we simply want to appreciate the sport is the manner it’s and cherish these early days with a really particular piece of artwork. It’s okay to get pissed off however don’t make these emotions overshadow how nice of an expertise this sport is.”
This sentiment has pushed the debate even additional, with some gamers pushing again towards the “git gud” and “ability situation” feedback to insist it is completely nice to level out flaws in Silksong, nonetheless, beloved and vital a launch it could be.
“Criticism is not hate,” countered redditor bboy2812 in a thread upvoted 5,200 times. “Most of the criticism I’ve seen on right here and the Steam discussions is persistently dismissed as hate. Dangerous rosary financial system, insane issue scaling, only a few significant unlocks/upgrades, runbacks, locked into combating bosses, contact harm stacking with regular hits, and so forth.
“The one ‘hate’ I’ve seen are from individuals who spam ‘git gud’ and ‘ability situation’ each time they encounter legitimate complaints towards their excellent little sport that can’t presumably have something unsuitable with it.”
If this sounds acquainted, it’s maybe as a result of we’ve been by this kind of debate a number of occasions earlier than with FromSoftware’s Souls video games. The standard ‘Souls Cycle’ normally kicks off with adulation, adopted by complaints the sport is simply too exhausting, then extra perception into why they’re too exhausting, then the ‘git gud’ accusations. Silksong, it appears, is following the similar path.
In the meantime, the debate about Silksong’s issue reveals no signal of slowing down, which you’d anticipate for a sport so well-liked. Fortunately, IGN is right here to assist. This is methods to unlock and use the map, methods to get Rosary Beads, Achievements and Trophies checklist, and our ever increasing Silksong Interactive Map. Additionally, it’s possible you’ll want the Bell Beast boss combat information. It is a exhausting one!
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.