Hollow Knight Silksong – Everything We Know About Team Cherry’s Metroidvania

The lengthy-awaited sequel to Team Cherry’s beloved debut title, Hollow Knight, is sort of as mysterious as we speak because it was when it was first introduced. Team Cherry has stored particulars regarding Hollow Knight Silksong near the chest, teasing enemy designs and musical scores, however remaining coy on virtually every little thing else. Beneath, we go over every little thing we find out about Hollow Knight Silksong proper now.

Silksong sees you play as Hornet, a fan-favourite character within the Hollow Knight group. A princess born out of wedlock as a part of a magical pact, Hornet is each the daughter of the god-like ruler of Hallownest, the Pale King, and the spider queen of Deepnest, Herrah the Beast. Using a needle and thread, Hornet repeatedly seems all through the primary Hollow Knight, first as a boss and later as an ally. Silksong would be the followers’ first probability to play as her.

Launch date

Silksong was initially penned for the primary half of 2023. Nonetheless, in Might 2023, Team Cherry advertising and publishing consultant Matthew Griffin introduced that growth was “nonetheless persevering with” and that the sport could be delayed. No new launch date or launch window has since been revealed, so we will solely hope that 2024 is lastly the yr we get to play Silksong.

What we all know

Silksong is an motion-centered metroidvania the place you discover an outdated kingdom, Pharloom, assembly oddball denizens and contending with harmful bugs, arachnids, and annelids. All through the journey, you will earn further abilities and weapons that unlock new pathways by way of the interconnected world.

Versus Hollow Knight, which noticed the unnamed knight go away Dirtmouth on the floor to delve deeper into Hallownest, Silksong sees Hornet begin within the furthest depths of Pharloom and attempt to achieve the Citadel on the prime of the dominion. Pharloom is described as a kingdom of silk and music, that includes way more industrialization than Hallownest did. It is not clear why Hornet is dropped at Pharloom or whether or not this kingdom has any connection to Hallownest–only that Hornet needs to flee it.

Hornet can transfer way more shortly than the primary recreation’s knight–she’s capable of shortly hoist herself up ledges, she has an extended-reaching sprint, and she will heal almost immediately (even in midair). In any other case, the sport performs equally to the primary.

In an interview revealed in Edge Challenge #354, Hollow Knight Silksong recreation designer Willian Pellen mentioned, “Hornet being taller adjustments every little thing,” because the cave-like nature of the world wanted to be made bigger to accommodate her top. With this adjustment to the atmosphere, the enemies needed to be designed in a different way too.

“So the core of the world is principally a mirrored image of Hornet: her preventing is so quick, and she or he’s so competent, that it adjustments the way in which that enemies have to be designed, and her nature as a personality is echoed in the way in which the world is ready up,” Hollow Knight Silksong animator Ari Gibson mentioned in that very same interview. “And what meaning is–and this maybe occurred robotically simply by way of development–she’s far more bodily, and the world because of this is extra bodily.”

I bought to see just a little little bit of what that is like at E3 2019 the place there have been two playable Silksong demos, one in an ambient forest space and one other at a dock alongside rivers and geysers of lava. Each setpieces featured way more verticality and open area than many of the places in Hollow Knight and enemies had been extra nimble and aggressive than what the unique knight needed to take care of. It was difficult adapting to Hornet’s movement–especially her downward aerial assault, which is a diagonal dive as an alternative of the knight’s straight-down slash–but as soon as I bought into the swing of issues, it was a complete lot of enjoyable.

Platforms

Silksong has been confirmed for Xbox Collection X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Change, and PC. On Xbox and PC, Silksong might be accessible by way of Xbox Sport Go on day one.

PC system specs

The system specs for Silksong have but to be revealed.

Trailers

We’ve gotten two trailers for Silksong. The primary, February 2019’s reveal trailer, showcases Hornet being delivered to Pharloom in captivity earlier than escaping and embarking on her upward journey towards the Citadel. This was our first take a look at Silksong’s gameplay.

2022’s Xbox & Bethesda Video games Showcase trailer revealed that Silksong was coming to Xbox Sport Go on day one whereas additionally showcasing how far the sport had come within the three years of Team Cherry’s relative silence. Hornet’s actions look quite a bit sharper and the enemy and degree design has been iterated on to account for Hornet’s extra nimble preventing fashion.

DLC/Microtransaction particulars

Team Cherry hasn’t revealed whether or not Silksong will get submit-launch DLC, however the first Hollow Knight did, so its sequel could as properly. Publish-launch, Hollow Knight bought 4 main content material updates. Hidden Desires added extra bosses and a brand new quick journey mechanic, The Grimm Troupe added new story chapters and NPCs, Lifeblood made main balancing changes, and Godmaster added a boss rush and new endings to the story. Silksong was initially meant to be the fifth and closing enlargement however ultimately grew so giant that Team Cherry determined to spin it off as its personal recreation.