In fact, it adeptly recaptures some key elements of the franchises it draws from. This isn’t to say that the insect-themed Hollow Knight is bad, though. Mechanically, it’s nothing I haven’t seen a thousand times before. Developer Team Cherry couldn’t even cough up any interesting upgrades, instead falling back on the bog-standard double jump, stomp, air dash, and wall-run.Īesthetically, this project is a treat. Strip away the sharp presentation and its only unique quality among legions of Castlevania-style action-platformers is that it’s disappointingly bloated. This world is a joy to take in, and yet, heaven help me, I can’t get enthused about Hollow Knight. The moody soundtrack, sure to be one of the year’s best, complements each section perfectly. It’s not enough for an area to be rainy – water actually puddles up and runs glistening down walls. Characters move with exaggerated energy and speak a cute made-up language in delightfully cartoonish tones.Įnvironmentally, each region is brimming with details that make it immediately distinctive from another.
On top of that, this game’s audiovisual appeal is through the roof – an adorable hand-drawn visual style makes Hollow Knight one of the prettiest 2D releases in recent memory. As derivative as Hollow Knight is, I would never call a project like this unambitious. No game has quite nailed it yet – certainly not Hollow Knight – but to even attempt to mimic From Software’s work takes courage.Īn unwelcoming difficulty curve can easily alienate players if mishandled, and there’s tremendous risk in dumping detail into a world’s lore and making it obtuse to unearth. I support the ongoing effort to keep the Dark Souls torch lit now that the actual minds behind that series are taking an indefinite hiatus. WTF No, really, who thought this map system was a good idea?
LOW Who thought this map system was a good idea? HIGH There are bosses called “Dung Defender” and “the Mantis Lords.”
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