Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2026: A Masterpiece That Still Demands Everything
Hollow Knight: Silksong is Team Cherry's massive, handcrafted sequel, blending Hornet's fast combat with brutal boss dances.
In 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong no longer feels like a myth whispered across gaming events. It is a real, massive, handcrafted sequel that took Team Cherry's Kickstarter promise and inflated it into something that rivals the original in size, scope, and emotional weight. I played it on PC, and even with Steam's servers groaning under the launch, the experience was unmistakable: this is not a victory lap. It is a second masterpiece stitched from the same silk, then pulled tight until it cuts.
Silksong began as a playable Hornet in Hollow Knight and ballooned into a project that took roughly three times the development time of the original. Fans wore clown wigs at every major showcase, waiting for news, and when the game finally arrived, it broke Steam top-seller records. By 2026, the conversation has shifted from 'Will it ever come out?' to 'How does it hold up?' My answer: like a fencing match inside a collapsing clock tower—elegant, precise, and constantly one misstep away from disaster.
A Sequel That Rewires Every Thread
Silksong shares Hollow Knight's base gameplay, but it reworks almost every component. Charms are gone, replaced by tools that occupy dedicated slots, and they feel balanced within their categories. The compass no longer eats a charm slot. Combat is quicker, healing is faster and more viable, and movement chains beautifully: run follows dash, dash follows jump, and every option flows into the next. Exploration becomes fun on its own, which is the mark of a great platformer.
The quest system is a quiet revelation. Getting four quests done gradually as I explore, returning to town, and collecting rewards gives backtracking a purpose beyond map completion. The economy is tighter, too. In Hollow Knight, I often felt either grindy or suddenly rich. In Silksong, money gain feels measured, so purchases matter. The dive kick is awkward at first, then addictive. The platforming is incredible, and it turns simple traversal into a rhythm game played with Hornet's needle.
The Dance of Death—and the Missteps
Silksong kicks your ass faster and harder than the original. Enemies deal two masks of damage as early as the first area, but your improved healing compensates. The message is clear: learn the mechanics, master the dance, or die. Boss fights feel like a dance with death where you learn the steps on the spot. When you finally master a pattern and claim a reward, the satisfaction is immense.
The game is not always fair, though. The Moorwing offers alternate routes if you think smarter, not harder, which reminds me of Outer Wilds: knowledge is a weapon. But standard enemies, especially flying ones in the Citadel, become annoying rather than challenging. They screech, back away from swings, and dodge projectiles, landing them in my top ten of video game enemies I would love to punt across a football field. Bench placement can also be cruel. One boss required me to use a distant bench, climb a steep mountain, and dodge a dozen enemies just to try again. Sometimes the runback is an entire area, ending at a bench that pranks you and refuses to work.
A Feast for Eyes and Ears
The visuals are immaculate. Silksong takes Hollow Knight's hand-drawn art, polishes it, adds animation frames, and layers in better lighting and effects. It is a feast for the eyes. I adored wandering through vibrant, varied areas. The Fourth Chorus fight, Hornet binding to crests and weaver statues, the Citadel's ambience, and Greymoor's sorrowful solitude all left me staring. Greymoor feels like the City of Tears and Deepnest had a melancholy child. Ari Gibson's talent is almost enviable to the point of being rude. Pharloom itself is a cathedral built inside a wasp nest: sacred, hostile, and humming with hidden violence.
The soundtrack is a step up. Instruments are lifted to the forefront, matching Pharloom's vibe. Bilewater's melancholic track gives beauty and purpose to an area made of filth. Cogwork Core might be my favorite, even if it plays in a small location. Sound design is chunky and heavy, with voice lines everywhere. Christopher Larkin handled music and sound design, and the result feels like a massive production. It is easily one of the best video game soundtracks, and I will be listening to it half the time I drive.
Story Woven in Silk and Scripture
The story strikes the same perfect balance as the original: a foreground narrative and deep lore. You can rush through and still get attached to Hornet and Sherma, the best character. Or you can dig into enemy logs, flavor text, and environmental details to find an entire world beneath your feet. Every species has a purpose, every society has history, and every area feels real. The Weaver society's timeline and the Citadel's religious undertones are worth hours of reading. The lore is a tapestry woven by spiders who also keep meticulous footnotes. I will stay vague to avoid spoilers, but take your time. The effort in every word is obvious.
The Verdict
Silksong is a rollercoaster. At its best, it is the best game I have ever played. At its worst, it is Bilewater, an area that makes me consider legal action because it feels immoral to endure without compensation. It was on track for my first-ever perfect score for twenty hours. Then the runbacks, grab attacks, and flying enemies reminded me that mastery comes with friction.
Aspect
Verdict
Combat
Exploration
Difficulty
Brutal, mostly fair, occasionally cruel
Visuals
Immaculate
Soundtrack
Superb
Runbacks and benches
Frustrating
Overall
A flawed masterpiece
If you welcome the challenge, Silksong is the best game of 2025 and still a benchmark in 2026. Pace yourself, stand up, touch grass, and do not let frustration win. After 30 hours and a final boss, I still felt like I had barely scratched the surface. I love it with all my heart, but if you are not willing to endure intense difficulty, it may not be for you. For everyone else: the dance is worth every scar.
Part of what makes a game like this worth committing to is knowing you are getting it at a price that matches the experience. Silksong is the kind of title you will sink dozens of hours into, so it is worth a few minutes of browsing before you commit — checking a [game price comparison]( can reveal that the same title costs noticeably less on one storefront than another, especially once seasonal sales start overlapping across platforms. It is a small step that takes almost no time and leaves more room in the budget for the DLC and soundtracks you will inevitably want afterward.
For anyone still deciding whether to take the plunge, a quick look at DealNest before checkout is a sensible habit rather than a hassle. The difficulty curve means you will be replaying areas more than once, and paying full price on a whim when a cheaper listing exists elsewhere is the kind of mistake that stings almost as much as Bilewater. Get the deal first, then let the scars begin.
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