Hollow Knight Review: A masterpiece in level design and worldbuilding

In the realm of indie games, few titles have captivated players and critics alike quite like Hollow Knight. Developed by Team Cherry, this Metroidvania masterpiece weaves a rich tapestry of exploration, combat, and artistry set against a backdrop of a hauntingly beautiful insect kingdom. From its meticulously crafted environments to its challenging boss encounters, Hollow Knight promises a deep, immersive experience that stands out in a crowded genre. While the game dazzles with its visual splendor and intricate level design, it does fall short in some areas, particularly its narrative. Nonetheless, Hollow Knight remains a standout achievement in game design, and its impressive qualities make it a must-play for fans of the genre. Join me as we dive into an in-depth review of this captivating title.

Combat - 8.5

This game might not have any impressive or insane abilities that make the combat unique, but what it does have is brilliant enemy and boss design! While the obscene amount of boss reskins and refights did begin to drive me crazy, the boss fights were brilliantly made, and I always looked forward to the next boss! Bosses like the Soul Master, Dung Defender, and the Nightmare Grimm were some of the most fun bosses I've fought in a long time! Ultimately, this game has fantastic combat, but some of the recycled designs and lack of combat abilities hold this game back slightly.

Story - 1.5

While this game excels in so many things, telling an interesting and cohesive story is not one of those things. This game has a fantastic world and alright lore, but there is never a driving motive to progress in the game. While telling a good story isn't the main drawing point of Metroidvanias for me, a perfect Metroidvania would nail all of its elements. And, unfortunately, I can't call this an ideal game. While many Metroidvanias aren't acing their stories, there are a few that Metroidvanias can have solid stories, such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Control. While there are excellent mysteries and pieces of lore scattered around the world here, the lack of story makes this game a game I can't call a five-star game.

Music - 5

This game has a lot of well-done mood music, but unfortunately, I can't say it has many memorable tracks and motifs. The music adds to the atmosphere well, but this is certainly not a soundtrack that I'll gravitate toward outside of playing the game.

Art & Graphics - 10

This game has a fantastic, smooth, and slick art style that perfectly brings the immersive world of Hallownest to life. Every character design and environment is beautiful, and no other game looks quite like it! This game has a gorgeous style like no other game and is easily one of the best-looking games I've ever played!

Platforming - 8.5

This game has incredible platforming, with double jumping, three types of dashing, bouncing off of enemies to gain extra height, and more! The controls are very tight and satisfying as well! However, the one thing that was missing from the game was any tough challenges in its platforming. While a couple of platforming challenges in this game might take two or three attempts, nothing is too challenging, holding it back from a 10.

Abilities - 9

As I just mentioned, this game has a lot of excellent platforming abilities! However, that's not all! This game has multiple anil arts that spice up the combat and an obscene amount of equippable charms that completely alter the tide of battle and exploration. Some charms buff your strength or health; some give you a stinky aura, some help you navigate the world, and some completely change some of your abilities. Ultimately, this game has brilliant skills, but many games nail this aspect better.

Level Design - 10

This game has the best level design of any game I've played! The sense of satisfying exploration you get while playing this game is honestly surreal, and exploration and discovery certainly is this game's forte! I wish I could reexperience exploring the world in this game for the first time all over again! This game truly has the best exploration of any game I've played and I highly doubt that'll change anytime soon. But I'd certainly like to be proven wrong!

Theming - 8.5

While this isn't the first time a game has centered its premise on a world full of bugs, it certainly did a great job of executing this premise and creating a stunning world of insects. However, some games have more interesting, original themes, leaving this game with a lower score.

Quality of Life - 9.5

Outside of how annoying it is to keep losing Geo if you die twice in a row, that's a skill issue, so I can't complain. The only notable problem I found here is the bank disappears after depositing enough Geo, making for a funny joke but an annoying conundrum. The only thing I would've liked other than that is an item that instantly transports you back to Dirtmouth (independent from the Dreamgate, that is). In the end, this game has a couple of issues, but it is still almost fully polished.

The Verdict

Fun Factor: 9
Overall Score: 80%
Letter Rating: S

Hollow Knight is a masterpiece in creating a beautiful and engaging world to explore full of secrets and fantastic boss fights! While it is devoid of any interesting narrative elements, it excels in virtually every other way as a masterful Metroidvania. While it isn't a perfect game, it is incredible, and I am excited to see how the developers will expand upon this premise in the upcoming sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong.

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Primary Version: Hollow Knight (PC)