85%PC

Path of pain gave me a disease

100%PC

Hollow Knight is one of the best games of all time.

One of the 3 or so games i really want to 100%

The soundtracks of each area and the whole soundscape from the little walking and crawling sounds to the goosebump inducing and rather fuckin annoying enemies and the whole ambience of the whole game, its just one of the best if not the best.

The art of every single thing is just perfect, the designs of each character just blends so well together in the world.
Speaking of the world, the environment is so fuckin cool and pretty easy to navigate even when u dont have a clue of the world and it all just blends well and keeps the pacing and things flowing, each map is so unique and amazing, the whole world is just fun to explore and the side quests and whatnot, they're never boring or feel like they've been dragged.

The difficulty however is a bitch and its really damn difficult at a lotta times. And i did kinda end up cheating with unlimited lived 25 hours in. Repetitive fighing/Souls-like games aren't really a thing and I end up ditching games cause my brain just doesnt have the damn patience or focus for it.
But that being said, after i used unlimited lives, I ended up enjoying the game so much more, it really felt cool going through the story and the world without worrying about hours of "commute" to the bosses or areas.

I wasn't really good with the charms stuff thats why i ended up losing to the broken vessel like 50 times, then i found out i could use the Shroom charm or something so It can kill the little fuckers while i fight with the boss. Still, the charm system is really cool i liked it a lot.

Only having the nail as the weapon (not counting the soul stuff) was really simplistic and honestly kept it pretty cool.

For Equipment stuff, i think i only missed the shade cloak thing cause i never went to that area.

The enemies were really cool, i loved most of them, but fuckin hated some to the extreme (looking at you Primal Aspid ya fuckin cun-). Broken Vessel and Hornet were really fun to go through even tho it took a long time, The Colosseum would've been an absolute bitch to go through if i didnt have unlimited lives but it was still really fun to go through while obviously still trying to dodge and kill a billion enemies in the run, it was pretty fun honestly.
I remember Soul Master being really fuckin cool too but it was like years ago.

I wonder what the spider thing was that tried to fuckin kill me in Deepnest.
I still wanna 100% (or 112%) it one day I haven't had enough of it at all, I fuckin need MORE. I wanna beat the DLCs and the radiance, that looked really fuckin cool.

There's so much more i could say but i'll save it for the full completion.

Top 5 games of all time for sure.

Gotta wait on silksong now.........................

85%PC

Great game, but most of my enjoyment came from post-game. Nevertheless, I can see why this game is so loved by the community.

100%PC

Outstanding gameplay, amazing lore, beautiful visuals, this is close to perfect yet silksong somehow made it look a little old. How does Team Cherry manage to create new metroidvania standards with every game ?

100%PC

THANK YOU TEAM CHERRY. music and art aside, this game is amazing. i end up spending so much time just wandering around each new area i find because the places and so distinct and interesting and they all offer secrets and power ups that you have to find either by beating a boss or facing some sort of platforming challenge. hollow knight is only $15 and yet i've spent 50+ hrs just trying to complete it 100% (this is not including the free dlcs included in the game). it's so full of content; there are numerous side missions and quests that are almost indistinguishable from the main game because none of it is filler or fluff. gameplay wise, control over the main protagonist is clean and fluid which makes the challenging boss fights hard but not impossible. the amount of enemies you encounter is endless and it really keeps you on your toes because you think you've gotten stronger until a new enemy is introduced. this is one of the most rewarding games i've ever played and it's full of interesting and unique ideas that'll keep you guessing up until the very end. if you are even remotely considering it, buy this game. it'll provide hours of (frustrating) challenges with a gorgeous art style and beautiful soundtrack to match.

80%PC

J'adore vraiment l'ambiance et la direction artistique du jeu. Et mon plus grand regret et de ne pas m'y etre mis a 100%, j'ai donc mis vraiment tres longtemps a le finir, erreur que je reglerais avec silksong. Je suis pas trop fan du metroidvania mais j'ai quand meme aimé decouvrir la map du jeu meme si je suis eclaté

90%PC

87.8

100%PC

Jogo fantástico!! Um dos melhores jogos que joguei em minha vida. Eu amo Metroidvanias e Hollow Knight conseguiu me deixar imerso em Hollownest 100% do tempo. Eu me apeguei a TUDO desse jogo e fiquei triste por terminar (claro que essa tristeza vai ser sanada já já, pois vou platinar). Recomendo demais!!!

80%PC

Hollow Knight.

I have always respected fans of this creation, because I have been actively chatting with one of the biggest fans of the Cherry Team's work for many years now. It was definitely a matter of time before I tried the game myself. The moment has come. Riding the hype wave of a Silksong, I dove into the first part and...

I'm not a fan of metroidvania games; I really hate this genre for its outdated game design and crooked backtracking. I'm the kind of person who has to collect everything in a location, because in the end, I'm just afraid of forgetting that ledge I couldn't jump on 20 hours ago, but now I can. But where the hell was that ledge?

I decided to try the best game in the genre. And I want to say that I definitely won't start loving this genre, but I liked Hollow Knight more than I didn't. Although not all of my impressions were entirely positive.

I'll get my complaints out of the way right away: the lazy plot and the running around.

I played the game for almost a month, and throughout the game we read a sufficient amount of dialogue, not a small number of scenes and notes, and all of this should have come together to form a plot, but... it is so spread out over such a long period of time and presented in such a strange way that there is literally no plot in the game.

Even after completing the game, I don't feel like I understand the whole story properly.

The narrative is full of holes, and without discussion, I wouldn't have figured out many things, nor would I have realized how to get to the real ending — the devil himself would break his leg there. All that became clear to me was that people clearly don't love this game for its plot (which, on the whole, repeats the first Dark Souls).

Running around is the second harbinger of gloom in Hollow. I had to do a lot of running:

Between locations to check out new content, back after unlocking various abilities, from one NPC to another, from a bench to a boss, because respawn points are sometimes set up to make the player suffer. That's not cool. The stations are not conveniently located, and I spent a lot of time running around.

It would be better to move quickly between benches.

Currency is also meaningless, in my opinion. There are literally 3-4 moments in the game when you have money to spend, and you do it all at once. The rest of the time, I just carry thousands, tens of thousands of currency in my inventory and there's simply nothing to spend it on, lol, and I didn't even farm the currency, but it's still useless. I have over 40 hours in the game, and collecting geo is the most useless thing I've done.

Otherwise? The game has a beautiful design and it sounds magical too. The effects feel a little cheap, but it's indie game, so I guess it's forgivable. The art is beautiful, it's pleasant to play even at night and in the dark, it doesn't hurt your eyes.

The gameplay is enjoyable most of the time, until the developers decide they want to torment the player.

I enjoyed the platforming, and I wish there was more of it in the game, but the spikes coming out of the floor in the white palace were the work of a sadist. I managed to get through the first segment of the “path of pain”, but then I decided it wasn't worth the reward. Just like all the pantheons. A little bit of new content that requires hours of grinding to obtain. In the end, I completed the game 110% and that's enough for me.

The combat is simple but enjoyable. There is a problem that there are quite a few (or more) useless amulets in the game, but okay, there are some fun ones too. I have some complaints about the movement of the Hollow, as performing a downward nail strike with the gamepad was not always pleasant and did not always register. Similarly, the nail techniques are not the most convenient to use. Many bosses can be defeated with brute force and tanking. This problem becomes particularly apparent in the pantheons.

The result is a good metroidvania for fans of the genre, but it has only the rough outlines of a plot and suffers from several stuffy decisions. It's understandable why fans of the genre love Hollow, but if you're not a fan of the genre like me, you're unlikely to worship it.

It's a pleasant game that's worth playing to give this genre a chance, if not 112%, then at least one run-through. An excellent choice for players who want to try out a new genre.

Pros:
+ Good art.
+ Beautiful music.
+ Excellent platforming.
+ Lots of interesting boss fights.
+ Atmosphere of exploring a dead kingdom.
+ SHAAAW.

Cons:
- Questionable narrative.
- The game's economy is dead.
- Quite a lot of running around.
- Awkward placement of benches relative to bosses.
- The game is not always fair to the player and does not always want to be fun. The conditional amulet with pseudo-random mechanics is proof of this.

«Git gud» (c) Hornet.

90%PC

8-9

90%PC

Hollow Knight is the best Metroidvania i have ever played. The variety of enemies and bosses is staggering, keeping the gameplay fresh and challenging throughout. The art is absolutely amazing, with everything beautifully hand-drawn, giving the world a unique and immersive aesthetic. The DLCs are excellent, adding even more depth and content to an already huge game.

The game is challenging but rewarding, with each victory feeling satisfying. The map is huge, with a lot of environmental variety that keeps exploration exciting. The only gripe is that the story is pretty vague, leaving much to interpretation.

Overall, Hollow Knight sets the standard for Metroidvanias, with its stunning art, rich content, and satisfying challenge making it a must-play for fans of the genre.

95%PC

Really had a good time

100%PlayStation 4

Madonna mia che esperienza meravigliosa

100%Linux

Great game, the first metroidvania I finished. I finally get why everyone was so hyped about silksong

80%PC

buenos jefes, buen mundo, imagino que se disfruta mas la segunda vez que se juega y me he sentido mas perdido que en otros metroidvania por el hecho de tener que buscar los mapas de las zonas y que a veces no tienes muy claro lo que tienes que hacer o a donde ir como cuando terminas el castillo blanco. lo mejor la batalla contra las mantis y los jefes del juego y el coliseo.

90%PlayStation 4

This game rotted in my backlog for 5 years, and i must have started it almost a dozen times before finally getting into it, but I've FINALLY played all the way through Hollow Knight. I adored the world design most of all. Discovering new areas was so exciting, and each one is drawn very beautifully. I always wanted to return to previous locations to explore every corner of them, and yet I still managed to find an area I had totally missed after completing the game with the true ending. It really feels like the content in this game is never ending. I think my only minor nitpicky complaint is that the game felt too big at times, as the map is sprawling, with areas taking quite a while to backtrack and traverse through, and even though I did struggle on a few bosses, I do think that the game was a bit too long regardless, with my final playtime being 52 hours. Nitpicks aside, I'm really happy that I've finally played this game, and I highly recommend it to any Metroidvania fans.

90%PC

While you’re playing, you’re just absorbed in the gameplay loop — exploring, surviving, unlocking powers, pushing through bosses. The lore is so buried in atmosphere, environmental storytelling, and vague NPC dialogue that it doesn’t fully “click” in the moment. But then… once you finish and step away, all those pieces start echoing in your head — the emptiness of Hallownest, the melancholy music, the strange cryptic hints. That’s when it dawns on you: “Oh… this world was telling me a tragedy the whole time.”

55%PC

Okay

90%Nintendo Switch 2

This was so much easier then Silksong omg

90%PC

I've had Hollow Knight in my library since January of 2020, and I've tried to give it a go a few times before, but I always felt it didn't click with me. This time, I decided to really give it a fair try, and I finally got hooked. I don't play many metroidvanias and especially not many platformers, so at first I had a bit of a learning curve. especially the platforming. I found the combat to be fairly simple in the beginning and didn't have much trouble with the bosses. But as I got deeper in it, it surprised me how much my kit had been expanded and how much more complex and challenging the game got. Still, I'd say that I had a lot more trouble with the platforming challenges than the combat. other than the arena where I didn't manage to beat the final level before beating the game. On that note, I beat the game at a point where I didn't think I would. I got stuck near the endgame for quite some time and resorted to googling a few things. But in the effort not to spoil, I didn't want to know what my actions would do. So I fought the final boss, not knowing it would be the end, and felt very surprised. I actually think it was a pleasant feeling compared the the last few games that I beat. I have a tendency for completionism and tend to wear myself out towards the end of games. soi, finishing a game with the feeling of wanting more is a very nice change of pace. Now, after beating it. I understand the hype around this game, and I am mad at myself that I didn't play it sooner. I think I will definitely go back and continue my save to see what more this game has to offer. I took notes on my phone during my playthrough, which helped me a lot to keep track of what I needed to do and where io left off when coming back between play sessions. Definitely a strategy I will adopt for more games from now on.

90%PC

I just finished Hollow Knight after about 50 hours, and I can finally say I understand the hype. I collected around 40 trophies out of 60+, didn’t go into NG+ or the max difficulty mode, but aside from that I nearly 100% completed the game.

At the beginning, I’ll admit the progression system felt frustrating. You start with nothing, and the Metroidvania formula is a little too intense at first—it feels like you’re constantly lost, unable to reach areas, or missing key abilities. But once the powers, skills, and maps start to open up, the game becomes something truly special. That sense of exploration and gradual mastery is the core of the experience, and it’s executed brilliantly.

The gameplay and platforming are a joy, even if sometimes brutally hard. The White Palace platforming section in particular felt a bit too much for me, but aside from that, the difficulty is extreme yet almost always fair. And that’s where Hollow Knight really stands out compared to Souls-like games: the difficulty never feels cheap or unfair. Every death teaches you something, every challenge can be overcome with practice, and the game rewards perseverance with an immense sense of accomplishment.

The artistic direction is beautiful, dark, and melancholic. The world of Hallownest is both eerie and captivating, full of atmosphere and detail. Combined with the soundtrack, which is absolutely gorgeous and perfectly matched to each area, the game creates one of the most immersive atmospheres I’ve experienced.

The story is cryptic, vague, and hard to fully grasp during the first playthrough. But as you fall in love with the game, you also end up falling into the rabbit hole of lore and story videos made by the community. That’s exactly what happened to me—I finished the game, and now I can’t stop watching people dissect the lore and explain the hidden details.

In terms of its place in the genre, Hollow Knight feels like the true modern evolution of the Metroidvania formula. It takes what Metroid and Castlevania built decades ago, then pushes the design further with its seamless interconnected world, its sense of scale, and its balance of exploration, combat, and atmosphere. It’s no wonder so many call it one of the best games of its kind ever made.

All in all, it’s a masterclass in level design, atmosphere, and gameplay. The difficulty is high, but fair; the exploration is top-tier; and the world is unforgettable. I played it in preparation for Silksong, and now I can’t wait to play it.

For me, it’s a solid 8.5<->9/10.

100%PC

Do not rush this game!! You'll (in my opinion) enjoy this a lot more if you go in expecting to put in 40-60 hours instead of the 27 that HLTB says. Trust, you'll want to do all the side stuff

95%Nintendo Switch

le meilleur métroidvania de tout les temps, durée de vie de fou, difficulté bien optimisé, bonne bande soin, superbe DA, tout est parfait

90%PC

como primeiro jogo de plataforma é simplesmente perfeito, perde ponto por n deixar eu platinar sem q eu perca minha vida inteira

fiquei de pau duro em muita parte, história zika
boss legais

100%Nintendo Switch

Road to Silksong 🗣

100%PC

Changed my life. Complete peakery

90%PC

I'm not the biggest fan of metroidvanias. That being said, I could tell that this was one that's particularly good as I did not find myself walking away and never coming back to the game. The formula of a hostile world with cute and interesting characters spread throughout is one that always works. The only issue I have with the game is that the game is mainly focused on combat, traversing the world is secondary to it for the entirety of the game. Until reaching the white palace that unlocks one of the true endings; suddenly the platforming difficulty spikes a hundredfold for this area and it felt like I was being forced into doing something I did not sign up for 50 hours in with an ending held hostage behind a mario maker marathon. Additionally, you can't walk away and quit the game to continue where you were later as it return you the last bench you saved at even without dying. That part aside though, I had a lot of fun in a genre that I don't really ever play.

90%PC

Such a gem

100%PC

6 anos depois, decidi tentar o jogo uma segunda vez e achei excelente. Embora eu tenha gostado muito, acho que a internet se emocionou um pouco em alguns comentários sobre ele.
Ao longo das 52 horas eu devo ter me perdido 3 vezes, e não por muito tempo. As pessoas são pouco resilientes e muito dependentes de guias, talvez se eu não tivesse focado nos comentários, eu teria zerado na primeira vez que joguei.

90%PC

104% with Grimm Troupe

80%Xbox One

80%

80%PC

Falta so as conquistas impossíveis para platinar, quem sabe um dia eu n tente de novo

95%PC

Para mi una obra maestra, me ha encantado y creo que tiene el grado de dificultad justo para que sea disfrutón el juego y a la vez sea un reto completarlo al 100%. Seguramente me lo rejuegue en un futuro para intentar sacar el 104%.

90%PC

Excellent combat and wonderful map to explore and traverse. Bosses are of course the highlight and they're amazing.

100%PC

absolute peak

100%PlayStation 5

That's my favourite game at the moment
I think that I'll buy Hollow Knight: Silksong
because I loved this game.
I'll try more metroidvania.

100%PC

HOLY MOTHER OF HOLLOW KNIGHT! THE GRAPHIC'S ARE FRICKING AMAZING! ANYWAY, THIS GAME IS TEDIOUS BUT THE GRAPHIC'S AND GAMEPLAY ARE AMAZING SO I WILL GIVE IT THAT. ONE OF MY FRIENDS SAID THAT USING A CONTROLER IS EASIER, BUT I IS NOT TOO SURE ABOUT THAT SINCE I FIGURED OUT THE CONTROLS ONCE I STARTED THE GAME. I WILL PLAY MORE OF THIS GAME.

90%Xbox One

I played after Silk Song and it's a fantastic game but the sequel is better.

100%PlayStation 4

Definition of a perfect ,well made game created with love and passion. The game wasn't an overly difficult game but it had its hard moments and boss fights. The music for each area being unique and fitting for the section was a cherry on top(pun intended). My current number 1 game ever , stumbled across the game on the ps plus monthly games and took a few goes to get into it but once I did i was hooked and played it all the way to get the platinum.

80%PlayStation 4

I only got up to mid game before i got distracted by a different game, but i fell in love... This game has the satisfactory of Elden ring. And a beautifully story rich world. I could get lost in any room thinking of the lore behind it.

will come back to eventually

100%PC

Master Piece.

70%PC

I have mixed feelings about this game. I had fun exploring and fighting bosses, but further you go towards 100% (and beyond), the less fun this game becomes.

If the game was from the age before widespread adoption of internet, I would say that it was made to sell guides. Secrets sometimes so cryptic, and hints are nonsensical - you just wonder how you were supposed to find certain stuff. Story delivery is also lacking on explaining stuff you have to do in order to reach specific endings.

Boss design is hit or miss. Some bosses are genuinely challenging and require git-guding, but some are just plainly annoying with moves designed to break the flow of the battle. What I particularly do not like about bosses - is that you have to fight some of them 2-3 times again, and the only difference is x2 hp, stronger attacks and minor movement changes. Cherry on the top - you have to do it in a boss rush mode (for the main story content!). Smells like an artificial difficulty to me.

Audio design is decent, but audio ducking on being hit is annoying too. HK has some souls-like DNA in it - enemies have important audio cues for you to react to, but one missing hit silences everything and makes it harder to react to the next move (given some fights are just pixel mess). Soundtrack is good, though.

In general, I recommend checking this game only if you want to experience what was the hype about. Don't bother to 100%, use guides, watch hour long lore video and the endings on YouTube.

65%PC

I can finally say that I finished Hollow Knight, and overall I didn't like it. I love its level design and exploration, and although its artistic style (music and designs) isn't my cup of tea, I can see its charm (especially the music).

The story, told with the lack of explanation and archaeological quest typical of Souls games, is far from my favorite, and I would prefer to be told it directly. Although, to be fair, this is my typical complaint about games with Souls elements, and I have no doubt that those who enjoy not being told anything, investigating, and forming their own theories will enjoy the game.

In terms of gameplay, it's a game of contrasts. 80% of the time, it's a delight to fight normal enemies, and its exploration is a perfect middle ground between encouraging you to explore the map without being too complicated. The problem is the bosses, which are particularly difficult, prioritizing precision in attack and defense that borders on the absurd, reducing these fights to an exercise in patience, and trying as many times as necessary to win.

What makes it particularly annoying is the distance between save points and some bosses, as well as how slow it is to heal (to the point of being almost impossible in the middle of battle). This becomes so frustrating that, in many cases—probably most—players will abandon the game at the first boss they encounter.

I can see why it is loved by many in the community, and it's not for nothing that I kept playing, because the good moments (exploring and gradually discovering the map) are enjoyable. But the bad moments (the boss fights) are really bad. If you have more patience than I do and love repeating the same fight against the same boss for hours, this is the game for you. If not, I would recommend thinking carefully about whether to start playing, because the frustration with the bosses can easily overshadow the good parts of the game (in other words, you'll probably want to curse someone out and break your controller).

100%PC

başyapıt

95%Nintendo Switch

te amo hollow knight

100%PC

100/10
Jogo sensacional!

90%Xbox Series X/S

Hollow Knight sem dúvida é um jogo especial e acima de tudo carismático. Ele entrega talvez o melhor metroidvania já feito junto com a ideia de um combate inspirado nos souls-like. Mas no geral é um grande plataforma 2D com uma arte belíssima e um ótimo gameplay. Os persongens que encontramos pelo caminho são cativantes e dão vida a Hallownest.

O game recompensa a exploração e como praxe do gênero se faz necessário saber o backtracking para progredir. Onde só é possível avançar am certas áreas após desbloquear certas habilidades. E talvez essa seja a maior barreira para quem faz a estreia no gênero pelo Hollow Knight. Não é incomum ouvir relatos de pessoas que ficaram perdidas ou que droparam o jogo. Apesar de que essa ideia de ficar perdido faz parte do charme do jogo, assim como acontece em Tunic.

A história, tal qual o gameplay não acontece de forma linear. O progresso se dá ao recuperar três máscaras localizadas em diferentes locais do mapa, que podem ser coletadas em qualquer ordem. Porém ao coletar outros itens é possível desbloquear mais dois finais alternativos. E assim o jogo vai se mostrando a medida que você desvenda os segredos do mapa e da história, nada é dado mastigadinho para você, a ponto de ser necessário ocupar um slot de habilidade com uma bússola, para os exploradores de primeira viagem não ficarem perdidos.

Outro fator que pode afastar os que caíram no jogo de paraquedas, atraídos pela sua arte cartunesca e até mesmo "fofinha" é que ele é um jogo difícil. Por seu combate se inspirar em souls é necessário que o jogador domine o timing e o padrão de ataque dos inimigos, principalmente dos bosses (eu te odeio Rei dos Pesadelos Grimm). E a morte pode ser punitiva, caso o jogador após morrer, morra novamente a caminho de seus Geo (moeda do jogo usada para comprar itens, mapas e upgrades), perde tudo e tem que começar a juntá-los do zero. E infelizmente Hollow Knight não possui seleção de dificuldade, o que pode afetar a acessibilidade de algumas pessoas. Por isso recomendo a série Ori como introdução ao gênero metroidvania.

Apesar disso o jogo te dá a possibilidade de montar builds que mais se adaptam ao seu estilo de combate, podendo você escolher entre dar mais dano, ter mais vida ou optar por uma build com mais ataques a distância. Mas o domínio do combate ainda se faz extremamente necessário para sobrevivência. Dar o dash para se esquivar, acertar o timing do pogo e saber a hora certa de se curar, são a diferença entre a vida e a morte em Hallownest.

E para quem ainda quer um desafio a mais, o late game apresenta bastante conteúdo, como a mecânica dos panteões. Que são nada mais nada menos, que fases em que você enfrenta dez bosses um seguido do outro, com uma pequena pausa entre o quinto e o sexto. São quatro Panteões que fazem o jogo chegar aos 112% progresso.

95%PC

I was curious about the hype for this game since Silksong came out and was not disappointed. The first few hours was a bit slow but after the first two character upgrades the fun and wonder really starts to sink in. Great music and character designs with some challenging platforming. A beautiful game that had me wanting to play more, looking forward to Silksong.