Hollow Knight: Silksong is a game developed by Ari Gibson, William Pellen, Jack Vine, and Matthew Griffin, known together as Team Cherry. It has been in development for such a long period of time that it has become something of an enigma online. It was first announced on Feb. 14, 2019, and a demo of the game was shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). However, after that, Team Cherry went silent. Little news about development was shared, and people weren’t entirely sure what was going on.
As months turned into years, the community surrounding the game became more desperate for any sort of news. The community on the social website Reddit became notorious for its high-quality “Silkposts,” fabricated information about the game with the intent to trick people into thinking it was real news. This has become a common running gag in the community, continuing even after the game’s release. This tradition has also found its way into other communities that have similarly been waiting for a content release for an extended period of time.
The community commonly invaded game reveal shows, places where upcoming video games are showcased, out of a small hope that Silksong might be announced there. Common targets were Nintendo Directs and Xbox Game Showcases.
Silksong’s fame was not entirely out of nowhere, due to its predecessor, Hollow Knight, being a major hit. Both games feature hand-drawn 2D art, delicately crafted environments, and a beautiful atmosphere centered around an ancient bug kingdom. The game draws inspiration from games like Dark Souls, with its combat and storytelling style echoing the infamous series.
Silksong was originally intended to be a DLC for Hollow Knight, following a character from the base game called Hornet. However, as Team Cherry’s vision for the experience grew, they decided to shift it to a full sequel.
Silksong leans into its souls-like background much more, with a sharp incline in difficulty when compared to its predecessor, Hollow Knight. This has created complaints in the community that expected a similar experience to the first game.
Students’ opinions reflect the online sentiment. “I am really enjoying the game. It is quite a bit harder than its predecessor, Hollow Knight, but it makes for a new enjoyable challenge to face up against,” William Rayner (11) stated.
Other than the difficulty spikes, the game has received universal praise for its other aspects. The game incorporates much smoother movement and combat, most notable among these being the ability to mantle up ledges. As a game that incorporates a lot of platforming, this easier mobility has been a great inclusion.
“I quite like the game, the graphics are beautiful, and the gameplay is awesome,” Bella McIntire (10) mentioned.
Hollow Knight’s mixture of dark fantasy and inspiration from insects creates an incredibly unique and artistic world. Every part of the game is drawn by Ari Gibson, who also handles game design. William Pellen also handles game design, with a particular focus on enemy and boss combat. Jack Vine rounds out the team by helping with coding and smoothing out the rougher edges of the game. Outside of the developers, Matthew Griffin helps manage the team’s social accounts.
Despite being a small team, Hollow Knight and Silksong are both huge games, with a lot of depth. The lore is incredibly interesting, and the world-building is very well crafted. The combat is smooth, the platforming is fun, and the bosses provide a unique challenge. Silksong is certainly a worthy sequel to the greatness of Hollow Knight, and the gaming world will continue closely watching Team Cherry.
“Silksong is a really enjoyable game, and many people are manic over its release,” Rayner said.
