Here’s everything we know about Hollow Knight: Silksong
Of course, there are plenty of details to digest, and that’s where we come in. In this guide, we’ll break down everything we know so far about Hollow Knight: Silksong, including the expected release date, gameplay and story details, and whether it will launch on Xbox Game Pass.
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Hollow Knight: Silksong expected release date
That’s exactly what we said.
Hollow Knight: Silksong will launch on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles.
It starts with a brief shot of new playable character Hornet trembling, before she seemingly bursts out of some silk bindings. We then see various gameplay clips of Hornet dashing through environments in the new kingdom of Pharloom. In those clips, we also see Hornet’s new skillset, with her acrobatic combat skills displayed against all sorts of new creepy crawly baddies and bosses. As the trailer continues, we get quick looks at new towns, various quests that Hornet can take, and a variety of new tools that she can employ to navigate Pharloom.
This trailer focuses heavily on two areas: Deep Docks, and the Gilded City. They both seem mechanical in nature, although quite opposite in tone. While both are clearly dangerous (this is the sequel toHollow Knight, after all), Deep Docks seems far more horrifying, with sawblades roaring across the landscape and a fiery red, almost hellish background. The Gilded City, on the other hand, seems far more grandiose. In the trailer, we see Hornet traversing the area using illustrious, golden elevators, which are beautiful in a “we’re carrying you to your death” way.
Firstly, a breakdown for those new to the series. Hollow Knight and its sequel, Silksong, are incredibly challenging 2D actionplatformers, and they take clear inspiration from FromSoftware’s Souls series. The metroidvania-style map presents an interconnected series of regions to explore, each filled with secret items and powerful bosses. In the original, you play as The Knight, but the protagonist of Silksong is called Hornet. Hornet featured in the original as a boss, and is the Knight’s sibling.
Hornet is faster and more acrobatic than the Knight, with the ability to sprint and mantle ledges. She’s also taller than the Knight, helping her reach higher surfaces. This new movement system offers a big change from Hollow Knight’s slower, more calculated platforming.
Speed also seems to heavily impact combat, with Hornet’s needle offering attacks with a wider arc. Hornet can also throw the needle and teleport to its location, helping you zip around in the air.
If you take damage, healing also seems much faster in Silksong, with Hornet able to get back to max health in a flash. That’s a huge contrast to the original, in which The Knight would slowly heal one mask at a time. While this might make Silksong seem easier, we do know that it will have a greater focus on combat. So, while you might initially feel more powerful, we can also expect bosses to find new ways to punish our behaviour.
In the earliest trailer, we see Hornet breaking free from her silk bindings. This presumably takes place right at the start of Silksong, which opens with Hornet being captured and taken to Pharloom. Upon breaking free, Hornet finds herself at the bottom of this mysterious new kingdom, which is “haunted by Silk and Song” - hence the name. Hornet must journey through the kingdom, climbing to the top in hopes of finding a citadel which may hold some answers surrounding her capture.
Of course, things are never that simple, and the bugs inhabiting Pharloom also seem to have a strange curse. On her journey, Hornet will delve into this mystery and investigate the plague that threatens Pharloom.
Those yet to dive into the series are in luck, as Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition is also currently available on Game Pass. The Voidheart Edition is the Xbox One and PS4 release that contained all updates for the original in one package, including all four free content expansions. It’ll take roughly 30 hours to complete the main story, so we’d recommend playing now if you want to be ready for Silksong at launch.
That wraps up everything we currently know about Hollow Knight: Silksong. Make sure to check back regularly for more news on this highly-anticipated sequel over the coming months!
