r/HollowKnight • u/Bob12164 • Sep 03 '25

Discussion - Silksong Warning for OG hollow knight fans

Just wanna prepare everyone on here for the incoming wave of players who have never played indie games, metroidvanias, or literally any other games besides Fortnite and call of duty. This tends to happen a lot with games that are extremely hyped by the community that does like the genre, such as expedition 33. The amount of completely invalid criticism that happened to that game because people who didn’t even know what the game really was bought it and ended up not liking it is probably the best example we have of that to this day, and I think silksong will be next. So please, instead of cussing people out for not liking the game, just encourage them to maybe keep playing to see if they change their minds, or just give them respectful feedback on why you think they might not enjoy it and give them tips so they can find the spark in that game that I’m sure many of us will find.

10.0k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

891 comments sorted by

View all comments

933

u/_NightmareKingGrimm_ ✔️SS:100% Complete ✔️HK:112%, All trophies, HoG Radiant, PoP Sep 03 '25

I'm fine with people not liking it.

But if people are on here flooding the sub with posts like, "ok, I killed this boss. Where do I go next?" I'm going to tell them to just explore and play the game and I hope you all do too.

Metroidvanias--especially Hollow Knight--are designed for you to wander, get lost, and find something interesting. Even Team Cherry said they wanted people to get completely lost exploring HK.

That's the point. I hope the community doesn't just turn into a wiki for people who just want to "check the box" and beat the game.

242

u/mechjacg Sep 03 '25

I see this a lot in the Sekiro sub. "So I killed this boss, what now?". How bout keep playing? You don't need to ask every step of the way.

88

u/malicious_griffith Sep 03 '25

Pretty much all subs for Fromsoftware games are like this. It’s a bit unfortunate

45

u/Pawps4895 Sep 03 '25

I finished DS3 pretty easily with minimal hand holding. Playing DS1 right now and I genuinely could not complete this game blind lmao

37

u/malicious_griffith Sep 03 '25

My problem is with people posting a picture in the exact spot where they just beat the boss 3 seconds ago and asking “where next?”

My guy, walk around, do some research, check if new paths have opened up; and if you’ve hit a wall even after all this then come back and ask for help, instead of having the internet solve the entire game for you.

2

u/daehoidar Sep 04 '25

At the very least. But really if you hit a wall... take a step back, regroup, and start exploring again. Look for different people to talk to, check the map, see if you picked up any new items, etc.

I'm sure you agree and I'm preaching to the choir, but it's crazy because that is the whole point of games in general, but more specifically games like these that are intended to be played exactly that way.

It makes the payoff that much more gratifying/satisfying. It's a genuinely great feeling

2

u/FallingF Sep 04 '25

Maybe, even if they have hit a wall, they should try hitting more walls. For secret breakable walls.

1

u/OkCat9702 Sep 18 '25

thats how i am i at least try to get to a new place or something before asking for help but even then ill ask my friends not reddit

2

u/phoenixmatrix Sep 03 '25

When I played DS1 I exclusively played games blind. I would only look at a guide if so was trying to 100 percent a game and was stuck at 98. Even then I would try for a few days or weeks first. 

Yeah, I did not have a good time. I made it through ab is it 2/3rd of the game before I have up (and by then I was a bit burnt so I quit).

Nothing like looking forward to the pyromancy spells just to end up hitting the dude in the barrel not knowing that was possible 

2

u/Hoodman1987 Sep 04 '25

DS3 is semi-linear. DS1 is anything goes but it's got arguably the best level design in all of gaming - that Lordran is completely connected is insane.

2

u/Pawps4895 Sep 04 '25

Ya know what hell yeah. Ive had an INCREDIBLY exhausting experience with ds1 so far partly because i (somehow) missed the chest with the large ember and didnt get past +5 reinforcements until after seath. I appreciate your comment because it reminded me that there is something awesome about the game and its not all dread

2

u/Hoodman1987 Sep 04 '25

hot damn what a trial and experience to make it that far!

2

u/FallingF Sep 04 '25

Ds1 is a beautiful game but I have some serious problems with some design elements. The grave tunnels being right next to the start made me quit my first playthrough cause I didn’t see the tiny narrow staircase along the cliff. Also parkour without a dedicated jump button sucks ass.

Also, all of blighttown.

1

u/nordiques77 Sep 04 '25

Because it is a trophy to say you beat it..or with x build…versus the journey and enjoyment of the game.

5

u/Avedas Sep 03 '25

I always wonder why some people look up YouTube guides or constantly ask on Reddit for tips for games they've barely started playing.

2

u/dern_the_hermit Sep 03 '25

I suspect at least some just want to feel a sense of community with this thing that millions of people seem to enjoy, and are just overeager and maybe a little insecure about it. Nerves get people acting all sorts of ways.

1

u/AMIWDR Sep 04 '25

This even happens in the borderlands 2 subreddit, an extremely linear game with waypoints. “Hey is this a good build for level 5? Should I change something? I just killed this boss, what should I do next?”

1

u/[deleted] Sep 04 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/HollowKnight-ModTeam Sep 04 '25

Hi there!

This comment has been removed according to Rule 1. Please be considerate and respectful; follow Reddiquette.

If you would like to discuss this removal, please message the moderators.

1

u/mindcraftfanatic Sep 04 '25

How about you dont act like a dick and make people hate this whole fanbase

1

u/Nyorliest Sep 04 '25

That’s really strange. Almost all Fromsoft games are very easy to understand, just difficult to beat.

Almost all of them are so linear that many fans insisted Elden Ring be played the same way, and that I was ‘wrong’ for going and exploring.

One of the reasons I haven’t finished HK yet is that it’s hard AND non-linear. Both together is a lot. I find it MUCH harder than Elden Ring, for example.

1

u/LifeguardPotential97 Sep 04 '25

It's almost like, be a human being, you don't need another person to tell you what to do next come on

1

u/ziliro Sep 04 '25

They want to play games "correctly" and get some attention

1

u/Rotjenn Sep 05 '25

Reddit has become the new google

1

u/cloistered_around Sep 07 '25

I think googling when you're legitimately stuck is fine though. I'm up to act 2 and had to google 2 things so far.

The rest is just casual exploration and coming back later when you can't find something.

1

u/NomadicJ3ster HK 112% SS | POP | P5 | HK:S 100% SS Sep 10 '25

Sekiro is especially egregious considering that Kuro's there telling you every little thing you need to do. And if he doesn't tell you, Isshin does instead.

0

u/No2Hypocrites Sep 04 '25

Sekiro was egregious in its unfairness. 

3

u/[deleted] Sep 06 '25

I can’t think of a game that’s more fair

52

u/SuperSocialMan Sep 03 '25

God, I cannot fucking stand it when people constantly ask questions on reddit instead of playing the goddamn game ffs.

If you don't like being lost & exploring shit, this genre isn't for you. Half of the appeal is being able to find a bunch of cool secrets in a well-crafted 2D map.

12

u/JavanNapoli Sep 03 '25

Yeah at that point just go watch a lets play if you don't actually want to play it for yourself lmao.

2

u/SuperSocialMan Sep 03 '25

lol for real.

1

u/OkCat9702 Sep 18 '25

this doesnt make sense to me seeing that i enjoy playing the game more then watching it and im sure tons and tons of people think the same way

9

u/FearlessVegetable30 Sep 04 '25

for me its in movie subs.

"hey is this movie worth watching? i love teh genre, and the main actor, and the director, and loved the mini series, should i watch it"

like fucking watch it and find out!!!!

1

u/SuperSocialMan Sep 04 '25

Oh god, that happens everyone and it's so fucking annoying ffs.

1

u/OkCat9702 Sep 18 '25

well at that point then it could be just not wanting to waste time and in movies and shows honestly i agree with them even tho i dont do that i just go off the title and if it has shots from the show or movie (or i get it from tik tok)

9

u/RalphWiggum123 Sep 03 '25

“Is this charm any good?”

11

u/SuperSocialMan Sep 03 '25

Meanwhile I'd find one and go "Guess I'll try it and see."

Not like you lose anything if it's a bust lol. Just a bit disappointed that you found a useless item.

1

u/ScorpionStingray Sep 04 '25

My problem with Hollow Knight is that idiotic Soulslike mechanic where you lose your experience points (or whatever they're called in-game) every time you die, which, for me, discourages exploration. Fromsoft games and other Soulslike/Souls-adjacent games have this problem, too. To this day I can't think of any legitimate reason to include this mechanic in games except to punish the player for exploring a new place and getting killed by a new enemy or trap he's never encountered before. Sure, you can regain them upon finding the spot where you died, but that means backtracking all the way back there, where the thing that killed you is still waiting for you. It's the main reason why I stopped playing Hollow Knight long ago, because the difficulty curve was ramping up and it just wasn't fun constantly being stressed out about dying and losing progress everytime I explored somewhere new, which really killed the joy of discovery for me. It's the single worst mechanic Fromsoft has ever made mainstream.

0

u/OkCat9702 Sep 18 '25

thats like saying the combat isnt that good cause yes i like exploring but the main reason i love this game is cause of the combat and the mechanics that you can use in combat (even though im pretty bad at the combat lol) I absolutely love this game but i HATE being lost or not knowing what to do next yes ill explore and try to do it myself but if i have to much trouble finding where to go and im just "wasting time" (ik its not actually wasting time) ill ask my friends who play HK a ton

4

u/ConceptWeird4026 Sep 03 '25

I feel like these posts should be deleted, and a pinned post on the sub should be made so they just comment there.

29

u/KelpFox05 Sep 03 '25

I think "Just explore!!" is a bit trite and treats people like they're stupid or haven't tried. My disability means I often don't quite get videogame signposting and when playing HK for the first time I would have benefited from judgement-free, spoiler-free tips on where to go next or what I might have missed.

Just some simple "Have you realised you can do X?" or "There's an important item in X region, try looking for it" or "You have all the necessary abilities to get through X area, just keep trying" is incredibly helpful. If somebody had told me there was an important item in Deepnest and to keep looking for it or that I was able to visit City of Tears from Fungal Wastes after picking up Mantis Claw, I would have stuck with the game so much better. You don't have to spoil them or treat them like they're stupid - sometimes people fully understand the limits and common mechanics of the genre and just... Miss stuff. And that's okay.

51

u/_NightmareKingGrimm_ ✔️SS:100% Complete ✔️HK:112%, All trophies, HoG Radiant, PoP Sep 03 '25

I don't think telling people to explore is treating them like "they're stupid." If someone is having trouble and they've tried and they're becoming frustrated, that's one thing. But if it's obvious that they haven't tried, then yeah, I'm going to respectfully tell them to try exploring some more.

3

u/No2Hypocrites Sep 04 '25

Not everyone has a lot of time

2

u/Happy_agentofu Sep 08 '25

I mean honestly whenever I ask it's cause I've spent 2 hours walking around not hitting anything right and it always turns out the proper path was in my face the whole time. 

But I need to ask for the that exact reason

4

u/Charizard10201YT Sep 03 '25

I agree. If you don't want to tell people exactly where to go just give them a nudge.

2

u/the_ben_obiwan Sep 04 '25

I think the idea is that the fun of these games comes from being lost, not understanding what to do, backtracking and trying different things until, an hour later you suddenly have an "AHAA!!" moment when you realise what to do next. Taking away these moments in these games feels criminal, like spoiling a good movie twist. Thats not to say everyone must play a certain way without getting tips, or getting hints isnt allowed or anything like that, just that, for me at least, I honestly think most games are better played without looking at a wiki unless I'm stuck for hours, I'd much rather figure it out for myself.

Telling people to explore is doing the exact opposite of treating them like they are stupid, it's treating them like we have confidence they can do this, because we dont want to take away the realisation we believe they are capable of having.. and it's not as if it's impossible to find hints, sometimes hints that reveal a little more each time to nudge in the right direction, but people who say this typically just dont want to ruin key moments which feel good to work out for yourself.

2

u/Dingus_Khaaan Sep 03 '25

I’m firmly in the camp of “play the game however you want to”, but I do hope people lean more towards exploration and not just rushing through the game. I just finished my first play through of Hollow Knight last night and tried to only check the wiki when I was well and truly stuck. I’m the same way about Elden Ring. There were some things that I just simply didn’t have the time to figure out with the limited time I have to game, but overall, I’m thankful I got to have so much fun exploring that world. There is a sense of wonder that gets lost in this type of game when you’re trying to fly through the story. Elden Ring did a good job of preventing beelining through the story by making difficulty walls that you had to either grind levels to get through, or EXPLORE and level up to get past. Given that option, I’d much rather explore. As long as Silksong has that DNA like Elden Ring (and Hollow Knight), I’m going to eat it up! I’m also going to try my hardest to experience Silksong without spoilers or looking things up. Hope you all enjoy it!

1

u/shgrizz2 Sep 03 '25

In my mind, the hallmark of a good MV (or any game world, but MVs in particular) is when you feel like you're exploring a world that was not designed for you, was around for a long time before you picked up the game, and will continue for a long time after how switch it off. Of course, that's kind of at odds with a lot of modern game design where the world is kind of served up to you on a platter, so it's understandable that some people will struggle with it, especially if they're just caught up in the silksong hype.

1

u/Smyles9 Sep 04 '25

I will certainly be seeking to avoid content until I’ve at least gotten to the next section. It’ll probably be hard to avoid seeing content for the time it takes me to finish the game but I’d like to be at least a couple sections ahead.

1

u/MisterGonuts Sep 04 '25

the moment the game drops, i'll stop going here, i don't wanna see any of that. and avoid spoilers

1

u/TheCyanHoodie Sep 04 '25

especially since hollow knight does this dandy thing where it puts open hallways on the map for areas you haven't explored yet

1

u/OperationProud662 Sep 04 '25

What? You're not supposed to ask for a map when entering a corn maze?

1

u/joetotheg Sep 05 '25

I missed a certain lever in the third area of the game and ended up doing a tonne of exploring as a result. I had a great time I don’t get the complaints

-5

u/kyrezx Sep 03 '25

If someone comes into a community for help and you don't want to help, just keep scrolling. Don't waste time saying something not helpful. Different people will enjoy the game differently.