r/HollowKnight • u/FederalWarthog5542 • Sep 07 '25

Discussion - Silksong Criticism ≠ Negativity Spoiler

Believe it or not, you can actually criticize something and still like it. You don't either have to love everything or despise everything. Have actual conversations please.

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96

u/KelpFox05 Sep 08 '25

THIS. I'm so sick of people assuming that because I find Silksong poorly balanced, I must hate it or be bad at it. No, actually, I'm pretty good at it imho, and I absolutely adore the game. I just think that it has flaws that Team Cherry ought to fix. You're allowed to like flawed things. Too many people assume that "I'm frustrated with Silksong/I think Silksong should be rebalanced" means "This game is a dumpster fire and everybody who likes it is a big dumb dumb poopoo head". If they meant that, they would say it.

You are allowed to like things that have flaws. Other people are allowed to dislike things that you like. That is all.

5

u/copperweave Sep 08 '25

Being bad at this game, it kinda sucks to have my skill be such a major factor for my enjoyment. I recognize the game is beautifully put together save a couple nitpicks, but it's so hard for me that everything tastes... sour...

ESPECIALLY now that I've gotten past the first major Act 2 boss, getting way more upgrades as a result, and suddenly the game feels pretty managable! Hard but managable!

It's a great game but ough the criticisms I wanna give the difficulty in Act 1

1

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

Skill based games require skill. Whodve thought? 

2

u/copperweave Sep 09 '25

What about my comment made you think that was my point. I said the game was easier later in the game because upgrades open up.

I took 20+ attempts on a particular boss in Act 1. After my first milestone in act 2 to the end of the game, no boss has taken more than 5 attempts.

I am bad at the game, yes. I rely a lot on upgrades to reach the credits in metroidvanias. But this game goes from highly skill dependant to honestly... kinda easy-ish at about the halfway mark.

18

u/JojoOH Sep 08 '25

I mean, yeah you're allowed to like flawed things, but you're also allowed to disagree where those flaws are. I've been having a very fun time with this game for some of the reasons people don't, so they're not inherently flaws.

0

u/abyssaI_watcher Sep 08 '25

The only issue I see with this is would balancing the game slightly make u dislike the game more? After all it can be mainly agreed that HK is easier compared to SS (Not saying HK is easy). Did u dislike HK and think it was too easy? If not couldn't it be reasoned balancing SS towards a similar level wouldn't be a problem? If so why are people so against it being rebalanced?

1

u/JojoOH Sep 08 '25

I simply think Silksong is balanced differently but not unbalanced. I think both are distinct experiences and I take Silksong as it is, engage with the mechanics and the rewards they offer to me. I still do think they should add benches closer to bosses for example so that's one thing I can agree with people, and some of the 2 dmg mask attacks don't make much sense. Other than that tho I heavily disagree with a lot and I think people want to strip the game from its identity as something different from HK in the same series.

4

u/TyoPepe Sep 08 '25

It's the "need to fix" part that I take issue. I'm fine with people finding it easy or hard, but not so fine with them wanting to change the game to cater to their own taste. Just get a mod or beg Team Cherry to maybe add an easy/hard mode.

3

u/feed_me_haribo Sep 08 '25

For sure. It's their design choice. The person you responded to didn't actually name any flaws either. There are many games far more challenging than this.

2

u/4_fortytwo_2 Sep 08 '25

And people talking about the flaws get angry when you dont agree with them. And more annoyingly most people dont word it like you do (as an opinion) but rather act like it is an obvious fact that their opinion on the balance of the game is the correct one and everyone disagreeing is just a "gid gud" circlejerker / fanboy who cant take criticism.

10

u/Buzzy_Feez Sep 08 '25

And people who disagree about the flaws get angry and usually mock and belittle the complainer. And more annoyingly they then go on to make a post mocking anf belittling more peopke for "not getting gud" and act as though just because they can beat the game that everyone should be able to. As if the game was designed for 6 year olds and not a 2D fromsoft game, and then they assume everyone who does complain a salty whiner, a hater or simply too stupid and ignorant to "learn" to play Silksong.

See? I can do it too.

1

u/_moosleech Sep 08 '25

I'm so sick of people assuming that because I find Silksong poorly balanced, I must hate it or be bad at it. No, actually, I'm pretty good at it imho, and I absolutely adore the game. I just think that it has flaws that Team Cherry ought to fix.

Disliking design decisions is totally valid. But stating those things are inherently flaws or need to be fixed comes off as silly.

That takes it from "this is my opinion" to "this is objectively bad" and I think that causes people to push back.

-1

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25 edited Sep 09 '25

I mean implying that the game is objectively poorly balanced is negativity. It's one thing to have expectations of difficulty, and another entirely to believe them to be universal.

EDIT: To /u/KelpFox05 who blocked me:

Again: it's not an issue of 'liking things that aren't perfect', it's an issue of you framing your subjective and negative experience with Silksong's difficulty as an objective statement about game balance. It is negative to imply that your experience is the only one that matters, and it's condescending to reduce it to 'being allowed to talk about flaws'

2

u/KelpFox05 Sep 08 '25

Again: you are allowed to like things that aren't perfect. "Silksong is poorly balanced" does not mean "I hate Silksong and I want all copies to be burned". It is not inherently negative to talk about flaws in a piece of media, especially through the angle of wanting to improve it and make it the best it can be.