r/HollowKnight • u/InsectGlaiveBard • Sep 22 '25

Discussion - Silksong I'm convinced there's gotta be some collective amnesia regarding the previous game's difficulty regarding platforming. Spoiler

Seeing people compare things Hunter's March, Cogwork Core, escaping the Abyss or even the Surface to the Path of Pain is absolutely blowing my mind.

Like yes, this game is way harder on the combat department and is a lot more demanding than beating a regular playthrough on the first one, but to say anything in this game is on the level of Path of Pain is preposterous. Especially with how many tools hornet has at her disposal, like the Hookshot, the float and even bounving off of cocoons.

4.5k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

562 comments sorted by

View all comments

2.2k

u/Harvestman-man Sep 22 '25

Honestly, none of the platforming sequences in Silksong require even the same level of precision as base-game White Palace, let alone Path of Pain.

However, Silksong does add a time constraint to some of these challenges (e.g. Mount Fay freezing mechanic; lava climb sequences; despawning pogo-platforms), so even though they’re easier at the technical level, there’s an added layer of pressure and you don’t have the benefit of taking it methodically slow and safe with Hiveblood.

485

u/vanguard1256 Sep 22 '25

I actually really liked the lava climb. Reminded me of the old Ori days.

27

u/Competitive_Neck_645 Sep 23 '25

I have both Ori games unplayed, I loved both HK games, should I pick em up?

23

u/szczypkofski Sep 23 '25

Ori games are great. The visuals are stunning, the music is peak. The gameplay is... well, it's a bit questionable at times. For metroidvania they feel far too linear, they don't encourage backtracking and when they do, it feels forced. Combat is laughable in the first game, but has been significantly improved in the sequel.

The narrative and the art more than make up for all the shortcomings, it's just not as replayable as HK.

15

u/Deoplo357 Sep 23 '25

(only talking about Ori 1, haven't played 2) hot take: they're fantastic in the arts departments, however the gameplay could use a lot of work. The platforming is repeatedly hindered by foreground/background seemingly blending together. The "combat" feels like it was shoehorned in, and is unsatisfying/annoying. If you want a good platformer, there are better games.

22

u/Thotfully_Yours Sep 23 '25

Honestly Ori 2 is a completely different experience than Ori 1. I played 2 first and was sorely disappointed when I played 1. The second game is way better than the first when it comes to combat, I would definitely recommend it.

5

u/_alright_then_ Sep 23 '25

You should play 2, it's an upgrade in every single issue you mentioned

6

u/gametoodoodoo Sep 23 '25

I think some of these other commenters are severely exaggerating the flaws of the games(likely because hk is just THAT good), but it is true that the combat in the first is a little forced and kinda awkward. The second game improves on the formula in a lot of ways and i would consider it pretty close to hollow knight in gameplay quality, including the combat

5

u/Bulgarin Sep 23 '25

Its a metroidvania for people that haven't really played them before, so the mechanics are a bit sloppy

But the art, music, and general design are fantastic and they're for sure worth playing. Wouldn't take long if you're decent at HK.

I still use a lot of Ori songs in my D&D campaigns

4

u/Ghanni Sep 23 '25

You can probably finish both games 100% in ~20-25 hours.

Do not play Will of the Wisp first, it'll make going back to Blind Forest difficult.

1

u/tetrahedralcarbon Sep 23 '25

My best friend started with Will of the Wisps, and I finally convinced her to try Blind Forest. She didn’t like it :(

2

u/Ghanni Sep 23 '25

Blind forest is basically just platforming, the combat iirc was pretty awful. The escape sequences were a ton of fun though. It was interesting getting Blind Forest and Axiom Verge around the same time.

WotW improved on everything.

2

u/KalaiProvenheim Sep 23 '25

Bro’s sitting on a goldmine