Hollow Knight- an Introduction to Metroidvanias

Video games are a great source of entertainment: they’re fun, they’re absolutely art, and they can bring isolated people together. In this new series, Jayden Cammarata—Witherly Heights’ new game critic—a few of his favorites, least favorites, or anywhere in between.

By: Jayden Cammarata

Hollow Knight, the first successful game by Team Cherry, is a typical metroidvania. Players approach the ruins of Hallownest with nothing but a sword, then explore the world to earn money and unlock upgrades which let them reach new areas to explore. A balance problem holds Hollow Knight back, but it remains an approachable introduction to metroidvanias. 

Hollow Knight, like most metroidvanias, is essentially a two-dimensional platformer in which levels are populated by enemies, bosses, checkpoints, and powerups. These upgrades, which include the abilities to double jump, dash, cast magic, and smash through the ground, let players bypass obstacles blocking off sections of the map– for example, beating a certain boss unlocks the ability to dash, which is required to enter the Fungal Wastes.

One of the types of upgrades players can find while exploring is the Charm. A limited number of these accessories can be equipped for different benefits. By swapping which charms are equipped, the player can optimize their own abilities for greater power sword fighting, spellcasting, or exploring.

Hollow Knight’s main innovation is in the versatility of the player’s weapon, a type of sword called a Nail. Whenever the player hits something with their sword, the weapon knocks them back along with the enemy, and this knockback is stronger than gravity; players can exploit this behavior to bounce off of spikes, enemies, and other obstacles. Also, whenever a player hits an enemy, they gain a small amount of soul, which can be used as mana to cast spells and regain health.

Hollow Knight is, on the whole, well made. Its map is big, and the upgrades found in it are spaced far enough apart to keep the game well-paced. The world cultivates an intense atmosphere, a coherent feeling of despair that grows as the story unfolds. The game is also beautiful. The background is breathtaking, and each area is visually distinct, which makes discovering a new one feel significant. The music that plays while out exploring is just as hauntingly beautiful. 

Another strength of Hollow Knight is its introduction of the nail pogo. This is a creative concept that introduces a new dimension to some of the game’s platforming challenges. Unfortunately, they are incorporated into the game somewhat poorly. Hollow Knight never teaches players how to do the trick, and for most of the game, players don’t need to know; how to perform a nail pogo is only required knowledge for one platforming section which isn’t needed to earn the game’s normal ending. This not only prevents the trick from being fully explored as a part of the game, it also doesn’t give players enough practice mastering the skill, and as such, platforming challenges involving it are limited in how difficult they can be without becoming impossible.

This balancing issue is not Hollow Knight’s only one. The game is, in many places, made difficult in the wrong ways. In most places, the game is too easy. Only one platforming gauntlet was a serious challenge, and only a handful of bosses took me more than three tries. This is not the worst problem with the game’s balancing, however. Most of the places where Hollow Knight is hard are repetitive copies of previous areas, which the player is expected to beat more skillfully– When trying to challenge players, the game gives players old challenges and expects them to complete them more skillfully rather than giving them new ones. The most egregious example of this issue takes place in Godhome. In this optional area, players can fight new bosses– but before each attempt at the boss they really want to fight, players have to beat a series of bosses they’ve already defeated. This boss rush is tedious, and arguably harder than the new boss itself. 

Another issue I had with the Hollow Knight is with its mechanics of exploration. Exploring the game’s massive world map takes up most of the player’s time, and is a major strength of the game. However, another mechanic interferes with this strength. Whenever the player dies while out on an adventure, they leave behind a shadowy image of themselves called a shade. If they can return to where they died and kill the shade, nothing happens, but if they die before then, they lose all the money collected before the first death. This is a good way to keep tensions feeling high and make wandering feel significant, but it also discourages exploration, which clashes with the rest of the game.

Finally, I found that significant parts of the game were hidden too well. Because the map is massive, doubling back to find missed secrets is unfeasible. Here’s an anecdote from my own playthrough of the game: Hollow Knight has four endings that can be found, each by completing a different series of tasks. The questline for the main ending is started as soon as the game begins. I finished the game and earned this ending without even finding the starting point for any of the other three. A guide is almost mandatory for playing Hollow Knight, but this detracts from the fun of discovering things oneself. 

I think Hollow Knight has significant problems, but it’s important to note that some people may have a different experience with it. Different people with different levels of gaming experience will be challenged by different games, and what I thought was too easy might be a good challenge for others. Also, while I thought getting lost in Hallownest to be often frustrating and, at worst, tedious, others might enjoy exploring the ruined kingdom much more. For those who think they would, Hollow Knight is great– a (probably) easy, approachable, well-made introduction to the Metroidvania genre.

Overall rating: 

6.5/10

This Game ASAP: Undertale, but a platformer instead of a challenge.

The Deicide Boolean: Yes.

Tips:

• Buy the Wayward Compass as soon as possible.
• If you get stuck, use the wiki. Don’t let pride be your downfall.