Oh my God. This game. I can't tell you guys how much I absolutely adore this game.

I've played Metroidvania-esque type of games all of my life. Who knew Super Metroid would change my gaming life so much? If you too are a Metroidvania fan, you might have noticed a somewhat long drought in the genre after Metroid Prime 3 had released. If you are like me and love the 2D metroidvanias even more, like the old Metroid and Castlevania games, then that drought was even longer. Sure, there were some recent indie metroidvania games in the past few years. Some of them were good, some of them were great, but personally, I feel like none of them got the formula right...

... Until Hollow Knight showed up, that is.


This game is certainly amazing. It manages to recreate the metroidvania (this is quickly becoming a buzzword in this review) formula perfectly while still managing to feel fresh, innovative and original. I mean, look at the screenshots of this game! Doesn't it look amazing? Did I mention that was all drawn by hand? I'm sure the store page did. And if you already think the game looks amazing, wait until you play it, wait until you feel it.

Which brings me to my next point. The art direction in this game is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. Who said that only games with stunning next-gen graphics can be considered eye-candy? This plays a big role in getting you invested into the game. From the very first area, the Forgotten Crossroads to the final boss, you will certainly feel many different emotions, such as awe, surprise, excitement, tension and even fear. This game is a rollercoaster, and its name is "One Hell of a Ride" (feel free to arrest me after being incredibly cheesy in that last line).

And of course, the soundtrack is just as phenomenal as the art direction. And just like the art direction, Christopher Larkin does an excellent job in conveying so many emotions throughout his soundtrack. It fits the game so well that it makes certain moments of the game even more memorable. That wondrous sense of discovering something grand, something amazing (or sometimes, something downright dark, sad, creepy or scary...) is enhanced by Larkin's masterpiece. Each boss fight feels like a different kind of struggle. Sometimes you will feel tense while fighting that insanely hard boss. Sometimes you feel like you're fighting for honor certain bosses. Who knows, you might even fight some bosses with a huge smile on your face (I'm looking at you, Ogrim, you amazing beast), all thanks to the visual and sound feedback.

If you can take one thing for granted in this adventure of a game, it's that it both looks, sounds and feels great to play!


The gameplay sure feels solid and tight. Everytime you die - and trust me, you will die A LOT in this game - feels fair, you know it was your own mistake. The combat in this game is all about timing, really, especially when we are talking about bosses. Getting to know the bosses patterns well is a must. After that, you'll need to know when to dodge, when to strike and when (if you can, that is) to heal. If you happen to be a cyborg with unmatched precision skills, you might even be able to parry some melee attacks from most enemies and certain bosses.

But hey, this is a metroidvania, remember? The game is not just about combat, it's about exploration and platforming too!

Exploration-wise, it's exactly what you'd expect from a great metroidvania. Some areas aren't going to be accessible at all for you until you get a certain upgrade. You will soon find out that every area in the game is unique, filled with secrets and collectibles, some of which are also impossible to reach without said upgrades. For me, this is what makes metroidvanias so amazing to me, this sense of progression that is unrivaled by any other genre feels amazing. And Hollow Knight really nails it in that aspect too.

Regarding the platforming sections in this game, they are incredibly varied. There are a lot of platforming puzzles in this game, each more interesting than the other. And then there's the platforming... challenges (more like nightmares). I don't try to think about them to much, lest I get 'Nam flashbacks and die of a stroke. Remember when I've said earlier that whenever you die you feel like that was completely on you? Yeah. Let's just say you'll grow to hate yourself a lot in certain segments (the same can be said about certain bosses). One segment (by far, the hardest one of the game) comes to mind in particular, which reminds me of Super Meat Boy, especially because it has a lot of moving, rotating saws in it.
Some of these segments aren't necessary for you to finish the game (the ones with saws, for example), but you absolutely need to finish them if you want to get the True Ending.


Hell yeah baby, this game has multiple endings too. Three, to be exact, but obviously you'll want to get the True Ending one first. Trust me!

I really won't say much about the story, except that its phenomenal. The story-telling is also fantastic. And obviously, you can always get to know more about the world of Hallownest by talking to the many NPCs in the game and by finding collectibles. The writing in this game is also amazing. And that's all I'll say about it because I really don't want to spoil much about the game. Just believe me when I say that the world of Hallownest is a memorable one, and so are its denizens.

Performance-wise, I feel that this game is quite optimized. I've even managed to play it on a dying rotten potato laptop I had here with me sometime ago, although I don't remember its specs anymore. Sorry =\

And let me remind you, this is a very hard game. The learning curve in this game is a good one, but oh my GOD is it INSANELY HARD by the end of it.

ALSO YOU GET 3 FREE DLC WITH EVEN MORE CONTENT IN IT!

• An amazing (and HARD) game with phenomenal writing, superb art direction and soundtrack. It certainly is a masterpiece. It's metroidvania done right!
  
• Great gameplay, solid combat and tight platforming sections. The controls feel right and responsive.
  
• Tons of content in it, with even more free content underway. Don't buy it on a sale, it feels like a steal. Also get the soundtrack to support the devs!
  
• Tons of varied enemies and bosses. You'll be entertained with this game for a looooong time.

AND YOU BETTER SAVE ALL OF THOSE GRUBS, SON!

If you're read still here, you're amazing! I really appreciate it if you read it this far. I've really invested a long time in this review, so I hope you've enjoyed it!

Oh my God. This game. I can't tell you guys how much I absolutely adore this game. I've played Metroidvania-esque type of games all of my life. Who knew Super Metroid would change my gaming life so much? If you too are a Metroidvania fan, you might have noticed a somewhat long drought in the genre after Metroid Prime 3 had released. If you are like me and love the 2D metroidvanias even more, like the old Metroid and Castlevania games, then that drought was even longer. Sure, there were some recent indie metroidvania games in the past few years. Some of them were good, some of them were great, but personally, I feel like none of them got the formula right... ... Until Hollow Knight showed up, that is. [h1] Art Direction and Soundtrack [/h1] This game is certainly amazing. It manages to recreate the metroidvania (this is quickly becoming a buzzword in this review) formula perfectly while still managing to feel fresh, innovative and original. I mean, look at the screenshots of this game! Doesn't it look amazing? Did I mention that was all drawn by hand? I'm sure the store page did. And if you already think the game looks amazing, wait until you play it, wait until you [i] feel [/i] it. Which brings me to my next point. The art direction in this game is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. Who said that only games with stunning next-gen graphics can be considered eye-candy? This plays a big role in getting you invested into the game. From the very first area, the Forgotten Crossroads to the final boss, you will certainly feel many different emotions, such as awe, surprise, excitement, tension and even fear. This game is a rollercoaster, and its name is "One Hell of a Ride" (feel free to arrest me after being incredibly cheesy in that last line). And of course, the soundtrack is just as phenomenal as the art direction. And just like the art direction, Christopher Larkin does an excellent job in conveying so many emotions throughout his soundtrack. It fits the game so well that it makes certain moments of the game even more memorable. That wondrous sense of discovering something grand, something amazing (or sometimes, something downright dark, sad, creepy or scary...) is enhanced by Larkin's masterpiece. Each boss fight feels like a different kind of struggle. Sometimes you will feel tense while fighting that insanely hard boss. Sometimes you feel like you're fighting for honor certain bosses. Who knows, you might even fight some bosses with a huge smile on your face (I'm looking at you, Ogrim, you amazing beast), all thanks to the visual and sound feedback. If you can take one thing for granted in this adventure of a game, it's that it both looks, sounds and feels great to play! [h1] Gameplay [/h1] The gameplay sure feels solid and tight. Everytime you die - and trust me, you will die A LOT in this game - feels fair, you know it was your own mistake. The combat in this game is all about timing, really, especially when we are talking about bosses. Getting to know the bosses patterns well is a must. After that, you'll need to know when to dodge, when to strike and when (if you can, that is) to heal. If you happen to be a cyborg with unmatched precision skills, you might even be able to parry some melee attacks from most enemies and certain bosses. But hey, this is a metroidvania, remember? The game is not just about combat, it's about exploration and platforming too! Exploration-wise, it's exactly what you'd expect from a great metroidvania. Some areas aren't going to be accessible at all for you until you get a certain upgrade. You will soon find out that every area in the game is unique, filled with secrets and collectibles, some of which are also impossible to reach without said upgrades. For me, this is what makes metroidvanias so amazing to me, this sense of progression that is unrivaled by any other genre feels amazing. And Hollow Knight really nails it in that aspect too. Regarding the platforming sections in this game, they are incredibly varied. There are a lot of platforming puzzles in this game, each more interesting than the other. And then there's the platforming... challenges (more like nightmares). I don't try to think about them to much, lest I get 'Nam flashbacks and die of a stroke. Remember when I've said earlier that whenever you die you feel like that was completely on you? Yeah. Let's just say you'll grow to hate yourself a lot in certain segments (the same can be said about certain bosses). One segment (by far, the hardest one of the game) comes to mind in particular, which reminds me of Super Meat Boy, especially because it has a lot of moving, rotating saws in it. Some of these segments aren't necessary for you to finish the game (the ones with saws, for example), but you absolutely need to finish them if you want to get the True Ending. [h1] Story and Final Considerations [/h1] Hell yeah baby, this game has multiple endings too. Three, to be exact, but obviously you'll want to get the True Ending one first. Trust me! I really won't say much about the story, except that its phenomenal. The story-telling is also fantastic. And obviously, you can always get to know more about the world of Hallownest by talking to the many NPCs in the game and by finding collectibles. The writing in this game is also amazing. And that's all I'll say about it because I really don't want to spoil much about the game. Just believe me when I say that the world of Hallownest is a memorable one, and so are its denizens. Performance-wise, I feel that this game is quite optimized. I've even managed to play it on a dying rotten potato laptop I had here with me sometime ago, although I don't remember its specs anymore. Sorry =\ And let me remind you, this is a very hard game. The learning curve in this game is a good one, but oh my GOD is it INSANELY HARD by the end of it. ALSO YOU GET 3 FREE DLC WITH EVEN MORE CONTENT IN IT! [h1] TL;DR [/h1] [list] [*]An amazing (and HARD) game with phenomenal writing, superb art direction and soundtrack. It certainly is a masterpiece. It's metroidvania done right! [*]Great gameplay, solid combat and tight platforming sections. The controls feel right and responsive. [*]Tons of content in it, with even more free content underway. Don't buy it on a sale, it feels like a steal. Also get the soundtrack to support the devs! [*] Tons of varied enemies and bosses. You'll be entertained with this game for a looooong time. [/list] [b] AND YOU BETTER SAVE ALL OF THOSE GRUBS, SON![/b] If you're read still here, you're amazing! I really appreciate it if you read it this far. I've really invested a long time in this review, so I hope you've enjoyed it!