Hollow Knight

I didn't really care about this game at first. I had just bought a Humble Bundle pack that included Hollow Knight. My girlfriend told me she liked the art style and visuals, so I downloaded it and we played through the game together all the way to 112%. It became my favorite indie game of all time and, in my opinion, the perfect metroidvania. The art design, characters, atmosphere, challenging combat, and platforming are all outstanding. You can tell this game was made with genuine passion and care. Unfortunately, Silksong didn't resonate with me (or my girlfriend) as much as the original, so it hasn't surpassed Hollow Knight for me—at least not yet. An absolute must-play. 10/10

Hollow Knight is a side-scrolling exploration game with a large interconnected world. The art style is one of the things that stands out the most. Every area looks different, and the darker atmosphere gives each region its own identity. The game doesn't really tell you where to go. At first I spent a lot of time wandering around and checking paths that ended up leading nowhere. Later on, after unlocking new abilities, a lot of those places started making more sense because they connected to areas I had already visited. Backtracking is a big part of the game. You'll regularly return to older locations after getting a new movement ability and find routes that weren't available before. The map becomes important pretty quickly, especially when trying to remember places that looked inaccessible earlier. The combat is challenging, but it feels rewarding once you know what to do. I used a keyboard and mouse even though I have an Xbox controller. That's just what I'm used to, and I didn't run into any control issues. Movement felt precise during both platforming sections and combat. A screenshot of the keyboard and mouse bindings is attached below for reference. Overall, there's also a lot of optional content beyond the main path. Hidden routes, extra areas, and different endings give you reasons to keep exploring. The amount of detail in the world is noticeable throughout the game, and there might be something undiscovered even after spending a long time exploring. The combination of exploration, challenging combat, and detailed world design makes it a memorable experience from beginning to end. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3733128589

No gamer should go without playing this game. I argue it's necessary. This is my favorite game of all time and in my honest opinion it is the best metroidvania ever made. I love Silksong as well, but I need more time to learn more about it to claim it's better than Hollow Knight.