The Verdict — The Modern Metroidvania Benchmark
Plainly put, Hollow Knight is the 2D exploration-action game I'd recommend first to anyone curious about the genre. A vast interconnected kingdom you slowly unravel, tough bosses you eventually conquer, and a beautiful world you simply want to be inside — every layer is executed at a remarkably high level for the indie price.
With 97%+ Steam approval and a Metacritic score of 87, Hollow Knight is one of the most universally praised metroidvanias ever made. It's the benchmark new entries in the genre are compared against.
The Good
The core loop is two things — the feeling of expanding where you can go, and the satisfaction of finally beating a wall. Every new ability (Mantis Claw, Crystal Heart, Monarch Wings) opens chunks of map you couldn't reach before, and the world genuinely seems to connect.
Pros
- +Exploring the interconnected kingdom is genuinely thrilling
- +Pattern-based boss fights with huge payoff on victory
- +Stunning hand-drawn art and haunting soundtrack
- +Charms allow flexible, personal build customization
- +Outrageous value for an indie price
Cons
- −Direction-giving is minimal — easy to get lost
- −High baseline difficulty punishes action novices
- −Sprawling map can make backtracking feel like a chore
Combat — Tough but Fair
Bosses are demanding but never unfair. Learn the patterns, equip the right charms, time your heals — every wall is breakable. The Mantis Lords, Hornet, Soul Master, Nightmare King Grimm — each is a major milestone, and finally clearing one is the genre at its absolute peak.
| Aspect | Rating | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Direction-giving | △ | Minimal hints — easy to wander the wrong way |
| Boss difficulty | ○ | Tough but fair — patterns can be learned |
| Map size | △ | Sprawling — backtracking gets tiring late game |
The Not-So-Good (Honest)
Hollow Knight is not a friendly game. Where to go next is rarely explained, the map is huge, and the difficulty assumes some action-game competence from the start. New players will get lost and stuck repeatedly.
The saving grace is that you can almost always go somewhere else. Stuck on a boss? Go grab another charm, more notches, or new traversal abilities — then come back. Pushing the same wall is rarely the right move.
★Who Should Play It
After 40+ hours and a credits roll, Hollow Knight still has corners I haven't seen. Total score 9.4. The minimal hand-holding and steep difficulty are real, but exploration, combat, and atmosphere all execute at a level few games hit.
If you're starting out, read the Beginner Guide, and when bosses wall you, check the Boss Guide and Charm Guide.
