Hollow Knight

Team Cherry, a three-person studio out of Adelaide, Australia, released Hollow Knight in February 2017. Funded through a Kickstarter campaign that exceeded its modest goal, the game arrived with quiet expectations and proceeded to become one of the most celebrated indie titles of the decade. It’s a 2D action-adventure set in Hallownest, a vast underground kingdom of insects, and it draws from the Metroidvania tradition of interconnected exploration gated by ability upgrades.

Player reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with approval ratings on Steam sitting at 97% across hundreds of thousands of user ratings. The praise centers on a few consistent themes: the hand-drawn art, the atmospheric soundtrack by Christopher Larkin, the tight combat, and the sheer scale of the world. Four free content expansions added after launch, including Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster, pushed an already substantial game into something enormous.

Criticism exists, and it’s pointed. But the conversation almost always ends in the same place: this is one of the best games in its genre, and it costs less than a meal.

Where Hollow Knight Excels

Combat feels precise in a way that makes every encounter matter. The Knight’s moveset starts simple, a nail for striking and a dash for dodging, but expands through charms that allow deep customization. Boss fights are the highlight for most players, with over 30 major encounters that each demand pattern recognition and careful execution. Victories feel earned because the game never hands them out for free, and that sense of accomplishment is one of the most frequently praised aspects across community discussions.

Exploration is where Hollow Knight separates itself from other Metroidvanias. Hallownest is massive, with interconnected zones that each carry a distinct visual identity and atmosphere. Forgotten Crossroads feels nothing like the lush greenery of Greenpath, which feels nothing like the oppressive darkness of Deepnest. The game trusts players to find their own path through this world, and that trust pays off in the form of constant discovery. Secret rooms, hidden bosses, and entire optional areas reward curiosity in ways that keep surprising players dozens of hours in.

Hand-drawn art and Christopher Larkin’s soundtrack work together to create an atmosphere that players describe as haunting, melancholy, and beautiful in equal measure. Every area has its own musical identity, and the visual design gives each enemy and environment a personality that sticks with you. The music alone has developed its own following, with soundtrack discussions appearing in communities that have nothing to do with gaming.

Lore is delivered through environmental storytelling, item descriptions, and cryptic NPC dialogue rather than cutscenes or exposition dumps. Hallownest’s history unfolds for players who pay attention, and the community has spent years piecing together the full picture. That approach won’t satisfy everyone, but for those who enjoy it, the depth of the world-building is extraordinary.

Hollow Knight’s Content Shortcomings

Navigation frustrates a significant portion of the player base. The map system requires finding a cartographer named Cornifer in each new area before you have any sense of the layout, and your position only updates when you rest at a bench. Until you find the map, you’re navigating blind through hostile territory. This is a deliberate design choice meant to create tension and a sense of vulnerability, but for many players, it crosses the line from atmospheric into annoying. Backtracking through previously explored areas to reach new objectives can feel tedious, especially before fast-travel options open up.

Difficulty spikes hit hard and without warning. Some boss encounters and late-game platforming sections demand a level of precision that can feel at odds with the more relaxed exploration that surrounds them. The Godmaster content expansion, added free after launch, pushed this to its extreme with a series of boss rush challenges that even dedicated fans consider punishing. Players who don’t enjoy learning boss patterns through repeated failure will hit walls they can’t get past.

Early hours offer very little guidance about where to go or what to prioritize. The game’s non-linear structure is a strength for experienced players, but newcomers report spending long stretches feeling lost and unsure whether they’re making progress. Combined with the map system, this creates an onboarding experience that loses some players before the game reveals its best qualities.

The Price of Ambition for Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight’s greatest achievement is how much it accomplishes within a single, unified vision. The art, music, combat, and world all serve the same purpose: making Hallownest feel like a real place with a real history. Four free content expansions didn’t just add more stuff. They deepened what was already there. That level of generosity from a small studio, at a budget price point, set expectations that the rest of the indie space still struggles to match.

The cost of that ambition is accessibility. This is not a game that meets players halfway. It expects you to get lost, to fail, to figure things out on your own. For those who click with that philosophy, the reward is one of the richest experiences in the genre. For those who don’t, it can feel like the game is actively working against your enjoyment.

Should You Play Hollow Knight?

Players who love exploration-driven games with deep combat and environmental storytelling will find one of the best examples ever made. Fans of the Metroidvania genre owe it to themselves to play this if they haven’t already. Anyone who values atmosphere, challenge, and a game that respects their intelligence will find a lot to love.

Skip it if you prefer clear objectives and guided progression. If getting lost in a game world sounds frustrating rather than exciting, or if punishing boss fights drain your patience faster than they build your determination, Hollow Knight will test you in ways that aren’t fun for everyone.

The Verdict on Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is a masterclass in what a small team can accomplish with focus and ambition. Team Cherry built a world that rewards every hour you pour into it, backed by combat that stays sharp from the first swing to the last boss. Navigation frustrations and a punishing difficulty curve will drive some players away, and that’s a fair response to a game that refuses to hold your hand. But for those willing to get lost in Hallownest, there’s nothing else quite like it in the genre. Four free content expansions and a price tag that borders on absurd for the amount of game you get only make the case stronger.