[Request] [Steam] Hollow Knight, a platforming indie game by Team Cherry. (2nd attempt)
Good day people of Gift of Games! I hope you all are doing swell right now in these dicey times.
I don’t plan on feeding you a story, just that I love this game, so let’s hop into what Hollow Knight actually is, shall we?
Hollow Knight is a $15 Metroidvania style game released on most platforms that you could imagine, including Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam. It takes place in the bug kingdom of Hallownest, which is mostly underground, and you play as a little insect knight that’s doing his best to uncover the secrets of said kingdom.
You’re goal at first isn’t clear, and it takes some time to get started, but you do have a linear goal, which mostly starts 2-3 bosses, and of course, a good bit of exploration, into the game.
One of the best things about this game in my opinion though, is that it doesn’t shove this goal into your face. So while a first playthrough may take 70 hours, people have learned it like the back of their hand, and they can speedrun it in only 33 minutes, picking up the bare necessities of movement. You don’t necessarily NEED one item to get another, and there’s always another way, if you put the time into exploring, which is always rewarded. Most areas in the game have 2-3 entrances, except for one or two highly endgame areas.
The game is played your way every single run, and that way, it’s less likely to become stale.
Sadly, I can’t go too far into exactly what each ability takes the form of(besides the fact that they’re based on insects), as that’s spoiler territory for a lot of endgame content, but there are some interesting ones such as a dash, wall jump, and a double jump. Starting without these things leaves many stones unturned at first, but once you do acquire them, you can zip around like nobody’s business.
Another great thing about the game is just the way it feels alive around you. Not every event revolves around the player character, and multiple NPCs are found hopping around the map in situations without any of your input. While this may sound confusing to others, I just really love how it makes the NPCs feel like actual people who have their own lives. It’s just another layer of immersion for me, and I love it. That dude you talked to who was in search of a challenge? He’ll find it, on his own. Because he’s his own character. It just gives a really nice feel.
I don’t want to ramble on for too long, but thank you all for reading this far, and I hope you stay safe!