Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie
Developer: Team Cherry
Publisher: Team Cherry
Release Date: Feb 25, 2017
Hollow Knight is a metroidvania indie adventure game from Team Cherry. Team Cherry is a three man team from southern Australia and this is their first game. They got their start together through game jams but bonded over their mutual love of Zelda II. Hollow Knight is their answer to all they love about video games. Their passionate love for games truly shines through and draws the player into a world filled to the brim with mystery and adventure. Having revealed a little background of the dev team, I will now get into the review itself.
Since its release, Hollow Knight has thrilled and challenged players of all ages, skills, and temperaments with its unique and quirky world. It is rife with all sorts of unusual characters and lore. It has also gotten a start in the speed running community with a lot of speed runners finishing the game in under 2 ½ hours. There are actually two speed running achievements built into the game: one to finish the game in under three hours and the other to 100% the game in under 20 hours.
What is so amazing about this game that drives people to attempt such feats? Is it the allure of a challenge?Perhaps it’s something else? Whatever the reason, it is clearly being well received so I took a chance and dived right into it. You begin the game on the outskirts of Hallowsnest and work your way to Dirtmouth, a desolate village sitting on top of Hallowsnest. Here, you are warned about the dangers below and, like many before you, you head down into the depths seeking glory and fame. Your journey will take you from ancient caves to the edges of a kingdom.
As I was playing the game, it reminded me of older games like Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night. It felt like everything was interconnected and, throughout the game, you could revisit previous locations to get past areas you were not able to access before. This game delivers that in such a way that it does not feel arduous at all. In other words, it doesn’t feel like, “Oh God, why do I have to deal with this shit again?” The biggest draw to the game, other than the nostalgia I get from playing it, is the absolutely gorgeous detail they put into designing the areas and characters.
Even though the game is 2D, the depth and clarity of the world created shines through in an almost 3D-like way, even right down to the spider-like enemies, with their creepiness, who can die in a fire. They are so well designed that I can’t even bring myself to hate them although I can’t stand them. Don’t even get me started on the sounds they make, either; they’re too perfect. Speaking of which, the music for the game is absolutely amazing and voices for the characters and sound effects fit perfectly in place. Overall, the game is a true gem and the only thing I would change is the option to have different difficulty modes. Everything else, from the gorgeously designed environment to the gameplay and beyond, makes this game well worth picking up, even for the casual player.
Pros:
- Great speed running game
- Amazing detail to levels and enemies
- Creepy spider things
- Wonderful sound effects
- Massive map with nooks and crannies
Cons:
- Creepy spider things
- No way to change the difficulty level
BoxCatHero gives Hollow Knight a Drastik Measure of 9.9 out of 10 (99).
Hollow Knight is available for the price of $14.99 USD on Steam.
