Explore a richly detailed Metroidvania adventure
Hollow Knight delivers a captivating Metroidvania experience in an action-adventure game with several enemies to encounter. Developed by Team Cherry, this title stands out by presenting an expansive and interconnected 2D world filled with intricately designed regions. Players can immerse themselves in exploration, uncover secrets, and engage with multiple endings, making it a compelling choice for fans of nonlinear action-adventure games.
The heart of Hollow Knight lies beneath the town of Dirtmouth, in the ancient kingdom of Hallownest. This world is composed of distinctly themed, interconnected areas such as twisting caverns, overgrown cities, and desolate wastes. The game’s design encourages players to chart their own paths, as entire regions can be bypassed depending on the route taken, enhancing replayability, and players encounter various barriers that require specific skills, abilities, or narrative milestones to progress. The presence of insectoid NPCs and merchants, all brought to life with detailed 2D frame-by-frame animation, adds depth and dynamism to the environment. Collecting Geo, the in-game currency dropped by enemies, allows interactions with shopkeepers and acquisition of valuable items, further enriching the gameplay loop.
A vast and immersive world to discover
Engaging combat and progression system
Hollow Knight features a robust combat system with over 130 unique enemies and 40 challenging bosses. The controls are easy to learn and intuitive, focusing on fluidity and responsiveness to help players master timing and strategy, but casual players might feel frustrated with the notorious difficulty of boss fights and platforming challenges. Combat is intricately linked to progression, as defeating bosses unlocks new areas essential to advancing the story.
A central combat and progression feature is the resource gathered from hitting enemies, called Soul, which is used for both healing and casting Spells. The game also integrates a growth mechanic of the Charm Notches, where the Knight gains new abilities, offering varied tactics and personalized playstyles, but the nonlinear and subtle nature of the story and world design tends to players feeling lost or confused about their next objective, since there are no quest markers or hint systems to steer them in the right direction.
Freedom of exploration with narrative depth
The nonlinear gameplay invites players to explore an interconnected labyrinth at their own pace, with choices affecting which areas and secrets are discovered. Different endings depend on player decisions, encouraging multiple playthroughs and deeper narrative engagement. Story elements unfold through environmental cues, NPC dialogue, and subtle storytelling rather than explicit exposition. A key feature of the Metroidvania is that players must purchase the map for a region from the cartographer, and then find benches to update the map, making mapping an active process in the game.
Focused and effective Metroidvania experience
Hollow Knight excels in delivering an immersive nonlinear exploration game combined with a strong combat system and atmospheric presentation. While its complex world structure might lead to overlooked areas, its detailed environments, rich combat, and multiple endings provide a rewarding experience. This mobile adaptation stands as a technically solid and engaging Metroidvania journey for players seeking depth and challenge.
Pros
- Intuitive controls
- Choices heavily affect gameplay
- Hand-drawn 2D visuals and frame-by-frame animation
Cons
- High difficulty
- Lack of quest markers or hint system