Hollow Knight: Silksong
It doesn’t take long for Silksong to remind you of what was so special about the original. It’s not just the tightly tuned arcade combat and platforming, the expansive 2D maze of interlocking tunnels, arenas, and hidden secrets, or the evocative but concise worldbuilding perpetually humming with an overwhelming sense of mystery, mythology, and tragic struggle. It’s all of those things plus an unmistakably cozy streak of whimsical interactions and characters. Throw Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, and The NeverEnding Story into a trash can, shake it around a bunch, have Nintendo assemble the pieces into a game, ramp up the difficulty a lot, and you might get something with a similar feel. Hollow Knight: Silksong beautifully maps the struggle to find what is lost and surmount what once seemed insurmountable onto an elegant Metroidvania Soulslike that rewards those who refuse to put it down. – Ethan Gach
