Chris W

A lot of parts are entertaining, but a few words of caution: If you don’t like metroidvania games to begin with, I doubt this one is going to change your mind. There are definitely points where you will be completely unaware of what your next steps will or should be. Get ready for a good amount of random exploring (just like the genre typically requires), or a lot of googling if you’re less into that. If you are super interested in the story, lower your expectations somewhat. It’s extremely easy to miss dialogue or not capture the vague nuances or connections of the various statements made by NPCs, relics scattered throughout the world (many of which are well hidden), and internal thoughts of the characters (which only become accessible later in the game). There are plot synopses available online, but even now there are still some significant disagreements on key plot points. A carefully crafted story does not Hollow Knight provide; more like general snippets of lore for you to try to piece together. If you want to get as much story as possible, be ready for a lot of extra exploring and make sure you talk to each NPC multiple times, as they each have several layers of dialogue. Finally, if you are playing Voidheart edition, understand that there are 4 DLC packs included, expanding the game significantly. I finished the game having a 105% completion rate (112% is the max in voidheart) and that required 50+ hours as an average VG player. There’s a lot here to do if you want to complete the game with the best ending - that could be a good or a bad thing depending on your time available and perspective. I don’t think it lives up to the hype your typically hear, but at the same time it’s a generally enjoyable game with interesting elements.