Dillon Mears

Hollow Knight sucked me in as no other game has done in a while, but in the end, I was left with a void unfulfilled. With Metroidvanias being one of my favorite genres, I was excited to play Hollow Knight. Entering an unfamiliar world open to be explored however I wanted to explore it, immediately sucked me into the vast world of Hollow Knight. The little to no handholding that didn't force me down a linear path was an amazing experience. This isn't found enough in games today. As Hollow Knight, I could explore as far as I dared. This often time brought about challenging situations that were greatly enjoyed. World: The vastness of Hollow Knight, accompanied by an explore as much as you dare feel, was by far my favorite part of Hollow Knight. I kept challenging myself to explore deeper into Hollow Knight, even though my Knight was often unprepared for the challenge. Traversing the world can be very challenging at times, but almost always enjoyable! Combat: Hollow Knight's combat was fun, simple, challenging, and very enjoyable. I enjoyed the simplicity and versatility of the charm system provided. I was able to constantly change my builds to fine-tune my Knight's abilities to best prepare for the situation at hand. Bosses: Hollow Knight's bosses are amazing. I was impressed by the vast amount of bosses and how unique each boss was. Each boss challenged me in very different ways and forced me to hone my skills in all areas of combat (nail, spells, mobility, charm load outs, etc.). Story: I have a love-hate relationship with Hollow Knight's story. The game provides little explanation of what is going on/happened in Hollow Knight. There are hints scattered throughout the game, but there is nothing concrete. As I played, the lack of understanding was something that drew me into the game. I wanted to explore every corner of the world and experience everything there was to experience. But, as the game concluded, I was left with an unfilled void. It felt like the game did very little to answer my many many questions. Therefore, leaving me disappointed and unfulfilled at the end of the game. I hope the next game brings more depth and clarity to the Hollow Knight story. Overall, Hollow Knight is one of my favorite games. The gameplay, world, combat, bosses, and story all work together to provide a fun and challenging experience. Hollow Knight is a must-play game. I am excited to see what Team Cherry does next.

A beautiful world with an intriguing battle system that falls short. I loved exploring the world, conversing with NPCs, and saving the Mushroom Kingdom (again). The game was lacking in two areas for me. One, the battle system. At first, I enjoyed it. I love solving logic puzzles and the battle system provided great excitement at first. This quickly faded and many of the battles became repetitive and drawn out. The boss battles were fun, but I found myself avoiding minions due to the battle system faults mentioned. Second, development missed the mark with your "sidekicks". At different points in the game, characters team up with you. In most rpgs, these characters can be controlled and used in battle. In this game, they are a waste of space. You have no control over their actions and are left wondering why they are there. I had fun playing this game, but much was left to be desired. If you are a huge Nintendo franchise fan like me, pick this game up, otherwise keep looking for something else to play.