Hollow Knight

 PC
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 2265 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,028 out of 2265
  2. Mixed: 123 out of 2265
  3. Negative: 114 out of 2265

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  1. lemail
    Mar 4, 2023
    7
    a Game that's art style is so amazing it has blinded many players to the sub par gameplay and average to a bit over average sounds and music. Mostly throughout the game, I was bored. Bosses were cool though and even challenging at times.
  2. waverfader
    Jun 13, 2020
    7
    Generally good. A bit tedious halfway through as you need to traverse old areas over and over again and fast travel is not great.
  3. Prizm
    Feb 29, 2020
    7
    Hollow Knight is polished and definitely worth a buy on sale, but trying to do multiple moves and attacks feels sluggish. The storyline is also utter gibberish and I gave up trying to understand anything.

    Coming from Axiom Verge where the controls feel sharp and responsive, I don't remember once ever blaming the controls when I died in Axiom Verge. If I died, I *knew* it was my fault.    Hollow Knight is polished and definitely worth a buy on sale, but trying to do multiple moves and attacks feels sluggish. The storyline is also utter gibberish and I gave up trying to understand anything.

    Coming from Axiom Verge where the controls feel sharp and responsive, I don't remember once ever blaming the controls when I died in Axiom Verge. If I died, I *knew* it was my fault.
    Hollow Knight is *not* like this. Going from one quick move/attack to another feels sluggish. So many times I died during a boss battle and it felt unfair because I *did* hit the button to attack, but my character didn't respond because he was taking his time finishing his last sword swipe and probably having a cup of coffee in between.

    There are one or two powerups that make you a little more responsive, but it's too little and too late in the game. You also shouldn't need to waste powerups making your character simply *playable*.

    The storyline and dialog are nonsense. I have no idea what they're going on about and there's too many references to names and places that mean nothing to me. If you want to make names and places mean something, then my character has to be actively involved in those things for me to remember it or even care. If I have to look up some explanation video online, it means there's a failure in storytelling. I don't have time to look up basic stuff that should be accessible/understandable in-game.

    The other thing was that every section of the map has a depressing mood, and most of the characters are gloomy or downcast in some way. There are some really beautiful sections of the map, but it is a pity that everything has this somber mood and music. The storyline might call for it, but at the end of the day the player has to put up with it and have a desire to keep coming back to the game.

    I liked the game enough to persevere to the end, and I really liked how many classic platform moves were incorporated, such as the DuckTales-like pogo/bounce attack.

    One other minor issue is that I played this game after all the DLC was released. Some DLC portions of the map felt a little disjointed and separate from the main game, but that is understandable since they were tacked on later.

    Also, I ignored this game for years because I thought it was just another DLC for Shovel Knight. I never cared enough to actually find out it was an unrelated game. I mean really, why use "knight" in the title and create the character with horns that looks like Shovel Knight's helmet?    … Expand
  4. kurt_russell
    Feb 26, 2020
    6
    if you like backtracking for 10-15 mins every time you die, and if you like games with no sense of direction, then you'll love it. I found it frustrating and lost interest after about 15 hours in.
  5. SKTahmid
    Dec 31, 2020
    5
    While it has good combat system, it eventually gets very boring. Hollow knight is not very rewarding. It feels like a shameless ripoff of Dark Souls. Classic Metroidvanias rewards for exploring, but for Hollow Knight opposite is true. Useless platforms, and lack of rewarding doesn't incentivize the exploring.
  6. rezo_21
    Oct 14, 2021
    7
    ====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 69 IIIIIIIIII====================
  7. Shimmeywill
    Mar 17, 2020
    7
    A strong platformer with charming art style, tight controls and great atmosphere.
  8. merkachesu
    Dec 12, 2019
    7
    el juego es muy bueno, un buen plataformero pero no es del todo mi estilo...
  9. tsunemoriakane
    Oct 30, 2021
    7
    hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
  10. guyza123
    Mar 4, 2017
    7
    + Extremely well made aesthetically
    - Loathe the confusing level layout

    If the game laid everything out nicely, it would be a 10/10 for me.
    I cannot play the game anymore, as I am sick of backtracking.
  11. Steeldude
    May 22, 2017
    7
    This is a very fun and quite an amazing game, but it is way too hard. I'm a bad player and I got frustrated very shortly after starting (reaching the first boss), so I stopped playing because it wasn't fun doing the same passage over and over again and dying every time. It's a good metroidvania game, but the difficulty is quite unforgiving. Even some regular enemies can kill you super easyThis is a very fun and quite an amazing game, but it is way too hard. I'm a bad player and I got frustrated very shortly after starting (reaching the first boss), so I stopped playing because it wasn't fun doing the same passage over and over again and dying every time. It's a good metroidvania game, but the difficulty is quite unforgiving. Even some regular enemies can kill you super easy (like the one guarding the first boss). I am not an extremely good gamer either, so that also counts towards that.
    if you like metroidvania games and enjoy some challenge - this is a 9/10 game for you. But if you wanted something more relaxing (like I did) you will likely be disappointed.    … Expand
  12. curzon_dax
    Apr 14, 2017
    6
    Extremely overrated. The game isn't bad, it does make the "Arcade"/"nu-Action Adventure" genre well, but the rating we see of 8+ is seriously overvalued. Their quality assurance team/guy had a severe lack of perspective of how frustrating it can be to a beginner to the game. It throws you in an environment that explains NOTHING, and while that *CAN* be good, it is NOT done well. First ofExtremely overrated. The game isn't bad, it does make the "Arcade"/"nu-Action Adventure" genre well, but the rating we see of 8+ is seriously overvalued. Their quality assurance team/guy had a severe lack of perspective of how frustrating it can be to a beginner to the game. It throws you in an environment that explains NOTHING, and while that *CAN* be good, it is NOT done well. First of all you collect a currency that is apparently extremely important in the game. But, the game tells you zero information about it. That could be fine and well if it didn't have a mechanic that zeroes your currency without ever being informed that can be possible. Not only that, but it throws the player immediately into some of its most hard to navigate and survive levels. In general the game tries to keep a "mystery" and "hard" element, but it becomes a disaster because it overdoes it with those two elements. Games are boring when they are too easy, or when they are too hand-holded, that is true, but this has passed the threshold of excess. In no way it is excessive for all people, otherwise it wouldn't deserve even a 6, but in my opinion this game is extremely overrated due to its ability to frustrate a lot if not most people.… Expand
  13. NathanielPrime
    Nov 2, 2017
    5
    The good - Absolutely beautiful, tight combat
    The bad - Most everything else
    The ugly - The map, the repitition This is a game about being wandering around lost in a network of gorgeous caves. But when I mean lost, I don't mean "lost in thought" or "lost in wonder", I mean lost as in "walking back and forth with no idea where you're are or where you're supposed to be going. The late    The good - Absolutely beautiful, tight combat
    The bad - Most everything else
    The ugly - The map, the repitition

    This is a game about being wandering around lost in a network of gorgeous caves. But when I mean lost, I don't mean "lost in thought" or "lost in wonder", I mean lost as in "walking back and forth with no idea where you're are or where you're supposed to be going. The late game really goes off the rails, giving you destinations but no idea how to get there. How do you get to boss in the bottom of the map? Going to the far top right of the map, of course, and getting an easily-missed upgrade! I didn't check one path because I thought I had already been there, and paid for it with literally over three hours of wandering. This game can NOT be played without a guide.

    There is more to this game, but the vast majority is wandering around lost, so I won't get into too much detail. Combat is tight but extremely repetitive - you use your basic sword (called a Nail) for the entire game. Your "special attacks" amount to a magic blast up, a magic dive down, and a magic ball forward. You get all three seperately to enhance the illusion of progression and variety.

    There is one good thing to say, though! This game is gorgeous. There's no two ways about it! Almost the entirety of the game takes place underground, but despite this every area is distinct and the ambiance is different. The shining and ethereal Crystal Peak, the creepy Deepnest, the desolate Dirtmouth, and the barren Ancient Basin. Best of all is the City of Tears, an ancient, abandoned city where it is contantly "raining".

    But really, this is a game to watch, not one worth playing. Get some poor sucker to play it nearby and enjoy the ambience from a distance. Otherwise you're going to be spending hours hunting that one switch in that one room that will open the path to that one ability that will let you get to that one quest spot.    … Expand
  14. omg_wot
    Mar 29, 2017
    5
    I really dislike this game for a variety of reasons, and while it might be that Metroidvania games just aren't for me, I think there are a few ways that Hollow Knight can improve to make it a much better experience for any gamer, not just fans of the Metroid series.

    The good: * The level design is great and every overworld feels expansive * Hollow Knight controls fluidly and attacks    I really dislike this game for a variety of reasons, and while it might be that Metroidvania games just aren't for me, I think there are a few ways that Hollow Knight can improve to make it a much better experience for any gamer, not just fans of the Metroid series.

    The good:

    * The level design is great and every overworld feels expansive
    * Hollow Knight controls fluidly and attacks feel responsive
    * In terms of presentation, the game is extremely polished and well thought out.

    The bad:

    * The pacing of the game is very bad in the beginning. Most players will struggle to find upgrades for Hollow Knight and while some areas are clearly inaccessible due to lack of upgrades, there are simply too many instances of inaccessibility to keep track of. This is something that Metroid games do well; they give you enough cognitive load so that you can understand what you can come back for without feeling overwhelming. They do this by keeping the scope small at first and then gradually opening the game.
    * The game itself is very unfun. Most of the areas, while extremely polished, look exactly the same and aren't really very unique. The game really didn't keep me engaged as I would have liked from a modern sidescroller and I found myself getting bored often. The combat, while responsive, also isn't very fun. Maybe I didn't unlock enough parts of Hollow Knight, but an hour and a half in I still hadn't found any upgrades to spice things up or make it easier to kill enemies.
    * The enemies are mostly unoriginal. You'll find your same old walkers, sprinters, jumpers, knights, etc. Some bosses have the same types of attacks and weaknesses. I would have liked to see some more creative enemies that aren't so similar. Games like Shovel Knight do this well; enemies are extremely varied, have different properties, and bosses usually have very unique mechanics.
    * The sound is very hit or miss, mostly being a miss. The thwacks and the thumps of being engaged in combat aren't satisfying and a lot of creatures sound mostly the same. It's almost as if the sound designer had no idea what compression is.
    * You lose all of your credits when you die. This was quite possibly the most frustrating thing for me. I was on my way to grab an item in Dirtmouth when I ran into a boss while having low health and naturally, I died. It spawned me at a save station and all of that progress I had made was gone. This seems like a really outdated mechanic and I would like to see other solutions that don't involve losing all of your progress. Maybe provide a save station next to boss encounters or restart boss encounters given that your players will be fighting the boss many times... etc.    … Expand
  15. Aleosha
    Apr 11, 2019
    5
    Totally horrible level design. The game looks and sounds gorgeous, but it has some severe backtracking issues. Developers simply decided not to put fast travel points or shortcuts into some of the remote areas like Deepnest and Ancient Basin. So, out of 20-30 hours it will take you to finish this game without a guide, 10 of them will be because you have to repeat same platforming over andTotally horrible level design. The game looks and sounds gorgeous, but it has some severe backtracking issues. Developers simply decided not to put fast travel points or shortcuts into some of the remote areas like Deepnest and Ancient Basin. So, out of 20-30 hours it will take you to finish this game without a guide, 10 of them will be because you have to repeat same platforming over and over again.
    Now, you would thing "Ok, this is Metroidvania, of course there's backtracking". But, there's backtracking, which is why we all enjoy the genre, and there's Backtracking. When you literally has to cross the map from one point to the other, because somebody decided not to put fast travel anywhere close. It will literally take you 2-3 minutes of real time to get where you need.
    So yeah, you come to a point when you get a new skill, look at where you could use it and literally go "Nope, not going there again, Deepnest".
    Some bosses, like the Hive Knight and Traitor Lord are especially notorious for this. Hive Knight is literally 5 minutes of real time platforming and fighting away from the bench.
    Do yourself a favor, and farm for Dreamgate which allows you to set a teleport before a boss.
    Also, if you don't like extensive platforming, stay away from this game. By the end of it, you'll feel like you're playing some Super Meat Boy.    … Expand
  16. singlungchan
    Jul 17, 2017
    5
    This has to be the most annoying metroid-like game I've played. It is not too difficult but it just plays this specific game on the player. It makes you want to throw your joystick at the wall. Although I like it, I always leave it with a feeling of un-satisfaction. I've played a lot of games when the norm is to die a lot. Not the case here - as the norm is to be annoyed a lot instead.
  17. mimida21
    Aug 8, 2018
    7
    from an unknown bug to a moth, from a basic tutorial to KICKING YOUR A$$ EVERY 30 MINUTES, this game keep killing me every time i tried to do a process,
    but for anyone who like hardcore games or a hardcore gamer him/herself, i recommend you buy this game and playing it, otherwise STAY, AWAY, FROM IT.
    i have finish it over 50 HOURS, with 104 % completion. hollow knight is not a bad    from an unknown bug to a moth, from a basic tutorial to KICKING YOUR A$$ EVERY 30 MINUTES, this game keep killing me every time i tried to do a process,
    but for anyone who like hardcore games or a hardcore gamer him/herself, i recommend you buy this game and playing it, otherwise STAY, AWAY, FROM IT.
    i have finish it over 50 HOURS, with 104 % completion.

    hollow knight is not a bad game(is a GREAT GAME IF YOU ASK ME), but is was so hard, i finally finish it and never EVER touch it ever again. (also hollow knight is my second metroidvania finishing as far as i know)    … Expand
  18. BlakeArius
    Mar 13, 2017
    7
    Highly inspired by both metroid-vania and dark souls. The graphics and tone are nice though the jumping feels quite stiff. Its not as good as say "ori and the blind forest" but it is solid choice for anyone who's a fan of platformers.
  19. kezzyhko
    Jul 25, 2020
    7
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
  20. CTAN
    Jun 3, 2022
    5
    I completed this game, even all the side quest. It's basically Dark Soul in nut shell. There are good things about this game, good map, different style of storytelling, character designs, etc. But, I don't think the game system is fair and balanced, it's punishing system discourage players to play through the game, and action and movement are quite stiff to me.
  21. dubesor
    Feb 24, 2022
    7
    it's a very good game in terms of polish, gameplay, aesthetics. I finished it with KB+M but I think controller would work better. The issue I have with the game is the massive amount of backtracking required.

    Most areas in the game have cut off sections that require Skill A, B, C etc so you will find yourself revisiting the same areas over and over again. I also found the maps not    it's a very good game in terms of polish, gameplay, aesthetics. I finished it with KB+M but I think controller would work better. The issue I have with the game is the massive amount of backtracking required.

    Most areas in the game have cut off sections that require Skill A, B, C etc so you will find yourself revisiting the same areas over and over again. I also found the maps not detailed enough. It shows just a massive room with no detail whereas it should be showing the tunnels and maze if we already went through it multiple times. You have markers but cannot add text to the markers, making them significantly less useful. Indoor locations have no map whatsoever. Many of the areas are build like mazes, which was annoying because of this.

    Currency felt pretty useless very early on. I found myself with tens of thousands of currency with nothing to spend it on. The first 5-10 hours required currency and the other 20+ hours I basically needed none whatsoever. Definitely missing some vendors or stocked items here.

    While bosses can be annoying to deal with at times, in particular due to the map layout and often long backtracking (up to 15 minutes per attempt in some cases), they are overall pretty fun. The mechanics are done well and after 2-3 attempts I found myself having learned their moveset and timings enough to beat them. You cannot brute force them which was nice.

    Overall a good game with some annoyances.    … Expand
  22. Souls2
    Sep 2, 2023
    7
    Incredible graphics and gameplay, but very labyrinthine and more labyrinthine.
  23. Glaceon_Hit
    Mar 20, 2023
    7
    I like the game. It is big and enjoyable. So many secrets everywhere. I did 100% of the game without any help. I only use internet to find Grey Mourner and 2 charms. I am so proud from finding so many secrets even the Grimm Company. I enjoyed to much this.

    Gameplay is funny. Never used the Nail Abilities. A lot of times I lost lifes but it is easy to recovered. Lore is something i    I like the game. It is big and enjoyable. So many secrets everywhere. I did 100% of the game without any help. I only use internet to find Grey Mourner and 2 charms. I am so proud from finding so many secrets even the Grimm Company. I enjoyed to much this.

    Gameplay is funny. Never used the Nail Abilities. A lot of times I lost lifes but it is easy to recovered.

    Lore is something i didnt like. The main story at all. Nobody is telling what to do. Or what is happening. I just found the bosses and killed them. Other npcs stories are bad but others are good.

    The enemys are cool. But the bosses are boring. I like a few of them.

    I like some hardcore gameplay like those challenges in the arena or whte knight. But the pantheon or extra achievements is too much time to spend. I dont want to waste other walkthroughs.    … Expand
  24. fastoch82
    Oct 15, 2022
    6
    I don't think it deserves such a high score.
    The art direction has absolutely no effect on me, the difficulty is poorly managed compared to a game like Dead Cells, nothing kept me engaged and I couldn't finish it.
    Overall, an impressive work for such a small team, but in the end a boring game which adds nothing new to the genre.
  25. Dyldom
    Jun 9, 2023
    7
    Hollow Knight has some great ideas and I feel like I came so close to finding it as endearing as everyone else, but far too often does it begin to feel like those deliberately frustrating platformers like Getting Over It, an un-telegraphed pit of spikes or an exploding enemy corpse can send you way back to the start of an area to redo all your progress. The art-style, combat, and worldHollow Knight has some great ideas and I feel like I came so close to finding it as endearing as everyone else, but far too often does it begin to feel like those deliberately frustrating platformers like Getting Over It, an un-telegraphed pit of spikes or an exploding enemy corpse can send you way back to the start of an area to redo all your progress. The art-style, combat, and world building are more than enough to make this game worth your time, but for me the frustrating platforming and aimless backtracking got in the way of something otherwise very special.… Expand
  26. Zeneko90
    Jun 2, 2022
    7
    Nettes. Spiel es hat echt viel Spaß gemacht. Mehr davon! Nicht zu lang, nicht zu kurz. Genau richtig.
  27. Cup__
    Feb 22, 2022
    6
    O jogo é lindo, bem feito, mas, eu não gostei do tipo do jogo, eu não sei o porquê, eu vi meu irmão jogando e eu pensava que era incrível, mas no final não gostei.
  28. GuidoTheHare
    Jul 14, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Si te gusta el género Metroidmania, este juego te gustará. Buena historia, banda sonora y buena jugabilidad. Le doy está nota porque no me quede satisfecho con la jugabilidad y la historia. Hay agujeros en la historia que nos dejan con intrigas.… Expand
  29. Aqualonuss
    Nov 5, 2022
    7
    "Charmantes Indiespiel, mit schöner Welt."

    Bin kein Metroidvaniafan, weshalb die niedrige Punktzahl vllt ein wenig unfair ist.
  30. AlexMakesToast
    Jan 4, 2023
    5
    Not my cup of tea
    ..........................................................
  31. oopkp
    Feb 23, 2023
    7
    I can go on about the merits of this game: fluid controls, challenging bosses, a deep, mysterious atmosphere. It has a ton of content and I honestly enjoyed every second of it. Unfortunately, it is heavily weighed down by its simplistic and cartoonish graphics which trivialize the whole message of the game. I want to praise this game and show it to my friends but I feel uncomfortable doingI can go on about the merits of this game: fluid controls, challenging bosses, a deep, mysterious atmosphere. It has a ton of content and I honestly enjoyed every second of it. Unfortunately, it is heavily weighed down by its simplistic and cartoonish graphics which trivialize the whole message of the game. I want to praise this game and show it to my friends but I feel uncomfortable doing that knowing that it looks like a game made for children. It feels like they went with the cartoony art style to save costs, but it brings down the experience so much that what should have been a 10/10 goes down to a 7. I would recommend this game if you really like metroidvania games but older players would probably prefer more mature games like Call of Duty or Halo.… Expand
  32. tizionimus
    Jun 21, 2023
    5
    Honestly, this game is pretty boring. Even the parts that engaged me the most were not that exciting. The combat also is nothing spectacular.
    The only thing that is above average is the artstyle that looks gorgeous,

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best PC Game of 2017
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
77
#77 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Hooked Gamers
    Jul 29, 2018
    100
    Hollow Knight is one of the best 2D platformers I’ve ever played - it is a beautiful, quirky and dynamic game; challenging yet rewarding; mournful yet brimming with hope. When it comes to console, it’s going to cause a real stir.
    Read full review
  2. IGN
    Jun 22, 2018
    94
    Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania with a well of content to discover that’s as deep as its labyrinthine caves. The world of Hallownest is compelling and rich, full of story that’s left for you to discover on your own, and built with branching paths that offer an absurd amount of choice in how you go about discovering it. With such a high density of secrets to find and fun, challenging enemies to face, it’s worth spending every moment you can in Hollow Knight.
    Read full review
  3. GameStar
    Jan 2, 2018
    84
    A very difficult and hand-drawn Metroidvania with an enormous size for players with a lot of patience and a high frustration tolerance.
    Read full review
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