Hollow Knight

 Switch
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 2078 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,879 out of 2078
  2. Mixed: 74 out of 2078
  3. Negative: 125 out of 2078
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  1. Lordfate
    Nov 14, 2018
    4
    Map system is intenionally abusive, you literally have to buy and equip an upgrade just to see where you are on the map, and thats only after randomly stumbling on the map npc in _every_single_area_. Benches and fast travel are too widely spaced. Putting even the smallest amount of effort into the player experience would go a long way. Playing this game feels more like dating an abusive exMap system is intenionally abusive, you literally have to buy and equip an upgrade just to see where you are on the map, and thats only after randomly stumbling on the map npc in _every_single_area_. Benches and fast travel are too widely spaced. Putting even the smallest amount of effort into the player experience would go a long way. Playing this game feels more like dating an abusive ex than a game designed with fun in mind.… Expand
  2. quake2th
    Nov 10, 2021
    4
    Nice graphics, nice music, boring gameplay. This is good for an art museum, not a game.

    The "difficulty" is you spawning 10 screens away from the boss, forcing you to spend 45 minutes to try a boss encounter again. Plain stupid and boring gameplay.
  3. gq_foine
    Jan 25, 2019
    4
    This is the MOST overrated game I have played on the Switch! I played a lot of games and poured hours into this one. I don't believe the critics or users because there are several major issues I have with this game.. I have cleared Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Salt and Sanctuary and lots of other hard games.. The difficulty isn't the problem I have with this game, but the entire gameplay.This is the MOST overrated game I have played on the Switch! I played a lot of games and poured hours into this one. I don't believe the critics or users because there are several major issues I have with this game.. I have cleared Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Salt and Sanctuary and lots of other hard games.. The difficulty isn't the problem I have with this game, but the entire gameplay. I feel like its work and NOT enjoyment.

    1) Gameplay - The little coins you pick up is sparse but more importantly you have to purchase everything, Map, other BS tedious stuff. Purchasing items becomes strange.. Its as though I have to purchase everything and work.. Its seems more like a chore than a game! Score 2

    2) Controls - complete BS - the Power shoot button is the same thing for healing! WTF! So i have accidentally hit the power shot button but wanted to heal - leaving it to be wasteful!*The jump is completely BS - I die more times sliding off the edge than I do with regular enemies. Someone said the controls are tight?? They are ABSOLUTELY NOT! When you jump the jump feels like there is an invisible wall and not a normal jump arc.. Score 3

    3)Graphics - People said visuals are great.. They are OK - they made it sound like this artwork is absolutely amazing.. The colors are nice but the actual artwork is ehhh.. Its basic stuff - 6

    4) Level designs are completely horrible. Some kid developed these level designs since they are NOT FLUID! Its gets tiresome and exhausting! I have to backtrack over and over trying to figure out where I can and can not go.. I spend countless hours trying to figure out oh can I get through here or not? Score 2

    5) Music and sound effects - 5. Its ok but this doesn't compete to Salt and Sanctuary..

    Overall, I paid and very disappointed in how I feel I was misled on this game. People said this is challenging.. I don't find it that bad.. What's bad is the level design, controls, and gameplay. The tedious management of changing out your pins for special abilities only at the REST stop is annoying. This game seems like the developer was trying to make you WORK for it rather than enjoy it! If I feel like am playing a game that requires me to do WORK WORK its no longer a game.. Its WORK! I love a great challenge and the bosses have been fun but that's about it!    … Expand
  4. dsmith1701
    Oct 9, 2018
    4
    This game is way overrated, it feels the whole concept is built around making you feel bad. I have been playing dead cells next to this one, thats a hard game too but still feels way more fair. I also dont understand what sort of story people talk about this game? I have played many games but any game feels way more generous than this one (maybe Bloodborne or Dark Souls, and then maybe IThis game is way overrated, it feels the whole concept is built around making you feel bad. I have been playing dead cells next to this one, thats a hard game too but still feels way more fair. I also dont understand what sort of story people talk about this game? I have played many games but any game feels way more generous than this one (maybe Bloodborne or Dark Souls, and then maybe I am just not enjoying games that make you suffer). If you are thinking of buying this, buy dead cells instead, it is way better and feels unique.… Expand
  5. blasron
    Oct 16, 2018
    4
    This is a laggy buggy freaking mess with unavoidable attack. I won't recommend this game to anyone, if you want a hard but fair 2d game go get cuphead instead at LEAST you won't get fk over because the enemies stun lock you to death or the control give up middle of a fight.
  6. jeffbizloc
    Jul 3, 2018
    4
    Very frustrating game. I couldn't even get going as I got lost and then once I found a map I next needed a compass. I can explore but want a map, I am not some waiter who memorizes orders.

    Pros:
    - Looked nice and the controls felt fine

    Cons:
    - Lack of map
    - Lack of compass
  7. mrvertigo89
    Sep 6, 2018
    4
    I really wanted to like Hollow Knight. It's visually stunning, and the world is great; it's drawn on the classic Soulsbourne approach to a fragmented narrative that is pulled together through clues. I really enjoyed the exploration of the game, and it's pretty open quite early on. There is a fair amount of excitement when you get a new ability and can reach previously inaccessible areas.I really wanted to like Hollow Knight. It's visually stunning, and the world is great; it's drawn on the classic Soulsbourne approach to a fragmented narrative that is pulled together through clues. I really enjoyed the exploration of the game, and it's pretty open quite early on. There is a fair amount of excitement when you get a new ability and can reach previously inaccessible areas.

    But, the game is not fun. I love challenge in a game; I even completed the Bloodborne Chalice Dungeons, and I've completed every Souls game from Demon souls onwards, I don't mind taking my time and learning attack patterns / practice. But it's a real shame that the Hollow Knight designers have opted for some lazy artificial difficulty in most situations rather than actually designing. For example, most bosses only have a couple of attacks, but have so much health that you may well lose due to making a mistake because of the sheer length of time a fight can take. At another point, you fight a previous enemy again, only they are twice as fast. Another example is that some of the platforming sections require 10+ perfectly executed jumps with no save option anywhere along the way. This is made more frustrating as there is a slight delay in the game responding to jump inputs. The game also expects a whole lot of grinding to purchase necessary upgrades to open some paths.

    The game also doesn't value it's players time. As an adult who works most of the time, backtracking for 2-5 mins to get back to a boss or a painful platforming section is simply not acceptable in a modern game. The save points are few and far between, and there is no way of travelling between them, instead you have to rely on a separate transit system.

    i guess my final complaint is that they've just missed the mark. If you've ever played Salt & Sanctuary, a Soulsborne, Metroidvania styled platformer with a fantastic world, factions and a brilliant upgrade system. As such, playing Hollow Knight feels like it falls short on every bar, except possibly the world itself, which is great.

    TLDR: Lots of promise but not worth your time. Play Salt and Sanctuary, does everything better from the platforming to the world to the combat.    … Expand
  8. DonkeyBrains
    Jul 2, 2018
    4
    This game feels like a chore in every sense of the word. Everything from the monotonous gameplay to the bland environments makes this game feel very dull. Don't believe the hype.
  9. creamsodase
    Jul 18, 2018
    4
    This game, as many indie games nowadays is overhyped and overpraised. The combat is fun, the movement is tight, the art style of the characters is really easy to enjoy, but it's far from a refinement of the metroidvania formula. The progress in this game is hindered by long sessions of trying to find where to go next, mostly because the map system is blunt and uninspired, areas have barelyThis game, as many indie games nowadays is overhyped and overpraised. The combat is fun, the movement is tight, the art style of the characters is really easy to enjoy, but it's far from a refinement of the metroidvania formula. The progress in this game is hindered by long sessions of trying to find where to go next, mostly because the map system is blunt and uninspired, areas have barely any distinctive look and visual cue of direction and, god, it feels like there is no music or sound in this game.

    Remember Symphony of the Night? Super Metroid? these games that will make you get lost eventually (not in the first 2 hours of the game though) but you won't mind getting lost, since your are listening to a marvelous soundtrack and the map is not a time waster. Hollow knight on the other hand is a 15 min period of fun fighting new monsters or a boss and then you're back to trying to figure out where to go in boring monochromatic mazes with no music to back you up.

    I do realize the game is moody and atmospherical, but that doesn't makes it fun. It was a really bad choice for such a long game.    … Expand
  10. Nevermorenights
    Sep 9, 2019
    4
    Hollow Knight is an amazing game for its story and its narrative, but if you are a casual player and you want to experience all the game has to offer in terms of art, enemies, bosses, and endings, expect to see the game less as an enjoyable experience, and more as a chore with some bosses and locations easily taking hours just to overcome. I'm all for a challenge, but not if it takes awayHollow Knight is an amazing game for its story and its narrative, but if you are a casual player and you want to experience all the game has to offer in terms of art, enemies, bosses, and endings, expect to see the game less as an enjoyable experience, and more as a chore with some bosses and locations easily taking hours just to overcome. I'm all for a challenge, but not if it takes away from the enjoyment of the game itself.… Expand
  11. bencrvr31
    Aug 6, 2020
    4
    People are crazy. This is just a beautiful cover on boring platforming gameplay. I gave a few hours and nothing except the art style makes me want to continue. There are many flaws right from the start. When he hits someone a gigantic splash covers a lot of the screen, that sucks. Why are there still platformers being made? It came about due to restrictions in technology at the time, itPeople are crazy. This is just a beautiful cover on boring platforming gameplay. I gave a few hours and nothing except the art style makes me want to continue. There are many flaws right from the start. When he hits someone a gigantic splash covers a lot of the screen, that sucks. Why are there still platformers being made? It came about due to restrictions in technology at the time, it was never a good game style, and this is just slathering pretty all over boring gameplay. When am I going to learn that the negative reviews on metacritic are almost always right?! $15 down the drain, no desire to ever play this again. Mark of the Ninja is a vastly superior way to approach platforming with some creativity, this is straight dumb. Rayman Legends comes to mind as well. Haven't tried Celeste, but this sucks, so I'm not hopeful that all the positive reviews on Celeste mean anything. Don't buy this, it's lame, unless it's like $2, it's worth that just for the pretty.… Expand
  12. Rexum
    Apr 4, 2021
    4
    Hollow Knight is literally the most overrated game I have ever played. I didn’t even bother getting too far into the game because it was just so boring. I wanted to like it but I just couldn’t. I heard so many good things about this game and was disappointed to say the least. Honestly I would probably like this game if I gave it another chance but I just don’t want to. The game just feelsHollow Knight is literally the most overrated game I have ever played. I didn’t even bother getting too far into the game because it was just so boring. I wanted to like it but I just couldn’t. I heard so many good things about this game and was disappointed to say the least. Honestly I would probably like this game if I gave it another chance but I just don’t want to. The game just feels so empty with incredibly boring gameplay and unoriginal boring mechanics. I just never understood why everyone loved this game.… Expand
  13. watch3ye
    May 25, 2021
    4
    The art is great. That's it. As beautiful as the art itself can be, when you spend more time enjoying the scenery than the gameplay itself then there's a big problem as its not a point click exploration and relaxation simulator. Mind that I'm a huge fan of both Metroid and Castlevania series, I enjoy a lot when people inspire themselves on these titles but sometimes it just goes deathlyThe art is great. That's it. As beautiful as the art itself can be, when you spend more time enjoying the scenery than the gameplay itself then there's a big problem as its not a point click exploration and relaxation simulator. Mind that I'm a huge fan of both Metroid and Castlevania series, I enjoy a lot when people inspire themselves on these titles but sometimes it just goes deathly wrong.
    Hollow Knight here is just a mix of badly executed stuff put into a Castlevania skeleton - besides visual design, as I mentioned before. But let's be honest: for a game that cheap, what one should expect of great, right?
    Your character is incapable of doing the basics any other character would in the same conditions/other titles, consequently making the combat system a big pain fest: a genuine showcase of how one should not develop a metroidvania game. Things get worse when you see every hit landed turning out as a big fireworks performance, thus affecting negatively your view by occluding important details and delaying key actions players should take.
    Because wow, designing a great and slow-going fireworks performance every hit is the ideal when you deal with an ARPG. Why not? Why they should fight under a fluid combat system with modest effects and decent movements? Meh. Unfortunately, as combat is a core mechanic that's a big letdown, making this side of the game feel both tedious and a painful experience. Dealing with bosses? Good luck, I can't see how worse then could design some of them.
    But well, lore is kinda interesting (just that, kinda) with some good elements but nothing you will ever care or keep grinding and searching for more, seeking to turn on your Switch every morning in thirst for nice puzzle resolutions, big and epic fights, potentially awesome re-playability... To be honest, for a game said to be metroidvania Hollow Knight is just sad and disappointing. Ah, the music is also GREAT, but once you finish the title you wanna ask yourself why you wasted that many hours in your life when they could be well spent avoiding this and doing anything else that crosses your mind.
    If you're curious about it, go ahead but you have been warned. At least turn the volume up and enjoy both the music and the view, as it's all it got to offer.    … Expand
  14. Grimmush
    Jun 23, 2018
    3
    DO NOT BUY!

    Honestly as someone who is used to challenging games, I found Hollow Knight to be one of the worst. I found the challenge here to be gimmicky at best, with cheap mid-boss enemies, damage model based on hits and touches by enemies and awkward controls/platforming made even worse on the Switch thanks to the Joy-Cons. You start with a little guy that has 1 attack (3, if    DO NOT BUY!

    Honestly as someone who is used to challenging games, I found Hollow Knight to be one of the worst.

    I found the challenge here to be gimmicky at best, with cheap mid-boss enemies, damage model based on hits and touches by enemies and awkward controls/platforming made even worse on the Switch thanks to the Joy-Cons.

    You start with a little guy that has 1 attack (3, if you count directional attacks as well) , a heal spell and a jump. That's it. No block, no dash/evade, no way to avoid getting hit and as I've mentioned getting touched means getting hit. The enemies are very agile and have a long reach, you yourself are very small and cover a short area, which leads to a lot of cases where you are being hit while trying to hit.

    In short, the combat is abhorrent!

    There is no learning curve like what you had in the Souls games, where if you could overcome a difficult enemies/sequence you could get past it by learning from mistakes, learning new moves and strategies. There's none of the here, as the game is very straight forward.

    The platforming is probably the worst offender, it has this this awful downward attack that you have to use to get through some parts which is a pain to archive on the Joy-con. Add to that tight jumping sequences where you are harassed by enemies you cant avoid...

    Some enemies respawn while you rest at a bench, others respawn if you exit an area, making making it feel very inconsistent. The area maps that you have to purchase, which is incomplete when you buy it, also updates new areas you've been through while resting at a bench.

    You have to grind your ass off to buy basic game mechanics, like maps, map pins, etc.

    Overall I think this game tries so hard to be a 2D souls but falls flat due to all of the above, instead being nothing more than an over hyped poor attempt with pretty aesthetics.

    As it is, the game is unplayable and enjoyable without a scale back on the difficulty, maybe with a easy mode added.

    If you're looking for a Souls like, you won't find it in Hollow Knight. I strongly recommend waiting for Dark Souls Remastered or Dead Cells, both out later this year.
    … Expand
  15. HDRip
    Nov 15, 2022
    3
    I will not write anything about the game. I'll write about the port for the Nintendo Switch. Everything is very small! The spikes on the floor/walls/ceiling are often not visible, they are too small on a small screen. Coins not only are they as gray as the rest of the environment, they are also very small. The fonts are small and hard to read unless you're in ideal conditions. In addition,I will not write anything about the game. I'll write about the port for the Nintendo Switch. Everything is very small! The spikes on the floor/walls/ceiling are often not visible, they are too small on a small screen. Coins not only are they as gray as the rest of the environment, they are also very small. The fonts are small and hard to read unless you're in ideal conditions. In addition, the game has delays and lags, and the gamepad seems to react late to any click. This is especially noticeable in the stationary mode.

    The port could be better. In some games, when porting them from a PC or from older consoles, interface elements and fonts are enlarged to make it comfortable to play on a small screen. About the performance in a two-dimensional game, I generally keep quiet!    … Expand
  16. mondomarsupial
    Mar 24, 2023
    3
    Beautiful art and sound design don't do much to hide a buggy (no, not in the obvious way) and lackluster example of the metroidvania formula. Progression is miniscule and largely involves abilities that act as contrived keys for nonstandard locks placed carelessly about the world rather than typically offering much in the way of new or useful traversal and combat potential. You knowBeautiful art and sound design don't do much to hide a buggy (no, not in the obvious way) and lackluster example of the metroidvania formula. Progression is miniscule and largely involves abilities that act as contrived keys for nonstandard locks placed carelessly about the world rather than typically offering much in the way of new or useful traversal and combat potential. You know something has gone wrong in your metroidvania when the response to getting a new ability is "Oh, bother. Now I have to go rub this against a half dozen points on the map that I half remember if I want to beat this game."… Expand
  17. RdeRuben
    Sep 5, 2019
    3
    OVERRATED THIS GAME.

    Good things:
    - good gameplay - good bosses - Good dessign draw
    Bad things:
    - The map, the save points, the rute,
    This things take me out of the game about 30 times in all the experience.
  18. Berd
    Aug 12, 2021
    3
    The artstyle is amazing, but that’s about all I really enjoyed about the game. This game is very frustrating, to say the least. When you die, you spend 10 minutes hiking back to your shade just to die again in the same spot. You are almost always completely lost, save points are scarce, and the combat is incredibly bland and boring. You literally just swing in up, down, left, or right toThe artstyle is amazing, but that’s about all I really enjoyed about the game. This game is very frustrating, to say the least. When you die, you spend 10 minutes hiking back to your shade just to die again in the same spot. You are almost always completely lost, save points are scarce, and the combat is incredibly bland and boring. You literally just swing in up, down, left, or right to do a microscopic amount of damage That’s it. It’s simply not fun to play and you just end up losing interest.… Expand
  19. Silverfish003
    Aug 13, 2022
    3
    The only thing that saves this game from its coffin is the scenery and graphics. It really looks stunning.

    However, this game suffers from one huge issue: the game does not tell you where to go. At all. It is bad if you give way too many instructions to the player, but it is also bad if you give none.
  20. x2FingerTuesday
    May 15, 2021
    2
    So drab and boring. I honestly have no idea what people see in this game. Game seems aimless, pointless, and you only use like 2 buttons for AN ETERNITY
  21. bl1rt
    Jul 13, 2019
    2
    A lot of folks like it, and that's great. I didn't though:
    To me, the game looks very distinct, but it doesn't bring much else to the table. Particularly the fighting system felt uninspired and blunt - hop, prick, hop, repeat.
    Repetition overall became a huge annoyance quickly, as the game makes you do the exact same thing again and again, for example when you have to learn the moves of    A lot of folks like it, and that's great. I didn't though:
    To me, the game looks very distinct, but it doesn't bring much else to the table. Particularly the fighting system felt uninspired and blunt - hop, prick, hop, repeat.
    Repetition overall became a huge annoyance quickly, as the game makes you do the exact same thing again and again, for example when you have to learn the moves of a boss to beat him (i.e. when he let's you do the hop prick hop), and you need to go ten times through the same five or so screens to get to him.
    I like challenging games a lot, but with HK, it felt artificial and unrewarding to me - more of a cop-out to justify the very limited battle system.

    Played it for about 10 hours and then realized how the game feels like menial labor and overall annoys me, and that I have no interest in exploring it further, so I deleted it. To me, it felt like a very average game with an above-average look.    … Expand
  22. enriverd
    Sep 19, 2020
    2
    I finally decided to play Hollow Knight after seeing the game success. The graphics are superb but I’ve decided to quit the game after 5 hours of gameplay because of the following reasons: the game is quite hard but becomes even harder due to a poorly implemented control system that causes the character not to jump despite having pressed the jump button or not firing despite having pressedI finally decided to play Hollow Knight after seeing the game success. The graphics are superb but I’ve decided to quit the game after 5 hours of gameplay because of the following reasons: the game is quite hard but becomes even harder due to a poorly implemented control system that causes the character not to jump despite having pressed the jump button or not firing despite having pressed the fire button, if you add to it that the respawn point is always quite far from the point where you die, you keep replaying the same zones over and over again, building up frustration. Moreover, there is no option to lower the level of difficulty, so you are forced to waste tons of hours replaying the same levels. Team Cheery: How there is not such option in such a curated game??… Expand
  23. Link327
    Mar 6, 2021
    2
    I never finished Hollow Knight. I quit in the first few hours. I rarely quit a game. And not usually that quickly. But I was so frustrated with this game. The art style is dark yes. But it really doesn’t do much more than grey and more grey. A good example of a dark art style is the Legend Of Zelda: Major’s Mask. That game nailed it. This game however falls prey to the same trap that otherI never finished Hollow Knight. I quit in the first few hours. I rarely quit a game. And not usually that quickly. But I was so frustrated with this game. The art style is dark yes. But it really doesn’t do much more than grey and more grey. A good example of a dark art style is the Legend Of Zelda: Major’s Mask. That game nailed it. This game however falls prey to the same trap that other games fall prey too. Too dark and real. The controls are excellent but the two reasons I quit were because.
    1. I could not figure out where on earth to go. It wasn’t like Breath Of The Wild. Which gave you some direction but still made it fun to explore. This game doesn’t give you any direction. And it is not fun to explore simply due to movement and confusion. Metroid games made it so much fun to get lost but here nope. 2. Oh boy...
    *Takes glasses off like Dr. Wells.* FORCING THE PLAYER TO BACKTRACK JUST TO GET THE ABILITY TO TRY AGAIN IS NOT DIFFICULTY. Sorry for my rant there. Look, I got so bored, and so mad at the fact that you have to go BACK to where you died and fight a shadow copy of yourself just to proceed every time you die? WHY? The fun of hard games is being able to instantly try again. But this is not fun. This is annoying. So I just realized I wasn’t having fun. So I stopped.    … Expand
  24. namonika
    Mar 7, 2021
    2
    The game is unplayable. I spent 10 hours experiencing a lot of anger and dissatisfaction with the lack of logic in this game.
  25. Vareenkelly
    Mar 24, 2022
    2
    A gorgeous game that I absolutely would not recommend. I get the idea of being hard, but after all the difficult games, this game is punishes you in such asinine ways. Immediate spike death traps, god play dark souls for a better time that does difficulty better
  26. sloomo
    Dec 10, 2022
    2
    This game is just not fun. It’s pretty. But it’s not enjoyable. Not relaxing.
  27. valrond
    May 15, 2021
    1
    Boring AF. You know, I have loved what now are called Metroidvanias since Symphony of the Night. I have finished that game in every system it has come out, then the 3 on GBA, 3 on DS, and Bloodstained, made by IGA himself. I was playing Bloodstained again, so I decided go give Hollow Knight a go. What a joke of a "game" this is. Graphics are boring, everything looks exactly the same, theBoring AF. You know, I have loved what now are called Metroidvanias since Symphony of the Night. I have finished that game in every system it has come out, then the 3 on GBA, 3 on DS, and Bloodstained, made by IGA himself. I was playing Bloodstained again, so I decided go give Hollow Knight a go. What a joke of a "game" this is. Graphics are boring, everything looks exactly the same, the "music" is barely a thing here, compare that to the awesome OST made by Michiru Yamane.
    Then the "combat". You have ONE attack (two if you count down) and a jump. That's it. Even the original NES Castlevania was more varied that this.    … Expand
  28. wemelchor
    Sep 24, 2019
    1
    Game too hard and atmosphere too shallow to keep my interest. Nothing about the game's theme, story, atmosphere, or setting inspires me to keep playing. Even when I constantly die, the save point is often far far away from the area I am stuck on. I end up getting stuck in one area too often, the game mechanics are too stiff to allow for any room for improving. The game will punish you forGame too hard and atmosphere too shallow to keep my interest. Nothing about the game's theme, story, atmosphere, or setting inspires me to keep playing. Even when I constantly die, the save point is often far far away from the area I am stuck on. I end up getting stuck in one area too often, the game mechanics are too stiff to allow for any room for improving. The game will punish you for even existing or being around. dull forgetable soundtrack, graphics are an eyesore.… Expand
  29. night4
    Aug 24, 2018
    1
    Absolute garbage. The biggest problem: you can teleport miles away when you die, losing your stuff. Why would I want to keep playing?

    Also, it's way too dark, literally, and way too grimdark. It's extremely repetitive and boring too.
  30. Jaytmek
    Aug 30, 2018
    1
    I got suckered by the hype on this one unfortunately. This game is bland and tiring. I feel like other gamers must be seeing something I'm not. The difficulty comes from clumsy controls and enclosed areas in which it's difficult to avoid enemy attacks. The checkpoint system is ridiculous, often requiring you to travel a very long distance, killing all of the same enemies again just to getI got suckered by the hype on this one unfortunately. This game is bland and tiring. I feel like other gamers must be seeing something I'm not. The difficulty comes from clumsy controls and enclosed areas in which it's difficult to avoid enemy attacks. The checkpoint system is ridiculous, often requiring you to travel a very long distance, killing all of the same enemies again just to get back to the boss. The health recharge system is clever but you have to stand perfectly still to get the build up to start. This makes it almost pointless during close quarters combat where there is no real opportunity to use it. The map system is useless, requiring you to travel a very long way back to a shop just to get the proper map for a new area. The dark souls inspired "recovering souls after death" mechanic is utterly pointless. I'm really not sure why they included it. The graphics are very "00s flash game", not at all the inspired art style a lot of reviews seem to describe. I'm sure as more abilities unlock the game will get better but that doesn't justify what is a very poor opening 4 hours which is giving me no real incentive to carry on. Even for the £10.99 I paid on the switch I'd recommend giving it a miss.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best Switch Game of 2018
3
#3 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
15
#15 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Pocket Tactics
    Oct 20, 2023
    90
    Hollow Knight is an incredible achievement that combines smart game design, a rich world, and sharp combat, with an enthralling insectoid world and a story just begging for you to find it. Team Cherry’s title is a high watermark for Metroidvanias, as the satisfying abilities and countless collectibles add variety and meaning to exploration, rewarding every discovery. Yet, while the challenge is a rewarding part of the process, I do wish that the title made some concessions and shone a bit of light in the darkness for those first fledgling steps.
    Read full review
  2. Universo Nintendo
    Sep 10, 2018
    90
    A very fun game and full of interesting characters is what await players in this incredible adventure. If you like Metroid style games, Hollow Knight will leave you satisfied.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Sep 5, 2018
    100
    There's never a low point. Only the desire for more. [Issue #35 – September/October 2018, p. 17]
See all critic reviews »