Last time I touched on this topic I spent time talking about how multiple playthroughs can branch into multiple different endings. Things will be a little bit different this time. The thing about this game is that multiple playthroughs feel different to me in this game for a different reason. Now Metroidvanias are notoriously known for having multiple different approaches to exploration and the more you play the more the world opens up for you to explore. Hollow Knight is no exception. You also fight so many bosses that really want you dead. Some of those you have to hunt for so you can actually fight them though. To this day, I still haven’t found everything the game has to offer, and that is exactly what I love about the game. You see, I have done multiple different playthroughs throughout the years and each time I have found something new. Certain upgrades and items have taken me months to find. Each time I play I feel like I find something new because I play the game differently each time. It isn’t like in Undertale where the game changes through your actions. It just feels like I play through the game differently each time. For instance the first time I played through the game, I didn’t find the upgrade that let’s me swim through acid until I was nearly fully upgraded. Due to that I missed an item needed to fight a boss. In a later playthrough though, since I managed to find that item earlier, I managed to find the item I needed to access that boss. Another time I did a playthrough where I found a key and didn’t find out where to use it until two playthroughs later.
Yes, you are right that this is stuff that I could look up if I wanted to find things without having to do multiple playthroughs. The thing is though, that I don’t want to because I enjoy exploring the world so much. I love finding new challenges and playing in different ways so that I can become stronger and test myself. The world is designed it a way so that you can do so much with what you know, while allowing you to still find new ways of doing things. It is just fun to explore an environment where you feel like you don’t know everything. I am honestly just kind of gushing at this point. So let’s gush some more. The visuals and sound design are amazing. The game is difficult but it never feels like things are impossible. You can use badges to alter your playstyle to make things more of a fit for you. You can uncover abilities that make traveling through areas an absolute blast. Look, I just enjoy the game and each time I play it, I end up enjoying it more. My only fear is that one day I might run out of content, but I don’t have to worry about it with the sequel game on the way. However, there is one problem with that. The sequel game isn’t here yet.
Alright, let me get to why I really decided to write this post. It is because Hollow Knight: Silksong is not here yet and I want it so bad. I and may others have been waiting for it for years and I just want it so much. I know I need to be patient and I don’t want the game to be rushed. I would just like the game at some point and I wanted to vent a little bit. Trust me when the game comes out, actually even if all I get is a release date, there is a chance I might actually shed tears. When it does come out, I am going to play it over and over again. The reason? I want to fall in love with a world again. Usually when I play games the games themselves might play perfectly fine. There is nothing stopping me from having fun with them. However, I haven’t felt like I have felt the enjoyment of exploring a world in a while where even though things are out to get you, your sense of adventure shines even brighter due to that fact. I know that I will enjoy exploring again, just as I will continue to do with Hollow Knight and many other games. I just want people to understand that sometimes a game doesn’t have to give you the same experience each time you play. There will inevitably be things you miss on a first playthrough, so continue to find everything the game has to offer. You won’t regret it. Unless you go for the genocide ending in Undertale. That you will regret.
That Casual Gamer Guy 