Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Difficulty Might Already Be Taking a Page From Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Book

Following nearly a decade of development, the much-anticipated game “Hollow Knight: Silksong” has been released, and based on initial reviews, it appears to be delivering on its promise of greatness. Currently, “Hollow Knight: Silksong” boasts a 94 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic, with every critic endorsing the game. The combat, platforming, world design, and artistic direction in “Silksong” are all receiving high praise for the sequel. Overall, it seems that the long wait was indeed justified.

However, the discussion about Hollow Knight: Silksong hasn’t been entirely positive either. Even ardent fans of Hollow Knight have expressed some reservations, and it appears that the game’s challenging difficulty is causing a stir among players at present. Some might argue that reducing Silksong’s difficulty would compromise Team Cherry’s vision, but FromSoftware has shown through their games that such changes need not necessarily undermine the original concept.

To Some, Hollow Knight: Silksong Has a Difficulty Issue

Even The Smallest Bugs Hit Real Hard

Discussions about the challenge level in Hollow Knight: Silksong are quite varied, featuring both broad opinions and fine-tuned criticisms. However, two main concerns that keep cropping up focus on the high damage enemies inflict and the necessary runbacks between certain boss battles.

Players who have experienced the first Hollow Knight game would find that the weakest enemies still present a considerable challenge. In this game, even the tiniest insects can chip away at a substantial portion of the player’s health meter. Moreover, due to the hit detection system in the game, players will incur damage simply by brushing against an enemy, making it possible for them to inflict harm without actually landing an attack.

Hollow Knight: Silksong builds upon its predecessor by increasing the difficulty from the start. Most of the bosses in Hollow Knight: Silksong will take away two health points with each attack, and some mid to late-game bosses will even strip off three. Even certain common enemies in Act 1 will take away two health points. In contrast, bosses and regular enemies in the original Hollow Knight didn’t deal as much damage until later stages of the game, which can make the early hours of Silksong seem a bit challenging or harsh.

Boss Runbacks Are Trickier Than Ever

A frequent worry among fans currently revolves around the toughness of the boss runbacks in “Hollow Knight: Silksong”. In this game, rest areas or benches are infrequent, and the distance between them and certain boss battles can be lengthy and treacherous. The journey back to the Last Judge’s boss arena serves as a clear illustration of this difficulty.

In contrast to games like Dark Souls, where players can dodge enemies and continue running, the 2D world of Hollow Knight: Silksong requires combat with most enemies along the way back to the boss fight due to their high damage output. Ignoring them is usually too risky, especially if the route includes platforming around dangerous terrain. Enemies with flying abilities can even knock players into these hazards if they’re not paying close attention.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Might Already Be Following in Elden Ring’s Footsteps

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Wasn’t Afraid to Scale Things Back a Bit

Upon its launch in June 2024, the release of “Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree” sparked concerns among many gamers regarding the toughness of certain boss battles and skirmishes. Typically, FromSoftware enthusiasts are quick to encourage players to improve their skills when criticizing a game’s difficulty, but in this instance, even they acknowledged that certain aspects of the “Elden Ring” expansion pushed boundaries, becoming so challenging that it compromised the overall enjoyment.

In response to player concerns, FromSoftware quickly released a patch for Shadow of the Erdtree shortly after launch. This update significantly enhanced the progression system of the Blessing feature, which in turn boosted players’ ability to withstand damage from both enemies and bosses, enabling them to absorb more attacks.

As a passionate gamer, I can confidently say that this update sets the bar high for tough gaming experiences. It strikes an impressive balance between ensuring fairness and enjoyment without compromising the game creators’ original vision or the game’s overall quality. In a way, Hollow Knight: Silksong seems to be learning from Shadow of the Erdtree in this regard.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Is Already Taking The First Step to Address Difficulty Concerns

The developers at Team Cherry have announced that they will release an update for the game ‘Hollow Knight: Silksong’ within the next seven days. Primarily intended to rectify several technical glitches, this update will also subtly tweak the game’s challenge level.

Apart from a decrease in the destructive power of Sandcarvers, both Moorwing and Sister Splinter will encounter slightly easier challenges. Although specifics haven’t been detailed yet, these adjustments are likely to please players who have struggled with these early game threats, as they’re getting a somewhat reduced strength.

The initial update for “Hollow Knight: Silksong” is designed to address some contentions in the game’s economic system. Specifically, it involves decreasing the costs of mid-game Benches and Bellways, while enhancing the rewards from Relics and Psalm Cylinders in Rosary form.

As a dedicated fan, I can confidently say that what we’ve seen so far with Hollow Knight: Silksong is just the beginning. Although Moorwing and Sister Splinter have certainly given me a challenge, they are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the game’s formidable adversaries. There are many more bosses in Silksong that could benefit from some adjustments, and regrettably, boss runbacks don’t seem to be on the agenda for the upcoming patch.

2025-09-09 21:04