Hollow Knight: Silksong is a demanding, exploration-led action-adventure built around the strengths that made the first game distinctive: intricate 2D movement, challenging fights and a strange world that rewards curiosity. Its appeal depends on your appetite for that difficulty. PC Gamer reviewer Tyler Colp called it ruthless and compelling after spending more than 25 hours with it; players who want a gentler or more guided adventure may find the climb frustrating.
What kind of game is Hollow Knight: Silksong?
Team Cherry’s sequel follows Hornet through Pharloom, a kingdom ruled by silk and song. It combines exploration, combat, platforming, crafting and quests, with a single-player focus. Steam also lists Steel Soul mode and an orchestral score by Christopher Larkin among the game’s features. Its store description advertises more than 200 foes and more than 40 bosses; Nintendo’s announcement instead describes more than 150 all-new foes. Those are separate publisher statements, not a single reconciled count.
The game was released on September 4, 2025. Steam tags it as a Metroidvania, platformer and exploration game, and also labels it difficult and beautiful. Those descriptors reflect the storefront’s categorization rather than a formal rating system.
Is Silksong too hard?
Expect challenge to be a central part of the experience, not an occasional obstacle. PC Gamer’s Tyler Colp described the combat and platforming as challenging and scored the game 90/100 in a review published September 13, 2025. His verdict was: “Silksong can be ruthless, but it’s hard to pry yourself away from its haunted little world that never seems to end.” That is one reviewer’s assessment, not a guarantee that every player will respond the same way.
#1 Best Overall
![Hollow Knight: Silksong Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mOgOC8xEL._SL160_.jpg)
- Discover the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! Explore mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
- Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a huge suite of deadly moves as you dance between foes in swift, beautiful combat.
- Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and mechanisms to vanquish your enemies and explore new heights.
- Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts and solve ancient mysteries to grant the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope.
- Face over 200 ferocious foes! Beasts and hunters, monsters and knights. Defeat them all with bravery and skill!
For a player who enjoys learning enemy patterns, retrying difficult sections and gradually mastering movement, that resistance can make exploration feel earned. If repeated setbacks sour an otherwise enjoyable game for you, the same design may become a barrier. The question is less whether the game is difficult than whether you enjoy the process of overcoming difficulty.
Do you need to play Hollow Knight first?
Silksong is a sequel centered on Hornet and a new kingdom, Pharloom. The available official descriptions establish its setting and activities but do not state that finishing the original Hollow Knight is required. The sources also do not establish how much prior-story knowledge a new player needs. If you want the broadest context for the series, playing the first game beforehand is the safer choice; if your main interest is Hornet’s adventure, the listed premise gives you a clear starting point.
Rank #2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure.
- Journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover secrets tied to your nature and your past.
Which platforms can you play it on?
| Platform | What the available listing establishes |
|---|---|
| PC | Available on Steam as a single-player game. PC Gamer reports that it is Steam Deck Verified; that status does not establish a particular frame rate or performance comparison. |
| Nintendo Switch | Nintendo announced availability on Switch on September 8, 2025. |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Nintendo says the Switch 2 update adds enhanced frame rates and higher resolution at no extra cost. Its announcement says the game is playable on Switch 2. |
| PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 | The U.S. PlayStation Store listing covers both consoles. On PS5, the listing says DualSense vibration is supported. |
| Xbox Series X | Fangamer lists a physical edition for Xbox Series X. The supplied platform listings do not provide further Xbox feature details. |
The sources establish a no-cost Switch 2 enhancement and some PlayStation features, but they do not support a full performance comparison across platforms. Choose based on where you want to play and which controller you prefer, rather than assuming one version is categorically better.
What accessibility and input details are listed?
The U.S. PlayStation Store listing names basic controller remapping among its accessibility features, and says DualSense vibration is supported on PS5. Steam identifies the game as single-player and includes controller-related tags. These details do not establish a complete accessibility feature set or specific control options on every platform, so check the relevant store listing for your version if a particular feature is essential.
Rank #3
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds and ruined cities.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!.Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favourites and make your journey unique!.An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation..
Is there a physical edition?
Fangamer lists a standard physical edition for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Its product page describes a 32-page manual and a 9-by-12-inch poster illustrated by Rubén Molina. A separate Fangamer announcement dated May 28, 2026 describes the boxed versions as including a 32-page manual and a foldout map of Pharloom; consult the current product listing for the exact contents of the version you are considering.
As of October 8, 2026, Fangamer’s product page showed the physical edition as out of stock and said preorders would not ship until November 10, 2026. Those are time-sensitive listing details, not a promise of current availability. Fangamer also states that the Sea of Sorrow DLC is not on the game media and will be available as a free download.
Rank #4
![Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nXCF+sf5L._SL160_.jpg)
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
- Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favorites and make your journey unique!
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
What did reviewers think?
PC Gamer’s Tyler Colp awarded the game 90/100, while GameSpot lists a score of 9 for Jordan Ramée’s review, titled “An Unforgettable Climb.” These are individual outlet scores, not a calculated aggregate. Colp’s review page says he spent more than 25 hours with the game, giving his judgment a stated play-time context.
Should you buy it?
Silksong is a strong fit if you want a substantial 2D adventure centered on exploration, platforming and demanding combat, and you are willing to learn through setbacks. The review evidence points to a world that can keep a committed player engaged even when the challenge is punishing. If you prefer low-friction combat, or are mainly shopping for a boxed copy, consider your tolerance for difficulty and check the live product listing before deciding: the physical edition’s stock and shipping details can change.
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Fangamer also lists official figures, plushes, keychains, posters, pins and other merchandise. Those are optional collector items, not equipment needed to play the game.
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