I used to think that I was not a fan of Metroidvanias. I get how the genre's freeform exploration can be appealing to some, but I tend to get frustrated when I get a new item, forget the places I've seen to use, and then have to backtrack across the whole map to figure it out. This game, however, has made me rethink my stance on Metroidvanias. I do not think this game is perfect, but for an indie game with a tiny team of developers, this game is a 10/10. It astounds me that this game even exists. Jeez, I don't even know where to start with this game...
I think Hollow Knight's atmosphere and aesthetic are what captured me most about it. I don't believe I am exaggerating when I say that this is the most beautiful and artistically cohesive game I have ever played. There were so many moments when I just had to stop and take in the immaculately crafted scenery and soundtrack. I don't think I'll ever forget the first time stepping into Greenpath, with its stark aesthetic shift and whimsical music track. Oh man, or the first time I looked out a window at the rain in the City of Tears with the hauntingly beautiful piece in the background. There are so many moments like this. I also cannot stress enough how good the character designs are. You can tell someone on the dev team loved creating all these cute bug guys. There are so many characters/enemies and they are all so memorable, which is quite the feat in my opinion.
The game's progression is also worth noting, as it has been my main issue with other Metroidvanias. With every new ability, upgrade, or charm I acquired, I legitimately felt like I was becoming more powerful. The Crystal Heart ability is a great example of this. It immediately revolutionized how I explored the world, made backtracking much more enjoyable, and gave me renewed vigor to keep going. I experienced these feelings with nearly every upgrade, which is remarkable.
I have so many more positive things I could gush about, but I'll leave it at these highlights for brevity's sake. However, I do want to briefly note a couple of nitpicks. The first has to do with storing money. I was shocked when the banker made off with my money and was amused when I later found and beat her senseless for my savings back. I was surprised to discover that there was no option after that for storing my money (that I found). This led me to carry all of my geo on me at all times (as I had already purchased everything from the vendors) which was extremely stressful. I ultimately lost over 10,000 geo trying to complete a particularly nasty platforming challenge in the Queen's Gardens(we'll get there), and I subsequently lost nearly all desire to play the game. I had been considering completing/collecting everything, but after that, I decided to immediately go beat the final boss so I could be done. This leads me to my second gripe, which is that some of the platforming challenges feel completely unfair. I think Hollow Knight overall feels fair, but some of these platforming challenges (particularly in the Queen's Gardens) felt impossible. Even when I would eventually pass some of them, it didn't feel like I mastered anything; it just felt like dumb luck. Overall these are very small nitpicks in what was an incredible experience, and it's a shame they hindered my desire to 100% this game.
In sum, this game rules. I get it now. Maybe I don't dislike Metroidvanias, I just hadn't played the right ones until now.
I think Hollow Knight's atmosphere and aesthetic are what captured me most about it. I don't believe I am exaggerating when I say that this is the most beautiful and artistically cohesive game I have ever played. There were so many moments when I just had to stop and take in the immaculately crafted scenery and soundtrack. I don't think I'll ever forget the first time stepping into Greenpath, with its stark aesthetic shift and whimsical music track. Oh man, or the first time I looked out a window at the rain in the City of Tears with the hauntingly beautiful piece in the background. There are so many moments like this. I also cannot stress enough how good the character designs are. You can tell someone on the dev team loved creating all these cute bug guys. There are so many characters/enemies and they are all so memorable, which is quite the feat in my opinion.
The game's progression is also worth noting, as it has been my main issue with other Metroidvanias. With every new ability, upgrade, or charm I acquired, I legitimately felt like I was becoming more powerful. The Crystal Heart ability is a great example of this. It immediately revolutionized how I explored the world, made backtracking much more enjoyable, and gave me renewed vigor to keep going. I experienced these feelings with nearly every upgrade, which is remarkable.
I have so many more positive things I could gush about, but I'll leave it at these highlights for brevity's sake. However, I do want to briefly note a couple of nitpicks. The first has to do with storing money. I was shocked when the banker made off with my money and was amused when I later found and beat her senseless for my savings back. I was surprised to discover that there was no option after that for storing my money (that I found). This led me to carry all of my geo on me at all times (as I had already purchased everything from the vendors) which was extremely stressful. I ultimately lost over 10,000 geo trying to complete a particularly nasty platforming challenge in the Queen's Gardens(we'll get there), and I subsequently lost nearly all desire to play the game. I had been considering completing/collecting everything, but after that, I decided to immediately go beat the final boss so I could be done. This leads me to my second gripe, which is that some of the platforming challenges feel completely unfair. I think Hollow Knight overall feels fair, but some of these platforming challenges (particularly in the Queen's Gardens) felt impossible. Even when I would eventually pass some of them, it didn't feel like I mastered anything; it just felt like dumb luck. Overall these are very small nitpicks in what was an incredible experience, and it's a shame they hindered my desire to 100% this game.
In sum, this game rules. I get it now. Maybe I don't dislike Metroidvanias, I just hadn't played the right ones until now.