An incredible game that, as I played, my opinion of which changed drastically several times. When I first began playing, I totally got the acclaim this game has received over time. The atmosphere is just... magical. Almost unparalleled in video games. The environments are gorgeously realized, especially thanks to the amazing remaster job, the music is eerie and makes heavy use of synthesized instruments that sounds incredibly alien. And of course, the log entries that reveal information about the world of Tallon IV. It's fantastic worldbuilding all around.

Then I got to the Phazon Mines, and my enjoyment dropped somewhat. The Phazon Mines are by no means bad, or even difficult, but they are stressful. The enemies hit hard and are super durable, especially the Fission Metroids (apparently in the original version they didn't show up here -- I don't know why they would have changed that). The Phazon Mines doesn't pull punches, you need to get good. You can't cruise on by with the combat. And that was annoying at first, but as I got a better grasp on things I didn't mind them as much, but I still think it's the worst area in the game, especially to backtrack through.

Then I hit the Chozo Artifacts quest, and I ended up taking a several month long break from this game. I had just gotten through the Mines and was ready to face the end of the game, and to be hit by the crushing realization I had to backtrack through all these areas was just too much. When I finally came back to the game, determined to beat it and refreshed, I found it much less annoying than I feared. I even went through and 100% completed the items, despite the backtracking being a little tedious.

After going through the whole game, finishing it, I can confidently say this is an excellent game. Is the acclaim it's received completely warranted? I don't know, I've got some issues that I've already been over. It's still absolutely worth playing. I think my experience speaks as to why it's so important to finish games before judging them, and not giving up. You never know what might come of a full experience. My issues with the game lessened the more I played, and a fantastic final two bosses helped place this game among some of the best gaming experiences of my life. I hope I continue to take this approach to future games I play, and maybe you'll be more inclined to do so as well in the future :)

So, first off, I want to say that I loved this game, and it's amazing, and I'm sure it's already been said why. This is the most intuitive and well-designed Metroidvania out there. The visuals are gorgeous, the music is fantastic, the story is pretty good even if you need to seek out particular dialogue to fully get it. Overall, a phenomenal game that deserves the high praise it's gotten.

THAT ALL BEING SAID,

for me, personally, this game didn't quite hit me like it has for a lot of others. And I think it comes down to the atmosphere. Hollow Knight does a fantastic job creating its atmosphere: of sorrow, melancholy, and dreariness. There's a feeling of death everywhere you go, and it's just depressing to slay these reanimated corpses while hunting for remnants of this lost kingdom, while knowing that you yourself are just a husk, designed to be nothing. While the game has a few comedic moments or characters, it's by and large a funereal game. And I think that works well for the story the game tells, but it was incredibly overwhelming thirty hours into a 100% run, to the point where I just wanted it to be over. To be clear, this is definitely just a me thing, but it's why I can't place this over Metroid Dread as my favorite in the genre. Silksong seems like it'll take a more lighthearted approach, and with so many years to refine this already near-perfect experience, the gameplay will probably be better than ever. I have no doubt in my mind that this game's sequel will triumph over the original and become the beloved game to me that Hollow Knight already is to so many people. But this one is still amazing and you should definitely play it.

Some of the sickest ideas and one of the best soundtracks on the Game Boy, completely squandered with some of the slowest, most boring movement I've ever seen in a video game, a terrible framerate that slows and stutters whenever there's two enemies on screen, and some just abysmal level design full of cheap one-hit kills. The tough-but-fair brilliance of the first game is replaced with unrelenting tedium, even for such a short game. Just skip this one, it's not worth playing (but you should listen to the soundtrack though it goes CRAZY).

EDIT: 3/10 -> 2/10 if the game is nearly irredeemable why did i give it a 3???