Summary
Although 2023 has been a thriving year for video games,Hollow Knightfans are still waiting for their franchise to get some love. First announced in February 2019, two years after its predecessor’s release,Hollow Knight: Silksonghas been hotly anticipated by metroidvania and Soulslike fans ever since.Hollow Knight: Silksongis expected to retain all the first game’s strengths, but nothing more will be seen of it until Team Cherry deems it closer to release.
In the meantime, Soulslike players have had plenty of other games vying for their attention. Genre progenitor FromSoftware never stopped releasing titles, and the many developers inspired by them have gradually been completing their own projects.Hollow Knightstill has a reputationas one of the best 2D Soulslikes, but other titles likeDead CellsandBlasphemoushave given it some competition since it was released in February 2017. To secure its crown,Hollow Knight: Silksongshould pay attention to what other Soulslikes have accomplished since its first installment launched.
Blasphemous 2
Speaking ofBlasphemous, it and its sequel were released in the years between the twoHollow Knightgames. The main draw of these Catholicism-inspired action-platformers is their equally graceful and grotesque art, but their combat and movement are nothing to sneeze at, either.Blasphemous 2’s new weaponsmerged these aspects, those being the sword, flail, and rapier/dagger combo. At the beginning of the game, players choose one of these weapons to navigateBlasphemous 2’s world with its unique traversal abilities, and eventually gain the other two for full map access.
Hornet’s needle can’t be as easily replaced as The Penitent One’s original Mea Culpa blade, as it is thematically linked toHollow Knight: Silksong’s silk-focused setting of Pharloom. Even so, adding variety to her basic attacks and movement with unlockable weapons would be a smart addition. It would also make for a big moment late in the game, as Hornet’s varied set of Tools would leave players unprepared for the introduction of even one additional moveset.
Salt and Sacrifice
Another 2D platformer Soulslike series is theSaltgames, the first of which,Salt and Sanctuary, actually predatesHollow Knight.Salt and Sacrificehas launched in the years since, and not only did it introduce interesting progression involving hunting for Mage bosses, but it also enhanced the first game’s local co-op with online functionality. By allowing two players to complete the campaign together,Salt and Sacrificestands out as one of the better co-op Soulslikes.
Hollow Knightfans following its content creators have likely seen multiplayer mods in action. Even ifHollow Knightis focused mainly on its single-player experience, the fandom would still appreciate amultiplayer mode inSilksong. Several Hornets running around would feel stranger than several Knights, but Team Cherry including the feature would be a boon to fans on every platform.
Remnant 2
While theRemnantgames may appear to be roguelike third-person shooters, they are actually a unique breed of Soulslikes expanding theideas found inBloodborne’s Chalice Dungeons. There is a lot more to find in these titles than one would expect, and, even more so than theSaltgames, they are best done with cooperators.Remnant 2has refined its procedurally-generated world even further, and its core gameplay and level design supports its procedural campaigns without wearing too thin.
Remnant 2’s randomized area progression has its place, and it isn’t inHollow Knight: Silksong. However,Silksongcould realistically take theBloodborneroute and hide a procedurally generated bonus dungeon in a side area. This could even replace the firstHollow Knight’s Colosseum of Fools in the Kingdom’s Edge, with the terrain actively changing alongside waves of loosely-organized enemies. It could only be optional, but still fun enough to be worthwhile if done right.
Lies of P
In 2023, Soulslike fans were taken by surprise thanks to aPinocchio-inspired action-RPG from South Korean developers Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio.Lies of Phas a lot of strong elements, but something nobody expected was thegame taking afterSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceas well asBloodborne. Parrying plays a large role inLies of P’s combat by building stagger, breaking some enemy weapons, and even charging extra Estus Flask-equivalents once they’re all spent.
Hornet’s fighting style inSilksongremains similar to her boss fights inHollow Knight, consisting of mobile strikes interspersed with traps and area-of-effect moves. However, Hornet’s Kingdom’s Edge and Godhome fights include a parry stance, opening the door for an equivalent inHollow Knight: Silksong. Balancing this may be difficult given howdodge-centricHollow Knight’s combatnormally is, and how Hornet’s mobility complements that. Even so, it would provide an interesting twist toSilksong’s combat that could even become the harder Silk Soul mode’s centerpiece.
Elden Ring
As FromSoftware’s most successful Soulslike yet,Elden Ringunites theDark Soulstrilogy’s strengths with the player choice inherent in an open world. Tarnished are encouraged to find their own way through both the Lands Between andElden Ring’s many builds, with new challenges and rewards unfolding in every direction. In allowing players to engage with what they want, at least until the narrow endgame,Elden Ringhas made itself more palatableto a wide audience while maintaining FromSoftware’s trademark difficulty.
Hollow Knight: Silksongis a 2D metroidvania rather than a 3D open world, but it has already made preparations to recreateElden Ring’s feeling of player agency. Not only did the firstHollow Knightbecome almost nonlinear after a couple areas,Silksongenhances the mechanical freedom of the original’s Charms with the Tool and Crest systems. Accounting for its long development time,Hollow Knight: Silksongis likely going to be a massive game, and hopefully the wait for it will be just as worthwhile asSouls’ fans wait forElden Ring.
