On September 4, 2025, Hollow Knight: Silksong officially launched to massive fanfare, causing major digital storefronts like Steam, the Nintendo eShop, and the PlayStation Store to crash due to overwhelming demand. Few indie titles can spark such a response — but given the pedigree of Hollow Knight and the multiyear anticipation, this release was always destined to dominate conversations. In this article, we dive into what Silksong offers, how it’s been received so far, and whether it lives up to the hype.
What Is Hollow Knight: Silksong?
Developer / Publisher: Team Cherry
Genre: 2D Metroidvania / Action-Platformer
Platforms at Launch: Steam (PC), Nintendo eShop
Release Date: September 4, 2025
Premise: Silksong follows Hornet, the beloved character from Hollow Knight, in a new adventure through the kingdom of Pharloom. Players must navigate treacherous environments, face new enemies, and discover hidden secrets to ascend to the throne.What makes Silksong special is how it expands on the base Hollow Knight formula — new mechanics, new areas, a fresh world, and yet the same deep exploration and challenge that fans expect.
Launch Reception & Player Impact
Outage & Demand
Right at launch, Silksong crashes digital storefronts, underlining just how huge the demand was:Steam, Nintendo eShop, and PlayStation Store suffered outages or performance issues as fans flooded in. Just three hours post-launch, Silksong hit a peak of 535,213 concurrent players on Steam, making it one of the most-played games ever on the platform. This kind of reception is rare, especially for indie games with minimal marketing compared to AAA titles.
Critical & Player Response
Early reviews have largely praised Silksong, particularly its polish, art, and depth:Critics laud the tight controls, inventive enemy design, and the expansion of exploration possibilities over its predecessor.Some reviews note Silksong is more accessible in places (slightly more easing into difficulty), but still retains signature challenge in late game stages.Fans have expressed delight at how Team Cherry delivered a meaningful sequel after years of waiting — and many regard it as a frontrunner for Game of the Year consideration.While I do not have an exhaustive consensus score yet, the early indicators point to Silksong becoming one of 2025’s standout titles.
What Works — Highlights & Strengths
1. Deep Exploration & Secrets
One thing Silksong improves on is the layering of hidden paths and branching mechanics: new traversal tools, environmental tricks, and secrets reward players who go off the beaten track.
2. Refined Combat & Enemy Design
Each region introduces fresh enemy types and boss fights that challenge your adaptation. Combat remains tight and responsive. Many reviewers highlight that Silksong feels more dynamic in its pacing than Hollow Knight at points.
3. Aesthetic & Audio Excellence
Art direction is top tier: hand-crafted backgrounds, moody lighting, and fluid animations give Pharloom a life of its own. The soundtrack, too, leans into haunting and melodic themes that fit the tone.4. Player Accessibility TweaksTeam Cherry introduced small quality-of-life improvements (map markers, hints, better manageability of abilities) that ease the learning curve without diluting depth.
What Could Be Better — Weaknesses & Caveats
Replay or New Game+ incentives: While Silksong is rich for new players, the incentives for replaying or exploring every nook might feel lighter compared to Hollow Knight’s optional content heft.
Difficulty spikes: Some late-game bosses or challenge rooms may present steep difficulty jumps that could frustrate more casual players.
Platform variety: At launch, Silksong is missing some platforms (e.g. no native PlayStation 5 or Xbox versions yet in initial rollout).
Load / performance issues in crowded areas: With any indie release pushing hardware, performance stutters or load hitches may creep in on older systems under heavy effects.
Why Silksong Matters for 2025 Gaming
Silksong demonstrates how indie developers can still contend for the spotlight in a year dominated by AAA releases.Its launch shows the power of anticipation and community trust: minimal marketing but huge demand.The success could influence other indie devs to invest in follow-up expansions over new IPs, knowing that long-term franchise loyalty pays off.It’s likely to impact award seasons, discussion around “best of 2025,” and influence player expectations for what a sequel to a beloved indie game can achieve.
Verdict & Recommendation
Verdict: Hollow Knight: Silksong is a triumph — a sequel that respects the spirit of its predecessor while pushing forward. It’s creative, challenging, beautiful, and rewarding, with just enough polish and accessibility improvements to broaden its appeal without compromising depth.
Recommendation: If you loved the original Hollow Knight, Silksong is practically a must-play.If you’re new to the franchise, it can also work as a starting point — though consider giving the first game a try after finishing.Play on capable hardware if possible to avoid performance issues during crowded or boss-heavy encounters.
