Hollow Knight: Silksong PAX West Demo Impressions

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The long-awaited release of the highly anticipated game, “Hollow Knight: Silksong,” is now imminent. Fans initially harbored concerns that this sequel to Team Cherry’s critically acclaimed metroidvania title, “Hollow Knight,” might never materialize. The anticipation surrounding “Silksong” has reached comparable levels to that of “Grand Theft Auto 6” or the elusive “Half-Life 3.” This is because “Hollow Knight” was a remarkable achievement in metroidvania game design, boasting exceptional controls, striking and unique visuals, compelling narratives, and challenging gameplay elements. All these factors have contributed to a game that has amassed a sizable and well-earned fanbase. Announced in February 2019, “Silksong” has been the subject of much curiosity among fans and media alike, with eager anticipation building for any new information about the game’s development.

Game Rant recently visited PAX West in Seattle, Washington, and had the opportunity to try out a demo of Silksong on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Unfortunately, the demo was quite short. The two levels available were Moss Grotto and Deep Docks, each taking approximately ten minutes to complete. During this time, there wasn’t much interaction with the game’s wider systems or storyline. Instead, the demo mainly consisted of platforming challenges, exploring hidden rooms, battling basic enemies, and little else. However, it did offer a firsthand experience of how Hornet plays in Silksong, reminiscent of her boss role in Hollow Knight due to her nimble gameplay style.

Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Hornet Feels Great

In contrast to Hollow Knight, Silksong introduces Hornet as the playable protagonist, a character who was previously central and enigmatic throughout Hollow Knight, appearing both as a recurring boss and an aid during The Knight’s journey. Now, players take charge of Hornet, who sports a distinct set of moves specifically designed based on her actions in Hollow Knight. Her speed is slightly increased, and she has extended reach due to her spear, which can be thrown, similar to her boss battle encounters. Furthermore, Hornet’s dive attack now performs a diagonal thrust from above, which may require some adjustment for players accustomed to the pogo strategy of repeatedly attacking an enemy’s head with dive attacks.

One of Hornet’s most useful features is her knack for scaling ledges: if she touches the edge of a platform or ledge, she automatically climbs up. This makes platforming less punishing and opens up possibilities for level design by incorporating slightly elevated ledges to grasp. Additionally, Hornet possesses a dash move similar to a roll, which can be executed mid-air as well, offering some defensive advantages. It’s clear that there will be numerous other abilities and enhancements to uncover in the complete game.

Hollow Knight: Silksong’s New Biomes

In our exploration, the initial location we encountered, known as Moss Grotto, seemed reminiscent of an early stage in a game, offering a relatively straightforward environment. True to its name, this biome is characterized by dense moss and numerous water bodies that allow the creature Hornet to swim. The inhabitants are simple enemies similar to those frequently encountered in the early stages of Hollow Knight. One noteworthy exception is an armored-headed enemy that proved resistant to our dive attack attempts.

Following the conventions of Hollow Knight and the metroidvania genre, hidden areas were scattered throughout Moss Grotto, often just beyond our view or behind breakable obstacles. These secret spots would occasionally yield level-up currency called Slik, along with items beneficial to the game’s central hub area.

Moss Grotto showcased a significant sense of height, featuring extended platforming ascents that were made more challenging by enemies armed with ranged attacks and capable of flight.

At last, we ended our journey exploring the labyrinth that is Deep Docks. Compared to the assortment of biomes in the initial game, this area stood out as particularly intriguing. Deep Docks presents a grim, fiery, industrial landscape, characterized by dark metallic structures and flaming forges. Navigating through it was less complex than Moss Grotto due to its more structured layout, complete with signposts guiding us to benches or other notable locations, and a clear path leading to the level’s climactic encounter. While Moss Grotto often left us in confusion about our next move, questioning if we were overlooking an obvious solution, Deep Docks was easy to navigate. However, instead of a traditional boss fight, we encountered a challenge room filled with waves of enemies before the demo concluded.

In this demonstration, the game’s controls, fundamental mechanics, and visuals were primarily showcased, and as anticipated, Team Cherry excelled in all aspects. The game appears to be a deserving sequel to Hollow Knight, featuring a new protagonist, distinct environments, and enemies that challenge Hornet’s abilities. While it is yet to be determined whether the game’s storyline or its take on the charm system matches the original’s quality, based on this demonstration, Team Cherry seems poised to meet the high expectations of numerous gamers.

Game Rant was provided travel and lodging for the purposes of this preview.

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2025-09-04 03:38