Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Development Makes the Case for a Complete Launch

Hollow Knight: Silksong's Development Makes the Case for a Complete Launch

As a seasoned gamer with over two millennia of gaming experience under my belt (okay, maybe not that much, but it feels like it), I can’t help but feel a tad frustrated at the prolonged absence of Hollow Knight: Silksong. It’s been more than 2,000 days since its announcement, and yet, it remains elusive. The anticipation has reached such dizzying heights that we fans are practically holding our breaths every time a new gaming presentation rolls around, hoping against hope for even the slightest mention of Silksong. Alas, like a will-o’-the-wisp, it continues to evade us.


It’s been over 2000 days since the unveiling of Hollow Knight: Silksong, and still no sign of its release. For years now, fans of Hollow Knight have maintained their optimism, eagerly waiting for Team Cherry to reveal a new trailer at one of the numerous annual gaming events. Yet, with each passing State of Play, Nintendo Direct, and Xbox Partner Preview that fails to mention Hollow Knight: Silksong, our hope diminishes. The silence on the development progress of the sequel has become a popular meme topic, with images of Hollow Knight characters wearing clown makeup flooding social media whenever a showcase occurs.

It’s crucial to realize that Team Cherry isn’t one of the large AAA developers. Instead, this small studio is run by just a handful of individuals, about three in total. This helps explain why the development of Hollow Knight: Silksong has taken longer than some might have anticipated, given its larger scope compared to its predecessor. Despite being in production for around five years – which is unusually long even for indie games – fans have had to be patient. Consequently, it would only be fair if Team Cherry compensates this wait by ensuring a fully-fledged game is launched at first release.

Team Cherry Should Ensure that Hollow Knight: Silksong Launches in a Complete State

A Lot of Content was Scrapped from the First Hollow Knight Game During Development

Despite the fact that the initial version of Hollow Knight was fantastic, a significant portion of content was eliminated before its launch. For example, during development, there was a dragonfly enemy that was meant to be part of the game, but it didn’t make the final cut. Remnants of its unused graphics and animations can even be found within the files of Hollow Knight. Regrettably, the dragonfly didn’t end up in the released version of the game, but it seems it might be appearing in Hollow Knight: Silksong instead, as it was glimpsed briefly in the trailer for the upcoming sequel.

Beyond the dragonfly, Team Cherry discarded a number of other elements from Hollow Knight, such as the capacity to dodge backwards, traverse water, and explore NPCs’ dreams. They also removed locations like The Forest of Bones and Snail Village, creatures like ants and huge spiders, along with numerous spells, characters, charms, and items. According to Team Cherry, these concepts were generally dropped during development either due to them not aligning with their game concept or because they ran out of time to incorporate them effectively.

Hollow Knight Received Some Free DLCs After Its Release

Fortunately, following the launch of Hollow Knight, Team Cherry provided four free expansions post-release, enriching the game with additional content that was initially left out of the initial 1.0 version. These additions comprised new battles, storylines, animations, and endings for the game, among other features. The final expansion, named Godmaster, dropped on August 23, 2018, roughly a year and a half after Hollow Knight‘s debut in 2017. This largely signaled the conclusion of the game’s development as Team Cherry moved their attention to Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2019.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Will Hopefully Launch Without Leaving Great Ideas on the Cutting Room Floor

It’d be ideal if Silksong received the same level of post-release support as its predecessor, but what might be even more beneficial is for the game to launch in a fully polished state. Many wonderful concepts from the original Hollow Knight were unfortunately left unexecuted, and if skillfully incorporated, could have significantly enhanced the game. It’s encouraging to see that Team Cherry is taking its time with the development of Hollow Knight: Silksong, which suggests they aim to pack as much content into the game as possible without compromising quality.

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2024-10-30 17:33