New Features For Hollow Knight: Silksong Unveiled

Team Cherry, developers of the critically-acclaimed Hollow Knight, recently sat down with UK-based Edge Magazine to reveal some new details about the highly-anticipated sequel, Silksong. In addition to the interview, which was published in the December 31st issue, Edge was also allowed exclusive access to a new demo that has not yet been made available to the public. Between the extensive discussion with the developers and the gameplay preview, here are some important features that we’ve been able to learn about the upcoming sequel.

First and foremost, Team Cherry is focused on making a recognizably Hollow Knight experience despite the changes in protagonist and setting. The art style and soundtrack, once again composed by Christopher Larkin, retain the dark yet beautiful atmosphere of the original game, and the developers have promised a similar level of challenge for fans of the 2017 action-oriented 2D platformer. Team Cherry has promised that this game will be a good entry point for those who are new to the series, but it will still look and feel familiar for those who played the original.

Pharloom is a much different place than Hallownest, however, and many changes have been made to accommodate the new protagonist, Hornet, who is described as taller, faster, and more agile than the original game’s Knight. Areas in Silksong have expanded to make room for Hornet’s increased jump height as well as her abilities to climb and mantle onto ledges, and enemies are smarter and more skillful to counter Hornet’s prowess in combat. Team Cherry co-director William Pellen describes enemies in the sequel as “one step beyond” those in the original with “surprising ways of chasing you, keeping up with you, or evading your attacks.” In addition, one of Hornet’s new abilities, Bind, allows her to heal more than the Knight’s Focus ability, but the game’s early enemies and environmental hazards can do greater damage than those in the original. As a result, the game’s co-director Ari Gibson says, “you spend more time either at full health or almost dead” in the sequel.

Hopefully the Edge article is a sign of more news to come in the new year, as the game still has no confirmed release date. For those of us who are excited to get our hands on Hornet’s vast array of new combat techniques and explore this moody, mysterious new world of Pharloom, 2021 should bring an opportunity to learn more about (and hopefully get our hands on) Team Cherry’s promising sequel, which could prove to be one of the hidden gems of the year.