Hollow Knight is a 2017 Metroidvania video game developed and published by the Australian independent developer, Team Cherry. The player controls the Knight, an insectoid warrior exploring Hallownest, a fallen kingdom plagued by a supernatural disease. The game is set in diverse subterranean locations, featuring friendly and hostile insectoid characters and numerous bosses. Players have the opportunity to unlock abilities as they explore, along with pieces of lore and flavour text that are spread throughout the kingdom.
Hollow Knight was well received by critics, with particular praise for its music, art style, worldbuilding, atmosphere, combat and level of difficulty. By February 2019, the game had sold 2.8 million copies. A sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, is in development.
Gameplay
Gameplay screenshot in which the player fights a boss enemy, the False Knight
Hollow Knight is a 2D side-scrollingMetroidvania.[1][2] The player controls a silent insectoid protagonist called "the Knight" who explores an underground fallen kingdom called Hallownest. The Knight can strike enemies with a sword-like weapon called a Nail and can learn spells that allow for long-range attacks.[2][3]
Defeated enemies drop the currency called Geo.[3] The Knight starts with a limited number of hit points, which are represented by masks.[4] Mask Shards can be collected throughout the game to increase the player's maximum number of masks. By striking enemies, the Knight gains Soul, which is stored in the Soul Vessel. If all masks are lost, the Knight dies and a Shade enemy appears where they died. The player loses all Geo and can hold a reduced amount of Soul. Players need to defeat the Shade enemy to recover lost Geo and carry the normal amount of Soul.[4] The game continues from the last visited bench the character sat on, which are scattered throughout the game world and act as save points and places where the player can change their charms. Initially the player can only use Soul to "Focus" and regenerate masks, but as the game progresses, players unlock and collect several offensive spells which consume Soul.[5] Additional Soul Vessels, used to hold more Soul, can be acquired throughout the game.[4]
Many areas feature more challenging enemies and bosses which the player may need to defeat in order to progress further.[3] Defeating some bosses grants the player access to new abilities.[2] Later in the game, players acquire the Dream Nail, a special item that can access the minds of Hallownest's creatures. Hitting most enemies with the Dream Nail deals no damage but gives the Knight extra Soul compared to hitting them with the regular Nail. It also enables the player to face more challenging versions of a few bosses and to break the seal to the final boss.[4] If the player defeats the final boss, they are given access to a mode called "Steel Soul". In this mode, dying is permanent, i.e. if the Knight loses all of their masks, the save slot will be reset.[6]
During the game, the player encounters bug-themed non-player characters (NPCs) with whom they can interact. These characters provide information about the plot and lore, offer aid, and sell items or services.[4] The player can upgrade the Knight's Nail to deal more damage or find Soul Vessels to carry more Soul. Players acquire items that provide movement abilities including an additional mid-air jump (Monarch Wings), adhering to and jumping off walls (Mantis Claw), a quick dash (Mothwing Cloak), and a speedy super dash (Crystal Heart). The player can learn other combat abilities, known as Nail Arts, and spells. To further customise the Knight, players can equip various charms, which can be found or purchased from NPCs. Some of their effects include improved combat abilities or skills, granting more masks with or without the ability to regenerate them with Soul, greater mobility, easier collecting of Geo or Soul, the ability to gain more Geo per enemy, and other transformations to the Knight.[2][4] Equipping a charm takes up a certain number of limited slots, called notches.
Hallownest consists of several large, inter-connected areas with unique themes.[2] With its nonlinear gameplayMetroidvania design, Hollow Knight does not bind the player to one path nor require them to explore the whole world; there are places that can be missed when finishing the game, though there are obstacles that limit the player's access to various areas. The player may need to acquire a specific movement ability, skill, or item to progress further.[4] To fast travel through the world, the player can use Stag Stations, terminals connected to a network of tunnels that are traversed via giant stag beetles; players can only travel to previously visited and unlocked stations. Other fast travel methods, such as trams, lifts, and the "Dreamgate", are encountered later.[3][7]
As the player enters a new area, they do not have access to the map of their surroundings. They must find Cornifer, the cartographer, to buy a rough map.[a] As the player explores an area, the map becomes more accurate and complete, although it is updated only when sitting on a bench. The player will need to buy specific items to complete maps, to see points of interest, and to place markers. The Knight's position on the map can only be seen if the player has the Wayward Compass charm equipped.[1][3]
Plot
At the outset, the Knight arrives in Dirtmouth, a quiet town that sits just above the remains of the kingdom of Hallownest. As the Knight ventures through the ruins, they learn that Hallownest was once a flourishing kingdom of insects which fell after becoming overrun with "The Infection", a supernatural disease that can infect anyone who has free will. The Infection gives its subjects heightened strength but at the cost of their civility, causing madness and undeath. Hallownest's ruler, The Pale King, had previously attempted to lock away the Infection in the Temple of the Black Egg. Despite the temple's magical seals, the disease managed to escape, and Hallownest fell into ruin. The Knight's mission is to find and kill three bugs called the Dreamers, who act as the living seals on the temple door. Once the seals have been removed, the Knight may confront the source of the Infection. This quest brings the Knight into conflict with Hornet, a warrior who tests their combat prowess in several battles.
Through dialogue with non-player characters, environmental imagery, and writings scattered throughout Hallownest, the Knight learns the origins of the Infection. In ancient times, a tribe of moths that lived in Hallownest worshipped the Radiance, a primordial being who could control the minds of other bugs. When the Pale King arrived at Hallownest from afar, he used his powers to give sapience and knowledge to the creatures of the realm. The moths soon joined the other bugs of Hallownest in worshipping the Pale King, draining the power of the Radiance as she was slowly forgotten. Beneath the notice of the Pale King, some worship of the Radiance continued, allowing her to remain alive inside the Dream Realm.[8]
Hallownest prospered until the Radiance began appearing in the dreams of its people, poisoning their minds with the Infection. In an attempt to contain the menace, the Pale King used an ancient power called Void to create the Vessels – creatures that could trap the Infection within their own bodies. Due to the Vessels being made from Void, they are considered to not have free will, thus allowing them to not be infected since they cannot dream. The Pale King chose a Vessel known as the Hollow Knight to trap the Radiance, leaving the rest locked in a pit called the Abyss. After the Hollow Knight was locked within the Temple of the Black Egg, the Radiance persisted within the Vessel, weakening the temple's seals and allowing the Infection to escape.
Throughout the game, it is implied that the Knight was a Vessel who managed to escape the Abyss. They gradually defeat the Dreamers and their guardians, removing the seals on the door. Inside, they encounter and battle with the infected Hollow Knight. Depending on the player's actions, multiple endings can then be achieved. These endings include the Knight defeating the infected Hollow Knight and taking its place containing the Radiance, defeating the Hollow Knight with Hornet's assistance, or using the Void Heart item to directly fight and defeat the Radiance inside the Dream Realm.
The Grimm Troupe expansion
In the second expansion to Hollow Knight, a "Nightmare Lantern" was added to the Howling Cliffs area. After using the Dream Nail on a masked bug, the lantern summons a mysterious group of circus performers to Dirtmouth, who identify themselves as the Grimm Troupe. Their leader, Troupe Master Grimm, gives the Knight a quest to collect magic flames throughout Hallownest in order to take part in a "twisted ritual". He gives the player the Grimmchild charm, which absorbs the flames into itself, progressing the ritual and allowing the Grimmchild to attack the Knight's enemies. Eventually, the Knight must choose to either complete the ritual by fighting Grimm and his powerful Nightmare King form, or prevent the ritual and banish the Grimm Troupe with the help of Brumm, a traitorous troupe member.[9]
Development
The idea that prompted the creation of Hollow Knight originated in a game jam, Ludum Dare 2013, in which two of the game's developers, Ari Gibson and William Pellen, developed a game called Hungry Knight, in which the character that would later become the Knight kills bugs to stave off starvation.[10] The game, considered "not very good", used to hold a 1/5 star rating on Newgrounds, but has since increased to 4/5.[10][11] The developers decided to work on another game jam with the theme "Beneath the Surface", but missed the deadline. However, the concept gave them the idea to create a game with an underground setting, a "deep, old kingdom", and insect characters.[10][12]
Influences for the game include Faxanadu, Metroid, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and Mega Man X. Team Cherry noted that Hallownest was in some ways the inverse of the world tree setting in Faxanadu. The team wanted to replicate the sense of wonder and discovery of games from their childhood from such games, in which "[t]here could be any crazy secret or weird creature."[13][14]
Believing that control of the character was most important for the player's enjoyment of the game, the developers based the Knight's movement on Mega Man X. They gave the character no acceleration when moving horizontally, as well as a large amount of aerial control and the ability to interrupt one's jump with a dash.[10] This was meant to make the player feel that any hit they took could have been avoided right up until the last second.[10]
To create the game's art, Gibson's hand-drawn sketches were scanned directly into the game engine, creating a "vivid sense of place". The developers decided to "keep it simple" in order to prevent the development time from becoming extremely protracted.[10] The complexity of the world was based on Metroid, which allows players to become disoriented and lost, focusing on the enjoyment of finding one's way. Only basic signs are placed throughout the world to direct players to important locations.[10] The largest design challenge was creating the mapping system and finding a balance between not divulging the world's secrets while not being too player-unfriendly.[10]
Hollow Knight was revealed on Kickstarter in November 2014, seeking A$35,000. The game passed this goal, raising more than A$57,000 from 2,158 backers, allowing its scope to be expanded and another developer to be hired—technical director David Kazi—as well as composer Christopher Larkin.[10] The game reached a beta state in September 2015 and continued to achieve numerous stretch goals to add in more content after an engine switch from Stencyl to Unity.[15]
Release
Hollow Knight was released for Windows on 24 February 2017, with versions for Linux and macOS being released on 11 April of the same year.[16]
The Nintendo Switch version of Hollow Knight was announced in January 2017 and released on 12 June 2018. Team Cherry originally planned to make it available on the Wii U. Development of the Wii U version began in 2016, alongside the PC version, and it eventually shifted to Switch.[17] The creators of Hollow Knight worked with another Australian developer, Shark Jump Studios, to speed up the porting process.[18] Initially, Team Cherry planned the Switch version to arrive "not too long after the platform's launch"; subsequently they delayed it to early 2018.[19] A release date was not announced until the Nintendo Direct presentation at E3 2018 on 12 June 2018, when it was unveiled the game would be available later that day via Nintendo eShop.[20]
Versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released as Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition on 25 September 2018.[21]
A Hollow Knight Piano Collections sheet music book and album was released in 2019 by video game music label Materia Collective, arranged by David Peacock and performed by Augustine Mayuga Gonzales.[22]
Downloadable content
On 3 August 2017, the Hidden Dreamsdownloadable content (DLC) was released, featuring two optional boss encounters, two songs in the soundtrack, a fast travel system, and a Stag Station to discover.[23] On 26 October 2017, the second DLC The Grimm Troupe was released, adding major quests, boss fights, charms, enemies, and other content. The update added support for Russian, Portuguese, and Japanese languages.[24] On 20 April 2018, the "Lifeblood" update was released, bringing various optimisations, changes to the colour palette, bug fixes, minor additions as well as a boss fight.[25] On 23 August 2018, the final DLC, Godmaster was released, containing characters, boss fights, music, a game mode called Godseeker as well as two endings.[26] It was renamed from its former title of Gods and Glory due to trademark concerns.[27] All four DLC packs are free.
Hollow Knight's PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions received "generally favorable" reviews and the Nintendo Switch version received "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[28][29][31] Jed Whitaker of Destructoid praised it as a "masterpiece of gaming"[3] and, on PC Gamer, Tom Marks called it a "new classic".[2]IGN praised Hollow Knight's visuals, sound, music, and "a million other details" in building atmosphere.[33]
Critics recognised the combat system as simple[32][33] and nuanced;[36] they praised its responsiveness, or "tightness", similarly to the movement system.[3][34][35][36][37] On IGN, Marks stated: "The combat in Hollow Knight is relatively straightforward, but starts out tricky ... It rewards patience and skill massively".[33] In his review on PC Gamer, Marks praised the "brilliant" charm system: "What's so impressive about these charms is that I could never find a 'right' answer when equipping them. There were no wrong choices."[2] Adam Abou-Nasr from NintendoWorldReport stated: "Charms offer a huge variety of upgrades ... removing them felt like trading a part of myself for a better chance at an upcoming battle."[35]
The difficulty of Hollow Knight received attention from reviewers and was described as challenging;[33][34][36] Vikki Blake of Eurogamer called the game "ruthlessly tough, even occasionally unfair".[32] For Nintendo World Report's Adam Abou-Nasr it also seemed unfair—he had "'so frustratingly hard that I cannot recommend this game' angrily scrawled in [his] notes"—but "it eventually clicked".[35] Whitaker "never found any of the bosses to be unfair".[3]Destructoid and Nintendo World Report reviewers felt a sense of accomplishment after difficult fights.[3][35] Critics also made comparisons to the Dark Souls series, noting the mechanic of losing currency on death and having to defeat a Shade to regain it.[3][34][36]Destructoid praised this feature, as well as the holding down of a button to heal, because "[t]hey circumvent a couple of issues games have always had, namely appropriate punishment for failing, and a risk-reward system".[3]
Sales
Hollow Knight had sold over 500,000 copies by November 2017 and surpassed 1 million in sales on PC platforms on 11 June 2018, one day before releasing on Nintendo Switch, where it had sold over 250,000 copies in the two weeks after its launch.[38][39][40] By July 2018 it had sold over 1.2 million copies.[39] By February 2019, Hollow Knight had sold over 2.8 million copies.[41][42]
Awards
The game was nominated for "Best PC Game" in Destructoid's Game of the Year Awards 2017,[43] and for "Best Platformer" in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards.[44] It won the award for "Best Platformer" in PC Gamer's 2017 Game of the Year Awards.[45]Polygon later named the game among the decade's best.[46]
A sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, is in development by Team Cherry as of 2019, and is set to be released on Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5,[59] and Xbox Series X/S.[60] The sequel will revolve around the character Hornet exploring the kingdom of Pharloom.[61]Game demos of Hollow Knight: Silksong demonstrate similar combat styles to the original game, but with several gameplay differences. The player character Hornet is more mobile than the Knight, and uses tools instead of Charms.[62] It was announced in February 2019. Team Cherry had previously planned this game as a DLC for its predecessor, but decided to market it an individual title as its content grew too large.[63]
Notes
↑ Players can also purchase maps from Iselda's shop in Dirtmouth, after locating either Cornifer, or a note he left behind.
Related Research Articles
Cave Story is a 2004 Metroidvania platform-adventure video game for Microsoft Windows. It was developed over five years by Japanese independent developer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya in his free time. Cave Story features 2D platform mechanics and is reminiscent of the games Amaya played in his youth, such as Metroid and Castlevania. After its initial self-published release, the game slowly gained popularity on the internet. It received widespread critical acclaim for many polished aspects of its design, such as its compelling characters, setting, story, and gameplay. Cave Story is considered by many as the quintessential indie game because of its one-person development team and influence on the video gaming world.
Trine is a puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Frozenbyte. The game was originally released for Microsoft Windows in 2009, and has since been ported to Linux, OS X, and game consoles. The game takes place in a medieval fantasy setting and allows players to take control of three separate characters who can battle enemies and solve environmental puzzles.
Dark Souls is a 2011 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Namco Bandai Games. A spiritual successor to FromSoftware's Demon's Souls, the game is the first in the Dark Souls series. The game takes place in the kingdom of Lordran, where players assume the role of a cursed undead character who escapes from the Northern Undead Asylum and begins a pilgrimage to discover the fate of their kind. A port for Windows featuring additional content, known as the Prepare to Die Edition, was released in August 2012. It was also released for consoles under the subtitle Artorias of the Abyss in October 2012.
Shovel Knight is a platform video game developed and published by Yacht Club Games. Development was crowdfunded and the game was released for Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and Windows in June 2014. It was ported to OS X and Linux in September 2014, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One in April 2015, Amazon Fire TV in September 2015, and Nintendo Switch in March 2017. Shovel Knight is inspired by gameplay and graphics of platformer games developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
A Hat in Time is a 2017 platform game developed by Danish game studio Gears for Breakfast and published by Humble Bundle. The game was developed using Unreal Engine 3 and funded through a Kickstarter campaign, which nearly doubled its fundraising goals within its first two days. The game was self-published for macOS and Windows in October 2017, and by Humble Bundle for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles two months later. A version for the Nintendo Switch was released in October 2019.
Unepic is a role-playing platformer video game developed by Francisco Téllez de Meneses and various collaborators and published by Ninagamers for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Teslagrad is a 2013 side-scrolling puzzle-platform game developed and published by Rain Games.
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a roguelike rhythm game by Brace Yourself Games. The game takes fundamental elements of a roguelike dungeon exploration game and adds a beat-matching rhythm game set to an original soundtrack written by Danny Baranowsky. The player's actions are most effective when moving the character set to the beat of the current song and are impaired when they miss a beat, so it is necessary to learn the rhythmic patterns that the various creatures follow. The mixed-genre game includes the ability to import custom music, and the option to use a dance pad instead of traditional controllers or the keyboard. The game was released for Linux, OS X, and Windows in April 2015, being co-published by Klei Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4 and Vita in February 2016, for the Xbox One in February 2017, and for Nintendo Switch in February 2018. Crypt of the NecroDancer Pocket Edition, developed for iOS, was released in June 2016.
Portal Knights is an independent survival action role-playing video game developed by Keen Games and published by 505 Games. It was first released on Steam on 18 May 2017 and subsequently released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.
Enter the Gungeon is a 2016 bullet hell roguelike game developed by Dodge Roll and published by Devolver Digital. Set in the firearms-themed Gungeon, gameplay follows several player characters called Gungeoneers as they traverse procedurally generated rooms to find a gun that can "kill the past". The Gungeoneers fight against bullet-shaped enemies, which are fought using both conventional and exotic weapons. Enter the Gungeon features a permadeath system, causing the Gungeoneers to lose all obtained items and start again from the first level upon death. Between playthroughs, players can travel to an area called the Breach, where they can converse with non-player characters and unlock new items randomly encountered while playing.
Aragami (荒神) is an action-adventure stealth video game developed and published by Lince Works for Linux, macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The game was originally titled Twin Souls: The Path of Shadows. The players take the role of Aragami, an assassin with supernatural abilities. The player can teleport between shadows and faces an enemy army that goes by the name of 'Kaiho'. This opposing army is formed by mystical warriors with the power to control the light.
Dead Cells is a 2018 roguelike-Metroidvania game developed by Motion Twin and Evil Empire, and published by Motion Twin. The player takes the role of an amorphous creature called the Prisoner. As the Prisoner, the player must fight their way out of a diseased island in order to slay the island's King. The player gains weapons, treasure and other tools through exploration of the procedurally-generated levels. Dead Cells features a permadeath system, causing the player to lose all items and other abilities upon dying. A currency called Cells can be collected from defeated enemies, allowing the player to purchase permanent upgrades.
Kirby Star Allies is a 2018 action-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth mainline installment in the Kirby series; the player controls Kirby in his quest to prevent a priest named Hyness from reviving a dark force to destroy the universe. Kirby must complete each level by jumping, inhaling enemies, and using his array of abilities to progress.
Just Shapes & Beats is an action rhythm video game developed and published by Canadian indie team Berzerk Studio. It was released on May 31, 2018, for Windows and Nintendo Switch, February 24, 2019, for macOS and Linux, May 10, 2019, for PlayStation 4 in the US, and May 30, 2019 for PlayStation 4 in Europe, Russia, and Australia. It was also released on June 30, 2020, for Stadia, and on May 31, 2022, for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. In this game, players control a colored shape and dodge pink shapes that move to the beat of background music.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is a 2018 platform game developed and published by Inti Creates. It is a companion title to developer ArtPlay's 2019 game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and was conceived to fulfill the promise for a retro-style accompaniment to Ritual of the Night after its Kickstarter campaign exceeded crowdfunding goals. Curse of the Moon follows Zangetsu, a cursed swordsman hunting down demons for revenge, as well as three other playable characters named Miriam, Alfred and Gebel. It features an 8-bit aesthetic and gameplay style similar to Castlevania games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), particularly Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (1989).
Hollow Knight: Silksong is a Metroidvania video game in development by Australian independent developer Team Cherry. The sequel to Hollow Knight, it is being developed for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Christopher James Larkin is an Australian composer for video games, film, and television, best known for his work on Hollow Knight (2017) and its upcoming sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong. Some of his other works include Pac-Man 256, Outfolded, TOHU, and Hacknet.
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a 2021 action role-playing video game developed by Team Ladybug and co-published by Playism and Why so serious? for Microsoft Windows. Versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S were also released. It is based on Ryo Mizuno's Record of Lodoss War series, taking place before the events of The Crown of the Covenant. Controlling the high elf Deedlit, who finds herself in a strange interconnected labyrinth filled with her past foes and companions, the game focuses on exploration and searching for items and power-ups in the vein of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, fighting bosses and minibosses. During gameplay, the player also locates two elemental spirits and swaps between each one.
Infernax is a Metroidvania video game developed by Berzerk Studio and published by The Arcade Crew. It was released on February 14, 2022, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game follows the young Duke Alcedor, who finds his village overrun by monsters upon returning from the Crusades. Infernax received generally favorable reviews. An update to the game, Deux or Die, was released on April 5, 2023, in which another player can join in as Cervul the Squire.
Kunai is an action-platform video game developed by TurtleBlaze and published by The Arcade Crew. The game was released on February 6, 2020 for Windows and Nintendo Switch. In the game, the player controls Tabby, a robot tasked with defeating Lemonkus, an AI that nearly causes the extinction of humanity. In July 2020, The Arcade Crew partnered with Limited Run Games to release physical copies of the Nintendo Switch version. The physical copies were released in October 2020. The PC version received generally favorable reviews, while the Nintendo Switch version received mixed reviews.
↑ Team Cherry (3 March 2017) Hollow Knight. "Seer: But the memories of that ancient light still lingered, hush whispers of faith... Until all of Hallownest began to dream of that forgotten light. (Seer NPC talking to Knight)"
↑ "Nominee List for 2018". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. 11 February 2019. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
↑ "2018 Awards". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. 13 March 2019. Archived from the original on 14 March 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
