Everybody has a favourite game or activity that they enjoy playing for enjoyment or to kill time. Everybody has a favourite game, whether it’s Call of Duty, something simpler like Minecraft, or working for that Fair Go casino bonus.
However, there are instances in which a game transcends its basic nature. Like anything else, video games have the potential to be artistic creations. Video games are as much an art form as anything else, including music, painting, and film.
And Hollow Knight is just that. On the outside, it’s a difficult game, but at its heart, it’s a stunning work of art. The entire experience is lovely, from the breathtaking images to the amazing sound design or music.
The storyline and lore come next. The entire universe of the game is interwoven with a complicated narrative that requires players to go find it. Once you get started, you’ll want to plunge deeply into the vast narrative contained within this game, from conversing with distant NPCs to peering into the minds of every creature you encounter.
Synopsis of the Plot
I want to start by giving you a massive spoiler warning. The majority of the story and game mythology will be covered in this synopsis. You can move on to the part that comes after all the plot-related material if you would rather not have that revealed or ruined for you.
The game opens in a location known as King’s Pass with our hero character, the night. In order to reach the surface, you must navigate the caverns while battling foes and avoiding natural traps.
You will reach the town of Dirt Mouth after navigating out of King’s Pass. This is your character’s “home,” and you will often come back here to make purchases from the two stores, relax on the bench, or converse with the NPCs in Dirtmouth.
Finding your way to the Forgotten Crossroads is the game’s logical next step. Other than King’s Pass, this is your first hazardous region in the game. From this point on, you will venture into Hallownest, the remainder of the game’s realm.
You will unavoidably encounter the game’s first boss as you battle your way through adversaries and navigate the Forgotten Crossroads. This boss, known as the “False Knight,” is rather simple to take down.
You will eventually need to travel to the Snail Shaman from here in order to learn your first spell, “Vengeful Spirit.” After that, you have a little tutorial struggle because the Snail Shaman locked you up to force you to solve a pest issue.
You then proceed to “Greenpath,” the game’s second section. After navigating this area, you will finally encounter “Hornet,” another boss. Later on, we learn that Hornet is the Knight’s half-sister.
You will be able to obtain the Mothwing Cloak, which enables you to do a dash action, if you defeat her. Thus, you will utilise this to navigate to the “Fungal Wastes,” the following section of the game.
You confront your next bosses in the Fungal Wastes, a location with a strong mushroom motif. The first is the “Dung Defender,” from whom you can obtain a City Crest, and the second is the “Mantis Lords,” an optional boss.
The player then travels to the “City of Tears.” They can travel to a number of locations from here. Here, the player’s course might be significantly influenced by the other players. You have the option of starting at “Kingdom’s Edge” or going somewhere else.
Finding your way to the Resting Grounds is the ultimate objective, though. Some of the obvious plots start to emerge at this point. You discover that the kingdom is afflicted with a virus, which you must eradicate by killing three individuals known as the “Dreamers.”
Thus, you have to go to the Kingdom. To reach the final resting places of all three Dreamers, you must kill bosses and gather items. However, this is a highly challenging task with many risks.
Going to the Kingdom’s Edge is the third major turning point in the narrative. The “King’s Brand” and other information on the Knight’s history can be found here. You have to learn more about Hornet and fight her again in order to reach it.
Finding your way to the “Abyss” is the story’s third major development. The King’s Brand is required to enter this location, which is the lowest in all of Hallownest. The Knight discovers his origins here. The Shade Cloak, which gives the Knight access to new places, is also acquired here.
The Knight must ascend back to the Forgotten Crossroads and travel to the “Black Egg” after vanquishing the final dreamer. The Knight encounters the game’s last boss inside.
The Black Egg contains the Hollow Knight, who is shackled. Thus, you have to fight him and break his chains. The game concludes after a challenging battle. The infection that the Hollow Knight was meant to carry is absorbed by you and stored inside of you.
The game finishes with this cutscene, in which the Knight is shackled. The Kingdom is secure as the credits roll!
Or is it?
There is another possible conclusion for Hollow Knight. This one is really difficult to obtain and will require some investigation. However, it is one of the most satisfying video game endings I have ever seen and well worth the effort.
To obtain this ending, you must first obtain a specific charm. There are two different portions of this charm. The “White Lady,” the Knight’s mother, presents the first piece.
She will give you the first half of the charm and can be found in the “Queen’s Garden” section of the game. The players will need to put in a strong effort in the second half, which is even more challenging.
The “Dream Nail” is the first item the Seer will give you when you locate her. This will enable you to penetrate the dream realm and disclose people’s thoughts and secrets.
To “charge” the Dream Nail, you must now gather essence. As a result, it will become increasingly potent and give you access to more secure minds.
And that’s exactly what you want to do—access a protected mind! The “Palace Grounds” can be found by travelling to a location known as the “Ancient Basin.”
There is what appears to be a dead military knight lying on the ground in the Palace Grounds. You can Dream Nail the soldier and gain entry to the “White Palace” if you possess sufficient essence.
The second half of the charm you require can be found in the White Palace. To do so, though, you will have to finish a demanding and difficult platforming challenge. This can occasionally feel quite challenging and annoying.
But if you reach the very end, you will discover the Knight’s father’s corpse, known as the “Pale King.” He will topple down and drop the second half of the charm if you strike him with your sword.
Even though you now have the finished charm, you are not done. You have to descend to the Abyss once again from here. But now a hidden path will lead to the “Birthplace.”
What you believe to be the egg from which the Knight hatched can be found here. You can see the Knight’s reflection on the egg’s surface. You can start a memory by nailing the reflection in your dream.
In order to attempt to escape, you must go to the top of the abyss. You discover the reason behind the creation of the Knight as text continues to flash on the screen. The infection was intended to be stored by the Knight.
But the virus is a mental illness. What made the Knight unique, then? He is mentally deficient. I won’t. He cannot become insane or be impacted by it. As long as he doesn’t feel anything.
However, the Knight sees both the Hollow Knight as a kid and the Pale King as he ascends the Abyss. After the Hollow Knight turns to face you, you plummet into the Abyss.
The charm is finished now. It is now known as the Void Heart. Now, the outcome is different if you face the Hollow Knight again.
You fight him as usual at first, but Hornet ultimately ties him up. You can then enter the real final boss by Dream Nailing him.
The Radiance is here. She is the sun (maybe) and a gigantic white moth. You have to kill her and challenge her. This eliminates the virus once and for all. Now, the last cutscene is different. All that remains of the Knight is his shattered skull.
Visuals
When it comes to the technical aspects, Hollow Knight is an incredibly beautiful game! It has a really distinct style thanks to its hand-drawn graphics, and I think it’s one of the most beautiful platformer games I’ve ever played.
Nothing appears or feels jerky or janky, and the animations are consistently incredibly fluid. Simply put, the game feels more like a real location than a two-dimensional depiction of one.
I will always remember the sight of sitting beside what is known as the “Blue Lake.” There is a scenario where you have one last chance to interact with an NPC before he passes away, and the visuals are breathtaking.
Everything appeared pleasant, from the sandy shore to the glistening blue ocean. Even the soft glow created by the light is flawless!
Sounds
In a way, Hollow Knight is a musical masterpiece. The primary Hollow Knight theme’s wonder leitmotif is used so masterfully to present an amazing tale across the entire game.
The music from Hollow Knights is so amazing that it’s one of the few video games from which I regularly add music. You will always find yourself loving the music in-game because of how amazing the sound is.
They are also expertly implemented in terms of other noises. The echo in caves, the rasps of adversaries, the thuds of sword strikes. Everything gives you the impression that you are in a living, breathing world.
Overview of Gameplay
Hollow Knight is mostly a “Souls-like” platformer. What does this signify? This indicates that it is a two-dimensional platforming game that incorporates elements of the “Dark Souls” game series.
This primarily relates to the game’s boss fight focus and bench system. The player can save the game by lying down on a bench, just like in Dark Souls. There are bonfires in Dark Souls, but they have the same function.
Additionally, the world kind of resets after you sleep, much like in Dark Souls. Your life is restored to its fullest when monsters respawn. One of the key aspects of the gameplay that makes it similar to Souls is this.
Naturally, the game’s focus on the bosses comes in second. The goal of the game is to advance by eliminating the bosses. Naturally, that is simply in terms of gameplay. However, it is a traditional Souls-like game.
Charms
I consider the in-game reward system to be really special. I haven’t seen something like it in any other game.
“Charms” are objects that can be found in Hollow Knight. You can equip your charm slots with these objects, which can grant you various benefits or abilities.
For example, some may increase your speed, others may lengthen your sword, while still more may increase the potency of your magic. You are free to choose the combinations you choose, and occasionally they may have unanticipated consequences!
Fighting
Swinging your sword is the primary method of fighting. This weapon is referred to as a “nail” in the game. The concept remains the same even if you wear charms to increase its damage, reach, or speed. Attack until the adversary is eliminated.
The main objective is to try to hit an adversary without getting hit yourself, though there may be some initial difficulties and it would be prudent to study their attack pattern. But you can always heal when you have the opportunity.
The game has a magic system in addition to your weapon. The ground pound, energy blast, and attack up move spells are in use. None of them will feel out of place, and they are all highly helpful in battle.
But in order to cast magic, one needs something known as “Soul.” Think of soul as mana. It’s just spell ammunition. Attacking adversaries gives you more.
Once more, charms have the same effect on your magic as they do on your sword. This may lower the cost of mana or enhance damage. Or maybe both.
In conclusion
One of my all-time favourite games is Hollow Knight. It is definitely worth picking up because of the fantastic soundtrack and fantastic story.
The game might not be for certain people because of its difficulty. However, Hollow Knight is the game for you if you want to have an amazing yet difficult experience.
