Everyone has a favorite activity or game they like to play to pass the time, or simply just for fun. From working for that Fair Go casino bonus to playing Call of Duty, or maybe something more simple like Minecraft, everyone has a favorite game.
But, there are some times where a game becomes more than just simply a game. Video games can be works of art just like any other. From music to painting, to movies, video games are just as much an art form as they are.
And that is what Hollow Knight is. A challenging game on the surface, and a beautiful masterwork piece of art at its core. From the stunning visuals to the fantastic sound design, or the music, it is a beautiful experience through and through.
And then there is the plot and lore. A complex story is woven throughout the entirety of the game’s world that demands players to go and seek it out. From talking to far-flung NPCs to gazing into the minds of every being you come across, once you dip your feet in, you will want to dive headfirst into the sea of the story held within this game.
Plot Summary
First of all, I would like to give you a huge spoiler warning. This summary will touch on most of the plot and delve into the lore of the game. If you would prefer to not have that spoiled or ruined for you, then you can skip ahead to the section after all the plot-related stuff.
Our hero character called the night begins the game in a place called King’s Pass. Here, you will traverse the caves fighting enemies and avoiding natural traps to make your way out onto the surface.
Once you find your way out of King’s Pass, you will arrive in a town called Dirt Mouth. This is the sort of ‘home’ of your character, and you will frequently return here in order to purchase from the two shops found here, or rest up at the bench, or talk to the NPCs found in Dirtmouth.
From here, the natural progression in the game is to find your way to the Forgotten Crossroads. This is your first dangerous area in the game other than King’s Pass. It is from here that you will branch out into the rest of the game’s world called Hallownest.
As you fight your way through enemies and make your way through the Forgotten Crossroads, you will inevitably come across the first boss of the game. This boss is called the “False Knight,” and he is rather easy to defeat.
From here you will eventually have to make your way to the Snail Shaman, and learn your first spell called, “Vengeful Spirit.” You then have a little tutorial challenge because the Snail Shaman locked you up in order to make you get rid of a pest problem.
From here you make your way to, “Greenpath,” which is the second area of the game. You will make your way through this area, and eventually fight another boss named, “Hornet.” Hornet, we can later find out, is the Knights half-sister.
After defeating her, you will be able to acquire the Mothwing Cloak, which allows you to do a dash motion. So, you will use this to make your way to the next area of the game called the “Fungal Wastes.”
The Fungal Wastes are a very mushroom themed area, and they lead to you fighting your next bosses. The first being the “Dung Defender,“ from who you collect a City Crest, and the second is an optional boss called the “Mantis Lords.”
Next, the player makes their way to the “City of Tears.” From here they can go to several areas. This is where the path the player takes can really depend on who’s playing. You can go to “Kingdom’s Edge” first, or you can go somewhere else.
But, the ultimate goal here is to eventually find your way to the Resting Grounds. This is where some of the obvious plots begin to show. You learn that there is an infection plaguing the kingdom, and you need to kill three people called the “Dreamers,” to stop it.
So, you must travel to the Kingdom. Killing bosses and collecting objects in order to ultimately find your way to the resting places of all three of the Dreamers. This is a very difficult challenge, however, and it is full of dangers.
The third main development in the story is when you go to the Kingdom’s Edge. It is here you get the “King’s Brand,” and you learn more about the Knight’s past. To get to it you must fight Hornet a second time, and also learn more about her.
The third main development in the story is when you find your way to the “Abyss.” This is the lowest area in all of Hallownest, and you need the King’s Brand to access it. It is here the Knight finds where he comes from. It is also here that the Knight collects the Shade Cloak, which allows him to access new areas.
After defeating the last dreamer, the Knight must climb back up to the Forgotten Crossroads, and make their way to the “Black Egg.” Inside, the Knight comes face to face with the final boss of the game.
The Hollow Knight is found locked in chains within the Black Egg. So, you must cut his chains, and fight him. After a difficult battle, the game ends. You absorb the Infection that the Hollow Knight was supposed to contain, and you store it within yourself.
From here, you get an ending cutscene where the Knight is locked up in chains, and the game ends. Credits roll, and the Kingdom is safe!
Or is it..?
There is a second alternative ending you can get to Hollow Knight. This one is very challenging to get and will take some exploring. But, it is well worth it and one of the most rewarding video game endings I have ever experienced.
First of all, you will need to get a special charm in order to get this ending. This charm is found in two separate pieces. The first piece is given by the Knight’s mother, named the “White Lady.”
She is found in an area of the game called the “Queen’s Garden” and she will give you the first half of the charm. The second half is much more difficult to get and will require a good effort on the players part.
First of all, when you find the Seer, she will give you an object called the “Dream Nail.” This will allow you to cut into the dream world and can be used to reveal the secrets and thoughts of people.
From here, you will need to collect essence in order to ‘charge’ the Dream Nail. This will make it more and more powerful, and allow you to access more protected minds.
And, accessing a protected mind, is exactly what you want to do! From here you must make your way to a place called the “Ancient Basin” where you will be able to find the “Palace Grounds.”
In the Palace Grounds, you will find what looks like a dead soldier knight on the ground. If you have enough essence, you will be able to Dream Nail the soldier, and access the “White Palace.”
It is in the white palace that you can get the second half of the charm you need. However, you will need to complete a grueling and tough platforming challenge to do so. This can sometimes feel extremely difficult and frustrating.
However, if you make it to the end, you will find the corpse of the Knight’s father called the “Pale King.” If you hit him with your sword, he will fall over and drop the second half of the charm.
Now, you have the completed charm, but you are not finished. From here, you must make your way down to the Abyss again. However, now a secret passage will open to a place called the “Birthplace.”
It is here that you can find what you assume to be the egg the Knight hatched from. On the surface of the egg, you will see the Knight’s reflection. Dream Nail the reflection and you will begin a memory.
Here, you must climb your way up to the top of the Abyss, to try and escape. All the way, text appears on the screen, and you learn why the Knight was made. The Knight was made to store the infection.
However, the infection is a disease of the mind. So, why was the Knight special? He has no mind. No will. He cannot go mad, and he cannot be affected by it. So long as he doesn’t gain any emotion.
But, as the Knight reaches the top of the Abyss, he sees the Pale King along with the Hollow Knight as a child. The Hollow Knight looks back at you, and then you fall down into the Abyss.
Now, the charm is complete. It has become something called the Void Heart. Now, if you refight the Hollow Knight, you don’t get the same ending.
First, you fight him just like normal, but then, he eventually gets tied up by Hornet. From here you can Dream Nail him and enter the true final boss.
Enter, the Radiance. She is a giant white moth that is also the sun (Maybe?). You must challenge her and kill her. This finally, once and for all, gets rid of the infection. The final cutscene has now changed. The Knight is now gone, and all that is left is his broken skull.
Graphics
Getting into the more technical side of things, Hollow Knight is an absolutely stunning game! Its hand-drawn graphics give it a very unique style, and in my opinion, it is one of the most stunning platformer games I have played.
The animations are always very smooth, and nothing looks or feels jittery or janky. The game just simply feels like an actual place rather than a 2d representation of one.
I will never forget the view of sitting in an area called the “Blue Lake.” There is a scene there where you spend a final moment with an NPC before he dies, and the visual is absolutely stunning.
From the brilliantly clear blue water to the sandy shore, everything looked nice. Even the way the light makes a gentle glow is just perfect!
Sounds
Hollow Knight is somewhat of a musical masterpiece. Throughout the entire game, there is a wonder leitmotif of the main Hollow Knight theme that is used so brilliantly to tell a wonderful story.
Hollow Knights music is so good in fact, that it is one of the only video games that I have put music from in my regular playlist. The sound is just absolutely stunning, and you will never find yourself not enjoying the music in-game.
In terms of other sounds, they are wonderfully implemented as well. The thuds of sword hits, the echo in caves, the rasps of enemies. Everything makes you feel like you are in a living and breathing world.
Gameplay Overview
The main gameplay of Hollow Knight is that of a “Souls-like” platformer. What does this mean? Well, it means it is a 2-dimensional platforming game, that takes some gameplay aspects from the “Dark Souls” series of games.
This is mainly the bench system in the game and the boss fight orientation of the game. Just like in Dark Souls, the player can save the game by resting on a bench. In Dark Souls there are bonfires, but they serve the same purpose.
And, just like in Dark Souls, the world sort of resets after you rest. Monsters respawn, and your life is set back to full. This is one of the main gameplay features that makes it a Souls-like game.
The second of course is the game’s orientation around the bosses. The purpose of the game is to kill the bosses and progress. That is, of course, only from a gameplay standpoint. But, nevertheless, it is something classic to a Souls-Like game.
Charms
In-game, there is a perk system that I think is rather unique. It is something I haven’t seen in another game.
In Hollow Knight, you can find items called “Charms.” These items can be equipped into your charm slots, and they will give you different abilities or perks.
For instance, some might make you move faster, others might make your sword longer, and another will make your magic more powerful. The combinations you can make are up to you, and sometimes, they can have unexpected effects!
Combat
The main form of combat is simply swinging your sword. In the game, this sword is called a “nail.” You can equip charms to boost its damage, reach, or speed, but the idea is still the same. Attack until the enemy is dead.
Now, you might have some challenges at first, and it would be wise to learn an enemy’s attack pattern, but the basic idea is to try and hit them, and not get hit yourself. However, if you need to, you can always heal when you get the chance.
In addition to your sword, there is a magic system in the game. The spells are in effect, a ground pound, an energy blast, and an attack up move. All of them are very useful in combat, and none will feel like it doesn’t belong.
However, magic requires something called, “Soul,” to cast. Think of Soul like mana. It is simply ammunition for your spells. You get more by attacking enemies.
Again, your magic can be affected by charms just like your sword can. This can increase damage, or decrease mana cost. Or perhaps both.
Conclusion
Hollow Knight is one of my favorite games of all time. From the wonderful plot to the amazing soundtrack, it is absolutely worth picking up.
Some people may not enjoy the difficulty of the game, so it may not be for them. But, if you would enjoy a challenging yet wonderful experience, then Hollow Knight is the game for you.
