Hollow Knight
General Info
| Awards | Best Platformer (IGN 2017), Best PC Game (Golden Joystick Awards 2018), Game of the Year (PC Gamer 2017) |
|---|---|
| Genres | Metroidvania |
| Artists | Ari Gibson |
| Writers | Ari Gibson, William Pellen |
| Game Name | Hollow Knight |
| Composers | Christopher Larkin |
| Languages | English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Turkish |
| Playmodes | Single-player |
| Developers | Team Cherry |
| Directed By | Ari Gibson, William Pellen |
| Game Engine | Unity |
| Release Date | 2017-02-24 |
| Game Platforms | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| Publisher Name | Team Cherry |
| Country of Origin | Australia |
| Publishers Websites | http://teamcherry.com.au/ |
Screenshots
Overview
As the Silent Knight, you wake up in this ruined kingdom and must traverse it to uncover its many secrets. Your journey is nothing but a walk in the park, as the vast dungeon is teeming with gruesome monstrosities eager to block your path.
Armed with a spike that doubles as a sword, you're tasked with fending off tons of enemies and bosses while moving smoothly through a series of risky landscapes. Magic skills are also at your disposal and provide additional strategy during combat.
Each area of Hallowest is blessed with awe-inspiring art and a haunting soundtrack that sets the stage for the game's dark story. Interacting with the world's inhabitants, capturing strange behavior, and exploring every nook and cranny, the story unfolds organically, painting an intricate tale of courage, sacrifice, and discovery.
The heart of Hollow Knight lies in its rich and atmospheric world, where every turn is filled with deep history and relentless challenges. It masterfully combines combat, exploration and storytelling in a masterpiece of gaming, offering an unforgettable adventure to anyone brave enough to step into its shadow.
Trailer
Gameplay
Combat revolves around hand-to-hand combat with well-timed spikes and attacks. The knight can slash at enemies or deflect attacks with its tip, which acts like a sword. Tactical maneuvering, precision and strategy are essential in these battles, as the knight's arsenal is limited but effective. Unique skills and upgrades can be acquired along the way, going deeper into the strategic level.
A Knight's abilities are enhanced by Charms, secondary equipment that grants various bonuses or special abilities. These can be obtained or purchased while traveling, so choosing the right amulets for each situation is essential to ensure that each encounter has a clear strategic flow.
Additionally, Hollow Knight's gameplay is integral to its exploration mechanics. It takes players into dark realms through discovery and exploration. Around every corner, through every tunnel, a new mystery awaits, rewarding curious players with new passages, story fragments, NPCs, and bosses.
Additionally, the gameplay style of Metroidvania means that progression is often tied to the discovery of new abilities that provide access to previously inaccessible areas. This adds a puzzle-like dimension to the exploratory aspect of the game, and geographical memory and interpretive skills become crucial.
Finally, where Hollow Knight's gameplay shines is the boss fights. A series of terrifying enemies await the knight, each with unique models, challenges and eye-catching designs. Defeating these enemies requires practice, skill, and tactics, and is a showcase for the player's evolving skills and abilities.
Overall, Hollow Knight's gameplay is a symbiotic combination of complex combat, strategic character building, stealth exploration, and complex boss battles all combined into a cohesive and efficient system that creates a memorable gameplay experience.
Gameplay video
Plot
As the mystery deepens, the infection is revealed to be an ancient released light that was once blocked by three dreamers and a pale king. The ancient shining civilization of Hallownest has now fallen under the mysterious influence of this innately chaotic plague. In his quest to strike at the root, the knight navigates deserted trails, dangerous wildlife, and powerful and corrupted heroes and villains. Overcoming attacks, puzzles and challenging paths determines the progression of the terrifying knight's story.
The knight's mission is not only survival, but also resurrection. The story revolves around freeing the kingdom from the dangers of infection, uncovering the devastating truths of the fallen kingdom's fate, and restoring the ancient kingdom to its former glory. The game is characterized by the fact that it gradually reveals the story, engaging the players with dialogues, graphics and especially the winding structure of the kingdom.
Gradually, the knight awakens the ability to resist, fight and explore more and more. A knight evolves by absorbing life forces and using spells for different powers. Throughout this fight, interacting with the inhabitants of the kingdom evokes emotions. The creepy but intriguing atmosphere of the kingdom, the fight against benevolent and evil creatures, and the knight's undying optimism contribute to an unforgettable Dark Souls-style story. The Hollow Knight effortlessly articulates life, death, decay, triumph and hope through its compelling plot. A combination of captivating story, stunningly beautiful scenery, challenging gameplay and a profound message, Hollow Knight is an inspiring exploration of discovery in the dark.
Development
The idea for Hollow Knight originated as a jam game project in 2014. Encouraged by the positive feedback, the developers decided to turn their modest game into a full-fledged title. Achieving this required a lot of work, such as fleshing out the story, meticulously creating maps, and creating an incredibly beautiful soundtrack. All these elements are subtly interwoven to make the game a great gaming experience.
The seemingly insurmountable task was actually achieved thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015, which allowed Team Cherry to fully commit to the project. Through this campaign, they not only received vital financial support, but also created a community of enthusiastic supporters who shared their contributions and boosted morale.
The fruits of Team Cherry's painstaking work came to fruition when Hollow Knight was released in 2017. The meticulous game design, compelling story, and complex character relationships have impressed critics and gamers alike, making Hollow Knight stand out in a crowded field of indie games. It proves that small teams with passion and dedication can create masterpieces that have an indelible impact on the gaming landscape.
Release
The first version was on PC and supported both Windows and MacOS. However, the developers planned to reach a wider audience after the huge success. This is why they have expanded their platform support to include both console and mobile gaming platforms. The Nintendo Switch version was launched in 2018. in June, expanding the game's reach to Nintendo's large fan base.
in 2019 Hollow Knight has come to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, further expanding its availability. Where possible, Team Cherry has provided ambitious free content updates to ensure all versions of the game are up to par.
In a somewhat surprising move, especially for an indie studio, Team Cherry Hollow Knight has also been ported to mobile platforms. Based on the Unity engine, which is not known for its mobile capabilities, it was developed to high professional standards, allowing an even wider audience to immerse themselves in the hand-drawn and buggy realm of Hallownest. Despite being a labor of love initially aimed at a limited audience, Hollow Knight's journey has proven to be an influential title in the gaming industry over the years. From humble beginnings on Kickstarter to expanded reach across the platform, the game's release showcases the transformative potential of indie games as they resonate with the general public.
Reception
In addition, Hollow Knight's story has been praised for its balanced use of mystery and discovery, while allowing players the space to construct the game's main story for themselves. The sound design also played a very important role in creating the atmosphere and atmosphere, aided by a phenomenal soundtrack that accompanied the players on their epic journey.
More importantly, the gaming community appreciated Hollow Knight's depth and incredible value, offering a huge amount of content for a surprisingly low price. Even after launch, the developers continued to expand the Hollow Knight universe by releasing several free updates that added new areas, bosses and trinkets, further increasing the value for money. All in all, Hollow Knight has set a new standard in the indie game space as many consider it one of the best games of its genre.
Cultural impact
The game's charming design aesthetic, inspired by traditional animation and modern minimalist art, has resonated with audiences. An immersive and mysterious world filled with stylized insect-like characters, the ruins of an ancient civilization, and deep darkness has inspired fan art, cosplay, and even tattoos that reflect the potential of video games to foster creativity and self-expression.
The game's innovative approach to storytelling, which relies heavily on environmental storytelling and a mysterious story, has influenced modern game design. Hollow Knight proves that games can convey complex stories without relying on clear dialogue or cinematography. This re-ignited debate about the narrative potential of video games and inspired game developers to experiment with more subtle and compelling storytelling techniques.
Also, despite the lack of a major publisher or marketing campaign, the game's success shows the huge potential of independent game development and digital distribution platforms. Its popularity has encouraged aspiring game developers to pursue their creative visions on their own, adding to the burgeoning indie game scene.
Finally, Hollow Knight's complex game mechanics, which require precision and skill from the player, contributed to the revival of hard, so-called "punishment" games. Its success supports the idea that players welcome challenges and complexity if they are well designed, well implemented, and contribute to the overall gaming experience.
In fact, Hollow Knight's cultural impact goes beyond sales and critical acclaim. It changed gaming culture, redefined storytelling expectations, and inspired new trends in game design and indie game development.