Hollow Knight Review

Into Hallownest

You descend as a small, silent knight from the sleepy town of Dirtmouth into Hallownest, a vast fallen kingdom of insects ravaged by a mysterious Infection. There’s almost no exposition — the kingdom’s tragedy is told through its ruins, its NPCs, and what you piece together yourself.

Exploration and Movement

This is a Metroidvania in its purest form. You gradually earn the Mothwing Cloak dash, the Mantis Claw wall-jump, and the Monarch Wings double-jump, each opening up new corners of an enormous interconnected map. With no objective markers and maps bought from the wandering Cornifer, discovery always feels like your own.

Combat, Soul, and Charms

Combat centres on your nail and spells like Vengeful Spirit, with Soul harvested from hits used to either attack or heal — a tense risk-reward balance. The charm system lets you slot abilities like Quick Slash or Shaman Stone to shape your build.

Brutal, Beautiful Bosses

The bosses are the highlight, from the elegant Mantis Lords to the heartbreaking Hornet and the ferocious Nightmare King Grimm. The optional Pantheons string them into punishing boss-rush gauntlets for the truly dedicated.

Atmosphere and Sound

Team Cherry’s hand-drawn art and Christopher Larkin’s mournful orchestral score conjure a world that is beautiful and deeply melancholic in equal measure.

A Demanding Adventure

Make no mistake, Hollow Knight is hard. Difficulty spikes are steep, direction is sparse, and dying drops your Geo where you fell, forcing a tense recovery run against your own shade.

Verdict

With its scale, polish, atmosphere, and almost absurd value, Hollow Knight stands as one of the finest Metroidvanias ever made — a genuine modern classic.