The original Hollow Knight became a cult sensation thanks to its gorgeous hand‑drawn art, punishing combat and sprawling world. After years of anticipation and a parade of delays, Team Cherry finally released the full sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong on September 4, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and day‑one on Game Pass. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely!
This time, you play as Hornet, the agile princess‑protector who wielded her needle and thread as a boss in the original game. She’s been captured and transported to the mysterious kingdom of Pharloom. After escaping her captors, she embarks on a quest to reach the top of the world and uncover the Silk Soul’s secrets. Along the way you’ll explore shimmering citadels, fungal wastelands and clockwork cities, meet a memorable cast of bug‑folk and hack your way throu and hack your way through more than 150 enemies and dozens of screen-filling bosses.
Watch the Release Trailer
If you want a taste of the adventure before diving in, check out the official release trailer below. Hollow Knight: Silksong release trailer – Team Cherry’s latest trailer gives a cinematic look at Hornet’s journey.
A More Graceful Heroine
Hornet may look familiar, but she plays very differently from the Knight. She’s taller, faster, and built for acrobatic combat. Ledged‑grabbing and mantling let her scramble up vertical shafts with ease, and her air dash is longer and more controllable. Instead of soul, Hornet generates Silk, a resource used for healing and special attacks. Her Bind healing move channels all collected Silk to restore three masks at once; you can heal mid‑air, but you’ll need to manage your Silk carefully since it fuels your strongest moves.
The combat system benefits from this agility. You’ll constantly weave through enemy attacks, deflect incoming blows, and retaliate with needle strikes. Enemies are smarter than ever, often feinting or blocking before counter‑attacking. Bosses have multiple phases and new mechanics that keep you on your toes. When you finally master a foe, Hornet can craft tools from materials dropped by enemies – consumable gadgets like bombs, traps, or healing items. The result is a fluid dance of precision and improvisation where victory feels earned.
Table: Hornet’s Key Abilities
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Needle Arts | Quick melee combos with Hornet’s needle and thread. Can strike in multiple directions and extend into powerful arts by spending Silk. |
| Silk Bind | Consume all stored Silk to instantly restore three masks of health. Can be used while airborne – but leaves you vulnerable. |
| Grapple | Shoot your thread to grapple through the environment or pull yourself toward enemies. Essential for traversal and repositioning mid‑fight. |
| Tool Crafting | Use materials to craft one‑time‑use tools like healing potions, traps or explosive bombs. Adds a survival strategy layer. |
| Steel Soul Mode | An optional permadeath mode for veterans – die once, and your save file is gone! |
A Living, Connected World
Pharloom is massive and wonderfully interconnected. Each region oozes personality: there’s the Mechanical Reaches, a labyrinth of gears and pistons; the Moss‑gathering Marshes teeming with overgrown flora; and the regal Citadel Peak with glittering domes. The world design cleverly loops back on itself, opening shortcuts that make later backtracking a breeze. And there’s no map until you find the area’s cartographer, so exploring feels genuinely dangerous.
What makes Pharloom feel alive are the NPCs and side quests. As you wander, you’ll meet traveling merchants, lost pilgrims, and wary guards. Many characters have their own story arcs, and you can track quests on your map. Some ask for specific materials; others challenge you to prove your mettle. Completing quests often rewards you with new abilities, crests, or story tidbits.
The world also reacts to your progress. Defeating a boss might open new paths or cause enemies to become more aggressive. Traps litter the landscape – think retractable spikes, collapsing floors and timed gates. They’re not just for you: some enemies will lay traps or throw bombs, forcing you to adapt on the fly.
Enemies will now feint, defend themselves, and set traps for Hornet, forcing players to read their patterns and use all of Hornet’s mobility to survive.
Deep Character Customisation
In addition to tools, Hornet equips crests – essentially pins that modify your abilities. One crest boosts your dash length, another increases Silk generation, and others grant defensive buffs or new attacks. You have limited crest slots, so building your ideal loadout is a fun puzzle. Some crests can be found in hidden nooks; others are rewards for side quests or boss gauntlets. Experimentation is encouraged, and there’s no cost to swap crests at benches.
Team Cherry has also added numerous quality‑of‑life improvements. You can tag map markers, quickly warp between benches and even re‑fight certain bosses via a dream realm. An optional hint system gently nudges you toward your next objective, which helps newcomers without removing the sense of discovery.
Visual & Audio Splendor
If you thought Hollow Knight was beautiful, Silksong is jaw‑dropping. Every frame looks like a lovingly animated illustration. Backgrounds are layered, filled with tiny details like ants hauling leaves or moths fluttering near lanterns. Hornet’s animations are buttery smooth, whether she’s pirouetting over an enemy or rushing across a zipline. The vibrant palette pops on modern consoles and the Switch’s OLED screen.
The soundtrack, composed once again by Christopher Larkin, is a highlight. Haunting violin melodies accompany the melancholic Boneforest, while frantic percussion pushes you through heated boss battles. Each track evolves as you progress deeper into the kingdom. The audio design extends to gameplay: enemies grunt, Hornet’s needle makes satisfying thwips, and the environment creaks and chirps.
Release Details & Platforms
After a long wait, Silksong was released on September 4, 2025, with a launch price of $20. It’s available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, and there’s a free upgrade for the upcoming Switch 2. Players can also download it through Xbox Game Pass on day one. The global unlock time was 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET / 4 PM CEST, so players worldwide could jump in simultaneously. An optional Steel Soul mode returns for masochists; die once, and your save is permanently deleted.
Verdict – A Metroidvania Masterpiece
Hollow Knight: Silksong is a triumph. Team Cherry has taken the foundation of the original and elevated every aspect: combat is faster and deeper, exploration is more rewarding, and the world feels more reactive and alive. The added mobility makes traversal a joy, while the new crest and tool systems encourage experimentation. It’s challenging but fair, and it respects your time with plentiful checkpoints and intuitive navigation aids. Whether you’re new to the series or a hardened bug‑slayer, Silksong is one of 2025’s must‑play games.
