Game:

Hollow Knight (2017)

Duration: 2:36:45

7 views

0

Originally recorded: November 12, 2023
---
My first impressions after starting Hollow Knight is that while I can't deny that I was being a big baby for not wanting to play the game without a metaphorical gun to my head, I still stand by my decision. Like I said, my only real experience with the game was watching someone else stream it and watching someone essentially brute force their way through a Metroidvania has left me traumatized.

That being said, I'm actually having fun with the game so far. Hollow Knight is clearly one of the defining games of the so-called "Soulsvania" sub-genre, combining the basic template of a Metroidvania with some key mechanics common among Souls-likes. I've always wondered though: shouldn't they be called "Soulstroidvanias", given the importance of Metroid to the Metroidvania formula in general? I guess that's a bit of a mouthful, but then, why not "Soulstroids" then? Just feels wrong to me... though that's not because I'm a big Metroid fan, it's because I prefer "Classicvanias".

I ended up getting lost after beating the first boss, but I did eventually make my way to the second area. I even managed to beat Hornet before calling it a night. KI has warned me that this game is significantly longer than Blasphemous, but I was expecting that in the first place. I'd *like* to finish it before the end of the month, but I'm not planning on it. Still, I've got three (much shorter) games left on my bonus docket and even though finishing before Thanksgiving is clearly impossible, I'm hoping I can wrap things up before Christmas. Wish me luck!

Other Statistics