Why Hollow Knight: Silksong Feels Even More Brutal Than Its Predecessor
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At first glance, Hollow Knight: Silksong still wears the same hand-drawn charm that made its predecessor look like a cozy little adventure. But once players actually get their hands on it, the sequel reveals itself as a far more punishing beast. Team Cherry did not simply repeat the original formula; the studio doubled down on the challenge, and by 2026 the debate around Silksong’s difficulty remains a hot topic among Metroidvania fans. The game is objectively strong, yet it is also a rough ride that asks for patience, precision, and a healthy tolerance for frustration. 🪑 Benches Are No Longer a Free Reprieve Finding a bench in the original Hollow Knight felt like a small victory. It was a quiet moment of safety before the next stretch of enemies and traps. In Silksong, benches still offer that relief, but many of them demand payment. If Hornet does not have enough Rosaries, the main currency, players are simply out of luck. The problem gets nastier in The Citadel, where most benches cost Rosaries and some are only temporary. That is a tough pill to swallow when a player is low on health and desperate for a save point. 🔔 Fast Travel Comes With a Fight Both games use similar fast-travel systems, but Silksong makes the first step more demanding. In Hollow Knight, players meet a talking Stag Beetle who carts The Knight around once a gateway is unlocked. In Silksong, the carrier is the Bell Beast, and players must fight it before using its stations. The battle only happens once, but it immediately raises the difficulty curve. Worse, most Bell Beast stations do not include benches, which feels wild compared with the Stag stations in the original game. 💰 Two Currencies Mean Twice the Headache Hollow Knight kept things simple with Geo. Silksong introduces Rosaries and Shell Shards, and only Rosaries drop when players die. That part is a small mercy. Shell Shards are mainly used as ammo, but they also function as currency, which means players may need to farm both resources for quests and shop runs. Some enemies only carry Rosaries while others only carry Shell Shards, so gathering enough of each can become a tedious chore. It is not impossible, but it is another layer of taxation on an already demanding adventure. ⚔️ Small Enemies Hit Like Trucks Enemy damage is one of the clearest signs that Silksong means business. Random small enemies can take off two health points
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At first glance, Hollow Knight: Silksong still wears the same hand-drawn charm that made its predecessor look like a cozy little adventure. But once players actually get their hands on it, the sequel reveals itself as a far more punishing beast. Team Cherry did not simply repeat the original formula; the studio doubled down on the challenge, and by 2026 the debate around Silksong’s difficulty remains a hot topic among Metroidvania fans. The game is objectively strong, yet it is also a rough ride that asks for patience, precision, and a healthy tolerance for frustration. 🪑 Benches Are No Longer a Free Reprieve Finding a bench in the original Hollow Knight felt like a small victory. It was a quiet moment of safety before the next stretch of enemies and traps. In Silksong, benches still offer that relief, but many of them demand payment. If Hornet does not have enough Rosaries, the main currency, players are simply out of luck. The problem gets nastier in The Citadel, where most benches cost Rosaries and some are only temporary. That is a tough pill to swallow when a player is low on health and desperate for a save point. 🔔 Fast Travel Comes With a Fight Both games use similar fast-travel systems, but Silksong makes the first step more demanding. In Hollow Knight, players meet a talking Stag Beetle who carts The Knight around once a gateway is unlocked. In Silksong, the carrier is the Bell Beast, and players must fight it before using its stations. The battle only happens once, but it immediately raises the difficulty curve. Worse, most Bell Beast stations do not include benches, which feels wild compared with the Stag stations in the original game. 💰 Two Currencies Mean Twice the Headache Hollow Knight kept things simple with Geo. Silksong introduces Rosaries and Shell Shards, and only Rosaries drop when players die. That part is a small mercy. Shell Shards are mainly used as ammo, but they also function as currency, which means players may need to farm both resources for quests and shop runs. Some enemies only carry Rosaries while others only carry Shell Shards, so gathering enough of each can become a tedious chore. It is not impossible, but it is another layer of taxation on an already demanding adventure. ⚔️ Small Enemies Hit Like Trucks Enemy damage is one of the clearest signs that Silksong means business. Random small enemies can take off two health points
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