★★★★★★★★★✰
[9/10 stars]
Hollow Knight’s gameplay isn’t unique. It’s similar to other existing platformers or metroidvanias. However, its charm that draws you in is effectively expressed in various other ways. The crisp animations, enigmatic music, and compelling character designs all work together to develop a memorable game. I remember knowing absolutely nothing about the game, but eager to play it, because of how beautiful I thought the game was. The concept of a “Hollow Knight,” paired with the character sprites made me excited to delve deeper into the game.
[Fanart of Hollow Knight!]
If you are unfamiliar with the game, its premise begins with an unnamed Knight warrior, who has lost their memories. During the game, you traverse Hallownest, where you are confronted with a myriad of different mobs and bosses. You must unravel the mysteries of the expansive world and stop an “Infection” from spreading to the kingdom.
When I initially started playing the game, I noted how smooth the movement felt. The color palette, music, and eerie vibes were effective in setting the tone of the game. The world felt expansive with the concept of maps, tunnels with multiple directions, little bug-like characters endlessly mining at the walls, etc. Despite only playing the game for a few hours, I felt hooked. I wanted to finish exploring the Forgotten Crossroads and reveal what was beyond. Despite being stuck in the same spot for hours and dying to the miniboss like twice, I never grew bored of the game. Hollow Knight is an immaculate game, with immaculate vibes.
The only thing I would improve is the delivery of the story. After reading the paired paper, I was able to grasp the story, but the introduction of the game does very little to present it. I think the audience would be even more drawn in if they set up the story at a quicker pace. I think withholding the story at first can make the game feel a little disjointed. An example of this is with the caterpillars. As I was playing, I was unsure what the caterpillars meant. Instinctively, I just wanted to free them.
However, the story itself is interesting. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Hallownest: Hollow Knight’s Radical Response to the Omelas Dilemma” by Alex Grunberg, he argues that Hollow Knight reflects Omelas Dilemma from the short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (Grunberg, 2023). Omelas Dilemma is when society’s happiness is dependent on the suffering of a child, as explored in the short story. Grunberg argues that the game, unlike the story, gives the audience agency in that they can explore three different routes (1) keep the child as a sacrifice, (2) take the child’s place, or (3) eradicate the systemic bargain that instills this situation. While Hollow Knight does share a few parallels to the short story, its storytelling through a video game medium allows the audience to engage in choosing their own answer to the dilemma. You can choose from any of the three options which makes the world of Hollow Knight much more expansive and engaging, which can’t be accomplished in a typical short story medium.
Overall, Hollow Knight was a refreshing game and more up my alley in comparison to other RWP games explored thus far. I think the nostalgia of a platformer style game, paired with an artistic flair, made Hollow Knight an enjoyable experience.
I agree with your thoughts on the delivery on the story! If the creators intended to mirror the short story, then perhaps a smaller world, more consistent delivery of plot or lore, or some other change would have been better. I personally think that Hollow Knight better stands on its own as a game inspired by the story, rather than being an attempt at retelling it. In class, there was a small discussion on how Hollow Knight has most other bugs unaware of the suffering of the Hollow Knight, which is different than the short story. As for the game though, changing the story pacing might be good to keep the attention of players who like the narratives of games.
Hi Ngoc, sick fanart!! You are super talented!!
I also agree with what you mentioned about the delivery of the story. That was one of my main complaints of the game as well — perhaps due to the non-linear progression of the gameplay, but i found it very hard to understand what was happening from a narrative perspective. I think it could be a little more guided to give the player enough context.
Can’t agree more on how immaculate Hollow Knight’s vibes are — simply immaculate. I definitely think that the story isn’t presented nearly as directly as it could be, but I think there is some merit to giving players the option to piece together an embedded narrative vs. a directly explained one. I’m curious if there might be ways to design for narratives that accommodate players who enjoy either type of narratives, or a way to redesign Hollow Knight’s dialogue / intro to give a bit more context and info?
Hi Ngoc, I really like the fan art!!
I didn’t realize the parallels between Omelas and Hollow Knight until the reading pointed it out. I wonder if progressing in the game will give me more of an understanding as to how. I agree with you that the game itself is difficult and fighting the bosses take some time. I think thats what makes the game rewarding.