Summary
Hollow Knightplayers are still waiting for news onHollow Knight: Silksong, but there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. Recently,Silksong’s Steam data got its first manual update in fourteen months, followed up by a genuine Microsoft Store page being posted on April Fools' Day, and a Korean age rating from February being uncovered shortly after that. Between all of these sudden developments and older official statements thatHollow Knight: Silksonghas had ongoing QA testing, it seems the game may finally be ready to announce its release date.
After how well the original 2017 metroidvania was received, it’s no wonder fans are still on the lookout for more about its sequel.Hollow Knight: Silksongwas announced in 2019, and is expected to keep up its predecessor’s strong gameplay and presentation. The game should also have plenty of new tricks up its sleeve, like a tool-crafting system and whatever theSilk Soul Mode inSilksong’s postgamehas evolved into. But more than any one feature,Silksongshould bring theHollow Knightcommunity together again to unearth a new corner of its dark fantasy world, even if some discoveries will be less pleasant than others.
Among Hollow Knight’s Varied Locales, Deepnest Stands Out
Venturing throughHollow Knight’s kingdom of Hallownest was typically smooth and gradual, with players finding treasure and techniques to help them progress along the way. Plenty of adventurers have tales about the different routes they took through the game’s plague-infested tunnels, but just about everyone has a horror story about one particular area. It arguably isn’tHollow Knight’s deepest lore secretor hardest region, but Deepnest is, without a doubt, the most intimidating place inHollow Knight.
Deepnest’s Savagery Is An Iconic Part of Hollow Knight
Taking up the map’s bottom left corner, Deepnest is home to most of the natural predators in Hallownest, as well as many of its most cramped and confusing tunnels. Players are intended to enter Deepnest after besting the Mantis Village guarding its entrance, but can also fall into it via a pit trap. Exploration will quickly take a backseat to fumbling around for the nearest exit, and the experience is nerve-racking even for players without arachnophobia or claustrophobia. Penetrating Deepnest’s furthest reaches is required toseeHollow Knight’s endings, and the enemies therein can be as brutal as the environment. It’s unpleasant from start to finish, and that’s precisely whyHollow Knight: Silksongshould bring something like it back.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Can Recapture Fans’ Attention With Another Deepnest
Hornet’s ventures in the kingdom of Pharloom will be full of challenges, but it takes something like Deepnest to focus those into memorable trials rather than routine frustrations. An area fully committed to traps, darkness, horror, and even mechanical treachery involving the map and benches makes for great stories later, as well as the satisfaction of conquering something that feels justifiably hard. It could be likened to the feeling ofbeatingElden Ring’s brutally tough Malenia, as doing so is an achievement that also encourages community discussions.
Silksong’s New Setting Could Give Deepnest’s Values A New Aesthetic
What sort of nightmarish pitHollow Knight: Silksongcould throw players into should be a surprise, but the game has a lot of options. For one,lining upHollow KnightandSilksong’s loresuggests that some of Hallownest’s spider people have traveled to, and may even hail from, the silk-themed Pharloom. Deepnest’s cousin could be likeResident Evil’s Spencer Mansion, presenting a more ornate and compact area that unfolds like a miniature metroidvania, all while bombarding players with traps, puzzles, and foes. Alternatively,Silksongcould place its Deepnest equivalent at its highest point, perhaps taking players into a withered and webbed-up network of tree branches. Replicating the harsh difficulty and tone of Deepnest won’t be easy, butHollow Knight: Silksongshould be up to the challenge.
