Have you been caught up in the Silkposting and the hype? The fervent clamouring for Silksong over the years has been hard to ignore, and now that it's finally here — and relatively cheap — you might be getting the urge to dive in, even if you've never played Hollow Knight.
So, that's the question we're addressing in this guide — do you really need to play Hollow Knight before diving into Silksong? Should you play Hollow Knight? Why do we all have FOMO over this little bug game? Read on...
Do I need to play Hollow Knight before Silksong?
In short, no, you don't need to play Hollow Knight first. It's an absolutely incredible game, but it's not exactly necessary.
The only big difference is that you might be wondering who the heck Hornet is. Silksong doesn't exactly introduce her. But you also know nothing about the Knight in Hollow Knight for a good while, so it's not that different here.
Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube834k
Hollow Knight can also take between 20-30 hours to beat casually, maybe longer if you're going for a complete clear. That's pretty long for a Metroidvania, and we only have so much free time.
Plot wise, Team Cherry has said this is a sequel, but the narrative itself doesn't make any sweeping allusions to the first game. So there's no prior knowledge needed.
But, should I play Hollow Knight first?
Okay, so this is a slightly different question. You don't have to play Silksong first, but if you have the time and already own it, we'd actually recommend you do.
There are a few reasons. First up, and we've already said words to this effect, Hollow Knight is absolutely fantastic and absolutely worth your time. The boss battles, atmosphere, music, and world design are some of the best in the business and, if you're in for a good challenge, then there are some punishing ones waiting in the late-game and post-game.
Second, Silksong, despite being designed to be accessible to people who missed out on Hollow Knight, is more challenging right from the get-go. The difficulty ramps up much quicker for Hornet than it did for The Knight, and there are some platforming and bosses that might be a little easier with some Hollow Knight experience.
Third, if you decide to go back to Hollow Knight after Silksong, the Knight is a little slower than Hornet and progression and upgrades come at a steadier rate than in the sequel. That might feel a bit slow if you intend to visit Hallownest after Pharloom. Just something to be aware of!
Whether you decide to take control of The Knight or Hornet first is up to you, but we hope these little points have given you the nudge you need to jump into either (or both) games. For those of you already deep into Pharloom, check out our full Hollow Knight: Silksong walkthrough hub for more tips, maps, and skills.