Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Hollow Knight
A vast, interconnected world is explored within a decaying insect kingdom, packed with tough boss fights and mysterious lore. The moody hand-drawn art style underlines the melancholic atmosphere.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Metroidvania / Platformer, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is deliberately stylised rather than photorealistic, and the overall tone stays dark throughout. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. It rewards long uninterrupted stretches more than quick check-ins.
It is genuinely demanding, and repeated failure is part of how it is designed. The story matters and gives the mechanics a frame, without taking over. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It is available broadly, on 4 platforms. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- Huge, densely packed world
- Demanding boss fights
- Gorgeous art style
This fits you if
- exploring for its own sake is the point for you
- you are after a proper adrenaline rush
- you can sit down for a proper long stretch without interruptions
- you want real resistance and are fine with dying a lot
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
- you are watching your budget
Look elsewhere if
- you want to relax and not be punished for mistakes
- you only ever get short bursts of play time
- you want something light and easy going
- you specifically want an open world to roam
What it costs you in time
About 45 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 8 weeks, or 23 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 91 out of 100, which puts it above 90 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 103 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Metroidvania averages 86 points across the database, so this one sits 5 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 2190 collected ratings.
Released in 2017, so it has 9 years behind it. Usually cheap by now and the rough edges are long fixed.
The facts
- Release year
- 2017
- Genres
- Metroidvania, Platformer, Action
- Playtime
- approx. 45 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Demanding, punishing
- Story weight
- Present and relevant
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Fantasy
- Visual style
- Stylised
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
- Critic rating
- 91 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollow Knight | 2017 | approx. 45 hrs. | 91 | Budget |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong | 2025 | approx. 50 hrs. | 90 | Mid price |
| Shinobi: Art of Vengeance | 2025 | approx. 10 hrs. | 87 | Mid price |
| Constance | 2025 | approx. 15 hrs. | 76 | Mid price |
If you liked this, try these
- Hollow Knight: Silksong Shared: Metroidvania, Platformer, Fantasy
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Shared: Metroidvania, Platformer, Fantasy, shorter
- Constance Shared: Metroidvania, Platformer, Fantasy, shorter
- Guacamelee! Shared: Metroidvania, Platformer, Fantasy, shorter
- Metroid Dread Shared: Metroidvania, Platformer, shorter
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Shared: Metroidvania, Platformer, Fantasy, shorter