Finally, Hollow Knight: Silksong is upon us, after it basically shut down every storefront and the internet itself, it feels. The first game was a difficult, yet rewarding journey already, and fans of the genre might love to hear that Silksong is just as challenging, perhaps even more so. The world is simply bigger, and movement has gotten some cool upgrades to offset the enemies hitting harder, too.
As someone who sank more hours into Hollow Knight than I’d care to admit, I can tell you one thing; be patient. As much as that sounds counterintuitive, especially in a fast game like this, trust us on this one. Apart from practicing your patience, here are five Hollow Knight Silksong walkthrough tips that will help make your first steps into Pharloom’s beautiful, yet deadly world less punishing.
Hollow Knight Silksong Walkthrough Tips
Master Hornet’s Agility
If you played Hollow Knight in order to prepare for Silksong, you might have done yourself a disservice. Hornet plays nothing like the Knight, because she’s faster, more athletic, and in general, a more movement-heavy character.
The sooner you get comfortable with the Hollow Knight SIlksong gameplay mechanics, the more you will enjoy the game, and it will inevitably become easier for you. If you play Hornet like you did the knight, I promise you, you’ll get destroyed. Instead, lean into her speed and treat her like the dancer she is.
Keep Your Healing Options Open
To the surprise of exactly no one, movement is not the only aspect that got a fresh coat of paint in Silksong. Healing also works a bit differently with Hornet, using silk instead of soul.
Yes, it heals faster, but it’s also entangled (pun intended) with some hefty risk, since it is also the currency for your special abilities.
My advice? Just don’t get too greedy. You can heal when you have the time and space to do so, but don’t think that just because healing is faster, you can top up mid-fight continuously. It is more viable, yes – but leave some breathing room for you to heal.
Explore, Explore, Explore
If the original taught me anything, it’s that Team Cherry is a magpie in the shape of a development studio, meaning that they love to hide the good stuff in places you wouldn’t expect it to be.
Pharloom is no different than Hallownest in that aspect, so that suspicious wall you thought could not possibly hide something great, most likely does.
My take is, don’t just rush from boss to boss trying to beat the game as fast as possible; this isn’t the right game for you if you do. Take your time, poke around, lose yourself in the world, and enjoy the combat encounters, knowing you’ve explored the world to its fullest and maybe – just maybe – got an optional upgrade that made your path that much easier.
Don’t Ignore Charms and Upgrades
Not unlike many RPGs out there, charms and trinkets shape your playstyle quite significantly.
Movement boosts, combat enhancers, upgrades – they all let you fine-tune Hornet to fit your playstyle, and with that comes more success and yes, more enjoyment.
While some players love to play defensively, others might take on a healing role and make Hornet’s healing ability easier to use within combat.
Silksong really lets you lean into whichever role you prefer. Mix and match, experiment, and don’t just stick with the first set you find, even if it’s cool to begin with.
Accept Death as an Old Friend
It’s a common misconception among players that dying is failing in a video game. While it’s true that it is the failure of overcoming an obstacle or a boss fight in that moment, it’s so important that you accept that dying in Silksong is part of the experience.
It teaches you valuable lessons, like what attack did you miss? Where did you overcommit or what enemy pattern can you exploit better the next run? If you change your mindset that way, you’ll accept death as part of what makes Silksong so great.
