Hollow Knight: Silksong A swift climb through a haunted kingdom

You fight as Hornet, a lethal hunter with needle and silk. Combat is fast and acrobatic, built around dancing between bugs, beasts, hunters, and knights and striking back with a growing set of moves, weapons, traps, and mechanisms.

It is hard in the way soulslikes are hard. Enemies hit for a lot, bosses chain fast attacks with little warning, and small rooms lock you in against waves. You learn the patterns, miss the timing, lose, and go again. Clearing one of those locked-room gauntlets or a fabled hero brings relief more than triumph, and that rhythm holds for the whole climb.

Pharloom is crowded. The count is over 200 ferocious foes and over 40 legendary bosses, from rare beasts to fallen kings. You meet them in mossy grottos, gilded cities, and misted moors, often with minions or hazards crowding the arena.

You carry silk that heals and powers tools, plus bone shards for crafting, and a miss costs you. Boss intros play each time, runbacks sting, and some fights ask for many attempts. Finishing the kingdom unlocks Steel Soul mode, a more formidable pass for anyone who wants a stricter test of the same skills.

You ascend from the low grottos toward the shining citadel at the top of the world. The map is large and branching, with new powers opening new heights, hidden passages in walls and ceilings, and quests that send you hunting rare beasts or answering the wishes of the downtrodden.

Exploration is deliberate rather than breezy. Needle upgrades come slowly, currency stays tight, and secret rooms sometimes hold only rosaries or shell fragments. You push on for lore tied to Hornet's nature and past, new crests that change her moves, and multiple endings.

Pharloom is hand-drawn and atmospheric, with detailed insect crowds, gilded rooms, and misted edges. Christopher Larkin's orchestral score runs under it with melancholy melodies, strings, and heavy boss themes.

The look and music are a highlight. Quiet stretches of climbing and searching give way to tight fights, then back to quiet. Quests add small stories from the kingdom's insects, and uncovering secrets tied to hope and ruin gives the long climb its shape.