Defeating it opens access to the double-jump Monarch Wings, but also spreads the infection that animates the Broken Vessel in the first place. Though the game's pathing is largely open to interpretation, eventually players come across the Broken Vessel boss in Hallownest's Ancient Basin. This area serves as something of a tutorial, leading players down a specific path while they learn the ropes, but soon it becomes a hub with access to half a dozen locales that can be visited in nearly any order.īecause of its purpose as a literal crossroads, Hollow Knight players revisit this place repeatedly during their travels, trivializing its challenges more with each upgrade. The Knight first comes to the town of Dirtmouth, sitting on the surface just above Hallownest, and their only way into that kingdom is through the Forgotten Crossroads. Hollow Knight follows The Knight, a mysterious character in a distinctive mask who literally drops into Hallownest - an ancient, ruined kingdom of sentient bug people spread across an ant hill-like maze of underground tunnels.
Many are waiting on updates regarding its sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong, but in the meantime there's a lot to plumb from the original that continues inspiring new games such as Mongoose Rodeo's Crowsworn. Team Cherry's Hollow Knight released in 2017 and immediately skyrocketed the developer to stardom for its deep world building, difficult-but-fair game design, and keen eye for aesthetics.
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However, both Metroid Dread and Hollow Knight pull off a similar trick with regards to changing their initial locales, and do a great job selling the idea of player impact on otherwise static, abandoned worlds. This goes back to the days of Super Metroid, when defeating Phantoon restored power in Planet Zebes' Wrecked Ship. However, it has also become a well-trod genre by indie games like Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge.īecause a major tenet of metroidvania games is passing through the same areas sometimes dozens of times, they often introduce ways for players to see their actions having an impact on the environment. Big-budget AAA games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, as well as the recent Metroid Dread, still do metroidvanias justice. The metroidvania genre was popularized by its namesake's portmanteau: titles from the 1990s like Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night with expansive worlds for players to explore and backtrack through using new items to unlock paths and grow stronger.
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