Gaming Hollow Knight - GOAT Metroidvania

Kapardin

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Playing this game (~75% complete) and boy, am I having a blast. As a Metroidvania fan, I have played pretty much every game in this genre, but Hollow Knight is arguably the best Metroidvania ever released in terms of gameplay, story and soundtrack.

2018 was a great year, with Hollow Knight, La Mulana 2, Timespinner and Iconoclasts all releasing, and the fact that Hollow Knight towers head and shoulders above the other three which aren't exactly slouches in the genre shows its' quality.

Soundtrack in particular -- a soulful masterpiece, it reflects the inherent beauty and sadness in the game's lore.

Only gripe is the Godmaster DLC. Fighting all the bosses without a damn checkpoint so that you have to start over from the beginning when you die at any boss is really a bad idea -- and stashing lore at the end of the run as well. Skipped Godmaster, its' for absolute hardcore geeks, the game is good enough without it when you face the bosses in-game anyway.



 

Tommy

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I've had this in my library since 2017 but i'm yet to play it. I do kinda fancy something a bit more gameplay orientated once I finish with what I'm playing right now, so perhaps this will be it...

How do you find it compares to Ori and the Blind Forest? I ask because, for me, that's the Metroidvania of the generation.
 

Kapardin

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Ori is not my cup of tea because it focuses more on (read: only on) platforming. It's combat mechanics are really crap and quite negligible. I prefer my Metroidvanias to lean more towards the Castlevania genre of exploration, combat with enemies and diverse bosses, finding items and new abilities that open up new previously inaccessible areas and so on.

From a purely aesthetic viewpoint, Ori is amazing in terms of graphics and design, as well as the platforming challenges, but Hollow Knight has all that and so much more.
 

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It's definitely among my favourite games of all time. I'd even say top 5.

What I will point out for anyone that can't get into it is that I played a couple of hours and didn't touch it for months until I eventually fell in love.
 

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It looks really good. I'm gutted they cancelled the physical version, I was looking forward to that. Hopefully another publisher will pick it up some time.
 

Maagge

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What I will point out for anyone that can't get into it is that I played a couple of hours and didn't touch it for months until I eventually fell in love.
I had to force myself through the first few hours as well before everything fell into place. Great game. And great soundtrack.
 

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This game blew my mind a few months ago. I'm at 103% at the moment and still have to complete some things. Spent over 70 hours strolling around, exploring, collecting everything... Amazing experience.
 

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Scrolling down the achievement list, there was one for finishing the game in...5 HOURS. I've been on it for 29137918273 hours with great enjoyment without even knowing when it would end and someone wants to do it in 5?
 

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Absolutely fantastic game. Finished it recently. Can be recommended to anyone who likes metroidvania games.
 

Kapardin

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Absolutely fantastic game. Finished it recently. Can be recommended to anyone who likes metroidvania games.
Did you finish the fifth Pantheon in Godmaster? The game has several endings, so what was your percentage?

I am thinking of doing the first four pantheons when I get to it. They seem doable for a fairly good gamer which I believe I am. Pantheon of Hallownest though, I am not sure, very few have actually finished it.
 

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Did you finish the fifth Pantheon in Godmaster? The game has several endings, so what was your percentage?

I am thinking of doing the first four pantheons when I get to it. They seem doable for a fairly good gamer which I believe I am. Pantheon of Hallownest though, I am not sure, very few have actually finished it.
I didn't bother there. Did everything else I think. Nightmare group and dream bosses.
I don't mind difficult stuff but as with dungeons in bloodborn at some point I get bored if I don't feel a return of time invested in form of star-boost like leveling.
 

Kapardin

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I didn't bother there. Did everything else I think. Nightmare group and dream bosses.
I don't mind difficult stuff but as with dungeons in bloodborn at some point I get bored if I don't feel a return of time invested in form of star-boost like leveling.
Yep, true. There is a fine line between fun challenge and a boring grind, and the developers unfortunately didn't think of that when they designed Godmaster. The first four pantheons are ok, with 12 bosses or so each, but doing 50 bosses in a row and having to redo them all even if you die at the 50th boss is simply a bore.
 

12OunceEpilogue

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Love me some Metroidvania. I retrospectively played the SNES versions of both (I didn't own the console originally, for shame) but loved Metroid II Return of Samus on Game Boy and Castlevania Circle of the Moon was for my money one of the very best GBA titles. Harmony of Dissonance was great too, as were the DS versions. I use Samus the most on Smash Bros and I'm delighted to see Simon and Riechter on the new one (along with a cool Drac's Castle stage).

As for Hollow Knight it looks amazing, like I've sat down with a game dev and an artist and described my perfect game and they've made it for me. I should have heard about it long before today but I'll get it for the Switch as soon as I have time to play it.
 

Kapardin

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Love me some Metroidvania. I retrospectively played the SNES versions of both (I didn't own the console originally, for shame) but loved Metroid II Return of Samus on Game Boy and Castlevania Circle of the Moon was for my money one of the verey best GBA titles.. Harmony of Dissonance was great too, as were the DS versions. I use Samus the most on Smash Bros and I'm delighted to see Simon and Riechter on the new one (along with a cool Drac's Castle stage).

As for Hollow Knight it looks amazing, like I've sat down with a game dev and an artist and described my perfect game and they've made it for me. I should have heard about it long before today but I'll get it for the Switch as soon as I have time to play it.
Very underrated as there are so many who think it isn't good for some strange reason. It's my favorite Castlevania title, followed by Order of Ecclesia and Portrait of Ruin.

Hollow Knight is massive bargain for money. Amazing that so much content is packed so cheaply, really good from the developers.
 

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Very underrated as there are so many who think it isn't good for some strange reason. It's my favorite Castlevania title, followed by Order of Ecclesia and Portrait of Ruin.

Hollow Knight is massive bargain for money. Amazing that so much content is packed so cheaply, really good from the developers.

:drool: My favourite Castlevania tune from my favourite Castlevania, given a remix on the new Smash.

I imagine some people didn't like the DSS system, but I loved just looking at the complete collection of cards (using the Fireball cheat :nervous:) and having fun trying out different combinations.

Yeah I think I can pick up the main game for about £12, and as you've outlined there's so much content to get stuck into it'll be great value for money.
 

Kapardin

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Just beat Grey Prince Zote, arguably among the top 3 toughest bosses, 9 times with just 10 charm notches and 8 masks of health. I don't think any gamer ventured that far with this boss without 11 charm notches and 9 masks of health. And I did it in just 3 hours. Damn, I'm good.:D

Can't beat him the 10th time without getting that final mask though. He does 8 masks damage in his final phase, so I need 9 to stay alive after one hit...
 

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@Kapardin I got it for Switch for my birthday last week. I've just beaten Hornet for the first time and got my dash and it's absolutely exceptional thus far. Thanks very much for the suggestion.
 

Kapardin

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@Kapardin I got it for Switch for my birthday last week. I've just beaten Hornet for the first time and got my dash and it's absolutely exceptional thus far. Thanks very much for the suggestion.
Nice mate. Trust me, you are just beginning the game once you get the dash. Opens up new areas and the game will seem endless and enjoyable from here on in.:)

I have myself just achieved the full 112% and completed everything including 4 pantheons, GPZ Level 10 and Path of Pain. Won't reveal what these are as I don't want to spoil the story/quest tied to these sections.

Just need to tackle the final Pantheon of Hallownest and I will have finished everything the game has to offer -- which quite honestly involved overcoming some really tough challenges and so is a magnificent achievement to just get 112%.
 

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Nice mate. Trust me, you are just beginning the game once you get the dash. Opens up new areas and the game will seem endless and enjoyable from here on in.:)

I have myself just achieved the full 112% and completed everything including 4 pantheons, GPZ Level 10 and Path of Pain. Won't reveal what these are as I don't want to spoil the story/quest tied to these sections.

Just need to tackle the final Pantheon of Hallownest and I will have finished everything the game has to offer -- which quite honestly involved overcoming some really tough challenges and so is a magnificent achievement to just get 112%.
Even if you say so yourself :lol: I believe you though. The depth I've already seen in terms of needing strategies to beat certain enemies, reading their moves and reacting in time, is superb and I've barely scratched the surface. It's been a top gaming experience so far and I'm delighted to know there'll be so much more for me to enjoy.
 

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The new DLC is being revealed on 14th. We already know it's a campaign for one of the other characters (wont mention who in case it spoils anything for anyone).
 

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Gave up at Mantis Lords, found the game really dull and was only playing it because a friend forced me to. He said it was like Dark Souls but knew i didn't like metroidvanias. Not a bad game by any means though.
 

Maagge

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Gave up at Mantis Lords, found the game really dull and was only playing it because a friend forced me to. He said it was like Dark Souls but knew i didn't like metroidvanias. Not a bad game by any means though.
I skipped those to begin with as I didn't believe I'd be able to beat all three in a row. Came back later when I had completed most of the game and won without any problems.
 

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Gave up at Mantis Lords, found the game really dull and was only playing it because a friend forced me to. He said it was like Dark Souls but knew i didn't like metroidvanias. Not a bad game by any means though.
They are great for practice.

When you enter their fight you'll get fecked, but you learn their rhythm and movement quite fast and they'll become easy and you'll become a lot better at the combat part of the game.
 

Kapardin

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They are great for practice.

When you enter their fight you'll get fecked, but you learn their rhythm and movement quite fast and they'll become easy and you'll become a lot better at the combat part of the game.
In this game, Combat is love. Combat is life. By now, I can take out the early bosses in 10 seconds. The beauty of the game is that it really develops your reflexes and makes the initially difficult things look easy later on.

Sisters of Battle take it to another level. But easily one of the most fun fights in the game, along with PV and NKG who are lightning quick as well.

The toughest bit was
fecking Path of Pain. Took me 9 hours. But the cutscene and lore reward was worth it. And Markoth in the final Pantheon is a pain as well, too reliant on luck rather than strategy to beat him.

The new DLC is being revealed on 14th. We already know it's a campaign for one of the other characters (wont mention who in case it spoils anything for anyone).
Valentine's Day for
the Gendered Child?:smirk:
 

Kapardin

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Holy shit. Next DLC is actually a full blown sequel!
I couldn't believe it myself. I was drooling at the trailer!! Here I was hoping for a couple of new enemies and areas, but a whole new game, feck me.:D

These guys are really creative and generous considering their pricing and the amount of free content they pack. I can't wait to play this one, and sample the epic OST as well.
 

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Just beat The Radiance :D

Spent a silly amount of time that boss. Hated having to beat The Hollow Knight every time but worth it in the end.

Was my first time coming back to this game in a long time but need to work out what I have left for full completion. Not sure I fancy the challenge of Godmaster, I assume the difficulty is far from enjoyable.
 

Dirty Schwein

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I bought the Switch during the first lockdown and picked this game up. Been playing since and nowhere near finished. I'm so shit :lol:
 

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Yeah it's great. I'm not a fan of the DLC - basically for sadists - but that shouldn't take away from the main game.

I'm playing Bloodstained atm and it reminds me how much fun I had with Hollow Knight.
 

Dirty Schwein

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When do you get the double jump? I got the dash, the fireball thing and the wall climb jump...
 

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When do you get the double jump? I got the dash, the fireball thing and the wall climb jump...
The double jump is quite late on if I remember correctly. How far have you got in that gauntlet arena? That third round almost killed me off :lol:
 

Dirty Schwein

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The double jump is quite late on if I remember correctly. How far have you got in that gauntlet arena? That third round almost killed me off :lol:
I dont think im there yet? I literally JUST picked up the wall climb jump thing. Already played about 7 hours. I'm useless at this :lol:

My past-self would be ashamed of me as I used to be a real gamer. Completed all DMC games on the hardest difficulty, played Street Fighter and Tekken competitively etc. Now, standard bad guys in fecking Hollow Knight beat the shit out me :lol:
 

Maagge

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I dont think im there yet? I literally JUST picked up the wall climb jump thing. Already played about 7 hours. I'm useless at this :lol:

My past-self would be ashamed of me as I used to be a real gamer. Completed all DMC games on the hardest difficulty, played Street Fighter and Tekken competitively etc. Now, standard bad guys in fecking Hollow Knight beat the shit out me :lol:
It's not supposed to be easy though. I think everyone playing it dies quite a few times.