Hollow Knight Reviews

Hollow Knight is ranked in the 99th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Loved
May 28, 2023

Just like how the Nintendo Switch and Metroid Dread bundle like bread and butter, Hollow Knight can just as easily be the butter of a Steam Deck sandwich (or just get it on virtually any other mainstream platform!). The main story might feel a bit short when you subtract the hours spent on grinding and figuring out where to go. However, you’ll likely add more hours doing side-quests, each with its own rewards and optional content that pull back the plot curtains even further. Combine that with the beautiful visuals, deep story, and generally higher, but not punishing difficulty compared to the games they take inspiration from, and it’s an A+ in my book. I suggest you take your sweet time working your way through because Team Cherry is cooking up a sequel which may or may not see its release this year. Finally, I can join my excitement with the hundreds of thousands of Hollow Knight fans eagerly waiting for its completion!

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8 / 10.0
Jul 4, 2022

Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition is an eventually great game. It requires a ton of patience to see through, so even though it’s on Game Pass you need to make sure you’re willing to commit that much time because boy does it both start slow and make some head-scratching decisions when it comes to the map and exploration. If you can hold on for a solid 10 or 15 hours though you’ll end up finishing up one of the best 2nd halves of a game in the past generation.

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10 / 10.0
Feb 1, 2021

Hollow Knight is a majestic experience that only gets better the more we play it; an adventure that trusts in us to unravel its world without ever being condescending or unfair. Undoubtedly, it shines as one of the best experiences in a genre known for its excellence.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

10 / 10.0
Aug 4, 2019

Packed with a punch, it’s hack and slash style that simply inputs quite a cute charm into it’s dark and dreary state, along with it’s amazing colours and contrasts, set with incredible presentation and gameplay, and a soundtrack that will leave you quite emotional at times, with a story as compelling as any Triple-A title, will leave you stunned. Hollow Knight is perfect.

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10 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2019

When it comes to putting a score to this dark beauty of a game, I find Hollow Knight to be as close to perfection as some of the greatest games of all time, standing tall upon the shoulders of genre-defining titles, tall enough to leave its own legacy.

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8.2 / 10.0
May 7, 2019

Hollow Knight is one of the diamonds born from the passion and dedication of independent software houses. Nothing to envy from any triple A title. An adventure that ignites the player's desire for knowledge by proposing a consolidated formula like the Metroidvania skillfully mixed with the Soulslike genre. Curiosity will push us to find all the answers in the game world and to overcome any frustration due to difficulty. Hand-made drawings and animations create a perfect union with the soundtrack in order to convey a sense of bewilderment and loneliness and then reach an extreme calmness on the finish. A title not to be missed, certainly to be recovered before the already announced sequel.

Review in Italian | Read full review

86 / 100
Dec 28, 2018

Hard, atmospheric Metroidvania with enormous circumference. Does not take players by the hand and encourages the desire to discover.

Review in German | Read full review

4 / 5.0
Oct 20, 2018

An excellent and challenging Metroidvania style game that is ultimately limited by its difficulty. If you can tackle its challenges, you'll find one of the most exciting games.

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Sep 23, 2018

Hollow Knight is a testament to the everlasting enjoyment of the Metroidvania genre. Its spot on controls, exciting boss fights, and sense of progression pull those willing into a surreal, dark world loaded with secrets. Addiction and obsession start to settle in until every last one is found, a sign of the best that the genre has to offer.

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Adam Riley
Top Critic
10 / 10
Sep 3, 2018

Hollow Knight in its original PC form was exemplary, but now it has landed on Nintendo Switch, complete with all the bells and whistles that have been laden upon the gorgeous adventure since launch, as well as fresh post-release content. This proves to be the perfect antidote for those suffering from Super Metroid withdrawal symptoms. Team Cherry's ode to Nintendo's great may well have edged past its original inspiration. It truly is the game that just keeps on giving; absolutely sublime, in every sense of the word.

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8 / 10
Aug 30, 2018

Team Cherry's Hollow Knight avoid all the traps of the Kickstarter project : with its strong artistic direction, the game offers a deep adventure, but only to those strong enough to get through the cryptic beginning of the game. If you feel like trying your best, Hollow Knight, will deliver memorable memories, thanks to its wonderful environments and very intelligent soundtrack. Too bad many players will quit before seeing it.

Review in French | Read full review

9 / 10
Aug 29, 2018

Hollow Knight's sprawling world, precise combat, and wealth of content make its trip through Hollownest engrossing and rewarding.

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9.3 / 10.0
Aug 16, 2018

Hollow Knight has some frustrations, but the urge to see what's in the next room is a constantly compelling imperative moving you forward

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9 / 10
Aug 6, 2018

Hollow Knight is not just another Matroidvania, it's a whole experience that everyone should try. With its immense exploration, fine controls, marvelous audiovisual component and subtle but well-written plot, Hollow Knight is full of reasons why everyone should give this indie game not just an opportunity but a time of their lives.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9.8 / 10.0
Jul 30, 2018

An immense underground kingdom, once a prosperous place, today is nothing more than a pile of tunnels that house dilapidated settlements. The few inhabitants who survived and who have not been affected by "La Infección" survive on the surface, in the small village of Bocasucia. It is this little rest of civilization, then, our point of departure. So armed only with our sting, an uncertain purpose and eager to discover what is hidden under our feet, we descend through the well that leads us to this lost kingdom. It's time to discover Hallownest.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Jul 26, 2018

Hollow Knight is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful 2D games and metroidvania style that has been released so far.

Review in Persian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Jul 17, 2018

Hollow Knight is an outstanding game about exploration that's a joy to play, look at, and listen to. Offering tens of hours of superb gameplay, this release is easily worth the asking price and I encourage anyone who enjoys exploration to buy it, with the only exception being those who are particularly deterred by challenging games.

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10 / 10.0
Jul 11, 2018

Hollow Knight stands as a monument to game design, and quite possibly, as the greatest Metroidvania game of all time.

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GameMAG
Azzy
Top Critic
9 / 10
Jul 11, 2018

A true masterpiece, near-perfect game. Fans of the genre will surely put it on a par with Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Review in Russian | Read full review

Gamersky
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Jul 10, 2018

Hollow Knight is absolutely a masterpiece. The art style is fantastic, the level designs are outstanding, and battles are challenging and fun. If you enjoy Metroidvania games, don't hesitate trying it.

Review in Chinese | Read full review