Hollow Knight: Silksong's Game-Changing Mechanic Sets It Apart

Highlights

By introducing varying levels of overcharm, players would have the opportunity to exponentially tailor their builds, while charm notches could significantly impact the "equip load" aspect of this feature.

Silksong offers a more accessible approach to introduce diversity, facilitating a seamless transition for devoted fans of the original game. Furthermore, it provides customization choices catering to players of every skill level. As Team Cherry develops Hornet's new features in Hollow Knight: Silksong, they have a promising chance to incorporate a hidden aspect of Hollow Knight's charm system. This system, which already grants players the ability to unlock the most powerful builds in Hollow Knight, serves as an excellent foundation for expanding the possibilities in Silksong.

Levels of Overcharm that Reduce Over Time

An effective improvement for enhancing the diversity and ease of access in Hollow Knight: Silksong could involve revamping the overcharm mechanic and the search for charm notches. This would alleviate the tediousness of accumulating charm notches towards the later stages of the game, while simultaneously ensuring that Hornet's range of character configurations remains progressively dynamic throughout the entirety of the game.

The current implementation of the overcharm mechanic in Hollow Knight occurs when players equip more charm slots than they have available charm notches. This allows players to create builds using some of Hollow Knight's most formidable charms, but comes with the drawback of receiving double damage from any attack. This risk/reward system adds an additional layer of challenge and gives players the opportunity to unleash the game's strongest builds.

In Hollow Knight: Silksong, the sequel featuring Hornet instead of the original Knight, the characters can showcase their differences through various methods of managing overcharming risks. Similar to the predecessor, exceeding the designated "max" equipment capacity will result in double damage, serving as an enticing tradeoff for pursuing a specialized build. However, instead of collecting charm notches, Hornet will have the ability to equip the maximum number of charms right from the start, albeit with varying penalties depending on the number and game progression.

To illustrate this, an example can be seen in the light, medium, and heavy equipment system commonly found in other Souls-like games similar to Hollow Knight. Each level of overcharm will incur a penalty on the recharge rates of Silk, Hornet's resource. Instead of searching for charm notches throughout the game, Hornet can discover upgrades that modify the threshold for each level of equipment capacity. Consequently, players can still assemble powerful endgame builds as soon as they acquire the necessary charms, but will need to invest effort in finding the notch upgrades to fully utilize Hornet's entire toolkit.

Longtime Hollow Knight Fans Can Hit the Ground Running

Hollow Knight: Silksong, as a sequel, faces the challenge of winning over fans of the original game who have dedicated years to improving their skills. To address this, the game could adopt a more open approach to building variety, allowing players with overpowered characters to add their own challenges. However, for new players who haven't played the original, they wouldn't be expected to use every charm to make the game easier for them.

This flexible approach serves as a built-in difficulty slider, making subsequent playthroughs easier for returning players while not impacting the initial run for casual gamers. This customization adds an extra layer to the game's existing RPG mechanics, creating a win-win scenario for players of all skill levels. Whether they are diving into the game for the first time or returning after completing it, they can have an enjoyable experience.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is currently in development by Team Cherry.