Unveiling the Epic Evolution: How Silksong Transcends Hollow Knight's Bug Theme
Hollow Knight: Silksong's exploration of Hornet's journey outside Hallownest presents an exciting opportunity for the series to delve into the captivating realm beyond, expanding its fantastical universe while balancing the need for careful innovation
Highlights
The upcoming prequel Hollow Knight: Silksong has the opportunity to expand beyond the bug world of Hallownest, potentially introducing new fantasy elements and characters.
Expanding the world in Silksong has the potential to enhance its depth, but there is a concern that it may lose the charm that made Hollow Knight a beloved indie game. However, incorporating new elements and gameplay changes could be advantageous for the series' world-building and pave the way for future titles. It is crucial, though, to ensure that the bug aesthetic is not completely abandoned, as this could impact its reception among fans.
The bug aesthetic in Hollow Knight is the most recognizable aspect of the original game. The upcoming prequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, seems to further explore this insect world. However, it would be beneficial for the highly anticipated prequel storyline to extend beyond Hallownest and its bug inhabitants. In Silksong, the game follows Hornet as she ventures outside the intricately connected world of the first game.
By shifting the focus of Hollow Knight: Silksong away from the iconic location of the first game, it presents an opportunity to establish the bugs of Hallownest as just a part of a larger world. However, this may compromise the uniqueness and beloved aspects that have made Hollow Knight so special. It is a delicate balance for developer Team Cherry to navigate if they decide to embrace a new aesthetic.
Open the Hollow Knight World to More Fantasy
The anthropomorphic bugs in Hollow Knight, such as the Knight and Hornet in Silksong, are well-known for their stunning design that perfectly complements the game's animated style. However, while these designs have undoubtedly become iconic, having the entire world populated exclusively by bugs gives the impression that the world is quite small. Even if there are rival powers among bug factions, the limitation of having every living creature resemble either a beetle or a moth restricts the potential diversity of the overall ecosystem.
To address this, Team Cherry could draw inspiration from other fantasy tropes and further explore the anthropomorphic bug aesthetic by introducing human-like and wild versions of other creatures in unique and unconventional ways. This could include the addition of plant-based creatures, similar to the Moss Chargers and their Massive boss variant, but without the underlying bug element. Not only would this bring about significant changes to Hornet's experiences in Hollow Knight: Silksong, allowing her to interact and engage with diverse fantasy races, but it would foster a more interconnected natural world where different creatures play distinct roles in the overall ecosystem.
Pushing beyond the anthropomorphic characters, this could also be an opportunity to introduce the various types of smaller fantasy characters that are typically treated as mere decorative elements in larger fantasy realms. Entities such as faeries, pixies, and other fae folk, which symbolize the vital forces of nature that sustain the world, could exist in their entirety among the bugs of Hollow Knight: Silksong. By scaling down the bug world, these enduring fantasy figures could truly shine alongside characters like Hornet.
Why Too Much Change Can Be a Double-Edged Sword For Silksong
While there are undoubtedly advantages to adding more depth to a game like Hollow Knight, fans of the game may not necessarily embrace these new layers with open arms. The Knight's design is instantly recognizable and adored among fans, just as Hornet is to players who have taken on her formidable boss battles. Therefore, making too many alterations to the designs in Hollow Knight: Silksong could potentially diminish the charm that contributed to the original game's success as an indie gem.
While Hollow Knight had already taken risks in its design by giving the Knight a simplistic moveset to battle formidable bosses, Hollow Knight: Silksong takes it a step further by experimenting with gameplay elements and introducing a new protagonist. Expanding the game's world is a risky move, but it has the potential to be highly rewarding. This doesn't mean the bug aesthetic should be completely discarded, but rather that introducing new elements could contribute to the series' world-building and pave the way for future titles. Currently, Hollow Knight: Silksong is under development.
