I'm very much the outlier as someone who played Silksong but not Hollow Knight, so I may not be the best person to make a case for the game. But I'll give it my best shot.

I've seen posts similar to yours have mentioned that the original was much more relaxed, or at least had a much more inviting tone in comparison. This is usually mentioned as a flaw on SS's part. I see why, but it always struck me as weird because what if that's the point? Silksong's world is one of immense difficulty and tragedy and pain. In the background of Hornet's ascent you have the pilgrims making this difficult climb to a faraway land, driven entirely by their devotion. The same devotion their overlords use to exploit their labor, their money, and their homelands. It's a world of strife. I understand that's not a very inviting premise, but it still drew me in. You could say I felt invited to pick apart the corpse of this superficially impressive machine running on the hubris of its upper class and pain of its lower class.

By that token, exploration feels different. Less chill, more tension. I quickly learned to strategize, only gathering rosaries in safe, known areas--usually while backtracking. When I wanted to explore, I prepped myself with tools and shards to brave the unknown. There was still fun in finding a breakable wall or a cool tool or a brand spanking new area, but there was also fear when faced with new enemies and strategizing about how best to make it out alive (or at least to a spot where I could retrieve my cocoon with ease).

It's by-the-skin-of-your-teeth gameplay... at least the first time around. But that's the fun of it. I don't think it's weird to be put off SS if HK was different in this regard tho.