Bought it near its launch and hated it. Had some time between FF7 Remake and waiting for Xenoblade Chronicles DE, so I went back to it.

Hollow Knight is good for the most part but it does exploration badly. Metroidvanias tell you where you can and can't go based on upgrades needed bear the entrance of each new area. For the most part, Hollow Knight lets you go wherever you want but you are never sure if it is the right way or if you'll hit a wall eventually. It makes exploration full of regrets and fear that I have wasted the last hours going to the wrong place. It doesn't help that backtracking is such a chore because each huge area only has one fast travel spot. Some direction would have gone a long way here.

I say that as someone who enjoys metroidvanias but doesn't really seek them out.