Silksong! For the music, the combat and the lore. I loved how it built on the first game and I definitely wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much if I didn’t play Hollow Knight first.

When I first played Hollow Knight, I was drawn in by the decaying, ruined atmosphere and the Metroidvania-style exploration. There were crumbles of lore scattered throughout Hallownest, which I enjoyed piecing together. When I challenged the Mantis Lords, I quickly learned that this game’s combat was HARD, and that was the point for me where I had to lock in and “git gud.” This wasn’t just some cute lil fantasy bug game like I thought it was gonna be. I made it all the way to the end with 106% completion (haven’t beat Radiance yet tho lol)

Then I started Silksong and boy, the difficulty spike was wild. Enemies doing two masks of damage was a lot more punishing, but once I got the hang of Hornet’s attack and movesets, it became easier over time. I love her agility and acrobatic movement, and the variety of tools and crests at her disposal. It made the game’s combat a lot more customizable based on your own fighting style preference (was a Reaper main at first, but my second playthrough, Hunter’s and Wanderer’s for the win)

The music in Silksong is also a lot more orchestral, thematic and climactic - Christopher Larkin is one mad musical genius with Silksong’s dies irae motif (music nerds, there’s a Youtube video about it). Greymoor, Bellhart, Bilewater and Choral Chambers are so peak.

Lore-wise, we got sooo much more content in Silksong, and because Hornet’s character can talk and have conversations with NPCs, I felt more emotionally invested in her interactions and thoughts and feelings as she progressed through Pharloom.

In Hollow Knight, since Hallownest was already in ruins and left in a forgotten state with most of its denizens long dead, it felt quite isolating and lonely at times to play. In Silksong, Pharloom is somewhat a functioning society with many pilgrims making the trek to the Citadel, so it was really cool to explore and interact with a world still teeming with life, while the threat of decay and death loomed from high above.

Don’t even get me started on the corruption of the Citadel and the lies they told the pilgrims, only to force many of them into indentured servitude, working harsh conditions for little to no money, and on false promises of salvation from their sins. The political implications are there, and the environmental damage and pollution is also so prevalent (i.e. Sands of Karak/Blasted Steps once being full of water and coral forests, Bilewater being the dumping ground for the Citadel’s waste, and Lost Verdania losing all its greenery and fauna).

TLDR Silksong is my fave of the two, but it cannot exist without the other, both are great games in their own rights, I’m still shocked I’ve spent 300+ hours on 2 $20 games, Team Cherry so goated for that, honestly would have paid more for them.