The long-awaited sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, has finally been released, but many players are finding themselves frustrated for an unexpected reason: it’s too hard. While the original Hollow Knight was known for its challenging boss fights and difficult platforming, a recent Reddit post from a player named PristineAlbatross967 on the r/HollowKnight subreddit highlights a unique issue with Silksong: the lack of traditional RPG progression.
The player was disappointed, stating that their “skill simply isn’t enough to enjoy this game” and that they are done for the day after only 20 minutes of play because they keep hitting a wall. This isn’t just about a single tough boss, but a more fundamental frustration with the game’s design. The lack of a leveling system or stat increases makes it difficult for players to feel a sense of progression beyond their own skill, a feature they had come to expect from similar brutal games like the Dark Souls series and Elden Ring.
Silksong May Be Too Hard, in a Way You Don’t Expect
The main complaint is that, unlike games in the Souls series, where you can “level up a couple times more or experiment with different weapons,” Silksong doesn’t give you that option. The game offers very little in the way of character progression, which the player considers essential for overcoming challenges. They noted that the only real upgrade they’ve found so far is the dash ability, and that’s about it.
This is a stark contrast to many other games in the genre, even those that are famously difficult. In Dark Souls, you might be stuck on a boss, but you can always go back to an earlier area, farm some souls, and increase your character’s health, stamina, or damage output. This allows you to chip away at a difficult encounter over time, making it feel more manageable.
In Silksong, the only path forward is to “get better,” which, for many, is a demoralizing and incredibly frustrating experience. The Redditor even went on to say they find the game much tougher than Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series, excluding DLCs. The game is harder than the original, anyway.
This is a pretty big deal because it completely changes the dynamic of how players approach a challenge. Instead of a mix of personal skill and character building, it’s 100% on the player to master the mechanics. For some, this is the entire appeal of a game like Hollow Knight, but for others, it’s a major roadblock.
You Either Play Silksong the Way It Wants or You Just Won’t Be Good
The sense of achievement from beating a boss or overcoming a difficult section of the map is definitely there, but the journey to get there can be filled with frustration. The post has garnered a lot of attention. It’s clear that many players expected and even embraced this pure skill-based challenge, but a significant number are feeling left behind.
The Redditor said they “can respect the developers for sticking to their vision,” but they wish they knew how “absolutely brutal and merciless” the game was going to be before buying it and playing it. I tried it on Game Pass, and I didn’t like it. The game was obviously not meant for me, so I put it down after around 10 minutes and after getting a beatdown in-game.
Source: Reddit
