Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is an incredibly beautiful and atmospheric platformer set in an almost fairy-tale world. In this regard, the game is very similar to the Ori dilogy, however, the difference is in the mood and gameplay mechanics. If the story of the forest spirit fighting the evil is quite light and life-affirming, then Hollow Knight is made in cold and gloomy tones.
So, a wonderful fairy kingdom. Its entire population is beetles of various shapes, colors and sizes. And even the main character, the wandering "Blank Knight", is also an arthropod. Very anthropomorphic and pretty, but still coleopteran.
True darkness lurks within
The plot of Hollow Knight is not told directly. It has to be collected gradually, from various notes, objects, and in communication with other characters. Only a short introductory video tells the story of the game.
There was once a very prosperous kingdom. But suddenly, Darkness (or Plague, depending on the location) began to emerge from the holes in the ground. Contact with this semi-mystical substance led to the destruction and decline of the kingdom, and its inhabitants turned into some zombie counterparts.
The main character, a wandering knight, arrives in this kingdom at hard times. Therefore, he decides to go down into the holes of the earth and find the Darkness in order to deal with it. Traveling through the catacombs, he meets mostly distraught locals who are under the control of this mystical substance. But sometimes there are also quite adequate characters telling the story of the origin of Darkness.
It will be impolite to talk about the further plot, because it will be a fat spoiler. However, even the very name of the game - Hollow Knight, or "Blank Knight" - gives a small hint about the relationship between the character and the world in which he lives.
The plot itself can be understood by about the end of the first third of the game. Especially if you visit the location called the Ancient Pit, where the boss called the Broken Vessel is encountered.
How to generally play Hollow Knight
The genre of Hollow Knight is quite difficult to define. On the one hand, this is a full-fledged metroidvania - on the levels there are few, but strong and tenacious enemies, to fight which you have to use weapons, acrobatics, and various special techniques. On the other hand, Hollow Knight periodically turns into a platformer. The gameplay is both horizontal and vertical, so you won't be able to do without jumping over falling islands and trying to accelerate in flight.
In general, the genre of such games is of no fundamental importance. Because their task is not to attract the attention of fans of a particular setting, but to tell a story. Or, as in this case, immerse yourself in a unique and unforgettable atmosphere.
Hollow Knight really grabs attention with its setting. At first, he touches, of course, with the elaboration of the visual component. Gloomy tones, unusual style, beautiful enemies and characters - all this immerses you in the atmosphere of a fairy tale, just not very kind. And then the game unfolds deeper. For example, save points (checkpoints) are made in the form of benches. The hero just sits on them and rests. That's it, the game has been saved. It seems like a tiny detail, but how does it generally affect immersion in history.
In the beginning, the main character is an ordinary "beetle" who wields a nail to fight opponents. This weapon is not without its drawbacks. First, it is focused only on close combat. Secondly, you can feel the return from it. In general, it is inconvenient. But in the future it is modified, it becomes more practical, and towards the end it is almost more useful than magic.
There is also magic in Hollow Knight, but rather for show. The character can be hung up with active and passive skills that will help to cope with enemies faster and more efficiently. But they are not key for the passage, you can get to the final credits with the same nail as at the beginning of the game.
Hollow Knight Enemies and Bosses
The developers are proud to announce that Hollow Knight features about 150 types of enemies and bosses. Moreover, ordinary opponents are extremely diverse. Of course, in the beginning these are only simple and simple enemies, but then you can meet those who turn out to be more powerful than the bosses!
Directly bosses - 25 pieces. Most of them are not too complicated, they cannot be called furious (apart from one of the final Grimm, which appears after installing the free add-on The Grimm Troupe). However, sometimes the main character goes to the world of Dreams, penetrating into it using the appropriate Nail, and there the bosses become more dangerous and more brutal. And the Godmaster add-on brings some of the most serious "leaders".
