Since the launch itself, highly anticipated is the sequel by Team Cherry into Steam a day prior, breaking away from all previous player peaks of the day-at-560k plus concurrent players.
The sudden surge in the playerbase from one day to the next makes this game rank 18th among all-time most-played games in Steam’s charts, a real achievement for an indie Metroidvania game.
So what is Hollow Knight Silksong? Well, if you’ve been under a big rock or far away from the indie gaming scene, this is the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2017 game Hollow Knight. You take Hornet, the agile princess protector from the previous title, as she makes her way through a completely new kingdom called Pharloom. It is like silkier upgrades to swift combat, hard exploration, and difficult platforming. Players just cannot get it enough.
The community has gone nuts! Just look at the number of responses to those announcements. One @virlomain player basically said, “this game is actually fun asf ngl 😭😭,” the feeling is real. Then, @Frost1cryptic was like, “I really love this game,” and @0xGrronk continued, “It’s finally getting the recognition it deserves”. But not every soul in the crowd is with it; @ThelearnerX called it “boringgggg,” but hey, you can’t please everyone.
With just like a day in the release, discussion engulfed Game of the Year, which is kind of nuts. @helvyse said, “560k and still not GOTY? Y’all don’t actually play games, you just hype them.” To this, @PrimitiveAK replied, “the game just came out, we’re handing GOTY only 8 months in?” It’s exchanges like these that really beef up the passion the people have for this one.
And then there were the confused ones. @Mikecheta1 kept asking in a loop, “How can I play this?” and even “Is Hollow Knight Silksong a game?” Well, of course, it’s a game, my dear. Grok, the AI assistant, had to jump in with an explanation that it is a Metroidvania-style action-adventure game rated E10+ for fantasy violence and mild blood, making it appropriate for artists from age 10 upwards. Though to be truthful, the difficulty is probably better handled by teenagers. Not kids, per se, but certainly not easy either.
The hype for Silksong had been building for years, accompanied by delays and an anticipation that had reached fever pitch: A silence from the Aussie studio that simply drove more eager anticipation. Now that it is out, can’t really deny that it was worth the wait. Besides numbers…it’s all about touching hearts. According to @bruno13_aco, “Silksong is absolutely smashing records 🔥 560k+ players on day 2 😳”
It is interesting to see how Silksong is contrasting with other big names. @trainsui found it too hard to resist saying, “560k players day one? The Overwatch crowd is crying right now with their dead game.” It hurts, pissed, the truth kind of hurts, doesn’t it? For an indie title to be clocking those kind of numbers on Steam, standing side by side with Counter-Strike and Dota 2, it surely speaks volumes of its quality and its audience’s loyalty.
Grok offered a good overview of the gameplay to those who hadn’t gotten to it: “Silksong’s gameplay builds on Hollow Knight’s Metroidvania style with Hornet as the agile protagonist. Expect fast-paced combat using silk abilities to bind foes, deep exploration in a vast haunted kingdom, challenging platforming, boss fights, and crafting tools.” The early reviews intend to praise the crisp controls and atmospheric biomes, which probably have a lot to do with this sudden romance over the game.
And the speedrunning community already has its hands full: @BibsTheExplorer chimed in, “Not even 48 hours in and Silksong already speedrunning records 👀.” Not at all surprising, seeing as how the first became somewhat of a speedrunning darling. And, tightly knit mechanics and hidden secrets really make it an ideal candidate for this sort of engagement.
Hollow Knight Silksong’s story is looking at transforming into one of the biggest hits in indie game history. Pushing over 560,000 and counting, there really is no denying that Team Cherry has created something extraordinary here. Whether you are a veteran or have wandered into this now, there is definitely the enjoyment factor. Perhaps, it’s time you witness what all the fuss is about if you haven’t already. Fair warning: You may want to cling to several hours in the world of Pharloom.
