Hollow Knight: Silksong Difficulty Addressed by Team Cherry at ACMI Game Worlds Exhibition

Hollow Knight: Silksong — the highly anticipated sequel from indie developer Team Cherry — has finally made its debut on the Nintendo Switch and other platforms after a seven-year wait since the original Hollow Knight took the industry by storm.

As players dove into Silksong’s intricate world, one major discussion quickly rose to the forefront: the game’s formidable difficulty level.

From punishing bosses to demanding platforming segments, Silksong’s challenge has become a hot topic throughout the gaming community, leading Team Cherry to speak candidly on their design philosophy during a segment at the ACMI Game Worlds exhibition in Australia. Behind this Metroidvania’s challenging reputation lies Team Cherry’s commitment to player agency and exploration.

Ari Gibson, the studio’s lead designer, explained in a conversation with exhibition co-creator Jini Maxwell that while Silksong does feature intense difficulty spikes, this is paired intentionally with a high degree of freedom.

"The world is designed so that you can always make choices about where to venture and what to do next," Gibson shared, clarifying that not all players are expected to tackle obstacles head-on.

"Allowing players to veer far off the beaten path was a key goal — some might follow the main quest to the conclusion, while others may explore every nook and cranny to find alternate routes and secrets." This flexible structure offers players opportunities to avoid becoming permanently stuck on any single challenge, echoing the exploratory aid present in the previous Hollow Knight.

According to Gibson, preventing players from "getting stonewalled" was central to the team’s design, ensuring that "there are always ways to mitigate difficulty through exploration, learning, or even circumventing an encounter entirely." However, not all roadblocks can be overcome by scouting new areas.

Gibson highlighted a foundational change in Silksong: "Hornet, the protagonist of the sequel, moves faster and has a more skill-based combat style than the Knight from the original.

To match this, even standard enemies in Silksong are more complex and intelligent." William Pellen, Team Cherry’s co-director, expanded on this, revealing that "the basic ant warrior enemy was built from the moveset of the original Hornet boss, introducing more varied tactics to challenge Hornet’s mobility and evasiveness." Despite moments that some critics have called punishing, fans and reviewers alike continue to praise Silksong for its refined gameplay and captivating world.

The game’s blend of balletic combat and nuanced exploration earned it a rare 10 out of 10 from several gaming outlets.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is available now via the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch, further cementing Team Cherry’s legacy as a leader in indie game development.

With over a million sales reported for the original game and a growing fan base eagerly embracing the sequel, Silksong stands out not only for its difficulty, but also for how it empowers players to chart their own path through a mesmerizing world.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Australia Team Cherry Hollow Knight Silksong ACMI Game Worlds Hollow Knight Silksong Nintendo Switch William Pellen Ari Gibson Nintendo eShop