Summary
It has now been five years since the announcement of the sequel to Team Cherry’s Metroidvania titleHollow Knight,Hollow Knight: Silksong, and yet it still hangs in the balance as though it were just announced yesterday. There have been quite a few highly anticipated video games over the last few years, but not many have achieved the level of anticipation thatHollow Knight: Silksonghas.Hollow Knighthad a tremendous impact on the gaming industry, taking the formula many ofFromSoftware’s Soulslike gamesare known for and adding some unfamiliar and immersive visuals, sound, music, and atmosphere. Now, fans of the first game are held in limbo as they anxiously await the launch ofHollow Knight: Silksong.
Hollow Knight: Silksongis such an anticipated game that its five-year wait feels a lot longer than five years.Hollow Knight: Silksong’s official trailer on YouTube is filled with facetious comments about the time that has passed since its announcement, with one user saying, “Can’t wait to playSilksongwith my grandkids.” One could argue that many of these comments are warranted, and any perspective on whetherHollow Knight: Silksongeven exists would also be understandable — although those worries were quelled in March 2024 afterHollow Knight: Silksong’s PR team confirmed its existence in a post on X. Nevertheless, should the sequel eventually see the light of day as promised, it might be as extensive as FromSoftware’sElden Ringand its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC combined at this point.
Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Lengthy Wait Suggests an Experience Comparable to Elden Ring and Its DLC Combined
FromSoftware’sElden Ringis one of the biggest gaming experiences in recent memory, and not just because of its map size. A significant part of what makesElden Ringso massive is its rewarding exploration, as so much of its world is filled with secrets. Even when it initially seems as though the path ahead is merely empty ground, there is almost always something to discover, whether it be a special item or a unique enemy.Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree capitalized on that scale with yet another sizable experience added to the base game. In fact,Shadow of the Erdtree is deceptively massive, with an emphasis on verticality that no FromSoftware game before it has ever achieved.
Team Cherry has confirmed thatHollow Knight: Silksongis going to be significantly larger in scale than the first game, and while those words could mean anything, it’s not too far-fetched to assume it could be at least the size ofElden Ring, if not as large as it and itsShadow of the Erdtree DLCcombined. According to HowLongToBeat,Hollow Knighttakes around 64 hours to achieve 100% completion, with some more relaxed playstyles taking upwards of 189 hours. Also, at a leisurely pace,Elden Ringcan take players around 282 hours to complete. Combine that with Shadow of the Erdtree’s longest playtime of nearly 79 hours, andElden Ringand its DLC can take players almost 361 hours to obtain 100% completion.
AssumingHollow Knight: Silksongis twice the size of its predecessor, it would undoubtedly take players just as long to complete it as it would take them to completeElden Ringand its DLC. While Team Cherry hasn’t been clear on what it means by “significantly larger,” the amount of time between its announcement and now suggests it could be quite a sizable experience. Unfortunately, the wait forHollow Knight: Silksongwill continue, but hopefully it won’t continue much longer.
