Hollow Knight: Silksong Needs to Nail its 'City of Tears'

Hollow Knightis packed to the brim with iconic moments, lasting memories with any given boss or location that will differ for every player. However, one locale consistently stands above the rest, and it’s one thatHollow Knight: Silksongwill have to replicate if it hopes to live up to the success of its predecessor.

The moment the player first steps into the City of Tears stands as one of the game’s greatest moments. With as silent as development has been, players are still very much in the dark regarding what kind of “City of Tears” moment they can expect forHollow Knight: Silksong.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Tag Page Cover Art

Hollow Knight: Silksong Needs an Iconic Moment to Match the City of Tears

Hollow Knight Set the Bar Impossibly High

Metroidvanias are infamous for difficult boss fights, andHollow Knightis no different. From trading blades withSilksong’s protagonist-to-be Hornet, to the deadly duel with the Mantis Lords, and the final encounter with the titular Hollow Knight, all are moments that are bound to be seared into the mind of any player.

However,HollowKnight’s acclaim goes far beyond its boss fights. If there’s anything Metroidvanias are singularly defined by, even more than boss fights or backtracking, it’s environmental storytelling.Hollow Knight’s locationsand the feelings they invoke in the player are just as integral to the game as the fights that ensue within them.

Hollow Knightthrived on granting players a unique atmosphere for each location in the game. Every locale, from Greenpath to The Abyss, immersed players with a combination of music and a stunning environment. Most stunning of all is the City of Tears, one of the central locations of the game.

The City of Tears Defines Hollow Knight

After the reception ofHollow Knight, any sequel was always going to be met with equal parts anticipation and scrutiny. And with this being compounded by the long wait without updates,Hollow Knight: Silksongmust leave a strong impression. The game finding its very own “City of Tears” moment could be the perfect opportunity to ensure that impression remains positive.

The City of Tears is memorable for a number of reasons, and there’s a reason that the very first introduction to it remains as one of the most iconic moments in the entire game. For all the immersion each area provides, few match the sheer beauty and scale of the City of Tears.Hollow Knightfeels hugeto begin with, especially considering the player navigates Hallownest as a tiny bug. Many ofHollow Knight’s locales capture the spirit of the Metroidvania genre with an atmospheric feel, and a labyrinthine layout. Meanwhile, the City of Tears is a picturesque city with beautiful architecture that towers over the player at all times.

The City of Tears is more than its beautiful appearance, however. The other prevailing reason the City of Tears has remained so iconic to this day is what it represents in the largerstory ofHollow Knight. Not only is it important within the game’s lore, but it is the definitive moment that the whole of Hallownest opens up to the player, and this is whatHollow Knight: Silksongwill need to look for in its own design.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Needs its Own Stand Out Location

IfHollow Knight: Silksongwants to live up to the hype, and to its predecessor, it needs to recapture the experience of traversing the City of Tears. As big asHollow Knightis,Silksonghas already promised to feature a map that dwarfs it in size. However,Silksongwill have to do more with its locations than simply double the content ofHollow Knight.

Within the immense size of its new map,Hollow Knight: Silksongwill need a locationthat defines the game as much as the City of Tears did forHollow Knight. It could become iconic by leading players into the very expansive world the game has to offer, and be a playground in its own right for Hornet’s acrobatic movement.

The fate ofHollow Knight: Silksongis still up in the air, as are many aspects of its design. There is still very little information on the exact world players will explore inSilksong. The long-awaited sequel will be off to a great start if it manages to draw attention around an iconic early location just asHollow Knightdid before it.