Hollow Knight is not a perfect game. I want to get out of the way, because during the course of the game, there are a few repeating issues that may mar your 50-60 hours of game time. However, at the end of every session what you'll remember is the gorgeous world, the NPCs, the expansive exploration and combat. Hollow Knight is a clockwork of many parts -- 1. Combat: You're almost always in battle. Small and large enemies are all over the map and memorizing the simple patterns of each one is a good hook to pay attention as you're playing. Each area in the game has its own unique enemy types (and common ones), roughly ending up at over 140 types. Even more impressive are the bosses, who are challenging enough to make each encounter worthwhile. Memorizing their patterns, chipping away at them and jumping and weaving through their attacks is immensely satisfying. 2. Exploration: The game world is massive, and I mean MASSIVE. You constantly seem to be stumbling on a new region, each with its own unique color pallete, enemy design and ecology. There is a real focus on navigation and exploring as there are tons of secrets, upgrades and items scattered across the world. Watching the environment, plant life and the music change in a new level never gets old. In addition the NPCs that dot each level are uniquely entertaining. 3. Upgrades: One of the eternal joys of the game is upgrading the Knight by finding movement upgrades in the world, charms that grant passive bonuses, and health and soul boosts. The game generally makes you work a bit for each. There are a few problems: the save points, fast travel and merchants are spread too thinly, which may lead of excessive backtracking. The map system requires you to find the map maker per level, which means you'll be running blind the first several minutes per region. There are also a few performance and control issues, but they're being addressed. At the end of the day, Hollow Knight is an absolutely incredible experience and one of my favorite Metroidvania experiences in recent years.
