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🦉 WE READ 831 OWNER COMMENTS
Hollow Knight: what owners actually say
Owners universally call it a masterpiece of the Metroidvania genre, but the punishing difficulty causes many to bounce off before finishing.
What owners complain about
- Extreme difficulty COMMON
Multiple owners describe the game as 'hard as fuck'; one said it 'got a little hard for me at one point and I never finished.' The difficulty is cited as a reason the game is niche despite its popularity.
- Not accessible to all playstyles SOME
Several commenters acknowledge it's 'not for everyone' and that they personally 'couldn't get into the game' despite recognizing its quality. One noted 'a game for everyone is a game for no one.'
- Niche genre appeal SOME
The Metroidvania genre itself is described as niche, meaning the game's appeal is inherently limited to fans of that specific style, not a broad audience.
What owners love
- Masterpiece of its genre
Owners call it 'a classic' and 'a masterpiece' of Metroidvania design. One said if you enjoy Metroidvanias you'll 'love (almost) every minute.'
- Exceptional audio design
The music and sound effects are specifically called out as great, with one owner recommending playing with headphones for the best experience.
- Incredible value
Team Cherry is praised for keeping the game affordable — one commenter noted they 'could've easily sold it for $40' but chose a lower price so more people could play. Regional pricing made it as low as $11 in some areas.
- Engaging enough to break gaming fatigue
Multiple middle-aged owners reported Hollow Knight (alongside Elden Ring) is one of the only games in the last decade they've put serious hours into, breaking through general gaming dissatisfaction.
- Fast, fluid combat and movement
The combat is described as focused on 'fast movement and dodges,' drawing favorable comparisons to Dark Souls/Elden Ring style gameplay.
Surprising patterns
- Middle-aged gamers who feel 'done' with modern games report Hollow Knight as a rare exception that recaptured their attention for dozens of hours.
- The sequel Silksong is reportedly 'noticeably more difficult' in both platforming and combat, which owners say makes playing the original first important not for story but for skill preparation.
- Some owners bought the game despite knowing it's not their genre, purely to support Team Cherry's consumer-friendly pricing philosophy.
WHO SHOULD SKIP IT
Players who frustration easily with difficult games or who don't enjoy Metroidvania exploration — multiple owners explicitly say it's 'not for everyone' and several abandoned it before finishing due to difficulty spikes.
Synthesised from 831 real owner comments across 5 platforms. Every point is grounded in the comments — no marketing, no AI guessing. How we do it →