Hollow Knight: Silksong Trailer Analysis and Breakdown
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| Hollow Knight: Silksong Official Art |
The wait for a new trailer is over and our prayers have been answered. Thanks to the Xbox Games Extended Showcase we now have the Xbox Game Pass Reveal Trailer with plenty of new content and teasers for the game. With the announcement that the game now has a set release window the hype for Silksong is starting to skyrocket again.
| Hollow Knight: Silksong Xbox Game Pass Reveal Trailer |
Music
Christopher Larkin, composer of Hollow Knight's incredible soundtrack, puts his talent back on display with the music featured throughout the trailer. We have already heard two tracks from the OST called Lace and Bonebottom, and now we can add another yet unnamed track to the list as the music in the trailer is brand new. The iconic strings and orchestral accompaniment provide an adventurous ambiance to the trailer as they start with a deeper, simple melody to build excitement and tension. This quickly transitions to a quicker and more high pitched set of strings to highlight all of the new environments shown in the snappy shots during this section of the video. Just before the halfway point, as the trailer begins to show off some of the new and flashy combat mechanics, the music increases in complexity as a single violin solo becomes the focus, with other stings accenting the action shown on screen. The action continues to build and the music is right along side it, building in both intensity and volume before the final crescendo as the game's title shows on screen.
For a short trailer the song used is fantastic and layers perfectly with the visuals to build hype around the game. Whichever boss or area gets this track can count itself lucky and if every track on the OST is as good as this one, which they seem to be based on the other OST tracks that have been released, then I have no doubt it can match the heights of the original game in terms of audio design.
| Lace from the Hollow Knight: Silksong OST |
Mechanics
Moving onto the meat of the video, there's a lot to sink our teeth into when it comes to mechanics. The trailer doesn't skimp on showing off Team Cherry's hard work from the past 3 years. Starting with the fluidity of the combat, Silksong looks to take the refined, precise movement system from Hollow Knight and build on it. Some of the classic movement abilities are still there, with the dash, wall jump, pogo jumping featuring promenantly, but there are even more options now. First, the monarch wings no longer feature in the game, replaced by a double jump which looks to be used in much the same way. The pogo jumping is no longer a simple downwards slash to propel you upwards off an object either. Instead it now involves a diagonal downwards dash towards an object followed by a front flip using the momenup gained by leaping away from it.
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| Diagonal Dash Towards a "Pogo-able" Object |
Next we have the grappling hook, a string that Hornet can shoot at certain objects like hooks to latch onto and pull herself towards them. This will likely work well with her ability to pull herself up ledges if she is just below them when she jumps into the wall or platform below. The last new movement system we see is a wind updraft mechanic, where the player can float straight upwards on an airstream. Each of these inclusions should lead to smooth, satisfying movement and enhance the combat system.
Speaking of combat systems, Silksong has plenty of new and familiar inclusions in that department. The soul and mask system returns with some slight tweaks, as seen in the first trailer, and you'll want to make use of all of the movement mechanics at your disposal to go far in the game. An assortment of new tools and attacks are featured too, which will play into the equippable tool system in the game, replacing Hollow Knight's charm system. Here's a list of all of the ones I spotted, although there were so many there may even be more hidden gems that I didn't notice.
- A downwards drill attack
- A damaging dash
- A thrown fuit-looking grenade
- A cluster of giant thumbtacks
- A giant slash attack
- A fan of thrown needles
- A thrown drill that bounces off surfaces
- A jumping uppercut attack
- Hornet's air lace whip and air spikes from her Hollow Knight boss fights
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| An assortment of attacks and tools |
Enemies/Characters
Hollow Knight's bug themed characters are both charming and a little creepy, and Silksong keeps up the strong designs of the original with an assortment of new enemies and bosses. We don't know the role of all of the characters in the trailer but some are certainly clear. Here's a collage of all of the enemies I spotted during the trailer.
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| Collage of all of the enemies shown in the trailer |
Some of my personal favourites are the moustached, bug riding jouster, the big skill headed bug wielding a bone club and the chubby fly in an apron with a soup ladel for a weapon. Team Cherry's creativity is really flourishing when it comes to these enemy designs, which feel fresh and distinct from anything we've seen before but have that "Hollow Knight" charm.
Areas
The areas explored in the trailer are definitely inkeeping with Silksong's trend of blending familiar and new. It's difficult to discern whether certain zones shown are in the same area or whether they just have similar colour palettes, but I counted at least 10 unique looking zones without even including boss arenas! These zones a comprised of:
- A rocky area, overgrown with shrubbery and vines
- A dark crumbling ruins
- An area filled with bladesaws, possibly similar to the path of pain from Hollow Knight
- A grassy zone with bright white flowers
- An area filled with lava and lots of mechanisms and machinery
- A cog-filled, clockwork zone
- A dimly lit underground area
- A possible old battlefield
- The top of a building or castle, topped by golden gates
- A reed filled swamp
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| Bladesaw Zone |
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| Rooftop Zone |
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| Molten Zone |
Summary
It would be an understatement to say this is the most hype Team Cherry could have packed into just 1 minute and 19 seconds. There is so much to unpack in this trailer and the game looks like everything fans are hoping for from a Hollow Knight follow up. Now the wait for more news begins as we count down the days until the game's release and I for one cannot wait. Be sure to follow Critical Win for more Silksong news and updates.
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