A genre touchstone, sublime on Switch. The hand-drawn world and the melancholy soaking through Hallownest are unforgettable. The lack of a map in fresh areas can frustrate, but the exploration and combat are exquisitely tuned.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player7+
Description
A small bug knight descends into the fallen kingdom of Hallownest, gnawed by an infection. Published by Team Cherry, released worldwide in 2018. A vast interconnected map, equippable charms, many fearsome bosses and hand-drawn environments.
Hollow Knight review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Hallownest unfolds in ink and watercolour: melancholy insects, vaulted caverns and backgrounds dissolving into gloom form a kingdom as beautiful as it is funereal. This wholly hand-drawn art, utterly coherent, turns exploration into contemplation.
Christopher Larkin sets piano and strings at the edge of silence, a perfect echo of Hallownest's deserted corridors. Tense in duels, elegiac before the relics of a dead kingdom, the theme turns poignant at every revelation. That hushed melancholy turns exploration into contemplative mourning and has made the score an absolute landmark of the modern metroidvania.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
A precise strike, a well-timed dodge, a boss finally felled after dozens of tries: the demanding, readable combat is the beating heart of the adventure. The interconnected map unfolds in layers with a bewitching sense of mystery, and charms open real customization. The lack of guidance can put players off, but the scale of the content, free expansions included, commands respect.
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Beneath its classic metroidvania looks, the kingdom of Hallownest hides a web of rooms, optional bosses and secrets that never seems to run dry. The Dream battles, the Pantheon, the charms to combine and the map you draw yourself invite you to comb every corner. The satisfaction of progressing on your own, with no hand held out, explains its cult status among players.
Restraint and precision make these duels a genre benchmark: reading tight dodge patterns, managing Focus to heal or strike, and holding firm against foes as graceful as they are lethal. The Mantis Lords, Hornet and the Radiance impose a demanding tempo where every nail-strike and dash truly counts.
An underrated gem
An indie phenomenon, Hollow Knight got there with no marketing budget, carried by a modest crowdfunding campaign and three Australian developers. What gets less attention is the coherence of its world: Hallownest unfolds without arrows or markers, through curiosity alone. Beneath its difficulty hides a rare melancholy. Worth rediscovering for that atmosphere, perfect for anyone who loves getting lost without a guide.
Is Hollow Knight still worth playing in 2026?
Hollow Knight is one of the most accomplished metroidvanias ever conceived. Its interconnected map, vast and dense, unveils itself in layers with a spellbinding sense of mystery. The combat, precise and demanding, peaks in boss fights that have become memorable. Equippable charms offer real customisation, and the hand-drawn art bathes Hallownest in a singular melancholy. Its deliberate lack of guidance and its difficulty may put off newcomers. But the scale of the content, its expansions entirely free, makes it an adventure of wild generosity that has lost none of its splendour.
