Hollow Knight: Silksong Finally Made Me Love Metroidvania Combat

Combat is my love language. Whether I’m blasting Covenant in Halo, timing parries in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or flowing through a room of goons in Batman: Arkham, I stick with games because the fights feel good. I can forgive a mediocre story if the combat sings. I cannot forgive a masterpiece that makes me feel like I’m swinging a pool noodle. So when Hollow Knight: Silksong finally arrived, I wasn’t daydreaming about lore or biomes. I was here for the violence. In 2026, after years of waiting, I can finally say it: Silksong’s combat has its hooks in me, and I am not asking for help.

I have always been a little scared of Metroidvanias. The open maps, the backtracking, the ’where was that one cracked wall from four hours ago’ feeling — my brain just blue-screens. If a Metroidvania doesn’t grab me with its mechanics, I’m gone. The original Hollow Knight, great as it is, almost lost me. Its art, enemies, and lore are legendary. Its combat, though? Floaty. Simple. In those first few hours, before movement abilities, fights boiled down to hitting one attack button, stepping away from danger, and pogoing off enemies like a very goth trampoline. It worked. It just didn’t make me lean forward in my chair.

Silksong’s Tool System Is The Build Diversity I Craved

Silksong fixes that within its opening hours. The tool system is the big reason. You get red, blue, and yellow slots early, and each color does a different job. Red tools are usually offensive toys like throwing knives. Blue tools give passive buffs, such as faster silk regeneration. Yellow tools often help with exploration. Suddenly I’m not just Hornet; I’m Hornet with a curated little murder kit.

Tool Color
Main Role
My Favorite Use

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