Hollow Knight Silksong: Lore Summary and What We Know So Far

The sequel to the metroidvania set in Hallownest is one of the most anticipated games of the decade. Even though announced 5 years ago and still in development, Hollow Knight Silksong is being eagerly awaited by the franchise's most loyal fans. From searching for secret updates on Steam, to interviews given by the developers, we've compiled all the information available about the game in this article!

Prior to the events of the game, there were 3 superior beings, creatures with powers close to deities, who exerted great influence in Hallownest: The Pale King, the monarch of the region with the ability to predict the future; his queen, The White Lady, where together, through the devotion of the insects who inhabited the region, they governed and promised to maintain peace eternally. The third entity is known as The Radiance, created by the devotion of the moth tribe, it was the being worshiped by the group before the appearance of the pale king, and who, as came the time of the new leaders, ended up being forgotten.

However, the influence of The Radiance still remained, through the dreams of the insects in Hallownest, culminating in the Infection. As the game progressed, we encountered orange, crazed insects, taken by this infection or influence of The Radiance, which began to quickly take over the kingdom, throwing the world into chaos. The pale king, in a desperate attitude to contain the infection, had children with his queen, the well-known Hollow Knights, beings filled with emptiness, without a voice, emotions or will of their own, made to be receptacles of the Radiant goddess, resistant to her influence.

Eventually, the moth goddess was sealed into a Hollow Knight; however, this one was impure. Impure in an emotional sense, he, like others, had developed emotions of affection towards their creator, and therefore, was unable to contain the infection. As a result, Hallownest finds itself ravaged by plague and madness, and is the starting point of the game.

Therefore, the protagonist, or Knight, has two enlightening endings in relation to his purpose: in one, we can kill the impure Hollow Knight who was infected, reducing the spread of the infection. In another, we face the real Radiance (known to be one of the most difficult bosses ever made in gaming history), and we seal her inside the protagonist's body, which is considered the true ending.

Hornet, the protagonist of the new game, is also the daughter of the pale king. In the base game, it is shown that she protects sacred regions of the kingdom, and seeks ways to contain the infection.

General Information

Developed by Team Cherry, the game was revealed in February 2019, where it would initially be a DLC for the original Hollow Knight game, but in a new region and with the protagonist being Hornet, a character found in the base game.

However, the content took on greater proportions than imagined by the developers, which resulted in the material being set apart for a direct continuation. The game also maintains features that made it famous, with exploratory Metroidvania gameplay and being a 2D platform game, where the progression system is not linear, and the player can choose different routes in each playthrough.

With the availability of an announcement trailer and a new gameplay trailer on Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, the developers promised the launch within 12 months, in the first period of 2023. It didn't happen, and we also had no announcements about it this year. What has been confirmed are the platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch. It’s also said that the game will be available on Launch Day One on Xbox Game Pass.

Gameplay

The main character is Hornet, the protector princess of Hallownest, who appears to be more agile than the previous protagonist. Also fighting with a needle, we will maintain the same standard: agility, fast and rewarding combat for those who take the time to learn the enemies' movements.

Another mechanic that was maintained is the collection of “mana” through attacks on opponents, which can be used for special attacks and abilities that will be customizable. In total, there will be more than 150 new enemies available, and the map will be completely explorable with side quests. Unlike the previous protagonist, Hornet will also have a voice that will be heard throughout the game.

As for the development of the story, the main character was kidnapped and taken to a new unknown kingdom, in the deepest regions. She will have to escape back to the surface, while discovering more about where she is, and how her presence and actions are intertwined with the destiny of that dark kingdom. The setting is still dark and similar to the previous game, but it has unique details which will make players notice the difference between Hallownest and the new kingdom, Pharloom.

We are eagerly awaiting this sequel, but it’s known that Hollow Knight has taken on major proportions in relation to the indie studio that developed it, and therefore, taking great care in the sequel to keep its audience excited should be a concern. The base game already demonstrates their extreme capabilities, and it's great to know that the sequel will happen, the question is when we will have access!