Hollow Knight tops our list of the best Metroidvania games for a reason, but it's also notoriously difficult. So much so, in fact, that a lead developer of one of the prettiest Metroidvanias of 2024 initially gave up trying to beat it after dying just once.
In a Reddit AMA, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus design lead Chris Stair presented his story about Hollow Knight leaving the rage saying that he has since become a “huge” fan.
“That game was absolutely groundbreaking: the way it combined a cutesy but dark aesthetic with incredibly precise and deep mechanics and world-building… gah, it's so good. Funnily enough, the first time I played it, I died. once once and said, 'Fuck this game.' Two years later, I gave it another chance and suddenly I was like, 'OHHHHH, so this is what people are talking about!'”
Stair also estimated that he has now “dedicated over 200 hours” to Hollow Knight after getting over that initial difficulty curve.
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is an absolutely stunning indie inspired by Japanese mythology that definitely takes some cues from Hollow Knight, if only for being a 2D Metroidvania, but is very different in its gameplay, atmosphere, story, and characters. – practically everything. GR's Ali Jones praised our indie standout Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus and wrote:
“Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus and its Japanese mythology offer a valuable, if familiar, entry into this part of the Metroidvania genre. If you, like many others, are still waiting for Silksong, this is a worthy contender that will not only help you. It kills some time, but it helps get you excited about that eventual release.”
Speaking of which, here it is everything we know about Hollow Knight: Silksong.