During an interview with Dexerto, Ari Gibson, the co-director of Team Cherry, revealed that Hornet is the only reason why Hollow Knight Silksong is relatively difficult than the original game. It was also the in-game world that forced the increase in difficulty setting; however, Hornet’s enhanced skillset motivated the developers to buff the enemies and challenges.
According to the developers, scaling up the enemies was necessary so that they could pose a real challenge to Hornet in Hollow Knight Silksong. Since the character is stronger than the Knight (protagonist) from the first game, the enemies and bosses had to be stronger, too.
How Hornet’s Skills Make Hollow Knight Silksong Tougher Than the Prequel
Team Cherry admits that Hornet’s inherent speed, agility, and powerful abilities played a central role in paving the game’s flow and design. Since our protagonist can move, dodge, and attack more fluently, the enemies from the previous game couldn’t have coped with it. Hence, this could have easily created that lack of challenge, which is one of the core elements of this game. As Gibson says:
Hornet is inherently faster and more skillful than the Knight, so even the base level enemy had to be more complicated, more intelligent. The basic ant warrior is built from the same move set as the original Hornet boss.
The enemies in Hollow Knight Silksong have become smarter, as they can evade and counter your attacks. This adds an extra layer of difficulty in dealing with enemies and bosses in this game. While this is the situation during the normal campaign missions, imagine what could happen when you access the Steel Soul mode!
Long story short, there were no changes made to Hornet, since her abilities were all inherent. However, the enemies were brought to her level, so your combat makes sense during your playthrough.
Freedom of Exploration Adds to the Challenge in Hollow Knight Silksong
One of the key differences between Hollow Knight Silksong and its prequel is the exploration of the world. In the previous game, there was an intended path moving forward. But in Silksong, you have complete freedom over exploration, so your detours can often lead you to late-game threats in the early period.
That being said, it doesn’t really matter if you have the proper upgrades or not; you can square off against enemies and bosses even if you aren’t meant to face them according to the storyline. Hornet’s capabilities not only make the enemies stronger, but they also make the in-game environment less protective.
For many, Hollow Knight Silksong is extremely tough, especially in the opening acts. This is not because the developers set out to punish the players, but because Hornet’s capabilities demand a game built on risk and speed. It is seriously not built for beginners.
Do you agree with Team Cherry’s decision to increase the difficulty settings in Hollow Knight Silksong? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
