Compare Hollow Knight: Silksong vs Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

Reviewers found only a basic accessibility set: camera shake, HUD size, audio sliders, and remapping appear, but difficulty, color-blind, and repeated-input options are called limited or absent.

One review called the game fully accessible with remappable controls and subtitles, but also noted the lack of colorblind modes.

A reviewed accessibility/parents section described the game as ESRB Teen with language, suggestive themes, and violence.

One review found the AI frustratingly reactive in arcade-style play, saying many moves were blocked and countered immediately.

Animation is repeatedly praised as part of the hand-drawn presentation, especially Hornet's character movement and the many detailed environmental touches.

Reviews praised the smooth animation work, linking it to the game’s flashy, readable presentation.

The art direction is a major strength, with reviewers emphasizing hand-drawn beauty, richer color, distinctive biomes, and a style that feels carefully authored.

The comic book-inspired art style was highlighted as a standout part of the package.

Pharloom's atmosphere blends beauty, melancholy, dread, charm, and danger, creating a world reviewers often describe as memorable even when it frustrates them.

One review said each location had its own unique look and feel, helping the stages avoid sameness.

Boss design is one of the strongest areas overall, with many reviewers praising choreography, variety, spectacle, and pattern learning while noting occasional slog or runback friction.

A review noted Campaign+ culminates in a brutal final boss, suggesting a strong challenge spike.

Only one direct camera-related complaint appears, but it is meaningful: a reviewer says some high-speed boss movement leaves threats outside the camera bounds.

Hornet receives more explicit characterization than the Knight, and reviewers describe her softening through relationships, duty, and reactions to Pharloom's residents.

Arcade mode was praised for delivering nice character-building moments and long-awaited payoffs for fans.

The supporting cast is repeatedly described as charming and varied, with bug NPCs, pilgrims, fleas, mapmakers, and side characters giving the world personality.

Checkpoint design is the most repeated concern: sparse, paid, trapped, or distant benches and long boss runbacks often turn difficulty into tedium.

Combat is widely praised as fast, precise, rhythmic, and expressive, with Hornet's agility and tool options creating dynamic fights despite the harsh damage model.

The core fighting was described as excellent, with the actual moment-to-moment combat standing out most.

One review said the defensive and aggressive systems work together to create more balanced fights.

Reviewers consistently point to a huge amount of areas, enemies, bosses, tools, secrets, and optional content, though some additions create minor clutter or friction.

The package was repeatedly framed as content-rich, with plenty of single-player and multiplayer ways to play.

Controls are generally praised for giving strong control over Hornet, maintaining flow, and supporting precise combat and traversal once the player adapts.

Controls were praised as smooth and responsive in motion.

The Metroidvania loop of exploring, unlocking abilities, opening shortcuts, and returning stronger is described as satisfying and central to the appeal.

The loop of strategy, mind games, and explosive damage was singled out as especially satisfying.

The tool and shard systems add flexibility, but some reviewers criticize their resource costs and the way consumable repair needs can lead to grinding.

Cross-play was explicitly praised for making it easier to find opponents across platforms.

Dialogue is often praised for making Hornet and Pharloom's cast more engaging, though one reviewer found some dialogue dry at times.

Dialogue drew criticism in one review for feeling random at times.

Difficulty is strongly debated: most reviewers call it intentional, rewarding, and often fair, but many also highlight two-mask damage, early friction, and harsh runbacks.

One review said campaign fights felt evenly matched for most of the run, aside from bosses.

A review praised the first season DLC being included free for owners, boosting perceived value.

Resource balance is mixed to negative, with repeated complaints about rosaries, paid benches, tool shards, and farming interrupting the otherwise strong flow.

Meter management and REV decisions were described as important tactical tradeoffs during matches.

The game creates notable emotional peaks through hard-won victories, character moments, music, and late-game story beats, though some players feel relief as much as joy.

Reviewers describe substantial post-credits or alternate-ending content, optional bosses, zones, and secrets, making the endgame unusually large for the genre.

Enemy variety is broadly praised for giving biomes and combat encounters distinct threats, though flying enemies and monster-room waves annoy some reviewers.

Environmental detail is consistently praised through lived-in spaces, small animation touches, surface-specific sounds, and dense background storytelling.

Stages were praised for animated background elements and lively scene detail.

Exploration is a core strength: reviewers describe Pharloom as vast, secret-filled, interconnected, and rewarding, though a few completion and corpse-run frustrations remain.

Episodes of South Town was credited with letting players explore the city district by district.

Reviewers generally agree Silksong honors Hollow Knight while feeling faster, bigger, and more colorful, with some preferring the original's simplicity.

One review said the presentation modernizes the game while staying true to the series.

Fast travel through Bellways and marked stations helps reduce backtracking, though some stations must be unlocked or paid for.

Frame-rate impressions are positive across Switch 2, PC, and video coverage, with reviewers citing 120 fps, 60 fps, and stable low-end performance.

Performance was praised as flawless, with no stutters or drops during flashy moments.

Even frustrated reviewers repeatedly describe Silksong as fun, compelling, or worth pushing through because its victories and discoveries feel so rewarding.

Multiple reviews describe the game as simply fun, with one explicitly saying they had a lot of fun throughout.

The broader mechanics are praised for adding aerial combos, diagonal dives, tools, crests, and more agile traversal, though they raise the learning demand.

The REV system was praised as a fantastic new layer that deepens the broader mechanics.

Graphics are a consensus highlight, with reviewers praising gorgeous hand-drawn visuals, richer color, strong biome identity, and platform-specific crispness.

Visuals were strongly praised in at least one review, especially character detail and lighting.

Grinding is a common caveat, especially around rosaries, shards, fetch quests, and repeated boss attempts that exhaust consumable tool resources.

One review criticized Episodes of South Town for feeling more like grinding in an RPG than pure skill growth.

Handheld suitability is positive: Switch 2 handheld and Steam Deck impressions suggest the game works especially well as a portable Metroidvania.

The game is not reviewed as pure horror, but reviewers repeatedly note frightening, cruel, eerie, or terror-filled spaces that give Pharloom tension.

HUD clarity is supported mainly through TechRadar's note that HUD size can be customized; no broader HUD praise appears.

Immersion comes through the dense world, ultrawide support, atmosphere, music, and the feeling of being pulled into Pharloom's secrets.

A review said the stage variety made fights feel like a city-wide tour through town, strengthening immersion.

Reviewers see innovation in how Silksong builds on Hollow Knight through Hornet's movement, crests, tools, protagonist voice, and uncompromising design.

The quest-led campaign concept was described as moving the needle for the fighting genre.

The learning curve is steep because of diagonal pogoing, higher enemy damage, resource management, and a higher skill floor, but many reviewers find mastery rewarding.

Reviews frequently positioned the game as accessible at first touch but demanding to truly master.

Level design is strongly praised for purposeful rooms, seamless area transitions, shortcuts, hidden branches, and spaces that teach or challenge the player.

Free season-one DLC was cited as a reason the game should stay engaging over the long haul.

Loot and reward structure is one of the weaker areas, with several reviewers noting bosses may give little or no material reward after difficult fights.

Lore depth is strong, with reviewers pointing to mysteries, world history, item details, subtle reveals, and connections between Pharloom and Hallownest.

One review felt the game digs deeper into story and lore than expected after the long wait.

Map and navigation design is mostly strong thanks to pins, clearer direction, shortcuts, and story-rich maps, but completion tracking and map clarity draw criticism.

Matchmaking impressions were mixed: one review reported long waits in betas, while another praised quick matchmaking and smooth online performance.

Room-match navigation was criticized for relying on a slow-moving cursor and feeling awkward.

Arena or mission-like encounter design is mixed, with some reviewers disliking repeated combat rooms and endurance-style waves that feel less creative.

The campaign was praised for presenting different fighting scenarios instead of repeating the same setup.

Mission variety exists through wishes, hunting, collecting, fetch tasks, puzzles, and optional routes, though fetch quests are a repeated weak spot.

Mission variety was supported by examples like gauntlets and multi-opponent encounters.

Monetization impressions were mixed, with one review praising free included DLC and another objecting to paying extra for fan-favorite content.

Movement feel is one of Silksong's clearest strengths: Hornet is fast, agile, expressive, and satisfying to control after the adjustment period.

One review praised the game’s excellent flow in matches, suggesting strong movement feel once systems click.

A review described the overall multiplayer offering as valuable within a sizable package.

Narrative quality is stronger than the original for many reviewers because Hornet speaks and the story is more explicit, though some still experience it as sparse.

Narrative coverage praised the quest-led story structure and the amount of campaign content.

Onboarding is mixed: reviewers say the game works as a standalone entry and teaches some basics, but its opening hours create notable friction for new players.

One review said the game was easier to pick up than expected, even for someone worried about complexity.

Online stability drew split impressions: one review said rollback play was stable, while another encountered disconnects and poor signal.

Originality comes from Silksong's confident, sometimes cruel identity, which reviewers see as distinctive even when comparing it to other Metroidvanias.

A review described the combat as feeling both familiar and fresh rather than derivative.

Pacing is mixed: exploration and progression can be absorbing, but punishing progression, long checkpoints, and structural ending requirements interrupt momentum.

The main complaint in one otherwise positive review was that the PvE side ends too quickly.

Performance optimization is a strength, with reviewers citing smooth play on lower-end hardware, flawless-feeling performance, and strong PC/Switch handling.

Optimization was praised thanks to flawless performance and no noticeable stutter during supers.

Platform-specific support is meaningfully discussed through ultrawide PC support, Steam Deck suitability, and Switch 2 120Hz support.

Platforming precision is divisive: many praise demanding obstacle design, while several criticize diagonal pogoing and certain sections as inconsistent or punishing.

Polish is consistently praised through meticulous detail, precision, high production values, and the feeling of a handcrafted game refined over years.

A review described the overall package as complete and rewarding, pointing to solid polish despite smaller rough edges elsewhere.

Progression is strong overall, with frequent tools, abilities, upgrades, optional routes, and build-altering discoveries, though some requirements are opaque.

Episodes of South Town uses battle-earned experience and leveling as its main progression structure.

Hornet is widely liked as a protagonist because she is agile, voiced, heroic, confident, and emotionally connected to Pharloom's people.

Puzzle evidence is limited but present in special puzzle areas, Needolin interactions, mechanical puzzles, and path-solving through exploration.

Quest design is mixed: wishes and optional tasks give structure and reasons to revisit areas, but fetch quests and opaque ending requirements are criticized.

Replay value is high due to 100% completion, alternate endings, optional bosses, build variety, second runs, and reviewers wanting to return.

One review said the content and upcoming support should keep players engaged for the long haul.

Nonlinear freedom is strong: reviewers describe multiple routes, optional bosses, different paths to objectives, and broad freedom to leave hard walls for later.

Side characters are a strength, giving relief, charm, pathos, and recurring interactions across Pharloom's towns and hubs.

RPG-lite progression includes new skills and abilities as characters level up.

Sound design receives strong praise for surface-specific footsteps, detailed audio, and atmospheric effects that make areas feel alive.

Sound effects were described as strong and impactful overall.

The soundtrack is a consensus highlight, with reviewers praising Christopher Larkin's orchestral, haunted, dynamic, and boss-specific music.

The soundtrack was praised for its diversity, ranging from funk-inspired tracks to heavier material.

Tutorial impressions were positive but mixed in strength: one review called it passable, while another called it really good.

Upgrade systems around crests, tools, abilities, and silk skills add major build flexibility and playstyle changes.

Interface design is mixed-positive: journals, tracked quests, pins, sliders, and tool categories help, though map and compass limitations remain.

UI design was criticized as ugly and frustrating even when the game itself was strong.

Value for money is excellent across the reviews, with multiple reviewers citing the $20 price and huge amount of content.

One review flatly said the game is definitely worth checking out.

Lighting effects and visual flourishes were explicitly praised.

Voice acting impressions were mixed: one review praised the English cast, while another disliked the lack of voice acting in part of Episodes of South Town.

World-building is one of the strongest consensus areas, with Pharloom's history, class structure, religion, silk, architecture, and inhabitants reinforcing the setting.

The game’s lore and setting inspired enough interest that one reviewer emphasized being invested in South Town and Fatal Fury history.

World interactivity appears in subtle touches such as water preventing map use, Needolin interactions, NPC events, and changing locations.

Writing is praised for stronger dialogue, clearer story beats, and emotional character interactions, although a few reviewers find parts dry or sparse.

Writing received a lukewarm read in one review, which called it nothing special.