Compare Monster Hunter Wilds vs Hollow Knight: Silksong

Accessibility options were widely praised, including UI adjustments, color-blindness settings, arachnophobia mode, and broader approachability.

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.

AI behavior had a negative mark from pathing issues, including monsters getting stuck or failing to react.

Focus Mode improved attack aiming and part targeting, though one reviewer felt its accuracy reduced the need for careful positioning.

Animation quality was praised for strong monster and hunter animations.

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

Art direction stood out in armor and creature fashion, especially flamboyant equipment designs.

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

Atmosphere was a strength, especially during weather-driven exploration that felt epic.

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

Boss and monster design received strong praise for awe-inspiring, intimidating, epic, and visually powerful encounters.

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.

Bug frequency appeared mostly minor in one review, though graphical glitches were still observed.

Camera behavior was a recurring caveat, with camera hitches, freak-outs, and restricted vision mentioned in several reviews.

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.

Character development was strongest around Nata, whose growth and changing perspective were called out positively.

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

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.

Co-op was generally enjoyable and a major hook, though story restrictions and janky setup remained caveats.

Combat was one of the strongest areas, repeatedly described as fluid, satisfying, refined, and among the best in the series despite easier fights.

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.

Companion AI was a clear strength, with AI hunters and Palicos praised for healing, traps, aggro control, and useful support.

Content variety was supported by plenty of beasts and new mechanics, though individual opinions on total content depth varied.

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

Control feel was mixed: some reviewers found smoother combat, while others disliked animation lock-in, radial clutter, or limited remapping.

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

The hunt-craft-hunt loop drew strong praise from many reviewers, though a few said lower difficulty and streamlining weakened its purpose.

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

Crafting remained a meaningful part of the endgame through armor, talismans, decorations, weapons, and Artian weapon crafting.

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

Crash stability was mixed: several reviewers had no crashes, while others reported crashes or post-update crash complaints.

Cross-play support was praised as a major multiplayer addition across platforms.

Dialogue quality was criticized by one reviewer for long, boring NPC chatter during story missions.

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

Difficulty balance was the most repeated concern: many reviewers found Wilds much easier than prior entries, especially for veterans.

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.

DLC value was viewed positively because reviewers expected free updates and later Master Rank expansion support.

Resource balance was criticized for showering players with materials, reducing the need to repeat hunts during the story.

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

Emotional impact came through stronger presentation, danger, and story moments that helped sell the world.

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.

Endgame content was highly mixed, with some reviewers finding challenge and long-term hooks while many criticized thin or easy endgame offerings.

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

Enemy variety was a highlight, with reviewers praising the creature roster as strange, memorable, creative, and visually distinct.

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 was a major strength, with beautiful biomes, detailed areas, and living ecosystems repeatedly noted.

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

Exploration was strongest after the campaign opens up, with reviewers praising discoveries, map navigation, and rewarding endemic-life hunts.

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

Facial animation and character movement were noted as more natural than prior entries.

Faithfulness to the franchise was split: some said it retained the trademark loop, while others felt it damaged the series identity.

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

Fast travel convenience helped movement across regions, though one reviewer felt it reduced meaningful open roaming.

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

Frame rate reports varied by platform, with some reviewers seeing smooth 55–60 FPS and others noting jitter, stutter, or mode compromises.

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

Fun factor remained high for many reviewers, including those who played extensively or called the game a favorite.

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

New mechanics such as Seikret, Focus Mode, and monster wounds were praised for enhancing the familiar Monster Hunter formula without overwhelming it.

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

Graphics were mostly praised for environments, visuals, and RE Engine detail, though some reviewers noted blurry or lower-quality areas.

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

Grinding remained part of the experience, with one reviewer calling the game a festival of grind.

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

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 and interface clarity were criticized by one reviewer as lacking elegance amid too many field options.

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

Immersion benefited from cinematic presentation that made the player feel heroic.

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

Innovation was praised through new systems and additions that separated Wilds from earlier entries.

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

The learning curve was mixed: Wilds removes many barriers, but some reviewers still found mechanics underexplained or intimidating.

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.

The Forbidden Lands opened into freer exploration for at least one reviewer once the story loosened its grip.

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

Live-service support was questioned in a retrospective review that compared post-launch updates unfavorably to World.

Load times were generally acceptable to good, with one reviewer praising quick travel between connected areas.

Loot was generally accessible and generous, especially decorations and investigation rewards, though that also made gearing faster.

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 was supported by the story’s monster mystery and wider worldbuilding details.

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

Map and navigation design was divisive, with clutter, confusing layers, and autopilot undermining some reviewers’ map familiarity.

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 setup drew criticism for being finicky and hard to explain.

Menu usability split reviewers, with praise for radial menus but repeated complaints about confusing or unresponsive menu systems.

Microtransactions had a negative impact around paid character edit vouchers.

Story missions were criticized by one reviewer for being intrusive and unpleasant compared with the open hunting experience.

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

Mission variety was only lightly supported and was tempered by one reviewer describing quest structure as repetitive.

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

Monetization fairness drew criticism around cosmetic purchases and character-edit microtransactions.

Mount movement was praised for smooth traversal and climbing, especially while using the Seikret.

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

Multiplayer design was praised for cross-platform Link Party support once set up with friends.

Narrative quality was sharply divided: some reviewers found it the series’ best or more engaging, while others called it overlong or weak.

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.

Onboarding was viewed positively for newcomers, with several reviewers calling Wilds approachable and more hand-holding than earlier entries.

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.

Online stability was mixed, ranging from frequent disconnects to smooth online sessions and no stutters.

Open-world design split reviewers: some loved the seamless connected world, while others felt autopilot and streamlining wasted the spaces.

Originality was supported by reviewers describing Wilds as familiar but refreshingly new.

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

Pacing was divisive, with praise for consistent story momentum but repeated complaints about padding, rails, and a stalling campaign.

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

Performance optimization was inconsistent across reviews, ranging from flawless PC experiences to serious complaints about console modes and PC issues.

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

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 was mixed, with some smooth experiences but one reviewer calling it the least polished launch in the series.

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

Progression was smoother and more flexible, but some reviewers felt faster gear progress reduced long-term goals.

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

The voiced protagonist helped the created hunter feel more involved in the plot.

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 activation in the field was praised as seamless because fights can turn directly into formal quests.

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 looked strong for reviewers who wanted more hunts, endgame gear, multiplayer, and continued play after the story.

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

Sandbox freedom improved after the credits for reviewers who felt the world opened up with more monsters and less story pressure.

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

Server reliability was supported by at least one reviewer reporting smooth lobbies without the issues seen in prior entries.

Side characters were praised by one reviewer as likable personalities that made the campaign more engaging.

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

Social features were supported by Squads and more permanent connections to other players.

Sound design supported the game’s spectacle through music and presentation that made hunts feel intense.

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

Soundtrack quality was praised for heightening mood, weather drama, and boss-fight spectacle.

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

Tutorial quality was criticized because important explanations could be buried, fleeting, or difficult to recover later.

The upgrade system was supported by steady weapon and gear improvements from monster parts during play.

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

UI design was flexible in some areas but also criticized for menu confusion and occasional awkwardness.

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

Value for money was generally positive where reviewers cited justifiable pricing, extensive playtime, and continued updates.

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

Visual effects were praised through dramatic weather shifts and changing hunting grounds.

Voice acting was generally acceptable to positive, with reviewers noting solid performances despite some repeated dialogue.

Weapon balance was praised, with reviewers saying weapons felt viable, well-tuned, and not underpowered.

World-building was mixed, with some praising the new land and residents while others felt the series identity was being lost.

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

World interactivity was praised through weather, monsters reacting to conditions, traps, terrain hazards, and environmental attacks.

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

Writing quality received criticism from one reviewer for banal writing and shallow personalities in the story campaign.

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