Compare Civilization VII vs Hollow Knight: Silksong

Accessibility is criticized as limited, with reviews noting the game is not trying to be accessible to everyone and lacks broader options.

AI impressions varied sharply, from weak challenge and war-happy behavior to later praise that AI had become smarter or more competent.

One later review praised the unit animation detail as unusually rich and lively.

Animation quality has limited but strong evidence, with reviewers noting gorgeous animation within the hand-drawn presentation.

Art direction was praised by some for less cartoonish, gorgeous presentation, while a negative review preferred Civ 6’s color-coded style.

Art direction receives near-universal praise for hand-drawn beauty, color variety, style, and a distinctive visual identity.

Atmosphere is a major strength, described as surreal, haunting, dreadful, beautiful, and full of wonder and horror.

Boss design is broadly praised as memorable, choreographed, varied, and exciting, though some reviews dislike spongey health pools, rewards, or runbacks.

Bug reports were common at launch and on Switch/console, though one later review said bugs had become less noticeable.

Camera and hitbox-adjacent behavior draws criticism where bosses or damage windows appear from off-screen or feel overly generous.

Character development is praised for Hornet softening through Pharloom and for character arcs that counterbalance the harsh world.

The launch leader roster drew repeated criticism for missing recognizable favorites, though some reviewers liked the broader choices.

Checkpointing is a common concern, with long runbacks, sparse benches, paid benches, and poor placement repeatedly criticized.

Combat was one of the most consistently praised systems thanks to commanders, easier army movement, and reduced tedium, though a few reviewers found war only adequate or overused.

Combat is a major strength, described as fast, precise, tense, dance-like, and rewarding, though some reviews tie its highs to demanding difficulty.

Balance concerns included overpowered air units, effective influence warfare, and wonky systems, though some later balance updates were praised.

Content breadth was viewed unevenly, with some praise for the package but criticism of bare-bones launch content.

Content variety is praised through multiple game-like challenge types, many systems, and plentiful options, while remaining tied to high difficulty.

One reviewer strongly praised the fast, responsive feel of commands and turn-to-turn actions.

Control feel is strongly praised, with one review emphasizing complete control of Hornet and another calling the Switch 2 Pro Controller perfect.

The one-more-turn loop still landed for many reviewers, with strong addiction and replay pull, but critical reviews called the core loop dull or emotionally thin.

The core loop is praised as pure Metroidvania satisfaction: tough encounters, discovery, and rewarding progression through new areas.

Crafting has negative evidence where shard requirements pull the player away from action into repetitive resource hunting.

Crash stability ranged from no crashes in some reviews to occasional or loading-related crashes in others.

Cross-play support was positively noted on Switch as a good start.

Dialogue is mixed-to-positive: one review calls it shockingly good, while another says it can feel dry at times.

Difficulty is the most divisive attribute: many reviewers call it rewarding and intentional, while others find it cruel, too punishing, or unfairly frictional.

DLC value was mixed to negative at launch because of early paid content, but later update/DLC comments were more positive.

Resource, influence, town/city, and balance systems drew praise for meaningful choices and diplomacy, but some reviewers found influence, gold, or console resource management confusing or unbalanced.

The rosary and shard economy is the most repeated systems complaint, often described as stingy, grindy, or slightly misbalanced.

Emotional impact is strong, ranging from adrenaline and triumph to reviewers saying they shed tears or were moved by events.

Modern/endgame content was often criticized as missing, lacklustre, or too early-ending compared with prior entries.

Endgame content receives strong support from optional endings, zones, bosses, and post-credits discoveries.

Enemy variety is strong in scope, but evidence is mixed because flying enemies, monster rooms, and certain mobs can feel annoying.

Environmental detail is repeatedly praised, from dense small touches to rooms and backgrounds that make Pharloom feel lived-in.

Exploration received praise when maps, scouts, distant lands, and later updates made discovery feel rewarding, though some launch-era opinions were more limited.

Exploration is a standout, with most reviewers praising dense secrets, rewarding routes, and curiosity-driven discovery, though a few disliked sparse rewards or risk pressure.

Faithfulness to franchise was one of the sharpest divides: some said it still felt like Civ or a return to form, while others said it lost the series’ identity.

Faithfulness to franchise is strongly supported by reviews saying it captures, continues, and improves on Hollow Knight while standing apart.

Fast travel is praised in one review for reducing backtracking tedium through well-marked routes.

Frame-rate evidence was mixed, with smooth PC experiences but notable drops or Switch/console slowdowns.

Frame rate stability has limited but positive evidence from a Switch 2 review calling 120fps performance perfect.

Fun factor was deeply split but often positive: many reviewers still felt the classic Civ pull, while the harshest critics found it dull or frustrating.

Fun factor is high overall, with reviewers repeatedly saying they had great fun, wanted to return, or found the game compelling despite pain.

Reviewers often found the redesigned mechanics ambitious and sometimes strong, especially city/town changes and streamlined decisions, though several thought simplification removed texture.

Review evidence frames the broader mechanics as more complex than the original, especially through Hornet’s expanded combat and movement options.

Graphics were widely praised as gorgeous, detailed, and attractive, with some platform-specific or readability caveats.

Graphics quality is praised for a stunning hand-drawn world and a visual style that feels playful, dark, and richly realized.

Grind level improved where micromanagement and builders were removed, but religion, repairs, and some late systems were criticized as chores or busywork.

Grind level is criticized where resource depletion and boss attempts can push players toward needless grinding.

Handheld suitability varied: Steam Deck was workable and valuable for some, while Switch play suffered from limits and performance issues.

Handheld suitability has positive evidence from Steam Deck performance and battery life comments.

Horror tension receives limited positive support from the dream/nightmare tone described in one review.

HUD and information clarity were frequent weaknesses, including missing information, hard-to-see tiles, and buried or microscopic details.

Immersion suffered for critics because age resets, civ switching, and thin leader identity broke connection, though some reviewers accepted the tradeoff.

Immersion is strongly supported by one review’s comment about Pharloom lingering after play.

Innovation was generally acknowledged through bold structural changes, but reviewers disagreed on whether those changes improved the series.

Innovation is positive but measured: reviewers praise new directions and system changes, while one calls it evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

Several reviewers found the learning curve frustrating because familiar Civ knowledge did not transfer cleanly and the UI obscured key rules.

The learning curve is steep, with reviewers noting hours of mastery and occasional git-gud walls, but also rewarding skill growth.

Level design is strongly praised for seamless area flow, purposeful rooms, thoughtful platform placement, and dense Metroidvania structure.

Live-service support was viewed as promising when updates, feedback, and future content improved or could improve the game.

One reviewer praised quick load screens alongside smooth performance.

Loot and rewards are a weaker point, with reviewers complaining about bosses or difficult paths that provide little or disappointing material payoff.

Lore depth is praised for hidden mysteries, optional heritage threads, and deeper history that rewards curiosity.

Map and navigation design drew criticism for limited options and weak generation, but later updates and some reviews praised improved maps or map control.

Map and navigation design is mixed: several reviews praise map structure and direction, but others dislike incomplete map support and 100% cleanup.

One Switch reviewer found matchmaking and lobby compatibility frustrating enough to call the process migraine-inducing.

Menus were also divisive: a few reviewers liked simplified navigation, but many found menus painful, inconsistent, or poorly laid out.

Legacy paths, quests, and victory objectives were seen as useful guidance by some, but others found certain paths rigid, repetitive, or unevenly designed.

Mission design earns positive evidence where missions give players reasons to revisit areas and make NPC discoveries feel more purposeful.

One reviewer strongly praised the variety created by changing civilization options across ages.

One reviewer criticized early paid DLC and pricing as a monetization concern.

Hornet’s movement is one of the clearest consensus wins, with reviewers praising her speed, agility, sprinting, and dance-like traversal.

Multiplayer worked smoothly for one reviewer and had useful age/session ideas, but others noted launch feature limits or platform restrictions.

Narrative events and historical flavor split reviewers: some enjoyed the added human character, while others found events shallow, dull, or lacking impact.

Narrative quality is praised as more focused and engaging than the original, helped by Hornet’s voice and guided exploration.

Onboarding was split: some reviewers called VII welcoming and well tutorialized, while others warned casual players could struggle with the changed systems.

Onboarding is a weak spot for some, especially in the opening hours where resources, checkpoints, and tutorial clarity are less generous.

Originality is praised where Silksong is seen as firmly on its own path rather than a simple copy.

Pacing was highly divisive: some liked the three-act structure and reduced late-game drag, while others disliked abrupt transitions, short ages, or weak modern/endgame momentum.

Pacing has a notable concern around long checkpoint placement that interrupts practice and repetition in challenging sequences.

Performance ranged from smooth on capable PCs and improved updates to major console slowdowns and late-game chugging.

Performance is praised on lower-end hardware, Switch platforms, and 120fps contexts, with only minor visual caveats.

Platform-specific support has positive evidence from ultrawide support that improves immersion.

Platforming precision is mixed: reviewers admire Hornet’s acrobatics, but several criticize the diagonal pogo or inconsistent bounce feel.

Polish was a common concern at launch, with many calling the game rushed, unfinished, or bug-coated, while some saw a strong foundation or improving state.

Polish is praised through meticulous design and presentation, though only one scored review directly supports the attribute.

The age, civ-switching, legacy, and meta-progression systems were the product’s central split, praised as fresh by some and criticized as disjointed or anti-Civ by others.

Progression is generally praised for fresh upgrades and satisfying forward motion, but one review criticizes opaque true-ending requirements.

Hornet is consistently praised as an excellent, charismatic, well-rounded protagonist with stronger presence than the silent Knight.

Puzzle design receives limited but positive evidence, with one review saying Silksong makes puzzle-solving and hidden-path discovery feel effortless.

Quest design is split: some reviewers like wishes and missions as structure, while others criticize boring or grindy fetch quests.

Replay value was a major positive for supporters, who cited long sessions, fresh age combinations, and wanting another run; skeptics saw less appeal.

Replay value trends high for completionists and build experimenters, though one reviewer said they were glad to play it only once.

Sandbox freedom split reviewers: some loved the flexibility of leaders, towns, and paths, while many felt map options, forced ages, and guided goals narrowed play.

Side character depth receives positive evidence from a review praising Pharloom’s supporting characters as charming and motivated.

Sound design was more mixed: some reviewers praised satisfying effects, while one found audio cues flat or missing.

Sound design earns strong support from praise for surface-specific details and top-notch audio touches.

The soundtrack was one of the clearest positives, often described as brilliant, splendid, fantastic, or culturally evocative.

The soundtrack is one of the clearest strengths, repeatedly described as magnificent, excellent, world-class, and emotionally fitting.

Tutorials and Civilopedia support were polarizing, ranging from rich and useful for newcomers to inadequate, overexplained, or missing key information.

Tutorial quality is criticized through comparison with Hollow Knight’s clearer early tutorial structure and more generous opening support.

Crests, tools, and upgrades are widely seen as flexible and creative, though a few reviews found early limitations or resource-linked tool use frustrating.

The user interface was the most repeated complaint, often described as inadequate, ugly, missing information, or confusing even when later improved.

User interface design has limited positive evidence around attractive mission HUD illustrations and attention to detail.

Value for money was a major concern at full price and with DLC, though some reviewers said the base game could still provide hundreds of hours.

Value for money is exceptional across reviews, especially because of the low price, large content volume, and long completion potential.

Voice work drew praise for Gwendoline Christie’s narration, but leader interactions and reduced voice lines were frequent complaints.

One reviewer criticized VII for weakening the series’ educational and historical identity.

World-building is one of the strongest areas, with reviewers praising Pharloom as immaculate, complex, sad, and worth exploring.

World interactivity has limited but strong support from one review that praises evolving locations, reactive hubs, and organic backtracking.

Writing quality receives strong praise where reviewers call it top-notch and tied to Hornet’s conversations and character insight.