Compare Resident Evil Requiem vs Hollow Knight: Silksong

One reviewer praised the way difficulty and accessibility were balanced rather than treating options as a pure checklist.

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

Enemy behavior was often praised as eerie and strategic, though one review found a later stalker overused.

Aiming evidence was mixed: Grace’s shaky aim reinforced vulnerability, while Switch 2 gyro aiming was criticized as poor for horizontal aim.

Animation quality received positive evidence through praise for Leon’s reload animations.

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

Art direction was praised for grotesque beauty and an effective old/new visual mix.

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

Atmosphere was a major strength, with tense staging, lighting, audio, and Switch 2 presentation preserving the mood.

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

Boss design split reviewers sharply, from excellent and varied encounters to weak, forgettable, or underwhelming boss fights.

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

Bug frequency was praised by one reviewer who reported no bugs or wall clips.

Camera behavior was praised for making first- and third-person play feel effective, though the choice also shapes the experience heavily.

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

Character development evidence centered on Grace’s growth and consistency, with reviewers finding her arc effective.

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

Checkpointing drew criticism from one reviewer who reported being set back 30 minutes after dying.

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

Combat drew broad praise for weight, weapon handling, Leon’s action toolkit, and entertaining encounters, though one review noted some harassment-style friction.

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

Content variety was praised for breadth, though some wanted the smaller experiences expanded further.

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

Controls were praised as responsive and purpose-built, with reviewers saying characters did what they expected and combat balanced heft with responsiveness.

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

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

Crafting was generally seen as strategic and interesting, especially the blood/injector system, though one reviewer found it weird.

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

Crash stability was praised in a performance review that reported no hard crashes.

Dialogue quality was mixed between enjoyable deadpan jokes and criticism that Leon could sound corny or caricatured.

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

Difficulty balance was mixed: some praised flexible challenge, while others felt the game had too much firepower or lacked a hardcore mode.

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

The motorcycle action sequence was praised as one of the most fun moments in the series.

Resource balance was praised for forcing tactical decisions about injectors, ammo, and room-clearing.

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

Emotional impact was a clear strength for reviewers moved by Grace, Leon, and the story’s legacy themes.

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

Endgame content was a repeated concern, especially the lack of Mercenaries or similarly meaningful side content.

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

Enemy variety was praised through zombies with different retained behaviors and personalities.

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

Environmental detail was praised for corridors and spaces that felt time-worn and secretive.

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

Exploration and backtracking were praised when the layouts made revisiting spaces enjoyable rather than tedious.

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.

Facial animations were specifically praised as increasingly impressive later in the game.

Faithfulness to franchise was consistently praised as a love letter or culmination that honors Resident Evil’s history.

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 stability was praised on Switch 2 for a mostly consistent 60 fps with minor dips.

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

Fun factor was very strong overall, with reviewers repeatedly describing the game as exciting, entertaining, and highly enjoyable.

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

Gameplay mechanics were usually praised for combining survival horror and action cleanly, with Grace’s sections singled out as especially strong.

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

Graphics quality was consistently praised across platforms, from PS5 presentation to Switch 2 fidelity.

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

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

Handheld suitability was praised because the Switch 2 version looked and ran well both docked and handheld.

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

Horror tension was broadly praised, especially Grace’s early sections, though some reviews found the scares frontloaded or less intense than past entries.

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

Immersion was praised through Grace’s vulnerability and how strongly it affected player behavior.

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

Innovation drew praise where reviewers saw Requiem as a step forward or ambitious new baseline for the franchise.

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

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

Level design was a major strength, especially the care center’s loops, agency, and interconnected mansion-like structure.

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

Load times received strong praise for being nearly nonexistent.

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

Lore depth was praised for giving long-time fans a lot to sift through.

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

Map and navigation design was praised as a useful tool for tracking rooms and missed resources.

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

Microtransaction impact was praised indirectly through the absence of greedy monetization practices.

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

Monetization fairness was praised because the game was described as free of greedy practices.

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

Narrative quality was polarized, with some calling the story strong or captivating and others finding it disappointing, messy, or thin.

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

Onboarding was praised for easing players into story and lore without demanding deep series knowledge immediately.

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

Originality was mixed: reviewers liked the structure and perspective split, but several felt the game was safe, familiar, or too referential.

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

Pacing was the most discussed tradeoff: many praised the action-horror balance, while others found the character split lopsided or jarring.

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

Performance optimization was generally strong, with multiple reviewers calling performance solid or flawless.

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

Platform-specific support was criticized on Switch 2 for not meaningfully using mouse, touchscreen, or useful gyro features.

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 praised in reviews that saw Requiem as a polished, confident fusion of old and new Resident Evil.

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

Leon’s progression system was viewed positively as a fairly fleshed-out way to build out his arsenal.

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

Protagonist appeal was strong where reviewers called Grace the standout lead.

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

Puzzle design landed unevenly: one review liked the body-part riddles, while another said puzzles lacked focus overall.

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 mixed: several reviewers liked unlocks and repeat runs, while others lamented thin post-game offerings or weaker second playthroughs.

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

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

Sound design was repeatedly praised as a major driver of fear and atmosphere.

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

Soundtrack quality was praised for tracks that complemented Leon’s action-heavy sequences.

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

Stealth was mostly praised for making Grace’s routes tense and tactical, though one reviewer found stealth options limited.

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

The upgrade system received positive evidence for its weapon-upgrade structure and replay incentive.

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

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

Value for money received direct positive evidence from a reviewer who called the game super worth it.

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

Visual effects quality was praised through the game’s extreme gore and violent presentation.

Voice acting was mostly praised, especially Grace’s performance, but one review found her delivery manufactured.

Weapon balance was praised because different weapons had clear uses and opportunities to shine.

World-building was praised for making the setting feel grotesquely alive.

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 drew strong praise from reviewers who felt Requiem delivered some of the series’ better character work.

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