As fans eagerly await the next chapter in the beloved indie franchise, Hollow Knight, many wonder if the developers will measure up to (and possibly clear) the bar set by their first release. Since its reveal in 2019, updates on Hollow Knight: Silksong have been few and far between, leaving fans in the dark about the franchise’s progression. To answer their pointed questions emphatically, incorporating a fan-favorite feature from the first game in Path of Pain in Hollow Knight: Silksong, could go a long way to preserve the good name Hollow Knight cultivated since it first burst onto the scene.

It goes without saying that Silksong has big shoes to fill to live up to its predecessor’s name whenever it releases. One of the standout features of the original Hollow Knight game was the Path of Pain — an optional platforming challenge that stretched the limits of players’ skills to the max. As Team Cherry prepares to reveal the details of Hornet’s journey in Silksong, a similar ultimate challenge might be needed to elevate the franchise, pushing players to their limits and enabling them to showcase their mastery of the 2D platformer.

Related

Hollow Knight: Silksong Can’t Forget One Thing That Made The Original Tick

If Hollow Knight: Silksong wants to be as successful as its predecessor, it must ensure that it retains a certain aspect one might not expect.

Path of Pain’s Legacy Has to Be Carried On in Hollow Knight: Silksong

The Grimm Troupe DLC, one of Hollow Knight’s three free expansions, brought a lot of added content, the most notable being the White Palace area. This area held a secret location that could only be accessed through the dream world by dream nailing a Kingsmould’s corpse with the Awoken Dream Nail in the Palace Grounds. It featured several sub-areas filled with quests, NPCs, and secrets to be discovered as players find their way to the top of the fortress.

Amongst those secrets lies another sub-area, The Path of Pain, hidden behind a breakable wall above the elevator in the Atrium. Finding the entrance alone is not enough, as players must also possess the Monarch Wings and Crystal Heart to enter and complete the gruesome area. In addition to the precise platforming requirements needed to scale the White Palace, the Path of Pain takes it up a few notches and introduces a mechanic called Pogoing, which requires a lot of patience for accurate timing. By striking hazards below with the Nail while in the air, players can generate a knockback to keep them elevated for longer periods, which is essential in areas with no footholds.

However, some charms like Longnail come in handy for increasing the length of the Nail, allowing for a wider margin of error while timing pogos. Others like Grubsong are also useful for regaining health since players need all the help they can get to pass the challenge (since the Dreamgate ability is inaccessible in the White Palace). Over time, the Path of Pain’s reputation grew as it became a rite of passage into the elite status of Hollow Knight‘s player base, as near-perfection is required to navigate it accurately.

The Need For An Ultimate Challenge In Silksong

Judging by Path of Pain’s infamous reputation, Team Cherry stands to gain even more applause if a similar ultimate challenge appears in Silksong. That isn’t solely because fans will be looking out for the X-factor differentials from its predecessor. Story-wise, a rehash of the challenge’s strenuous limits fit Hornet’s thematically.

Elements peculiar to Hornet, such as her silk-thread grappling and aerial maneuvers, provide an excellent foundation for a new platforming challenge that could rival the intensity of the original. It could also form a testing yardstick for players to explore the princess-protector’s mechanics to the fullest. After the marker in difficulty Hollow Knight set, Team Cherry deploying an upgraded Path of Pain experience in Silksong could be all the difference in its perception whenever it is released.

Game

My Favorite Games
My Played Games
My Games Wishlist

Play as Hornet, princess-protector of Hallownest, and adventure through a whole new kingdom ruled by silk and song! Captured and brought to this unfamiliar world, Hornet must battle foes and solve mysteries as she ascends on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure. As the lethal hunter Hornet, journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover ancient secrets tied to your nature and your past.

Systems

Franchise

Hollow Knight

Developer(s)

Team Cherry

Publisher(s)

Team Cherry

Engine

Unity

ESRB

e

Expand