Hollow Knight - A Bugger of a Metroidvania

So, I've played my first few hours of this (currently at the greenpath) and it's good stuff so far.

And it only gets better! Looking forward to reading your thoughts on the game, Jas.

One thing I did pick up on during that first session was the jump not being pixel perfect, by that I mean you can't seem to jump right as you reach the very end of a ledge. The game doesn't seem like it's designed for that anyway so it's more the fault of my platforming brain than anything else.

Aye, don't worry about platforming too much in this. By the time platforming becomes important, the game gives you enough tools to avoid needing to be pixel perfect.

I saw Jas' name pop up in the corner of my TV announcing he was playing this. Very exciting prospect, as a man renowned for liking both Souls and Shovel Knight.

Along with his fav genre


If we had a spectrum for who a game was made for and who it wasn't then I would be on my side and Jas would be on the other with this.

I've got photographic proof of Nintendo themselves using Metroidvania - I know I'm on the right side of history.

I can see this being Jas' GotY, quite possibly. Maybe that's plugging it a bit much, but all the foibles I can see, I imagine he won't mind or will actually like.

It's going to be in the conversation for me at least - fine effort from Team Cherry.

We've not even spoken about the fact there's another whopper content update next month! That's for free too, folks.

Drunkalilly wrote:

I saw Jas' name pop up in the corner of my TV announcing he was playing this. Very exciting prospect, as a man renowned for liking both Souls and Shovel Knight.

masofdas wrote:

Along with his fav genre


If we had a spectrum for who a game was made for and who it wasn't then I would be on my side and Jas would be on the other with this.

Balladeer wrote:

I can see this being Jas' GotY, quite possibly.  Maybe that's plugging it a bit much, but all the foibles I can see, I imagine he won't mind or will actually like.

Nah, it's a shit game for cucks innit.












































































































































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If it keeps up what it's doing I can see it being up there for me but I've not actually played a whole lot of new games this year so it's not competing with much at the minute.


EDIT: Oh I forgot to say I had a wee spell of playing this in handheld mode today and was very pleased with how it looks BUT when you have it on a big telly the visuals really are something else.

I think I played abou 50/50 handheld and telly.

It's also in contention for me, but I think I've only played three games released this year that could make the list so that's hardly a shocker.

I prefer playing this on the TV, although that's more down to the Pro Controller than anything else.

Apart from ARMS, this and Celeste are the two games to most make me regret forgetting to pack my Pro Controller. When I have an address, I might have to get my mum to post them over along with my smart shirts and ties.

Ah, definitely! I found Celeste to be much trickier playing on the Joycon.

Do you's play with the d-pad for movement? For any 2d game I used to but since the Switch came out I had no issues using the stick for games like this.

I play in handheld mode mostly, and apart from anything else I find the D-Pad a bit awkward to access.  So I use the analogue stick.  It was particularly irritating for Celeste because you needed to move in diagonals, and I often died as a result.  Still.

Incidentally this, Celeste, and Sushi Striker are my three GotYs (GsotY?) so far.  Compare that to Zelda Mario and Xenoblade last year...  'Tis the year of the curious niche offering, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  (One of them will probably get pushed out by under-the-radar niche title SSBU though.)

Sewers:

JayMoyles wrote:

Ah, the sewers. I wasn't too fond of that area... I'm not a fan of sewer levels in games at all. I can't even think of a single fun sewer level in any game I've played.

If using on a TV, I would use the Pro and the D-Pad whilst in handheld, I would use the stick as the D-pad is naff.

On GOTY, my 5 so far has 3 what you would call curious niche offerings Night in the Woods, Subsurface Circular and Florence but that's not unusual for me to have some indies making my Top 5 even at the end of the year.

The_Jaster wrote:

One thing I did pick up on during that first session was the jump not being pixel perfect, by that I mean you can't seem to jump right as you reach the very end of a ledge. The game doesn't seem like it's designed for that anyway so it's more the fault of my platforming brain than anything else.

I noticed this too but quickly adapted. I actually think it's because you can't jump after the character has gone off the edge. In most 2D platformers there is a grace period where despite the character being off the edge you can still jump, as this feels better to play. We as players don't really notice the grace period exists until it isn't there anymore.

Aye I adapted to it as well and since getting the mothwing cloak I'm really enjoy the movement the game gives you.

Balladeer wrote:

JayMoyles wrote:

Ah, the sewers. I wasn't too fond of that area... I'm not a fan of sewer levels in games at all. I can't even think of a single fun sewer level in any game I've played.

I've not actually played TTYD...

The_Jaster wrote:

Aye I adapted to it as well and since getting the mothwing cloak I'm really enjoy the movement the game gives you.

It gets better too. I can't wait to talk about that platforming challenge I linked elsewhere in this thread.

Just had a great wee session on this where I have a new dash charm, a wall jump & I beat the CoT area boss - Also I can only agree that the waterway (which I assume is the sewers) has some real annoying enemies like those stupid walking grub worms and the noises they make are horrid as well.

What a game though eh? The next time I play I'm going on a wee back tracking mission to explore older parts of the map with my new abilities.

Oh, the little worms that get all manic and fly really quickly at you? Yep, not a fan of those guys. The sound design in this has created some big gross-out moments - lots of squelches and slurps.

I don't know, I don't mind them so much. It's the annoying flying buggers that irk me.

Also I think I found the plot again.

What area are you in now then, Balla?

Crystal Peaks, but I've just

Kinda vague plot spoiler: