Hollow Knight: Silksong is set to be released this year, so many gamers are keen on replaying its predecessor Hollow Knight, the award-winning indie game from Team Cherry. The game has captivated gamers due to its intriguing Metroidvania gameplay that is partnered with difficulty comparable to popular souls-like titles.

While Hollow Knight has been loved by many for its incredible world-building of Hallownest, its engaging platforming segments, and its moving story of sacrifice and bravery, it’s far from being a perfect game. In that regard, a handful of harsh realities await those who revisit Hollow Knight.

It Doesn’t Provide Gamers With Directions

An example of the infection spreading through Hallownest.

Hollow Knight is known for its Metroidvania gameplay, which encourages gamers to explore and figure out the kinks of the game for themselves. That’s why those who aren’t familiar with Metroidvania mechanics might feel overwhelmed and confused when they play Hollow Knight.

RELATED: 10 Unexpectedly Dark Video Games

Hollow Knight's non-linear structure and open-ended narrative can make it very difficult for gamers to find out where they need to go. So, there will be times when gamers might feel stuck and not know what they should do to progress. Hollow Knight doesn’t have traditional tutorials to boot. However, it’s all part of the fun and if gamers truly feel they’re stuck, they can check out tutorials and playthroughs online.

Hollow Knight Is Frustratingly Difficult

Boss Battle With The Lost Kin In Hollow Knight

There’s a legitimate reason why Hollow Knight is compared to soulslike games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls. In the game, players are expected to die repeatedly due to its difficult gameplay. For that reason, some gamers might feel frustrated due to Hollow Knight’s incredible difficulty.

Apart from its intricate level design, limited resources, and challenging combat, Hollow Knight also doesn’t hold the gamers' hands and throws them into a world where they’re left to fend for themselves. In addition, the game encourages trial and error when it comes to exploring and defeating bosses, so players who want to complete the game must be open to trying new things and experimenting.

Hollow Knight Isn’t Free From Bugs

Despite receiving a lot of rave reviews for its impeccable level design, unique gameplay, and excellent controls, Hollow Knight has its fair share of glitches and bugs that can disrupt the gamers’ experience. For one, the game has some performance issues that cause it to crash on some platforms.

RELATED: 10 Best Games Like Lost Epic

Other bugs that gamers have experienced are audio glitches, which can ruin the game’s incredible and eerie atmosphere, as well as broken animations and graphical glitches. While the developers of Hollow Knight have released patches and updates to remedy its bugs, there’s still a good chance a gamer can encounter annoying glitches.

The Protagonist Does Not Have A Lot Of Character Development

Hollow Knight gameplay featuring a gorgeous art style

Many players expect a game that has an engrossing narrative to be partnered with a protagonist who is well-written and has a lot of character development in their journey. That’s why the protagonist of Hollow Knight might feel like a letdown to other gamers due to tWhat’heir story.

The titular Hollow Knight is a silent character, unlike the other anthropomorphic insects in the land of Hallownest. That’s why it’s hard for gamers to connect with the character and understand their motivations. Thankfully, the game does provide a lot of clues about its world and history, so gamers aren’t completely blind when it comes to interpreting the game’s story and main character.

It’s Not As Good On The Nintendo Switch

Hollow Knight Grubs and Grubfather

Hollow Knight was originally released for Windows PCs, but the game’s popularity allowed it to be ported to other devices and consoles. That said, the performance of the game is not equal among all ports. The Nintendo Switch port, for some gamers, feels clunky and is riddled with many technical limitations.

Some of the key performance issues that Nintendo Switch gamers have encountered are long loading times, lower frame rates, and occasional crashes. What’s more, the Switch’s small screen and Joycon controllers have made it harder for gamers to immerse themselves in the atmospheric world of Hollow Knight. Despite its shortcomings, Hollow Knight is still considered by some gamers as one of the best Metroidvanias on the Switch.

The Boss Fights Are Unbalanced

Boss Battle With Grey Prince Zote In Hollow Knight

The bosses in Hollow Knight might surprise casual gamers. While the enemies in the game range from easy to challenging, many gamers feel that the boss fights in the game are incredibly unbalanced as these require players to have impeccable timing and a solid strategy.

There’s a good chance that players will have to try their hand at a Hollow Knight boss multiple times before they get a feel for the boss’ unique combat. Some of the hardest bosses in Hollow Knight include Grey Prince Zote and Absolute Radiance. Thankfully, gamers who feel frustrated with Hollow Knight’s unbalanced boss fights can adjust the game’s difficulty setting to their skill level.

Hollow Knight Lacks Replayability

The Knight's siblings borne from the void in Hollow Knight.

Replayability is an important aspect that game developers have to highlight in their games if they want their games to have longevity. While Hollow Knight is well-loved by gamers, some think that the game lacks replayability and that it quickly gets old after one run.

RELATED: 10 Hardest Games To Beat, According To Reddit

This is because once an initial run of the game has been completed, it can be hard to find the motivation to unlock the other endings of the game due to its difficult gameplay. In addition, Hollow Knight doesn’t have a lot of side content. However, it can be beneficial for gamers to play the game again to refresh their memory before its sequel drops.

Hollow Knight’s Combat Mechanics Quickly Get Old

The Knight Running toward an enemy in Hollow Knight

In Hollow Knight, there are plenty of ways gamers can fight their enemies. This includes attacking using the nail weapon, parrying and dodging enemy attacks, using spells such as Vengeful Spirit or Desolate Dive, and using charms to enhance abilities.

However, the combat mechanics of Hollow Knight are very limited. So, gamers will have to make do with what’s given to them when defeating enemies. This can get tiring and result in cumbersome and repetitive fights, especially since enemies and bosses have specific patterns players have to learn when attacking. There are a lot of things players are excited about in Silksong, and hopefully, the boring combat mechanics are left behind.

The Enemies Are Uninteresting

The Hollow Knight taking his boss battle stance.

There are two reasons why gamers find the enemies in Hollow Knight to be uninteresting. For one, there is limited variety in enemy design which creates an atmosphere of monotony in the different areas of Hallownest. However, gamers might be thankful for this, especially when faced with difficult enemies like Primal Aspids, as killing them is a very challenging task.

Another reason why the enemies in Hollow Knight are uninteresting is that the game does not give enough background and motivation for the player to care about their enemies. While it’s not necessary to explain the motivation for every enemy, it can inspire gamers to be more invested in the game if the story of the enemies was woven into the lore.

Some Platforming Segments Are Near-Impossible To Complete

Hollow Knight White Palace Buzzsaws

One key reason why experienced gamers gravitate to Hollow Knight is its challenging enemies, difficult bosses, and thrilling platforming segments. However, certain platforming segments are almost impossible to overcome.

One of these includes the White Palace, which is the final area of the game. In the White Palace, players will have to maneuver through moving saws that will kill them in one hit. Another one is called the Path of Pain, which lives up to its name by having wings-molds, spikes, and buzz saws work in harmony to kill the titular player.

NEXT: 10 Awesome Indie Games That Feel Like AAA Titles