I had actually told myself that I was done with games that try to kill me for fun. But then came Silksong. And suddenly I was sitting there again -- with sweaty palms, coffee on the table and a sense that the world outside could be waiting. It is a game that does not ask for your time, but requires your patience. And when you finally hit the beat, it's like remembering why you even started playing.
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Disclaimer: Apropos Magazine received access or a review copy. As always, we share our own impressions — unfiltered.
Six stars
Finally, this is it. Fans of the indie classic Hollow Knight have been waiting for Silksong for years -- and the wait was worth it. When the original came out in 2017, it quickly became a cult favorite with over 15 million copies sold and four free DLC packs. So then Team Cherry -- a studio of only three people, yes three -- announced a sequel, the web collectively went into a coma. On September 4, the game landed on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo, and of course, the servers crashed. The hype was too great and the internet wasn't ready.
Silksong is classic Metroidvania — a 2D platformer where you fight, die, learn and try again. You play as Hornet, the acrobatic heroine with perhaps the most passive-aggressive catchphrase in gaming: “Git God.” And that, in fact, is the whole point. Silksong is not about getting it easy. It's about getting better.
Once you begin to understand the rhythm, it enters that strange zen state. The enemies, which at first felt impossible, slowly turn into small middle-bills. Every victory feels deserved, every mistake is entirely your own. And when you finally master a boss pattern that previously led one to consider therapy, it's almost beautiful. The game's learning curve is perfectly balanced — it forces you to improve without ever feeling unreasonable. It is Dark Souls in 2D, just with more charm and more insects.
There is enough content to swallow a summer vacation: Crests, Strumenti, Missions de deseos and Alternative Endings enough to hit 100 hours - if you survive Steel Soul Modewhere one death means gioco di gioco. (I have this achievement in Hollow Knight. Well biggy. Guest host.) Add to that a cornucopia of loot, builds and enemies you'll both hate and miss.
But the real magic lies in the mood. As its predecessor drips Silksong of craftsmanship and dedication. The animation style is old-school beautiful, the soundtrack feels more emotional than a game should really allow, and the world buzzes with life. A universe filled with anthropomorphic insects that will make you laugh, disgust and feel. The horn is everything you want in a modern hero — fast, tough and completely indifferent to whether you can keep up.
The story hides in the details. You pick it up in fragments -- a city here, a conversation there -- and suddenly you're deeply invested in something you don't quite understand. It's mysterious, poetic and exactly as open-ended as one could hope. And then there's the sound: when you hit a perfect dodge in silence and are rewarded by a single piano stroke, you know the game has captured something rare -- the rhythm between control and chaos.
It almost feels like Team Cherry not doing games, but rituals. And the best thing about it all? It costs only 19.50 euros. Smaller than a pizza -- and it'll keep you full for 100 hours.
Reflection:
Silksong is one of those games that reminds you why you love to hate games. It punishes you, teases you and challenges you -- but always with love. It's beautiful, brutal and full of soul. And if you dare die enough times, you might learn something about yourself.
