For the time being, theHollow Knightcommunity is still engaged in the long wait forHollow Knight: Silksong, though it isn’t idle. Between the various spiritual successors toHollow Knightthat have come out in the past few years and the variety of fan-made mods released for the original game, everyone still itching to playHollow Knighthas had something to fill their time. It helps thatHollow Knightalready had an impressively large amount of content for an indie metroidvania, giving Team Cherry both room to breathe and a reason to keep its next game in the oven.
Still, the news-starved fandom is eager to welcome any distractions that cross over with their interests, and another one may be just around the corner.Elden Ring Nightreignis taking the tried and true Soulslike gameplay that partially inspiredHollow Knightand refitting it into a co-op roguelike format. It’s a bold move, even for the smallest-scale game FromSoftware has put out in a while. Should theHollow KnightIP continue afterSilksongis out, it will probably want to scale back similarly, and taking up the roguelike banner as well could be just the ticket.
Hollow Knight Would Make The Jump To A Roguelike Gracefully
On the surface, the roguelike template sounds like it fitsHollow Knightjust as well as, if not better than,Elden Ring. A brutally hard game with equal emphasis on action and platforming naturally lends itself to the run-based structure of a roguelike. Mods have even demonstrated thatHollow Knightcan support multiplayerabout as well as 3D Soulslikes can, so it could fully recreate theNightreigntemplate. The greatest advantage of making thisHollow Knightroguelike would be its chance to retread old ground in terms of reused assets, mechanics, and structure from other games like it, such asNightreignandRemnant 2.
Doing so would keep the scope and development time down compared to the two regularHollow Knightgames and carry their strengths into this roguelike. Not everything can stay the same, however, as gameplay emphasis would likely have to be shifted from exploration to combat.Hollow Knight: Silksongmay have a more offensive emphasisalready, but more combat rooms with elaborate environments like the Colosseum of Fools’ arenas would be necessary to keep the shifting areas interesting. Platforming would still be present, but depending on how areas are generated, players may rue or rejoice in a run resulting in a mobility-based loadout.
Traits That Could Only Improve A Hollow Knight Roguelike
Speaking of equipment, Charms are one of the biggest reasons whyHollow Knightis so specifically suited to the roguelike format. Build variety and discovering synergies are strengths thatHollow Knightshares with many roguelikes, including heavy hitters likeThe Binding of IsaacandHades.Silksongswapping them out for Tools just makes for another vector by which a run can be customized, especially if the Knight and Hornet are both playable in this roguelike. Replay value should be through the roof, and a lot of old Charms and the like can be revisited with balance changes and new variants.
Hollow Knight’s World Is Roguelike-Friendly
Whether the player ends up playing as the old protagonist or a new one, aHollow Knightroguelike needs to lean on its existing setting. The visual of jumping into Hallownest after preparing in the hub town of Dartmouth is perfect for a roguelike, andSilksongmay produce a similar setup for climbing Pharloom. Regardless of whether this roguelike takes place in a known location, or involves delving into the depths of the Abyss or a dream similar to Godhome, it needs to include plenty of familiar enemies and backdrops alongside whatever new ideas Team Cherry throws in for the ultimateHollow Knightexperience.
