With Team Cherry making it clear thatHollow Knight: Silksongis still being worked on, one has to wonder how far along it is in the development process. With that question remaining unanswered, the developer is likely still looking for ways to ensure the game is the best it can be. One way it can do that is by taking inspiration from thelocations of the originalHollow Knightand implementing them in the sequel. Among them, The Hive would make for an interesting choice, but one must wonder if its qualities would be a good fit forSilksong.
The world ofHollow Knight: Silksongis set to be much bigger than that of its predecessor, so it would make sense if some areas from the previous game were to return, or at least new ones similar to them. The Hive from the originalHollow Knight, as unique as it was, presents a few problems Team Cherry may need to address. Implementing an area like this has the potential to either improve or lower the quality ofHollow Knight: Silksong’s world design, so the studio would have to tread carefully.
Why Hollow Knight: Silksong Shouldn’t Have Too Many Areas Like The Hive
Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Kingdom of Pharloomis expected to be a gigantic place with many different areas to explore, justifying the addition of locations similar to The Hive. This area ofHollow Knightis full of unique enemies and boasts a memorable visual style, making it or something similar to it a great addition to the sequel. However, leaning too far into this idea comes with a few problems to tackle:
The Hive is one of theareas ofHollow Knightthat could helpHollow Knight: Silksongstand out if it or something like that is implemented, but Team Cherry should be wary of including too many out-of-the-way regions. Assuming Team Cherry intends to include such a place, it needs to ensure that it meshes well with the rest of the game’s content.
How Silksong Can Justify Adding More Locations Such as the Hive
While adding more areas like the Hive isn’t exactlysomething thatHollowKnight:Silksong’s map needs, it could help improve the sequel’s world with some added contrast. However, areas like this may feel out of place if they’re introduced all at once, so Team Cherry could alleviate this by introducing them in DLCs. Doing so ensures that there aren’t too many unique areas clashing with the world’s tone, and it would allow players to opt-in to its inclusion. This also incentivizes Team Cherry to make the area a worthwhile addition, as making it the centerpiece of a DLC would require the developer to maximize its efforts in terms of level design, boss encounters, and other aspects.
More interesting areas to explore are one of manythings players can expect fromHollow Knight: Silksong, but perhaps those places shouldn’t be as unique as The Hive. If they are, Team Cherry will need to find a balance in their implementation to ensure that they enhance the quality of the game rather than diminish it.
