Hollow Knight is one of the best games, let alone the first Metroidvania, I've every played.

As of writing this review, I have 180 hours in the game and have just recently received every achievement and there is still more content despite this, not to mention that there is a decent sized modding community I have never even touched. That is to say this game is huge, at least in terms of content, almost all of which is incredible.

The music, for instance, is AMAZING. This game has one of my favorite sound tracks, especially during boss fights, and with so many boss fights it is a wonder how Christopher Larkin managed to composed so many bangers. I wouldn't be surprised if he did three lines of coke and finished every song in one sitting. That is to say that the entirety of the sound track is awesome, and even if you don't buy the game you should at least look up the music and listen to it all once.

Firstly, this game has four DLCs; Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster, all of which are FREE with the game which costs only fifteen dollars. I am one of many who will say they would have paid much more for this game; this game is a STEAL. I will review the contents of each DLC in the game later in this review, but to do so without talking about the main game would be doing the title injustice. That being said, this game as a whole is a 10/10; the rest of this review will be my more specific thoughts on the game, though it will include some spoilers, so there's a warming.

The world of Hollow Knight is immersive from the moment you step in, going as far as to provide two small cut-scenes early in the game and a couple other tiny ones throughout. This game is not *majorly* story, though, so don't expect to have much lore or exposition thrown at you, though there is a LOT to go around if you look for it (or if you look up YouTube videos about it like I did). And the story is very interesting, but even without paying attention to it the experience as a whole is incredible. In Hollow Knight, you play the *Knight* (not the Hollow Knight) and explore the world of Hallownest, a world full of sentient bugs in the aftermath of the collapse of the once powerful King of Hallownest. Without getting deep into lore, you are essentially playing through the world in the midst of ruin, with small fragments holding on.

The main goal of the game is to simply face the Hollow Knight, hence the title, but to do so you must unlock many unique abilities (dash, wall jump, super dash, poison resistance, and double jump), spells (vengeful spirit, desolate dive, and howling wraiths), and fight through multiple bosses before you can even face them, and even then it helps to go out of your way to acquire other upgrades such as health and soul (which is used to cast spells and heal) increases, along with nail damage buffs as well. There are also items called charms all over the game, which are somewhat like perks you can equip a number of to benefit certain play styles, whether they be nail or spell focused. There are even nail arts which can make using the nail a bit more unique.

The bosses in the game, too, provide unique challenges, no one seeming quite similar to one another (except dream versions of some already defeated bosses, but even they are made more challenging in one way or another) and almost all are fun or at least interesting to fight, minus a select few. Even so, almost all seem fair - save a singular one which I hate with all my being - and engaging, to the point where I never was really upset to have to try fighting them again should I die which, honestly, happened a lot my first player through.

Level designs are also interesting, each seeming distinct with almost entirely different sets of enemies to learn how to counter, and each hiding many secrets. Most of the game is spent exploring, so it is not a surprise they put a lot of emphasis into this part of the game; you can find many relics, too, which can be sold for more money, to even further reward exploration. Not to mention other little easter eggs and bits here or there. In all, the game is very well designed, especially the final boss, which was very immersive thematically and even fun to fight, while providing a challenge. His variant version in one of the DLCs is among my favorite fights.

Which brings us to the DLCs. Hidden Dreams is the first of the four and added two boss fights, one ability, and one location. The two fights are both fun in their own right; the White Defender is a variant of Dung Defender (yes, seriously) which is a very fun and almost humorous fight, and the White Defender amps it up while being consistent. Zote, on the other hand, is an entire joke character turned into an actual boss which can be fought five or six times, each time becoming more powerful and making the fight more engaging. The Dreamgate ability is useful once unlocked, too, allowing you to set a teleport point and return to it, though only one may be active at a time. As for the location, it provides a mask shard to help increase health, and it is also one of the more lore-heavy areas, helping to further engage us in the world of Hollow Knight.

The second DLC is The Grimm Troupe, bring a spectacular carnival of intrigue. With this DLC, a *lot* of content was added; Two bosses - Grimm and his dream variant, Nightmare King Grimm - three enemies, six NPCs (among which is Grimm), and eight charms. The charms are added a lot of new ways to play the game; some prevented damage, other make mobility faster, and the Unbreakable/Fragile charms can entirely buff certain aspects, such as Unbreakable Strength making your nail do 50% more damage. One charm even lets you create little spiders to fight for you. As for the boss fights, they are among the best, with some of the best music in the game to match. Grimm is a tough boss to crack, but Nightmare King Grimm is BRUTAL, but you don't even *need* to fight this variant. In fact, one of the achievements requires you go for an alternate ending to the DLC. This DLC is among my favorites, and the content of it is some of the best in the game, which can unfortunately also be missed if you never light the lantern. So do that.

The third DLC is Lifeblood. It is on the smaller side and exists mostly to buff and nerf certain bosses and enemies, but it did add in one boss; The Hive Knight. This boss was fun with some nice music, though a bit on the easier side. Still, I did not have a problem with that, and the Hive surrounding the boss is a fun space to explore.

The fourth DLC is Godmaster. Not only does it allow you to fight nearly every boss in the game as much as you want, but it also adds SEVEN new bosses along with it, not to mention two more endings (on top of the three in the base game). To play this DLC, you must enter Godhome and, in doing so, you can go to the hall of god, where you can fight any boss you've fought at least once before. In here, you can fight each boss on Attuned, Ascended, or Radiant, each being a harder version than the last.

That isn't all the content, though. This mode introduces five new "modes" called Pantheons; the first three are unlocked, the fourth is unlocked after you beat the first three, and the fifth is unlocked after you beat the fourth. Each of the first four pantheons are set up in a way where you fight a set of bosses before fighting a new, unique boss. In the fifth, you face every boss, including three more unique bosses, with one being the true final boss. Beating them yields you what is considered the "true" ending.

This doesn't even mention that the whole game also has an alternative hardcore mode and additional speedrunning achievements. You can't even earn every achievement in a single playthrough; you must play at least two. And it is worth every second. I truly wish I could experience this game for the first time again. Again, this game is a definite 10/10, and worth shelling out $15 dollars for. Do it.

This was an incredible game. Full stop.

I learned about this game through a YouTube video, and if not for said video, I probably wouldn't have known of this game, let alone play it, and I pity the alternate reality me that missed this gem. This game is a wonderful experience from start to end. The story, while not anything groundbreaking or awe-striking, is still enjoyable and intriguing. The art style is beautiful and unique. The music is wonderful and at times so beautiful that I can't help but stand still and listen. And the language-decoding puzzle-solving is so fun, intelligent, and gratifying that even without all the other elements you feel engaged and smart for solving the many unique puzzles presented through the game.

For puzzle-game lovers, this one is a must-play. And if you like constructed languages? This is a must-play tenfold. Cannot recommend it enough.