After watching the industry destroy itself with a focus on DEI, hamfisted commie propaganda, and predatory systems designed to squeeze every penny they can from their customers, I have become pretty cynical about every new game coming out. I was definitely worried that Silksong would become a victim to this same cancer, but am happy to say that it is amazing.
I'm not that far into it, and I am in no hurry to get to the end, but I can already tell that I am going to love every minute of it. I am relieved that Team Cherry can be counted among Fromsoft and very few others who still understand what matters in a good game, and give us something that is worth every penny. Other developers are losing their minds over a game this good being only $20, and they probably have a point. Just like with Hollow Knight, they could have charged $40 or more and nobody would have felt ripped off.
I am thrilled to see them doing so well that it crashed the servers for the stores on every console and on Steam. I hope they make absolute bank and keep on killing it. I just hope their next game doesn't take quite so long to come out.
Anyway, it's nice to have some good news for a change. If you haven't played Silksong (or Hollow Knight), you should definitely pick them both up. They are as close to perfect as games can get.
As someone whose played most things in the genre, from mainstream to forgotten indies, I think it is a bit too much of a filter for its own sake. Like I earlier, I bounced off it numerous times before finally getting into it.
But it was also a kickstarted game made by a bunch of dudes as their first go around, and sold for basically a pittance brand new. I can forgive a lot of little things like that weighed against those factors without it marring my opinion.
And if the post game content is any indication, they lean almost too heavily in the opposite direction of "git gud, and fuck yourself" challenges. I'll never be able to do all of those and I fear the man who can.
They definitely ramped it up to the absolute breaking point of the combat system for the dlc. I used to feel similarly until I just decided to give it a serious try after unlocking all of the other achievements.
Once I did, I realized I truly didn't master (or fully appreciate) the game until I beat Absolute Radiance to finally get to 112%. Godhome and the Path of Pain being so hard make it apparent just how perfectly tight the controls are, as every death is always the player's fault. It ended up being some of my favorite content in the game, and I initially wrote it off completely.
(Edit. I still haven't beat Absolute Radiance on a playthrough that I saved Zote on, so I still haven't technically gotten everything on HK done. One of these days though. Maybe when I want a break from Silksong for a bit.)
I am also the kind of masochist to 100% every fromsoft game, NG2 etc. so take it for what it is worth.
I understand that perspective, I am simply getting old/slow and my fingers get caught over themselves often so my gaming "skills" are not up to the snuff of such a challenge. Especially one demanding such perfection. However, on the flip side:
I have 100% all of them sans Elden Ring (did base, haven't played DLC) and even One Bro'd DS1, DS3 and Bloodborne myself. DS2 can eat my balls, and much like I just mentioned my fingers cannot handle the perfection required for doing Sekiro No Charm/Bell Demon.
One thing From games have over games like HK is space, wherein you have a lot of options for recovery and learning. I can run away and often get the heal off (unless its Elden Ring) and just get out of range to observe the combo.
HK, and most 2d games, don't give you that option. You are locked in a small room and need to be in the fray at all times. Almost all bosses have a gap closer if you try to escape and it will be hard to dodge if you are at the maximum range (see the Red Ant boss everyone is struggling with in Silksong currently). Its a lot more reactionary skill based.
But these are just opinions, I enjoy all of them as high quality products (sans DS2 and Elden Ring).