Hollow Knight is a game that I’ve heard nothing but positive sentiments about, and since it’s apparently a high mark in the metroidvania/souls-like genres that new games are likely to compare themselves against, it seemed like a natural game to try out during my month of Game Pass. Its underlying quality is evident, with attacking being satisfying (even if I can’t stand games that knock you back a little with each blow) and the parallax scrolling establishing an excellent sense of depth. Right off the bat, though, it became apparent that Hollow Knight isn’t the kind of game that’s designed for people like me who lack an innate sense of direction. You have to buy maps, for one thing, and the ability to see where you and various things actually are on that map costs extra money. Even then, there are passages that simply don’t show up, and the symbols on the map don’t correlate to what’s actually there well enough. I could probably finish this given enough time, but it wouldn’t be a fun process.

Part of the blame has to be put on the visuals, which are largely desaturated and centered around a single color. I’ve seen screenshots that suggest that this stops being the case later on, but it causes Hollow Knight’s early rooms to blend together into an indistinct mess that makes figuring out where to go a chore. I encountered an enemy early in the game that I couldn’t get past, and when I finally obtained the ability required to beat it, I simply couldn’t remember where it was beyond “maybe in a left-ish room toward the bottom, or thereabouts?” And once I had purchased all of the map icons, I couldn’t remember what each of them corresponded to.

There were some signs with arrows that reminded me of earlier pointing signs that led to a fast travel area, but nothing could be done once I followed them. I can’t tell if there are different signs corresponding to different types of areas or if fast travel has to be unlocked with powers as you obtain them. Normally, a little confusion is fine in a metroidvania, but when the map is also incomprehensible and areas all look the same, some part of the game needs to step up and provide a little direction for those of us who have things to do and don’t enjoy wasting hours on aimless wandering. I also had attack inputs eaten multiple times, most noticeably at 39:32, and I can’t tell if that’s because the game is strict about ignoring inputs while your previous attack is still in progress or if a base Xbox One is just so weak that my inputs were occasionally eaten. Considering that the controls were fine most of the time, I’m leaning toward the latter explanation.

While I’m listing off things that I dislike, some of Hollow Knight‘s sound effects (particularly the “squishy” ones and character voices) are like nails on a chalkboard. Most of them are fine, but some sound like people making awkward mouth sounds while standing way too close to the microphone.

All of that having been said, I really like Hollow Knight‘s moment-to-moment gameplay. The controls are tight and intuitive, allowing attacks in all four directions, and your playable character is just helpless enough to get a sense of how the game’s difficulty opens up later on. Attacks filling up your “soul” gauge that’s used for special attacks and healing is also pretty great. If the sequel (Hollow Knight: Silksong) has a more distinctive world and better map, it’s easy to see how I could get into it. Especially given that its sound effects appear to be more varied and professional overall.

Hollow Knight isn’t a game for people with no sense of direction first appeared on Killa Penguin