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- Hollow Knight: Silksong debuted with over half a million players on Steam.
- The launch was so massive that it briefly crashed Steam and caused platform-wide disruptions.
- However, many fans are leaving negative reviews, citing the game’s excessive difficulty as a major issue.
Difficulty in video games has always been a controversial topic. While many players appreciate a good challenge, there’s a fine line between rewarding and frustrating. When a game crosses that line, some fans push back, and they often do it through negative reviews.
One developer that embraces difficulty without compromise is FromSoftware. Titles like Dark Souls and Elden Ring are renowned and notorious for their lack of difficulty settings. These games aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay.
However, when players unfamiliar with such design dive in and find themselves overwhelmed, they often express their frustration in the form of poor reviews. That’s exactly what seems to be happening with Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Why it matters: Hollow Knight: Silksong doesn’t include traditional difficulty settings and is proving to be quite challenging, which has sparked backlash from some players.
Many users on Steam have expressed their frustration by leaving negative reviews, specifically criticising the game’s difficulty.
I want to like the game, but the death penalties are too strict for me to enjoy right now.
Ten hours into the game and unfortunately it’s a torturing experience for me so far.
It doesn’t feel like a Metroidvania anymore. It feels like a wannabe Souls like.
-Frusturated Fans
This isn’t anything new. Almost every difficult game ends up facing similar criticism. Even Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, received massive backlash at launch for being too hard.
The issue is that a lot of players jumped on the Silksong hype train without realising what they were getting into. You can clearly see the difference in player counts and reception compared to the original Hollow Knight.
However, it’s worth noting that even some longtime fans of the original game have expressed frustration with the difficulty.
That said, Silksong does include an Assist Mode, which is recommended for players who are struggling with the game’s difficulty. It doesn’t make the game effortless, but it does offer some welcome relief for those who need it.
What are your thoughts on the latest blockbuster indie game receiving hate for being challenging? Share them in the comments below or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers official forums.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
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