Summary
The bug aesthetic ofHollow Knightis easily the most iconic part of the original title, with the upcoming prequelHollow Knight: Silksongappearing to double down on that insect world-building. However, thehighly anticipated prequel storyline ofSilksongcould do well to expand beyond the scope of Hallownest and its bug denizens as the game follows Hornet outside the confines of the first game’s intricately connected world.
With the focus ofHollow Knight: Silksongpulling away from the location made iconic in the first game in the series, this could be the best time to establish the bugs of Hallownest as only one part of a grander world. That being said, this could come at the cost of sacrificing what has madeHollow Knightso unique and beloved, which offers a fine line for developer Team Cherry to walk if it chooses to embrace new aesthetic.
RELATED:Silksong Has Become a Victim of Hollow Knight’s Success
Open the Hollow Knight World to More Fantasy
The anthropomorphic bugs are aniconic fixture ofHollow Knight, with the design of characters like the Knight andSilksong’s star Hornet becoming striking examples how this aesthetic excels in the game’s animated style. However, as iconic as these designs have become, leaving the world to be entirely populated by different types of bugs makes the wider world feel considerably small. Even if there are competing powers among different factions of bugs, having every living creature either follow a beetle or moth design limits the scope of what the worldwide ecosystem might consist of.
So, pulling from other fantasy tropes and a similar aesthetic to the anthropomorphic bugs could give Team Cherry opportunities to introduce both humanized and feral versions of other creatures brought to life in strange ways. This could include more plant-based creatures, similar to the Moss Chargers and their Massive boss variant, but without the twist of there being a bug underneath the surface. Not only would thischange Hornet’s interactions inHollow Knight: Silksong, by having her talk to and fight alternate fantasy-style races, but it could also create a more interconnected natural world with different creatures having different utility to the overall ecosystem.
Pushing beyond the anthropomorphic characters, this could also be a chance to introduce the types of smaller fantasy characters that are more often decoration in larger fantasy settings. Things like faeries, pixies, and other fae folk that often represent the forces of nature that keeps the world thriving could exist in full form among thebugs ofHollow Knight: Silksong. With the scope of the bug world brought down to their size, these fantasy mainstays could shine in the world alongside characters like Hornet.
Why Too Much Change Can Be a Double-Edged Sword For Silksong
While there are certainly benefits from adding depth to a world likeHollow Knight, the new layers may not exactly be welcomed with open arms by the game’s fans. The design of the Knight is instantly recognizable and beloved among fans, as is Hornet to players that have challenged her two incredible boss encounters. So, to make to manychanges toHollow Knight: Silksong’s designsfrom the first could result in losing some of the charm that helped the original make its mark as an indie darling.
Of course, much ofHollow Knight’s design had already taken chances, such as giving the Knight such a simple moveset to fight incredibly complex bosses. So, asHollow Knight: Silksongexperiments with gameplay elementsand redirects to a new protagonist, the risk of expanding the world could certainly pay off. This doesn’t necessarily mean the bug aesthetic should be abandoned altogether, but instead that introducing some new elements could be beneficial for the series' world-building and could set up future titles.
