Summary
If and when it releases,Hollow Knight: Silksongwill bear the weight of great expectations. Thelengthy wait forSilksonghas agitated the hopes of many players, sparking debate about whether it is suffering from development troubles and if it will live up to the gargantuan hype. And, of course, it is the successor to one of the most astonishing breakout indie hits of all time, giving it a big cloak to fill.
With a new protagonist who boasts a radically different set of skills,Hollow Knight: Silksongis expected to dramatically shake up the gameplay of the original. The traditional metroidvania formula appears to be intact, as does the beautiful hand-drawn art style and deceptively complex combat, but Hornet, as compared to the Knight, seems to have an expanded arsenal of attacks. She looks slicker, faster, and capable of using a variety of special maneuvers and tools that promise to deepen gameplay. With this ostensible focus on flexibility and aggressive combat, it’s worth wondering how Team Cherry might recontextualize or repurpose certain mechanics from the first game to better fight with Hornet’s fighting style.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Has the Chance to Greatly Improve the Thorns of Agony Charm
Thorns of Agony Is One of Hollow Knight’s Weakest Charms
Not all ofHollow Knight’s charms are created equal, even if they all offer some sort of benefit. That said, Thorns of Agony is perhaps the most useless charm in the game, bordering on doing more harm than good.
Thorns of Agony only requires a single notch to equip, and it can be found fairly early on in the Queen’s Gardens area. Its description says the charm “senses the pain of its bearer and lashes out at the world around them,” revealing its utility: equipping the charm causes the player to deal damage to enemies upon being attacked. Its accessibility and seemingly useful effect can make it appealing toHollow Knightbeginners, but it is unfortunately not nearly as helpful as it sounds.
The biggest issue with Thorns of Agony is that it locks players into an animation that reduces their overall invincibility frames. This means that, unless the offending enemy is killed by the retribution attack (which is unlikely, as the Thorns of Agony only do 100% nail damage), the player will more than likely be put in a more vulnerable position, making it easy to get hit again. It is often more effective to trade the thorns attack for additional i-frames, as this allows for repositioning or retreat. This problem is exacerbated when fighting enemies with ranged attacks, or ones that are highly mobile, as they can often avoid the meager damage dealt by the thorns while still locking the player into the automatic attack animation.
Thorns of Agony can be made more effective whencombined with otherHollow Knightcharms, but its downsides still outweigh its benefits in most scenarios.
How Silksong Could Offer a Revamped Version of Thorns of Agony
Part of why Thorns of Agony can be frustrating is because, in theory, it has a good deal of potential. The notion that players can trade the benefits gained from other, more complex charms for a tool that effectively makes combat easier is very appealing, especially to those just starting out. The problem is that Thorns of Agony doesn’t actuallymakeHollow Knighteasier, and can in fact make it harder.
IfSilksongcould feature a similar ability, but greatly lessen its drawbacks, it could be a much more interesting and engaging tool. PerhapsSilksong’s Thorns of Agony equivalent could be quicker, or have a ranged alternative attack. Or, maybe it could serve as a sort of advanced parry mechanic, giving players a bit more control over how it functions in combat.Hornet will likely feel very different to play as, so the sequel should seize the opportunity to give this mechanic a glow-up.
