Hollow Knight

sweetie · 10-06-2019 8:45pm

You need to find a couple of things in that area to progress IIRC. Try and explore and memorise the area and eventually you will get to next stage and it will have clicked. Took me a few hours too.

skerry · 10-06-2019 8:57pm

sweetie wrote: »

You need to find a couple of things in that area to progress IIRC. Try and explore and memorise the area and eventually you will get to next stage and it will have clicked. Took me a few hours too.

I've been through Fungal Wastes and Foggy something or other and keep getting to points in them that I need a new ability for. Then I realise I have no map pins and there's no way I'll remember where that point is when I eventually unlock that ability and off I go again in my merry circle of lostness.

I just think they put way too much time into making the map system as convoluted and awkward as possible and it's kind of sucking the fun out of it for me. Loved it at the start to the point I own it on 2 systems but I spend 90% of game time wandering around in circles for the 10% I actually make some little progress.

My habit of drooping the game and picking it up a few months later probably isn't helping things cos I'm losing the flow of where I've just been and where I might need to go

TitianGerm · 10-06-2019 9:12pm

skerry wrote: »

Picked up this again there for an hour and yet again achieved absolutely nothing. Is there a suggested order to tackle the areas or something? Only ability I have unlocked at the moment is the dash.

I keep wandering around trying to find the map dude but can never find him. Stumble on something interesting then and think 'great, I'll mark that on my map' only to open the map to a big black void.

Nice looking game and all and I'm about 6 hours in but not sure I could be arsed now. Enjoyed Ori so much more than this so far.

There's a map in the link below. If your really struggling use it to find the map guy in each area.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/937186534572002861/C2B665B18C4B8EC4D429D02FD53C2DAD358A8F86/

skerry · 10-06-2019 9:26pm

TitianGerm wrote: »

There's a map in the link below. If your really struggling use it to find the map guy in each area.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/937186534572002861/C2B665B18C4B8EC4D429D02FD53C2DAD358A8F86/

Thanks for that. According to that I seem to have walked pretty much right over the boll1x several times. I'll try unlock him for the areas I've explored and see where that gets me if I have The head to pick it up again anytime soon

Xofpod · 11-06-2019 12:24pm

Any release date on the follow-up yet?

Gunmonkey · 11-06-2019 1:45pm

Xofpod wrote: »

Any release date on the follow-up yet?

Nothing so far, but Ive a small hope that they might tease a date during the Nintendo E3 Direct, seeing as they revealed the Silksong trailer in a Direct before.

Doctor Nick · 17-08-2019 8:23am

Finally got to see the end credits of this last night. Finished with 92% completion. What a game. Started a new save rather than picking up where I'd left off months back. After fighting the last boss it puts you outside the room so I'm probably going to try for 100% and the other ending. Just 6 grubs to find according to the map you get after a certain boss fight. Can't see me being able to get 112%. Wouldn't be able for some of the bosses in the Godmaster pack. I was also just half way through Grimm Troupe DLC so want to finish that also. Can't wait for the new game.

pixelburp · 10-10-2019 6:59pm

Chalk another one up as someone who found this on the Switch. It's a beautiful, truly gorgeous game that's full of atmosphere. The platforming is tight and responsive, with some satisfying precision areas that aren't excessively demanding. Combats good, and so far it's clicking (about 10 hours in)

The map design though... ack. That's what keeps killing me. The save points are too far apart and the "train" lines between maps too few, never centrally placed either so backtracking is often a chore rather than an adventure. This is especially egregious in cases with boss fights, where getting killed dumps you back across the map.

The moment to moment gameplay is perfect though, and keeps me interested. As does the aesthetic, and enigmatically quirky characters. I never thought I'd go "awww..." at a wriggly grub

The tedium of crossing the map does make me question continuing.

Doctor Nick · 10-10-2019 9:34pm

I only recall one long painful Boss run in the game, maybe two at most. Could swear you either had a bench or a short cut next to the Boss rooms. I do have a crap memory though so am probably wrong.

Some of the platforming gets very creative and very difficult requiring almost pixel perfect timing. Kind of agree on map. Used to hate giving up a notch for the compass. Game oozes atmosphere. It's probably the most value I've ever had in a game in terms of both quality and quantity compared to the price.

pm1977x · 10-10-2019 9:38pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Chalk another one up as someone who found this on the Switch. It's a beautiful, truly gorgeous game that's full of atmosphere. The platforming is tight and responsive, with some satisfying precision areas that aren't excessively demanding. Combats good, and so far it's clicking (about 10 hours in)

The map design though... ack. That's what keeps killing me. The save points are too far apart and the "train" lines between maps too few, never centrally placed either so backtracking is often a chore rather than an adventure. This is especially egregious in cases with boss fights, where getting killed dumps you back across the map.

The moment to moment gameplay is perfect though, and keeps me interested. As does the aesthetic, and enigmatically quirky characters. I never thought I'd go "awww..." at a wriggly grub The tedium of crossing the map does make me question continuing.

There's a way of placing a teleport marker called a dreamgate, as with most things in the game there's a bit of effort required to get the ability but well worth it to avoid the tedium of backtracking.

pixelburp · 10-10-2019 10:05pm

pm1977x wrote: »

There's a way of placing a teleport marker called a dreamgate, as with most things in the game there's a bit of effort required to get the ability but well worth it to avoid the tedium of backtracking.

I might Google that because I come close to dropping this, purely for the backtracking, before the setting keeps me going. It's a real push/pull kinda game. And that's speaking as someone who loves Metroidvanias generally.

pm1977x · 10-10-2019 11:14pm

pixelburp wrote: »

I might Google that because I come close to dropping this, purely for the backtracking, before the setting keeps me going. It's a real push/pull kinda game. And that's speaking as someone who loves Metroidvanias generally.

From what I remember, the quest to unlock it is a bit laborious but brought me to new fun parts of the map and the reward is no more crappy backtracking (except when you forget to set the dreamgate!)

pixelburp · 26-10-2019 12:22pm

pm1977x wrote: »

From what I remember, the quest to unlock it is a bit laborious but brought me to new fun parts of the map and the reward is no more crappy backtracking (except when you forget to set the dreamgate!)

It was "only" 900 dream dollars in the end, so wasn't too bad to acquire; between that and the Sharp Shadow charm, boss battles have become a LOT more manageable. Most of their attacks are times enough that the charm is recharged. As Metroidvanias go, not sure the powerless-to-powerful curve was perfect, but I'm zipping along now

Really hope the followup, Silksong, irons out those quibbles like save placement and weird mechanical choices such as your map position, cos they nearly killed the game for me.

The White Wolf · 12-12-2020 5:35pm

I'm playing this now and getting into it. It feels like a more forgiving metroid game.

Retr0gamer · 12-12-2020 6:47pm

Found it a lot more difficult than metroid but perfectly manageable.... Until the final dlc and i noped right out.

The White Wolf · 12-12-2020 7:05pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Found it a lot more difficult than metroid but perfectly manageable.... Until the final dlc and i noped right out.

I've beaten some of the bosses faster than in previous metroid games. Don't know if that's a sign of being an easier game or me just becoming more seasoned at them. :P

J. Marston · 12-12-2020 7:25pm

The White Wolf wrote: »

I've beaten some of the bosses faster than in previous metroid games. Don't know if that's a sign of being an easier game or me just becoming more seasoned at them. :P

How far are you into it?

The White Wolf · 12-12-2020 7:52pm

J. Marston wrote: »

How far are you into it?

I've beaten 3/4 bosses I think. At the point where I'm battling the twin blue bastards throwing mini blue bastards and fireballs.

pixelburp · 12-12-2020 8:27pm

An easy mode in Silksong would be nice. Lovely game for a host of reasons but its difficulty curve could be punishing. Which mixed with the withholding structure made the game a tough like at times.

Glebee · 12-12-2020 9:09pm

Really loved Hollow Knight when I played through it, but go so far and then got to a boss(cant remember which one) and no matter what I did I could not beat him. Ruined the game a bit for me.

Retr0gamer · 12-12-2020 9:58pm

Really enjoyed the bosses. Very week designed and some very reminiscent of the very best japanese boss design. Some absolute standouts as well.

My only complaint about the game, other than the ludicrous herculean task the last dlc demands of the player, is the end game when you are fully powered up is a bit meandering and it takes ages to get to where you want to go and the challenge isn't there anymore since you are now so good at the game and only the boss fights challenge you.

Still adore it.

pixelburp · 12-12-2020 10:19pm

I wouldn't be so salty about the difficulty if (IIRC) it didn't pull that cheap trick of gate-keeping its "real" ending and plot info behind those insanely difficult tasks such as the White Palace

Retr0gamer · 12-12-2020 11:23pm

pixelburp wrote: »

I wouldn't be so salty about the difficulty if (IIRC) it didn't pull that cheap trick of gate-keeping its "real" ending and plot info behind those insanely difficult tasks such as the White Palace

It was a bit silly alright. I mean they could have put the ending behind the easier challenges and had the later ones optional. I actually loved all the rest of the DLC but the Godhome DLC.... it just wasn't worth it and really wasted the players time. The new boss fights were amazing but putting them behind literally 45 minutes of an insanely hard boss rush was too much.

slave1 · 13-01-2021 2:43pm

So picked myself up a Switch before XMas, cleared Link's Awakening then the wonderful Steamdig 2 and then I decided to play this absolute MONSTER of a thing, it's just feckin huge, not easy and some terribly difficult maneuvers to find the Knights abilities, currently fighting the Crystal Guardian trying to put off fighting the Mantis Lords, would love to take the difficulty down a bit and it kills me to say that as I've never played a game on easy...some serious atmosphere in this game, that howling from Gorb will haunt me for quite a while

Retr0gamer · 13-01-2021 3:00pm

Mantis Lords aren't that hard. Keep at them and you'll find there's a 'rhythm' to them and you will end up not even taking a hit.

pixelburp · 13-01-2021 3:16pm

If it's any consolation, the Mantis Lords was a big difficulty spike for me too, so it's not just you. They seem intentionally hard. All the more satisfying when you do eventually kick their backsides

13-01-2021 7:46pm

Mantis Lords are pretty standard once you learn to move early on the cues imo

Someone talking about the Crystal Guardian above - the second version in the room above - the Enraged Guardian - found him to be much more of a bashtard - so fast

Retr0gamer · 14-01-2021 11:26am

Dream Zote was the worst for me. There's tough bosses, especially Nightmare Prince Grimm in one of the DLCs but he is actually very well designed and did get to a point where I couldn't touch him.

Dream Zote on the other hand just killed the final DLC challenge for me. I just could not get consistent with him and even if I did kill him I'm come out of it with bugger all health left. And when you look online for help beating him on the DLC boss rush it's basically 'if you don't unlock him you don't fight him so don't unlock him as he is too hard'. :mad:

14-01-2021 10:56pm

yes most people will reach the stage of Hollow Knight where it's - "really great game but it's just not worth it to go any further due to time required"

unless possibly those with innate fast-twitch skill and co-ordination (not me and I stopped before many I'm sure but put in a fair few hours)

I enjoyed my experience with it but I was happy to stop - could always pick it up again

amazing value in the game it has to be said!

Xofpod · 15-01-2021 1:01pm

Where Hollow Knight excels in my opinion is tone. It creates an atmosphere unlike any other game I played.
That said, not enough for me to bother with the ridiculously ramped-up difficulty level of much of the DLC...
Saving my energy for Silksong

Hollow Knight

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