Hollow Knight: Silksong Difficulty - What to Expect in Pharloom

Last Updated: October 22, 2025

The seemingly endless wait for Hollow Knight: Silksong has only fueled the fervent speculation surrounding its challenges. For years, the gaming community has dissected every trailer and developer comment, and one topic remains central: the sequel's difficulty. Drawing from the legacy of the original, Team Cherry has made it clear that players should prepare for a demanding journey, promising a game with moments of "steep difficulty" that will test even the most seasoned veterans of Hallownest.

This confirmation, originating from early developer deep-dives following the game's reveal, has set the stage for years of intense anticipation. While its predecessor, Hollow Knight, was celebrated for its tough-but-fair combat and intricate world, Silksong aims to evolve that formula with a new protagonist, Hornet, whose acrobatic and fast-paced abilities will be pushed to their limits. The core debate among fans isn't if the game will be hard, but how that difficulty will manifest and whether it will strike the perfect balance between rewarding challenge and outright frustration.

Analyzing the Anticipated Challenge

The discourse surrounding Silksong's difficulty mirrors conversations seen across the most demanding titles in gaming. The community is largely united in its desire for a significant challenge, a key element of the original's identity. However, based on available gameplay footage and developer insights, fans have already begun to analyze specific mechanics that could define the experience in the kingdom of Pharloom.

Two areas, in particular, have become focal points for this pre-release analysis:

Traversal and Recovery

In the original Hollow Knight, the placement of benches as save and healing points was a critical design choice that dictated the flow of exploration and the stakes of every encounter. Analysis of Silksong's trailers suggests a world even larger and more vertical than Hallownest. Speculation is rampant about how Hornet's faster, more agile moveset will be balanced by enemy placement and the frequency of save points. A poorly placed bench can turn a thrilling challenge into a tedious, repetitive trek back to a boss, and fans are hopeful Team Cherry will leverage Hornet's speed to create new kinds of traversal puzzles rather than lengthy, punishing run-backs.

Combat and Enemy Design

Hornet’s faster, more aggressive toolkit is a significant departure from the Knight’s. She can heal more quickly (using Silk) and possesses a wider array of aerial moves. Consequently, it is expected that enemy and boss designs will be far more aggressive and complex to match her enhanced capabilities. The reveal of over 150 new enemies promises a vast and deadly bestiary. Fans anticipate that mastery will come not just from learning attack patterns, but from skillfully using Hornet's entire acrobatic arsenal to both attack and evade in intricate combat dances.

The FromSoftware Comparison: A Legacy of Challenge

The conversation around Silksong inevitably draws parallels to the design philosophy of FromSoftware, the studio behind iconic titles like Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series. Since Demon's Souls first captured the industry's attention, a dedicated audience has embraced games that demand immense player investment and resilience.

For these players, the allure lies in overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. The satisfaction derived from mastering complex mechanics and persevering through countless failures is the core of the appeal. Team Cherry’s stated intention to include "steep difficulty" firmly positions Silksong within this lineage of games that treat challenge not as a barrier, but as a fundamental part of their identity. The long development cycle, while agonizing for fans, is also seen as a positive sign—an indication that the team is meticulously tuning every encounter to be demanding yet fair.

Balancing a Brutal World with Rewarding Gameplay

Crafting a difficult game is a delicate art. The line between a rewarding challenge and an unfair one is thin. The goal is to create a steep learning curve that feels surmountable through practice and strategic thinking, not sheer luck. The original Hollow Knight excelled at this, teaching players through failure and rewarding them with a profound sense of accomplishment.

Everything seen of Silksong suggests Team Cherry is committed to this same philosophy. The introduction of a quest system, tool crafting, and Hornet's more dynamic abilities points to a design that will give players more options to tackle the formidable obstacles of Pharloom. The challenge won't just be about reflexes, but also about preparation, strategy, and understanding the robust new systems at play.

While the release date remains the biggest mystery in gaming, the anticipation for Hollow Knight: Silksong is unwavering. The promise of a difficult, sprawling adventure is a major reason for its mythic status. Team Cherry's transparency about the game's demanding nature has perfectly managed expectations, ensuring that when players finally ascend into the kingdom of Pharloom, they will be prepared for a journey that will test their skills, patience, and resolve in a beautiful, haunted world.