Skip Hollow Knight — You Can Play Silksong First, But Watch Out for the Diagonal Down-Slash
Hollow Knight: Silksong arrived after Team Cherry announced on Aug. 21 that the game would release on Sept. 4, and players immediately asked whether you need to have played the original Hollow Knight to enjoy the sequel.
- Release timing: Team Cherry announced a Sept. 4 release on Aug. 21.
- Standalone play: Silksong can be played without prior experience in Hollow Knight.
- Control differences: The downward slash behaves differently between the two games (straight down in Hollow Knight; diagonal in Silksong).
- Onboarding and goals: Silksong gives a clear opening objective: “Go to the Citadel.”
- Player activity: Many players replayed the original around Silksong’s launch, according to Steam Charts.
Can you play Silksong without Hollow Knight?
Yes. Silksong is a self-contained sequel and does not require players to have completed the original Hollow Knight first. The game provides its own starting objective and progression systems, so new players can jump in and follow the built-in guidance.
What changed in core controls and movement
One concrete difference reported by players is the behavior of the downward slash. In the original Hollow Knight, that attack sends the character straight down. In Silksong, the equivalent input sends the character toward the ground at roughly a 45-degree angle. This is a mechanical difference that can affect platforming and combat, and it may require adjustment from players familiar with the original game’s controls.
Why that matters
Because Metroidvania titles rely heavily on movement and attack inputs, small changes like the angle of a downward slash change timing and spatial planning. Therefore, players with muscle memory from Hollow Knight may notice the difference immediately during early encounters and traversal.
Onboarding and narrative clarity
Silksong opens with a clearer objective than Hollow Knight. The game explicitly directs players to “Go to the Citadel,” which establishes an initial destination from the start.
By contrast, the original Hollow Knight launched with minimal explicit direction, and players historically sought outside help. For example, some users asked “So…What’s my objective exactly?” on the Hollow Knight Steam forums.
Player behavior around the release
Following the Silksong announcement and release, many players returned to or replayed Hollow Knight. Steam Charts shows elevated activity for the original around the sequel’s launch, indicating that a significant portion of the community revisited the first game as Silksong arrived. For reference, see the data on Steam Charts.
Takeaway
In short: you can play Silksong without playing Hollow Knight first. The sequel is structured to stand alone, offers a clear initial objective, and includes some mechanical differences that players coming from the original should notice right away.
