Introduction #
During The Game Awards 2015, Ori and the Blind Forest received the Best Art Direction award and earned nominations in three other categories. This game successfully combines various gaming elements, introducing exciting new possibilities to the traditional Metroidvania formula.
While major franchises like Nintendo and Konami seemed to be on hiatus, smaller indie studios were experimenting with this style of gameplay. Early examples included Cave Story, Aquaria, and Shadow Complex, which all featured locked doors, new abilities, grid-like maps, and hidden items. Since then, we’ve seen a diverse range of games that follow this formula, such as Strider, Axiom Verge, the Shantae series, Toki Tori 2, Guacamelee, Headlander, and of course, Ori and the Blind Forest.
However, none can surpass the excellence of Hollow Knight, which was released in 2017. It is a true masterpiece, featuring exhilarating combat against highly imaginative boss monsters, challenging difficulty spikes reminiscent of Dark Souls, and - most importantly - a beautifully crafted, interconnected world that is an absolute delight to explore. The exploration of game plots has become a source of material for countless video creators.
Game Design #
To truly appreciate the brilliance of Hollow Knight， it’s valuable to analyze its design using the AGE framework - a powerful game design methodology that divides games into three key components: Action, Gameplay, and Experience.
The intricate mechanics of movement and combat in Hollow Knight vividly represent the Action component, requiring players to exhibit skill and finesse. This lays the groundwork for exploration in the vast world of Hallownest, where interconnected environments reflect the complexity of platforming and combat challenges. Players encounter a variety of enemies, overcome difficult bosses, and undergo a gamut of emotional responses, resulting in an impactful experience that grips their attention.
From a Gameplay viewpoint,
Hollow Knight’s non-linear progression system is essential to achieving mastery. The game seamlessly blends player actions with the gameplay itself, where exploring new areas, collecting items, and upgrading skills feel significant and impact the journey. These elements compel players to delve further into the intricately crafted world while providing opportunities for customization. The game’s emotional narrative and atmospheric aesthetic amplify the gameplay experience, making it immersive and evocative. This creates a profound player Experience, where the discovery of stories elicits a range of emotions, from sorrow to exhilaration.
While the game doesn’t have any particularly complicated or challenging mechanics to comprehend, what’s truly impressive is how it uses combinations and a vast amount of rich story content to closely connect each gameplay and continuously enhance the game experience.
Interconnected World with Non-linear Progression #
After discussing the general design of the AGE framework, let’s dig deeper into the intricate world of Hollow Knight, which is a defining element of the Metroidvania genre. This design philosophy creates a seamless and intricately woven map, where different areas are not only adjacent but are also meaningfully connected in a way that impacts gameplay and exploration. For instance, players may start their journey in a lush, verdant area called Greenpath, bustling with plant life and natural obstacles, only to uncover a hidden passage that leads to the Forgotten Crossroads: an area with a completely different atmosphere, featuring remnants of a once-thriving civilization.
This interconnectedness is not just for show. It fundamentally shapes the player’s journey. As players progress, they unlock new abilities such as the Mothwing Cloak, which grants a dash ability or the Mantis Claw, which enables wall climbing. These abilities not only make the character stronger but also unlock new pathways in previously visited areas, creating a web of exploration where every new skill redefines how the map can be navigated. For instance, a seemingly insurmountable ledge in the Forgotten Crossroads can become a new route once the player acquires the Mantis Claw, leading to entirely new sections of the game world, the Crystal Peak, that were previously inaccessible.
Hollow Knight’s sets itself apart from others by incorporating a non-linear progression system that is seamlessly integrated into its interconnected world. This allows players to explore the vast landscape at their own pace and in their own preferred sequence, rather than being bound to a fixed path. Unlike linear games, where progression is rigidly structured, Hollow Knight’s offers a more organic exploration experience.
Another example of this flexibility is accessing the Royal Waterways. This hidden area beneath the City of Tears can be reached in multiple ways, but one standard method involves acquiring the Desolate Dive ability. This ability, obtained after defeating the Soul Master in the Soul Sanctum, enables the player to break through certain fragile ground areas. Another method to access the Royal Waterways involves acquiring one of the Simple Keys, which an be found in several locations throughout the game, such as being purchased from Sly in the Dirtmouth.
The game’s design philosophy, which intertwines multiple pathways within its worlds, enhances the depth of exploration and ensures that players’ experiences are uniquely shaped by their explorations and discoveries. This encourages revisiting previously explored areas with new abilities, unlocking new sections and secrets, and enriching the overall experience with a continuous sense of discovery and adventure.
Soul-like Bosses and Hidden Content #
Hollow Knight’s incorporates challenging bosses and hidden content, which significantly contribute to enhancing the player’s experience by rewarding exploration and mastery of the game’s mechanics. The true final boss, the Radiance, serves as a perfect example of this aspect.
Confronting the Radiance epitomizes the game’s demand for exploration and mastery. To access the Radiance, players must complete a series of complex steps that require not only combat prowess but also deep exploration and understanding of the game’s lore. This process entails uncovering hidden areas, collecting specific items, and fulfilling certain prerequisites, such as obtaining the Kingsoul charm and transforming it into the Void Heart. The game’s non-linear progression and interconnected world design are intertwined with this process, requiring players to traverse various parts of the map and revisit old areas with new abilities to unveil previously inaccessible secrets.
The culmination of design elements in the battle against the Radiance provides players with a deeply satisfying sense of achievement. Successfully navigating the game’s world, unravelling its mysteries, and overcoming its toughest challenges to face the true final boss exemplify how Hollow Knight’s intertwines its various design aspects to create a compelling and rewarding gameplay experience. This approach ensures that players experience a continuous sense of progression and accomplishment, making the journey to and the confrontation with the Radiance a memorable highlight of the game.
Conclusion #
The ending sequence itself is visually and thematically distinct, with the Void’s interaction with the Godseeker’s body showcasing a departure where the Void threatened to engulf all of Hallownest. A sudden bright flash leads to the disappearance of both the Void and the Godseeker, leaving a single, lessened flower petal as a cryptic symbol of the events. The Grey Mourner’s remarks about the hidden power within the delicate petals of the flower add layers of mystery and speculation, deepening the narrative intrigue and leaving players pondering the true implications of their actions and the unresolved enigmas of Hallownest.
The story of Hollow Knight’s may be brief, but it’s worth celebrating how it shares design principles with other games like Blasphemous series. In both games, new abilities are not just useful in combat, but also open up new areas for exploration, seamlessly blending combat progression with the freedom to explore. Challenging bosses act as gatekeepers, adding to the gameplay experience and requiring players to master the game’s mechanics for progression.
