Players are blaming Hollow Knight: Silksong for the wrong reasons. Its real flaw isn’t the brutal difficulty, but something far more frustrating that needs to be addressed.

Silksong is an excellent game, and those who embrace its challenges find plenty to love. Yes, it’s tough — with traps, stretches devoid of checkpoints, and mechanics like prepaying for rosaries — but that’s part of its DNA. And it works.

Yet difficulty isn’t the true issue. With the Fractured Mask, you gain bonus health, and dice can mitigate critical blows. The difficulty fits naturally into the experience if you understand it. Bosses are designed around patterns, not one-shot victories. The path is to explore, build yourself up, and return stronger — eventually, even Last Judge and Widow will fall.

No, the real problem lies in the infamous “runbacks,” or walks of shame. From Software has gradually stripped them away — nearly gone in Sekiro, gone entirely in Elden Ring — but in Silksong, they return. And they add nothing of value.

Team Cherry, It’s Time to Get Rid of Runbacks

Traps in banks? Fine — they make sense within the lore. But forcing players to trudge through long, repetitive sections before fighting bosses? That’s just bad design. The worst offenders are before Sister Vastiguera and Last Judge. From checkpoints, you climb, dodge enemies, and slog forward until you finally get there — and it’s exhausting, not rewarding.

The beauty of a boss fight lies in learning patterns and steadily improving until you win. That moment of triumph, when frustration turns into victory, is what makes the experience unforgettable. Runbacks ruin that momentum, sapping the desire to try again. The Last Judge’s path is particularly punishing, requiring precision platforming that leaves you drained — or dead — before even entering the fight.

Yes, you may become better at traversal, but at what cost? Silksong is still a fantastic game, clearly built on lessons from From Software’s masterpieces. But like Sekiro showed, difficulty should push you — not punish you with meaningless obstacles.

Source: 3djuegos