So I finally finished Silksong

I had started playing it immediately after the release, on September 4th, but due to not having much free time, I couldn't complete it until yesterday. This winter, due to a break from college, I could finally sit back and play it almost uninterruptedly for hours on end, completing it at 77% and true ending.

I have 115 hours played on the save file, and I didn't even unlock all the crests and charms. Apparently it took me much more time to finish the game than the average player. But this is what happens with other games so I wasn't much surprised.

Despite my long playtime, I didn't find the difficulty to be much of a problem. First of all, this is what I expected, so I got what I paid for. The challenges in the game were difficult and frustrating, for sure, but ultimately I found them manageable if met with enough patience from my part. The process of overcoming yet another obstacle after trial and error was very rewarding in a psychological sense, and maybe this is what made me return to the game all these months, never wanting to drop it.

It is very hard to describe a piece of art I adored as I can't find the right words. For me, Silksong had something truly magical about it. It evoked strong feelings I have never felt in any game since childhood. The atmosphere and exploration were truly incredible and unmatched. As in the first game, I liked the dark tones of the world and how all locations are so detailed and logically connected to each other. The turning point that made me ultimately fall in love with the game was Greymoor, perhaps my favorite location. Of course seeing Citadel for the first time was another memorable moment, and I liked how its gilded beauty contrasts with all the grim lore behind it, so you sense that something is off from the very first second, and yet can't help but admire the grand architecture of the place. Needless to say, the movement and the enemies were all very satisfying. Anyway, I would allow myself to quote a classic: 'It was perfect, perfect to the last minute detail'.

One user on this sub said that, compared to the first game, Silksong has 'higher highs, but lower lows'. Well, for me, the great qualities of Silksong kind of blind me, making it difficult to discern and criticize any of its aspects. It is like when I eat a tasty pizza or a doner kebab - the pleasure derived from the dish makes me oblivious to the properties of its individual ingredients. Nevertheless, I did notice some downsides of the game - particularly, the need to occasionally farm rosaries to purchase a map or a bench; the placement of non-free benches in areas where enemies drop very few rosaries; some quests, like collecting berries, felt boring; some bosses didn't drop an adequate reward, etc.

A specific issue is the bosses that summon additional enemies during the fight. I don't like this decision at all, as it spoiled even some good fights, like the Court of Crows. In my opinion, a suitable way to make a boss harder is to add another creative attack, but the summons mean simply throwing at player with expendable material. But I hardly believe that the devs didn't have enough imagination or time to polish everything, so I can't understand their decision to implement this particular thing.

Anyway, to end on a more positive note, I would like to add that Silksong, like its predecessor, has some qualities that I couldn't find in any other metroidvania. Hollow Knight was my first game of this genre, and between it and Silksong I played Salt and Sanctuary, Ori, Blasphemous, Axiom Verge, both SteamWorld Digs and Ender Lilies. Those were some great games, but not great in the same sense as Hollow Knight. It feels like Team Cherry has touched some chord of my heart that others couldn't. Be it their sheer talent or dedication to polish their games to perfection?