Recent reviews by Applestream

You will never see stairs the same way again.
10/10

This game gave me Thalassophobia.

Fun Game.
Really like how fluent and quick it feels, it tries to make you go speed and I think that's when the game is strongest.
Only thing I don't like is how rampant the difficulty spikes after doing multiple boss cells.

Hollow Knight is awesome, I absolutely belief it will be regarded as a timeless classic in the next few years.
The game play is a very refined version of the classic 2D Metroidvania, you jump you slash you cast spells and so on. There aren't really any abitlies that could be counted as groundbreaking or unique to this game, but the base material it offers is so well built upon and executed that I would say it wasn't necessary to have. You use your slashes and dashes to a full extend, the game opens itself up to a sheer endless well of skill expression, and I think that is one of the games best qualities.
I will however say the difficulty curve is relatively steep, so it might not be a game for people that don't enjoy a good challenge. But I also wouldn't say it's dark souls tier bs, I think if you're used to playing 2D games and maybe played a Metroidvania or two before, Hollow Knight is very beatable.
The game is MASSIVE though, my first playthrough took me *40 hours*, and I didn't even do 100% or the real ending, just basic casual playthrough! And that for the price of 15$! The game is extremly generous with it's price.
The gameplay alone deserves a 10/10, but on top of that, the whole atmosphere of the game is *equally* excellent

It goes for a kind of somber, melancholy vibe. You're exploring a dying (or dead) civilization, as a tiny soulless bug. Everything like the color scheme, scattered lore and dialouge as well as the music really emphasize that beautifully.
It has a lovely hand drawn artstyle, with gorgeous scenery (specifically the City of Tears) that really draw you into the world, it has lovable characters that seem like a little gleam of hope in the dark environment they live in, as well as well designed bosses that let you know a lot about the world just by fighting them. I don't want to go into specifics, but one boss in particular expresses so much about the game, without even a single word, that I am amazed by it every time I fight it.

And this is all underlined by one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard, the eerie and solemn background tracks to the areas, as well as the intense almost neo-classic pieces that accompany the bosses.

I am always of the opinion that perfection isn't realistically possible, every game has flaws. Hollow Knight also has a few ones that I could list; for example sometimes it's hard knowing where to go, or finding how to access a new place. Or, the fact that later in the game the currency becomes basically useless since you get most items pretty quickly. But I can't really think of anything else honestly. Maybe the fact that one of the endings is hidden behind an absurdly hard challenge, but that shouldn't discourage anyone from buying this game.

Buy this game! I'm not recommending it, I am commanding that you buy it.

I mean, it looks good but the level design and controls are disgusting.