LogInEven Steam went down.
Yesterday marked one of the most anticipated releases of the last few years, as Hollow Knight: Silksong saw the light of day. Eight years after the first game, the fans were finally able to enjoy the new chapter of the beloved gothic Metroidvania, developed by a small indie studio from South Australia, Team Cherry.
Centering on Princess Hornet, Hollow Knight: Silksong introduces the new kingdom of Pharloom and follows the fan-favorite aesthetic of the first game, while featuring enhanced combat and expanding the game's world. Silksong quickly became one of the most talked-about indie projects of the decade, and the fans' response became indeed overwhelming.
The sequel drew so much attention that it caused temporary crashes on several game e-shops. Steam and the Nintendo eShop were briefly inaccessible as fans rushed to buy the game right after its release.
Notably, the developers didn't send out review copies to bloggers, streamers, or game journalists, yet the metroidvania still gained immense popularity and attracted hundreds of thousands of players within hours of release.
As of writing, Silksong has more than 14,500 reviews on Steam, with 96% being positive. The game reached a peak of half a million players just one day after launch:
SteamDB
Hollow Knight: Silksong has already appeared on pirate websites, but even there, it led to unexpected results: players still tend to purchase the game. Usually, people pirate because they can't afford the game, but Silksong's $20 price tag makes it accessible. Also, many players note that the developer's favorable attitude, the game's high quality, and the availability of a DRM-free version make it a worthwhile purchase.
The most highlighted comment in one of the discussions on r/Piracy reads:
"Game is way cheaper than a lot of people expected and they probably didn't plant much anti-piracy measures, cus happy customers usually wont pirate."
"Hey the game is pretty cheap," reads another one. "This one, we should not pirate."
Thus, Silksong appears not only to be an acclaimed title but also a genuine game-changer, breaking records and defying assumptions with its affordable price and even influencing the attitudes of players using cracked copies.
In conclusion, it would be inspiring to share a LinkedIn post of Motoaki Tanigo, Founder and CEO of COVER Corporation, focusing on VTuber production "hololive production." The creator pointed out that before the release of Hollow Knight, Team Cherry received many negative comments and suggestions that the game would be a failure. However, since then, the Metroidvania has sold over 15 million copies. Tanigo stressed that, like Team Cherry, one should accept all the feedback but never stop working on their project they are passionate about:
"Companies with a large online presence face negative comments all the time. Sometimes, a few bad comments can affect us more than hundreds of good ones if we hyperfocus on them. But that is not what Team Cherry did. They had a dream and a vision. While listening to all feedback, negative and positive, they believed in their project and made it a reality, achieving even more than they could have ever dreamed."
Have you played Hollow Knight: Silksong yet? What are your impressions? Don't hesitate to share your opinion in the comments.
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