WhenHollow Knightgot its start as a Kickstarter project in 2014, with a modest budget of $35,000 AUD (approximately $26,600 USD), few would have expected the game to rise to the high watermark it holds for indie games. Developer Team Cherry created a world that resonated with fans and critics alike, with intricately linked areas and an entire bug kingdom filled with lore. After making such animpact on the Metroidvania genre, it did come as a surprise that Team Cherry plans to move on fromHollow Knightafter the release of the sequel,Silksong.A decision that is already leaving fans pining for more adventures featuring the Knight and Hornet.
As more details aboutHollow Knight: Silksongare beginning to emerge, Team Cherry has revealed that it is working on another project outside of theHollow Knightuniverse. While this untitled project is in its earliest stages of development, news that it would not be set in theHollow Knightuniverse struck a nervous chord for fans.
RELATED:Comparing Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Hornet to the Original Knight
Why Not Keep the Franchise Rolling?
Fans have reallytaken toHollowKnight, with sales totaling nearly 3 million since the game released in 2017. There are a lot of folks out there who have entered the Hallownest looking for adventure. With numbers like that and critical acclaim to boot, continuing to mine the depths of the Ancient Basin, or exploring the frontier of the Kingdom’s Edge, would be a strategy that a number of developers would follow and a path that fans would likely understand and welcome.
Already, the hype surroundingSilksongshows that people are excited to dive back into the world Team Cherry has created. Giving Hornet a chance to shine here is a great way to expand the lore of the franchise. Not only will Hornet have dialogue, but there will be a number of side quests for her to take on, leading to more new discoveries. There is an argument to be made that the world ofHollow Knightis just starting to open up, and that there could be a lot more story to be told after Hornet’s time in the spotlight. The fact thatHornet’s story started as DLCand has become a full-fledged game shows that Team Cherry has a lot of ideas for itsHollow Knightworld.
Could a Break be the Right Call?
On the flip side, by shifting gears and trying something different, the indie developer could deliver a totally new and exciting IP. Given Team Cherry’s success with the Metroidvania genre, the developer could bring its same level of care and attention to a different genre.Team Cherry director Ari Gibsonhas alluded to a game that involves a large world to discover while interacting with a number of unique characters. This doesn’t give a clear indication what the game might be, but it does sound like it could be different enough.
The upside of this shift away fromHollow Knightis that it will give fans a chance to see what else Team Cherry can do. The company may have struck gold withHollow Knight,but what it has in store next could also impress. This would be a similar move to what fellow indie developer Sabotage Studio is doing by tackling classic SNES-era JRPGs after its first game was a NES-styled action platformer. Sabotage’sThe Messengerreceived praise for paying homage to titles likeNinja Gaiden, and the studio’s new titleSea of Starsis already shaping up nicely in its homage to 16-bit RPGs.
While fans may be a little disappointed by the news that Team Cherry is looking to try something different afterSilksong, there is still a lot to look forward to. Not only isHollow Knight: Silksongon the way with a number of new features, but a new title that seems like it will give the developer a chance to flex its creative muscle in other areas could be just as exciting. The news that a different title is on the way afterSilksongdoesn’t mean that Team Cherry is done with theHollow Knightfranchise either. It might just mean that a potential third act could be a little further off.
Hollow Knight: Silksongis in development for PC and Switch.
