Hollow Knight is finally out for Nintendo Switch, which means that many more people are playing it than when it hit PC last year. People like me! I've put nearly 40 hours into the game, and I have some tips for those new to the game.
For the most part, Hollow Knight is simple. Explore the buried civilization of Hallownest. Try to reach every corner of the map. Do not jump on the spikes. Strike the enemies until they are dead. Do not let the boss touch you. Beware of acid lakes. However, there are still some tips that I would like to give to those newbies.
Do not waste time on the game.
This is not a gameplay hint, but rather an advice "how to best appreciate Hollow Knight ". During the first hour or two, I was not as thrilled with the game as I became once I opened it up a bit. The opening area of Hollow Knight the Forgotten Crossroads, is also one of its dullest. The knight starts with a limited movement. The game is immediately difficult, and it is difficult to simply move from one side of the map to the other alive. Stick with him.
False Knight is the first boss, and can be difficult if you're not used to this kind of fight. The key is to run under him when he jumps, then hit a few shots before going back. Be patient and do not forget to jump to avoid his attack by the ground waves.
Beat the first boss. Keep playing in the second zone, Greenpath, and beat the second boss you'll meet there. Soon after, you will unlock the first two crossing mechanisms, and the game will finally start to open. It takes a bit of time, but if you overcome that initial bump, you're in a hell of a race. These opening hours are not a bad time, they are just not as captivating as the remaining 90% of the game.
Talk to everyone.
Hallownest's backstory is much more interesting than expected, so I recommend talking with all the non-player characters you can, at every opportunity. Many characters evolve through mini-stories as you progress through the game, and their stories add an unexpected degree of richness.
Do not be discouraged by the big enemy on the right.
If you fall in the opening zone and go right, you will soon meet a huge guy with a huge club. It seems impossible to beat. I'm sure if you're good enough at this kind of game, you can beat it right now, but do not worry too much about taking it until you have some improvements. This type is designed as an optional challenge and does not indicate the hardness of the rest of the enemies in the area. Keep in mind, however, that you can just take a shot, and then overtake it, if you wish.
In combat, stay in the air and attack.
The Knight can attack in four directions, and their low-stroke is easily the most effective tool. A lot of bosses in the game are huge, and just touching them will cost you a life point. It's good to start training to jump over something and attack repeatedly, stomp on to get several hits. This move is also useful on a number of the most hardcore platform challenges of the game (optional, thankfully). It may sound daunting – I'm a clubbed at the platforms, and I did not look forward to mastering such a reflex-oriented move – but with a little practice, you'll get it.
Use custom map pins.
The Hollow Knight map is unusually sprawling and full of locked areas and secrets. It's worth it to grind the 100 Geo Money ( Hollow Knight ) you need to buy a set of custom card pins from the card store, which will allow you to to mark locked areas for future reference. I waited a long time to buy pins and, therefore, I found that I did not remember where were some barriers, once I finally had the necessary upgrade for circumvent them.
Take your notes. It must be very detailed, but it may be useful to keep a short list of things you have seen, areas visited and each of your custom pins. Believe me when I say that this game is really big, and then you could just trade and do a lot more backtracking (not necessarily a bad approach!) You'll save time by keeping notes.
Play with headphones, or turn up the volume.
I have the impression that some people play switch games in handheld mode without audio, or with built-in audio off. I recommend playing Hollow Knight with headphones or with sound, not just because the music and sound design are fantastic. (They are, however.) The real reason for playing with headphones is that the audio signals play a huge role in the design of the game. You will hear small tears that ask for help, enemies that go around , objects that glow in the dark and boss attack hints, which you would all miss if you turned down the volume. There are many destructible walls and secret passages scattered around Hallownest, and if you hear an enemy in an area but you can not see them, chances are the game tells you to look for a breakable wall.
Find the cartographer in each new area.
Whenever you enter a new region, your first priority should be to get a map. Cornifer the cartographer runs a card shop with his wife in Dirtmouth, and he can be found sitting in each area happily writing cards. You can tell it's close if you start to see pieces of paper scattered on the floor, and you'll hear it humming. Follow him and buy his card. If you unlock a new zone without first buying a card from it in the previous zone, you can buy all the cards you missed from the shop in Dirtmouth. (He leaves a note to this effect in every area he's visited, which can be a bit confusing, since he leaves it, whether or not you have already bought the map of the area.)
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There is a shortcut to control the entire map.
Holding the left shoulder button opens a map of your immediate neighborhood. If you want to see the complete map of the game, you can access it in the pause menu. However, if you press the left shoulder button twice, you will go directly to the full map without having to navigate through the menus of your inventory. It took me some time to realize this, although it was maybe just that I missed a tutorial start. This is certainly a good time saver as the game opens and you regularly want to get an idea of what other areas might be close by.
Charms are more versatile than you think.
The more you play, the more charms you unlock. You will also begin to find and buy charming notches, which will allow you to equip them at a better time. At first I thought the charms were small, the improvements passive and that I would end up with the same charms fitted throughout the game. It turns out that the charm system is deeper and more interesting. Some charms give you powerful benefits, and others will greatly affect your playing style. I have a few loadouts depending on what I do, and I recommend taking the time to find out what works for you . Here are my shipments, for now:
Boss Fights: Grubsong, Soul Catcher, Stalwart Shell, Quick Focus, Thorns of Agony
These are standard shipments, but do not be afraid to experiment with some of the stranger charms because many have specific applications. Hiveblood can be great when you're doing difficult platform challenges, for example.
These loadouts require 10 notches of charm, but you will obviously not have as many to start with. I recommend prioritizing ways to increase the gains of the soul, then accelerate healing, and then everything else. The more you unlock the notches, the more inessential but fun charms you can equip. A charm to have always equipped in boss battles, however …
Quick Focus is a very good charm
Quick Focus is probably the most useful spell in Hollow Knight . It allows you to recharge your health much faster, which is crucial in boss battles. If you combine it with Stalwart Shell, you can often complete your healing while being invincible for the shot you took. This combo is what brings them closer Hollow Knight must let the players fight in strength, and if you are not a super-skillful player (the raised hand), it's a boon.
When I bought Hollow Knight on Switch, I did not realize that I was getting a bunch of free DLCs that the Team Cherry developers had already released for the PC version . Some of these things will appear in a transparent way; There are just a few bosses and items you will not find in the game at launch. However, there is a significant story called DLC The Grimm Troupe that adds new characters, salesmen, charms and quests. It does not passively add these things, however; you will have to go follow him and start him actively. (You'll need some mid-game upgrades to get it started, so do not worry about accidentally starting it or anything.) Far from spoiling the challenge of locating it if you're the type of player who likes to hunt down the secrets, but I will offer a hint and a link. Hint: It starts near the place where the game started. Link: Here's a Steam thread explaining where to go and what to do.
Follow these tips when fighting the toughest bosses.
I recently wrote a list of generalized tips for fighting tough bosses of video games, and Hollow Knight has his share of tough bosses. So, read this post and follow these tips. Take breaks. Look at the replays. Make lists Go do something else, whether in the game or in real life. Come back once you have upgraded your equipment. In particular, you can improve the damage dealt by your fingernail several times during the game, and some boss much more easily when you do not have to hit as many shots to kill them.
you do not know what to do next, do not look!
Here is my last tip: Avoid using online guides and walkthroughs! Hollow Knight is a surprising and rewarding game, and I have regretted the few times I've searched where to find a charming notch, or upgrade hardware. A few times, I would have discovered the upgrade if I had just continued to play normally, and watching it ruined the pleasure of the reward.
If you do not know what to do next, look at your map and try to find the doors that you have not crossed. There is no precipitation. In this game more than most, a single breakable wall can unlock a vast new area, full of challenges to overcome and secrets to unearth. There is no better feeling than to brave a difficult challenge and be rewarded with the exact object you needed or wanted, or better, with a wild upgrade of which you did not even know the existence. Do not waste those moments for yourself by looking at them and looking for them.
I hope these tips will come in handy when you venture into Hallownest. If you have any other tips, I hope you share them below.
