The anticipation for Hollow Knight: Silksong has been building for years, and with every new glimpse of gameplay, the excitement grows. While many new fans are learning about Hollow Knight for the first time, many seasoned fans are getting ready to plunge in. No matter your experience, one thing is certain: Silksong will challenge even skilled players. Its combat, platforming, and progression systems demand patience, observation, and adaptability. To help players adjust to Hornet's journey through Pharloom, here are some crucial tips that make the early hours smoother and set you up for success.

Master Hornet's Distinct Movement

Unlike the Knight from the original game, Hornet is agile, quick, and more acrobatic in her movements. This new control scheme can feel disorienting at first, particularly for returning players who are accustomed to the Knight's heavier, more deliberate jumps. For example, Hornet's downward strike is angled diagonally instead of dropping straight down, which changes the rhythm of aerial combat.

Spend time in the opening area experimenting with movement—practice short hops, long leaps, and diagonal plunges to understand her range and speed. Learning the distance of her Needle thrusts and the rhythm of her combos will make exploration less punishing and help you engage enemies with confidence. Once you adapt, you'll find Hornet's toolkit allows for more dynamic and stylish maneuvers than the Knight's.

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Get Comfortable with the Bind Mechanic

In Silksong, Hornet restores her health through Bind, a system that replaces the Knight's Focus ability. While both serve the same purpose—recovering Masks—there are two major differences. First, Bind is activated instantly with a single input rather than holding down the button, making it easier to weave into combat. Second, whether Hornet cures a single Mask or multiple, she will still need to use up her whole Silk gauge.

The most important thing to remember: Bind can be used in mid-air. This small detail changes the flow of battle significantly. Instead of retreating to a safe corner, Hornet can leap over enemies, dodge, and patch herself up without breaking the momentum of a fight. It encourages a faster, more aggressive style compared to the Knight's defensive healing.

Secure a Map, Quill, and Compass Early

Without a map, navigating Pharloom is sure to be frustrating. Early in the game, you'll encounter Shakra, a cartographer who offers maps of local regions as well as essential mapping tools. Her initial offerings include area maps (90 Rosaries for both), a Quill (50 Rosaries), and a Compass (70 Rosaries).

The Quill allows you to update maps as you explore, while the Compass shows Hornet's exact location. These purchases should be a priority, as exploration becomes much more manageable when you know where you've been and where you're going. If you lack the Rosaries to buy everything on your first visit, don't worry—you can return later before progressing too far in the story. Shakra reappears in multiple zones throughout Pharloom, offering additional maps as your journey continues.

Stay Aggressive in Combat

When facing bosses, passivity is a mistake. Silksong promotes unrelenting attack, in contrast to Hollow Knight, when careful play was occasionally rewarded. Striking enemies in quick succession fills their Stagger meter, and once staggered, they're vulnerable for a few seconds. This window lets you unleash more attacks or heal safely with Bind.

While not all bosses can be staggered, the general rule still applies: defensive play tends to drag battles out and makes encounters more punishing. The key is to learn attack patterns, stay close, and flow between offense and evasion. With practice, Hornet's speed turns battles into a dance of precision and timing.

Listen to NPCs Carefully

Lore-rich worlds like Pharloom hide critical progression hints within conversations. Skipping dialogue might cause you to miss directions, quest leads, or mechanical explanations. For instance, Wishwalls—quest boards that display local requests—are introduced in the opening exchange with Flick the Fixer. Without paying attention, you might overlook returning to Bone Bottom to use this feature later.

Even if you aren't deeply invested in the story, dialogue often doubles as a guidepost, so make sure to read and absorb what NPCs share.

Test Walls for Hidden Paths

Like most Metroidvanias, Silksong is filled with hidden areas concealed behind fragile walls. These barriers look nearly identical to normal terrain, so curiosity is your best weapon. If a wall looks suspicious, strike it with your Needle. A crunching sound and a rumbling texture confirm it can be broken, usually revealing secret rooms, items, Rosaries, or shortcuts.

Checking every nook and cranny not only rewards exploration but can also drastically reduce backtracking by opening up alternate routes.

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Conclusion

Silksong builds upon the foundation of Hollow Knight but introduces mechanics that reward speed, aggression, and adaptability. By mastering Hornet's movement, using Bind efficiently, prioritizing exploration tools, and embracing an offensive combat style, players can ease into Pharloom's brutal but rewarding design. Stay curious, listen to the world around you, and strike boldly—you'll discover that Hornet's journey, though difficult, is also thrillingly empowering.