Elden Ring gave me the confidence to 100% Hollow Knight

I didn’t beat Hollow Knight My first 2018 playthrough. I didn’t even come close. I didn’t even attempt to fight Dreamers. Deepnest was my last stop. I lost it because of a fear of spiders. It made me cry and dropped my Switch like a potato. While fighting Flukemarm (the enormous grunt-spewing Royal Waterways boss), I became completely lost and utterly disoriented.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about my time in Hallownest — the sad little bugs and their decrepit kingdom, Myla’s haunting mining song, or Bretta’s sweet blush. I had 30 hours of experience under my belt and was ready to declare. Hollow Knight one of my favorite games, and became that person who won’t shut up about it. This is my penance. It was my penance. I knew I could go back to it at any time. But I didn’t. Instead, I set the game aside for four years — until Elden RingI was inspired by the large online community and a lot of support to get it up again.

Team Cherry via Polygon

I’m typically an exploration, puzzling, and platforming video game enjoyer. While Metroidvania might require a player to double back, Hollow Knight’s interwoven regions create the impression of constant forward, if circuitous, movement. My obsession was with all the hidden doors. Bosses provided a thrilling experience. I was able to access new areas and add charms to my collection by beating them. However, they intimidated me and I tend to forget about optional bosses. I didn’t feel like I could actually defeat them, given the game’s intimidating reputation — I was content to simply enjoy the elegant dance of the Mantis Lords’ attacks, while accepting that I was outclassed.

I used my speed to slash through the regions and listen for the calls from grubs. Then, I haphazardly updated and revised my map. I’d dodge through sections, whenever possible, avoiding the need to heal rather than gathering Soul (the game’s version of mana, used for healing or spellcasting). An example of a battle was this: I returned to the Soul Sanctum with my trusted Dream Nail to wake the Soul Master. The fight was not a success. I made a trek to the nearest bench in order to attempt another charm loadout. However, my limited selection kept me back. We are moving on. I’m still doing this. Elden Ring. Exploration first, fighting later. Stormveil Castle wasn’t there, so I ran around the perimeter and straight to Liurnia of the Lakes. Through a hail of projectiles, a gigantic lobster hurled me into the loving care of death.

All the while, the game’s enemies exerted a curious pull on me. Of course, I needed to fight them in order to gain runes and level up — but I also noticed how these creatures fit into the game’s storytelling. Engaging with bosses revealed even more of the world’s dense, otherwise inscrutable lore. Reddit made it seem like they could be beat (though not Malenia), if I had the right weaponry and the correct build. The subreddit was full of discussion about rune farming, bleed builds, and more. My horizons grew beyond Glintstone pebble, and I upgraded my Spirit Ashes.

Final victory over Margit gave me the final boost. couldDo it and you will be rewarded. WouldDo it again with your next boss. The rewards I received from each successive foe were delicious tidbits and stories that I came to enjoy. Elden Ring’s large cast of terrifying oddballs. This was not easy, although it required a lot research and a lot more elbow grease. So I reflected on other games with bosses I had summarily avoided — and one immediately rose to the top of the stack. After thinking about it, I thought that it was high time to return to Metroidvania. Seeing fans on Reddit describe Hollow Knight as a “Soulslike” only strengthened my resolve.

Team Cherry via Polygon

Hallownest was my first stop. Hearing Iselda’s first Hmmm… bapanadaThe warmth felt almost like being wrapped up in a warm blanket. I decided, then and there, that I wasn’t simply going to poke around every corner of the game’s map — I was going to murder every single boss (respectfully, of course). You would have to change your approach with various charms or nail improvements in order for it to work. To be optimistic, I decided to try to run 100% (though not at 106% or 112% as it is possible by playing to a specific ending as well as DLC).

I don’t know whether Elden Ring improved my skills. Years of platforming helped me sharpen my knife for pattern recognition and observation. The game taught me how to persevere, despite all odds, and what it was like to be a bullheaded, stubborn, and ferocious person. How many times was I going to have to watch this guy rip a dragon’s head off just to put it on his arm? I’ve heard people say FromSoftware games helped them build patience, but that wasn’t precisely the case for me. Mostly, Elden Ring turned me into a person that could find humor in horror, however gruesome — lest I despair from being repeatedly gored by birds with knife-feet.

Elden RingI learned to play Hollow KnightStrategically. The small things were simple, such as sticking with my color-coded scarab marker system, looking around the map for charms or upgrades and adapting to boss fights. This time, I knew to anticipate Deepnest’s creepy crawlies. After 80 hours, I was finally done. Elden Ring, I was able to find campy humor in the region’s hidden boss, with its disarming skitters and jumps.

Team Cherry via Polygon

I also refused to be intimidated — I’d lost thousands of runes in Elden RingPlease see the following: Hollow Knight’s Geo “currency” felt like far lower stakes. I pursued each Dream Nail boss variation and made my journey to the White Palace. Geo was given to Millibelle, the Banker. Learn more), learned Sly’s backstory, fought the Collector, and found the Stag Nest. I stumbled on the Watcher Knights accidentally — I would not recommend this — and spent half a day just trying to take them out. Each of these characters opened up more of the world’s lore. And scouring the game’s map helped me uncover even more of its secrets. I’d barely explored the Abyss or Queen’s Gardens in my first playthrough — this time, I witnessed my own origin story as well as the close of Cloth’s story.

I have a greater appreciation of these worlds and for their boss designs. It has been a pleasure to play them side-by side. I may always be primarily motivated by exploration, but I now look forward to boss fights instead of dreading them — the victory pays off in satisfaction and storytelling. I scour tiered rankings of boss difficulties on the subreddit, and giggle when I see Primal Aspids in the “Primal ASSpid” column and Zote in his own “Zote” tier. I’m trying to let this excitement buoy me through my remaining tasks: the Colosseum’s Trial of the Fool, the Path of Pain — and maybe, one day, Godhome and The Grimm Troupe. I don’t know if I’ll beat them, but that won’t stop me from trying.