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I want to like hollow knight but I don't know where to go and the walkthroughs are confusing. I'm exploring but I barely keep finding my way.
It's a game for people who enjoy being lost.
If you don't like wandering, reasoning about areas, and keeping track of strange things to investigate later it's just a pretty good action game with long breaks between sections.
Even among fans the map system is polarising (people who hate it are wrong and hate great things btw (; )
It's not so much the being lost part I take issue with, it's that I keep running through the same areas wondering which path I probably missed; the maps are (intentionally) vague and it's hard to figure out if there was a path I missed, or passed because at the time I didn't have the tools to cross.
It's a great game, but I could be exploring one biome while the next place I should be exploring is in another.
Sure, that's fun for some not others. It's fine it's not like you're a bad person for preferring a bit more direction.
There are multiple ways through stuff and it's hard to miss anything hugely important. Pretty sure there's even a couple of entire areas you don't need to do. Plus a few more if you stumble on some speedrunning tech.
From memory there's usually 2 ways "forward" at most times, and you'll do a lot of backtracking anyway so I wouldn't stress about being on the right path or not. It can help to have a notepad beside your computer jotting down stuff to explore later if you have a bad memory like I do.
Did you buy the Quill from Iselda? After that, the maps start drawing themselves and it's actually pretty detailed. Although you still need to find the map guy in each new area.
The wayward compass charm from Sly shows you where you are on the map too.
Good for you?
As in do I like it? probably one of the best video games ever made imo.
Filled me with wonder I haven't felt since I was small and naive (and thus awed by everything) .
With metroidvanias i tend to look up player recommended area orders. Not as in depth as a walkthrough which can feel overwhelming as they'll go after every secret but instead have a vague confidence I'm doing the right thing. Boss order recommendations can help as well so you don't hit a brick wall doing a boss thats intended for later game.
Once I'm more confident with the game and the first few areas i tend to continue blind. Might help you?
Very good idea, I didn’t even know those were a thing
Thanks, I'll try looking up player recommendations on this as I really hate wasting an hour cycling through the same rooms in one biome only to realise I should have been exploring a different one, or that the locked path I'd completely forgotten about can now be unlocked with my newly unlocked ability.
I'd say don't be afraid to look things up like the complete map or other details online. The blind purists are kinda wrong that the games are only enjoyable playing blind. I'm yet to play a metroidvania completely blind and I've enjoyed loads of them. I can think of loads of examples where getting lost just ends in frustration, also the genre's are very linear, going in the wrong direction serves no purpose other than to waste time.
Also hollow knight specifically has a movement mechanic called pogoing which you have by default but i dont think is ever explained.