Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Cocoon System is a Great Risk-Reward Feature

Summary

WithHollow Knight: Silksonganticipated to be just as challenging as its predecessor, its new approach to in-game defeat with its cocoon-based system could allow players to better strategize about the risks and rewards when it comes to recovering everything they lost. Likemany Soulslike games,Hollow Knightfeatured an interpretation of a post-defeat recovery system where an enemy known as a “Shade” would be left behind when a player is killed. Players are then incentivized to return to the location where they fell, defeat this Shade, and retrieve any in-game currency they held at the time while also repairing their Soul meter.

This mechanic worked from as much a narrative standpoint as it did a gameplay one, as it was potentially one of the earliest indicators of the Knight’s origin and its connection to the Void hidden deep inHollow Knight’s Abyss. However, given thatHollow Knight: Silksong’s Hornet doesn’t share the same origins as the Knight, the approach of beating the player’s leftover Shade wouldn’t be possible. Instead, Team Cherry has alluded to a new cocoon feature, something which will changeHollow Knight: Silksong’s gameplay drastically.

Hollow-Knight-Siblings-Shade

Exploring Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Cocoon Feature

As part of its showcase during E3 back in 2019, Team Cherry gave a long overdue update aboutSilksongwhich provided a general overview of its story, gameplay, and changes from the originalHollow Knight. Among the various details it touched on wasSilksong’s mechanics around the player’s defeat, as this was an integral part ofHollow Knightlike many Soulslike and Metroidvaniagames. But just asSilksongshifts away from soul and toward silk for Hornet’s mechanics, it seems the same has happened with its defeat system, with the player leaving behind a cocoon when killed instead ofHollow Knight’s Shade.

While this does align with Hornet’s origins as the daughter of Herrah and her potential connections to the Weavers of Pharloom, it provides a significantly different take on the post-defeat recovery mechanic andprogression used inHollow Knight.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Tag Page Cover Art

Unlike the first game, which required players to actively defeat the enemy Shade to both prevent it from attacking and to recover their geo and soul,Silksong’s cocoon appears to be an environmental feature.Team Cherry’s own E3 wrap-upstates the following:

Where the Knight left a Shade upon defeat, Hornet leaves a cocoon. This fragile container holds a full stock of silk! Experienced players can make tactical use of the cocoon, breaking it open only when most needed, late in a boss fight or challenging encounter, to give Hornet an extra edge.

The Risk Versus Reward of Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Cocoon Feature

Since players won’t be forced tobeatHollow Knight’s Shadesto recover anything they lost following defeat,Hollow Knight:Silksongwill provide them with the choice, though it may come at the cost of losing everything altogether. It seems that breaking the cocoon can be done at any point, potentially boosting the player into the air when attacking the cocoon while also giving them back their silk to recover health through binding. But if players don’t break the cocoon right away and save it for later during battles, they could be defeated again and lose even more than the first time around.

Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Cocoons Could Tie Into Its Story

However, while this does present players with more options about when to break the cocoon during difficult parts ofSilksong, it could also tie into the game’s plot regarding Hornet and Pharloom. Similar to the Knight’s intended purpose as a pure vessel and relationship to the Void and Shades, Hornet’s cocoon feature could connect back to Herrah, the mystery of the spider-like Weavers, and Pharloom itself. WithSilksong’s Pharloom’s Follyreferencing awakening a beast from slumber and Herrah being referred to as a beast, the cocoon and its state of dormancy could be the game’s earliest hints about Hornet’s story and Pharloom’s secrets.