Already I'm convinced, Hollow Knight: Silksong is a hymn to the art of paying attention – and it absolutely rules

Look down. That’s my early tip for Hollow Knight: Silksong, which I’ve been playing for an evening and a morning by this point. On a high ledge? Above a promising gap? Look down. Chances are the developers have put something just within visible range to guide you a little.

Hollow Knight: SilksongDeveloper: Team CherryPublisher: Team CherryPlatform: Played on Nintendo Switch 2Availability: Out now on PC (Steam, Humble, GOG), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2

I am – this is a weird sentence – quite a fan of looking down in games. Or rather, I’m a fan of games that specifically allow you to look down. Hollow Knight, Silksong, Spelunky: these are games in which situational awareness really matters. Wherever you are, they seem to say, you are inside a moment. This is not just an empty stretch of gameworld, or padding between here and there. Look down and you might avoid something dangerous. Or you might see something wonderful.

The looking down spirit goes deep too. If I had to sum up my time with Silksong so far, I’d say that it’s a game that prioritises paying attention above all else. That might not seem as if the sexiest of virtues is being foregrounded, but paying attention in games is actually brilliant. Games that need you to pay attention absolutely rule.

Metroidvanias often put a premium on this stuff, of course. Look at the map, but look hard: are there promising chunks of negative space in there where something might be hidden? Look at the walls, but really try to see what your eyes are passing over. Are there cracks that suggest new routes, new chambers? Is there more to this world hidden in front of you?

In Silksong this goes a lot deeper. Bosses? So far I’ve found at least one which is significantly less of a hurdle if you really look at the environment in which you’re fighting. Collectibles? Silksong’s main currency – I absolutely adore this – is rosary beads. Tiny little things, vital for buying maps and supplies but easy to miss as they scatter across the ground. You have to really pay attention to make sure you’ve grabbed them all.