These 5 games were brave enough to launch alongside Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong was too intimidating for many developers. Even well-regarded publishers like Devolver Digital delayed their games because they did not want to compete with Team Cherry’s latest game.

But some game developers decided to stay put. While many games were delayed so they could have better visibility, these studios chose to stick to their original release dates and launch their games the same week as Hollow Knight: Silksong.

I wanted to spotlight some of the great games that I was able to play ahead of their release, which are still coming out this week.

While time will tell whether the decision to stay put was the correct one, at the very least, these games will be remembered as the exception to the game release rule around a game as big as Hollow Knight: Silksong.

5

Metal Eden

Available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X

Released on September 2, Metal Eden is a short but sweet first-person shooter. Its most unique mechanic lets players rip out the “cores” of certain enemies, which can then be used to deal explosive damage or used to make Aska, the playable character, stronger for their next attack.

That mechanic gives the game a similar feel to Doom Eternal, as each shootout became a bit of a puzzle as I decided how to extract and use cores.

Some of the parkour and level design is also reminiscent of games like Ghostrunner 2, and there’s even a “Ball Mode” used for traversal that feels pulled straight out of Metroid Prime.

I can see why Meal Eden didn’t move itself for Hollow Knight: Silksong. It appeals to a completely different crowd.

While paying $40 for a game you can beat in under 5 hours is a steep ask for some, it’s worth checking out if you were let down by the slower pace of Doom: The Dark Ages this year.

4

Hirogami

Available on PC and PS5

Hirogami is a pretty straightforward platformer, but I still had a good time with this game that launched on September 3.

The entire game’s visual style and mechanics are based on origami, as I had to fold myself into different animal forms, like an armadillo or frog, to progress.

Sometimes, I even had to unfurl myself into a completely flat sheet of paper to ride a gust of wind.

It’s not the most innovative platformer I’ve ever played, nor was its story that interesting, but I love a good 3D platformer.

As such, I was more than content in slowly making my way through this origami attention, seeing what creative art design or form the game had in store for me next.

While Hollow Knight: Silksong is a beautiful-looking game, don’t allow that to make you miss Hirogami’s charming art direction.

3

Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots

Available on PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch

Once a PlayStation-published series, Bandai Namco Entertainment took over publishing duties for Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots, a cartoonish golf game that launched on September 5.

If you’ve enjoyed previous Everybody’s Golf games, you’ll be happy to know that this doesn’t change up the series formula in any drastic ways.

The game does have a more cartoon-like art style, playable characters like Pac-Man, and some wacky golf course modifiers like giant holes.

That said, you still have to account for things like the wind, the kind of golf club used, and the trajectory and power of your shot to do well in the game.

Like most sports games, it’s very easy to sink a lot of time into Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots as you make your way through its different golf challenges and story content for each character.

There’s not a lot of crossover with Hollow Knight: Silksong, so I get why it didn’t move.

2

Hell is Us

Available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X

I’m a little worried about Hell is Us being overshadowed by Hollow Knight: Silksong. It’s doing some very innovative things with its game design, but it is also a creepy, atmospheric, and somewhat difficult action game launching on September 4.

The biggest difference is that Hell is Us is a full-on 3D open-world game. Unlike most games of its ilk, though, Hell is Us drops all the objective markers and clearly laid out maps common.

Instead, players have to rely on level design and what other characters say to discover where they need to go and what to do next.

For players who like when a game doesn’t tell them everything about the gameplay or lore of its world, Hell is Us is well worth your time.

It’s unfortunate that some of the same notes are being hit by the game it’s launching alongside, but you should go out of your way to eventually carve out time for Hell is Us if you can.

1

Adventure of Samsara

Available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch

Perhaps no game is braver to release this week than Atari and Ilex Games’ Adventure of Samsara. It’s another 2D Metroidvania launching the same exact day as Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Adventure of Samsara is a very slow-paced platform with some quaint yet surprisingly detailed pixel art.

The game’s other major draw is that it’s technically connected to the classic Atari 2600 game Adventure, which allowed the developer to dot this mostly original Metroidvania with some references and Easter eggs to that Atari classic.

I can’t exactly recommend this game over Hollow Knight: Silksong, but it is a solid complementary peer in the same genre if Team Cherry’s new game gets you on a Metroidvania kick.

This game is the most likely to fly completely under the radar out of all the games I’ve discussed, which is a shame because it’s another creative retro revival backed by Atari.

Why did these games come out alongside Hollow Knight: Silksong?

While the developers of these games haven’t really commented on why they decided not to move, there are some clear reasons why.

Obviously, most of the games I discussed are in completely different genres from Hollow Knight: Silksong, so it’s unlikely that the audience for a brutal first-person shooter or golf game would completely overlap with the fan base for a Metroidvania.

The games I highlighted also came from more well-regarded publishers like Atari, Bandai Namco, Deep Silver, and Nacon. Companies like that have to set release dates more firmly in advance, and are less likely to let a surprise indie game release interfere with that process.

It’s well-reported that there are more games releasing now than ever before. That makes it harder than ever to find a spot where you can stand out and avoid the game at the center of the industry’s zeitgeist.

If nothing else, let this list serve as a reminder that there are always interesting games to discover, even at a time when it feels like everything is moving out of the way for one big game.