Entry 626 - Hollow Knight

Style: Video game music, piano, orchestral, acoustic, ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: Exploration, discovering mysteries, pain, growth

Thoughts: When I first heard of Hollow Knight I knew very little of it. I knew that it was a Metroidvania and I knew it was hard. That was about it. Both of those facets are things I enjoy greatly in games, so I did a blind buy. 

One of the core principles of a Metroidvania is the map and how you uncover more of it as your arsenal of abilities grows. The way that Hollow Knight does this was my first indication that this was not a normal take on a Metroidvania. Not only do you not have a map at first, you have to find a vendor in each zone. Once found you need to purchase the map. Even then you are not done. 

Once you have the map you need to find a bench or save point to update the map. That's a lot of steps for something so basic. It's also an indication of just how different Hollow Knight is from most other games in this genre. This extends far beyond the game, into every aspect... especially the music.

The music in Hollow Knight may very well be some of the best music written in the VGM genre in the past few years. But even then that does not tell the whole story. The way it weaves in and out of the different zones is masterful. The way that it portrays the visual element in audio form is something that most games can only dream of. 

Let's look at the very start of the game, the first three to four zones. You enter the game to an unknown land. There is no music, only the sound of the knight making its way to some unknown destination. Once that destination is found, only then is the music of Dirtmouth appears. 

This is a sombre tune that revolves around a lonely melody. The melody is played by what sounds like a bassoon or clarinet accompanied by a piano. This is not a combination I normally hear, and its even rarer in video games. In the end though none of this matters because the music fits perfectly. Every note fits the dreary scenery, the lonely houses and the abandoned well.

Its in this well that we are introduced to the Crossroads. This is the first full area of the game. It is dark, contrasted by light creatures that dot the landscape. The music is equally curious. The main melody fades in and out with different instruments and builds curiosity along with the player as the exploration beings in earnest.

Eventually we are then introduced to Greenpath and a wealth of color. The game to this point has been largely grayscale with no real color mixed in. This all changes when a wealth of green livens up the screen. The music similarly comes alive like it has not to this point. The music twinkles as a harp plays the introduction to the zone. The music continues to swell with other instrumentation as the knight explores deeper and deeper into its depths. 

Hollow Knight is a special game, and the music is a key component to that. Just in the first few moments of the game we are shown just how much attention to detail is given to every aspect of the game. Not only is the soundtrack amazing inside of the game, it stands on its own as well. This is the final and most brutal test for most game soundtracks... do they work on their own? In this case it does, and it's just as wonderful as it is within the game.

Written December 5th 2023