Is Hollow Knight Hard or Just Fair? Honest Review
Ever get stuck wondering if Hollow Knight is just too hard for you? It can feel frustrating when you keep dying in the same spot, losing progress, and feeling like you’re not getting better fast enough.
You just want to know if the game is meant to be this challenging or if you’re doing something wrong. This quick guide on “is Hollow Knight hard” clears it all up so you can enjoy the game with less stress and more confidence.
Give it a read now and start feeling good about every win!
Is Hollow Knight Hard?
Yes — Hollow Knight is hard, but in a fair and rewarding way. The game has no difficulty settings, so everyone faces the same challenge level. Expect a learning curve that feels punishing at first but becomes deeply satisfying as your skills improve.
If you enjoy tough-but-fair games like Dark Souls, Blasphemous, or Salt and Sanctuary, you’ll likely love this challenge. If frequent deaths and retrying the same fight frustrate you, it might feel overwhelming — but there are ways to make it more manageable.
When I first started HK, I spent a whole month completely stuck in the City of Tears. I diedhundreds of times, lostthousands of Geo, and stared at my Knight sitting on a bench with a brokensoulvessel like he was mocking me.
I even got paranoid about being killed after travelingfar to find Cornifer, only to diehalfway back and lose everything. My victories felt rare compared to how often I failed — I even considered switching to Cooking Mama just to feel better about myself.
Why Hollow Knight Feels Hard?
The game feels punishing because it makes you reclaim your mistakes. When you die, your currency (Geo) stays where you fell, and you have to defeat your Shade to get it back.
Fail again and it’s gone forever. Early bosses like Hornet teach you to read attack patterns and stay calm under pressure, while brutal platforming trials like the Path of Pain demand perfect timing.
Losing in these moments is frustrating, but over time you start to learn the moves, and every win feels earned.
Tips to Make It Easier
Take breaks when you feel angry — the game will still be available when you’re ready to retry.
Watch a YouTube video to study boss patterns, farm safer areas to stock up on Geo, or even cheese tricky enemies with abilities you get later.
Use Confessor Jiji if you lose your Shade in a dangerous spot and need to retrieve it safely. These small steps take the edge off and make progress feel smoother.
Why It’s Worth It?
Once you finally beat a tough boss, survive a platforming section, or reclaim your Shade after a risky run, the sense of achievement is unmatched.
The controls are responsive, and the mechanics reward skillful play, so every victory feels like you earned it.
By the time you finish, you go from constant deaths and failure to confidently clearing the hardest challenges — and that feeling is one of the best reasons to play Hollow Knight.
Bottom line
Hollow Knight is challenging but fair. If you enjoy games that push you to improve, you’ll find it incredibly enjoyable and satisfying. If constant setbacks make you want to delete the game, this might not be for you — but if you can stick with it, the reward is absolutely worth the struggle.
