Kinda Funny Games Daily — "We Played Hollow Knight: Silksong!"

Date: September 2, 2025
Hosts: Roger Por, Tim Gettys, Andy Cortez

Main Theme

The episode centers around Andy Cortez’s hands-on impressions playing Hollow Knight: Silksong at PAX, including in-depth discussion about gameplay, mechanics, and value; major current news in the video game world, such as the new James Bond “007: First Light” State of Play, a Call of Duty movie announcement, and other updates from the gaming industry.

Hollow Knight: Silksong – Andy's PAX Hands-On Impressions

Andy’s Access & Demo Experience

• [03:33] Roger: Andy played Hollow Knight: Silksong at PAX and is brought in for detailed impressions.
• [03:52] Andy: "I got like appointments. Yeah, I mean I paid like a lot of money to go on my own, but yeah, special treatment though."

Gameplay Details

• [06:06] Andy: The demo is reportedly the same as the 2019 one, but with modernized mechanics and visuals — still mostly new for attendees.
• Played on multiple devices: Rog Ally X, TV (OLED), Nintendo Switch.
• [08:30] Andy: On performance: "Game looks good, it runs great, and yeah, it's living up to the hype so far."

Mechanics & Feel

• Distinct feel to protagonist Hornet:
  • [09:24] Andy: "I had the same worry that I did as I brought up on the Gamescast, from the Shovel Knight to the Plague Knight...I had that worry for maybe 12 milliseconds of running around in this world...and then it quickly went away once I got the hang of things."
  • More agile, "hella Fast," faster direction changes, "Tokyo Drift" style movement.
• Boss fights evoke "Smash Bros final destination" intensity ([10:45] Andy).
• Notable improved sharpness—clear visuals even compared to native Hollow Knight on modern displays.

New & Familiar Abilities

• Most movement options available at start: "It seemed like that's all just base movement." ([12:40] Andy)
• R1 button ("silk"): Used for healing and special moves — similarities and evolutions from Hollow Knight’s Soul system.
• Two demoed abilities: A powerful thrown spear (single-use, heavy damage, uses gauge) and a "pea-shooter" rapid-fire option (uses gauge, less damage, can be fired more times).

Controls & Hardware Impressions

• Rog Ally X triggers feel great: "My secret delight is the way the triggers feel...it's not even just a click factor...felt awesome." ([11:38] Andy)
• Not OLED, but "screen was nice enough."
• Noted volume levels and comfort playing in a crowded, noisy event.

Music

• [16:11] Roger: "How did that...feel?"
• [16:12] Andy: "No, I kind of got really self conscious immediately and I put the volume down. Yeah, didn't want to bother people. But shout out to the content creator who caught my boss fight on camera, hope to see that footage out there."

Visual & Performance

• Demo includes two slices: an opening, story-driven boss battle (likely from the beginning) and a deeper area with more challenging combat and exploration.
• Game “noticeably sharper” than the original; feels “awesome, exactly what I was hoping for.”

Release Date, Price & Value

• [16:46] Roger: Silk Song launches September 4th, 2025 at 7am PT / 10am ET.
• [17:05] Roger/Andy: Priced at $19.99.
  • [17:10] Andy: “They are just so. They are better people than I am…I would have done…$40…$30 minimum, but like $20 is crazy.”
  • [17:56] Roger: “Hollow Knight is such a long game…this one seems way bigger…easily going to be a 60-hour experience.”

Anticipation

• [18:58] Andy: "So much. So much higher. I can't believe…it's all I wanted to do."
• Plans to stream day one together on launch ([19:29] Roger & Andy).

Notable Quotes

• Andy Cortez, [10:45]: “In one of the boss fights that you play in this demo, straight up felt like I was 1v1ing somebody in final Destination Smash, bro.”
• Andy Cortez, [12:40]: “It seemed like that's all just base movement.”
• Andy Cortez, [17:10]: “They are just so. They are better people than I am…$20 is crazy.”

Hot News & Industry Discussions

007: First Light – State of Play Incoming

• [20:57] Roger: Tomorrow’s PlayStation State of Play will feature a 30+ minute deep dive on IO Interactive’s Bond game, 007: First Light.
• [21:55] Tim: Cautiously optimistic. “On paper, this is a dream…IO are proven…Hitman games are incredible…But when they showed it, everything is just a little off.”
• Concern over Bond's casting and direction—less ‘sandbox’ than Hitman?
• Both hosts agree gameplay will likely deliver, but questions linger over narrative and Bond’s charisma.

Notable Quotes

• Tim Gettys, [21:55]: “On paper, this is a dream...But when they showed it, everything is just a little off.”
• Roger, [24:54]: “We look at James Bond, we think about Hitman—oh man, like that's a perfect match. But how much of Hitman are we getting?”

PARAMOUNT Making Call of Duty Movie

• [33:39] Roger: Paramount, in partnership with Activision and Skydance, officially announces a Call of Duty movie.
• [34:00] Tim: "What I want from this movie that we're not going to get—Nicki Minaj shooting Beavis in the face, while Michelangelo watches."
• Tim thinks the film is a “layup not to fuck up,” mainstream audiences will flock to it.
• Discussion over the best directorial style and whether Michael Bay, Christopher McQuarrie, or even Alex Garland should helm it.
• Christmas 2026 as possible release window for Street Fighter movie—"May 15th, baby!" ([46:08], Tim).

Notable Quotes

• Tim Gettys, [34:49]: “It's not just another military thing. This is perfect for them to just print cash. And the thing is, they could still fuck it up.”
• Roger, [37:31]: “The fact that this hasn't been done earlier is insane to me.”
• Tim Gettys, [39:24]: “You're not going to be able to do that [Top Gun: Maverick magic]—that is pure magic there.”

Mortal Kombat 2 Delayed, Warner Bros Hot Streak

• [41:27] Roger: Mortal Kombat 2 movie delayed to May 2026 for more strategic box office positioning (to avoid stacking big releases).
• [43:15] Tim: “Is moving this to May a great call? I'm not so sure. May is a big time…don't know that Mortal Kombat's a May movie.”
• Discuss Warner Bros’ box office comeback; expected competition against the Star Wars “Mando and Grogu” film.

Kojima Productions 10th Anniversary

• [46:17] Roger: Kojima celebrates a decade of independence; event may tease future projects.
• [47:47] Tim: “Anything is possible. If no new news comes from this, that wouldn't surprise me…But it's likely we'll get something.”
• Brainstorm of wild possible announcements—teases, casting news, or even Kojima stepping back as director on a future Death Stranding sequel.

Cyberpunk 2077 & Other Quick Headlines ("WE News")

• [52:00] Roger: CD Projekt teases Cyberpunk 2077-related announcement on Sept 4; rampant fan theories include ARG, Phantom Liberty anniversary, more.
• [55:12] Tim: Fair Games director left Haven Studios; speculates whether the game is quietly canceled given major departures.
• [55:50] Roger: "WE News" rapid-fire: Stellaris expansion date, PAX West dates for 2026, PlayStation Pulse Elite audio update for PC, upcoming Game Pass titles (Nine Souls, Silksong, Cataclysmo, Paw Patrol World, Roadcraft, among others).

Community & Fun Moments

• Fun Chemistry: Several comedic tangents (Andy plotting to "lovebomb" Mike, Tim and Roger riffing on restaurant recommendations, Mega Man obsession, and more).
• Community Shout-Outs:
  • [58:14] Shoutout to "KF Offline," a UK-based Discord server, and the supportive Kind of Funny community.
• Superchat Q&A:
  • Viewers inquire about Hollow Knight’s price, Silksong’s marketing tie-ins, and indulge in the crew’s banter about movie casting, accents (Carl Urban joke), and more.

Notable Moments

• [16:12] Andy: Relays story of a content creator filming him tackling a Silksong boss: “I was really proud of it…I’m sure my hands look really good too.”
• [61:01] Tim: Candidly reviews a listener’s San Francisco restaurant itinerary: “That is...Those are some meals, though!”

Timestamps: Key Segments

• [03:33] – Andy’s detailed hands-on Silksong impressions
• [16:46] – Silksong release date/pricing revealed
• [20:57] – 007: First Light State of Play announcement and group analysis
• [33:39] – Call of Duty Movie Announcement, Discussion on Directors
• [41:27] – Mortal Kombat 2 delayed; Warner Bros. film strategy
• [46:17] – Kojima Studios 10th Anniversary and project speculation
• [52:00] – Cyberpunk 2077 teasing upcoming content, community speculation
• [55:50] – "WE News" rapid-fire headlines, including Game Pass launches

Summary Takeaways

• Hollow Knight: Silksong maintains immense hype thanks to extremely positive hands-on impressions—Andy lauds both gameplay and value.
• Notably, the game will launch at $19.99 on September 4, 2025 across major platforms.
• Anticipated reveals loom with IO’s 007: First Light and Kojima Productions’ upcoming event.
• Paramount’s Call of Duty film is official and considered primed for mass-market success, with much debate over its creative direction.
• Release calendar shake-ups (Mortal Kombat 2) and industry news (Fair Games, Game Pass updates) round out a dense week in gaming.

This episode is a must for any Hollow Knight fan, industry news hound, or Kind of Funny loyalist—brimming with playful chemistry, sharp analysis, and excitement for the Fall 2025 release calendar.