Kinda Funny Gamescast: Hollow Knight Silksong Review (FINAL)

Date: September 19, 2025
Hosts: Tim Gettys, Andy Cortez, Barrett Courtney
Episode Focus: An in-depth, spoiler-rich review and discussion of Hollow Knight: Silksong, exploring impressions, gameplay design, world-building, and sharing personal experiences with Team Cherry’s long-awaited sequel.

Brief Overview

This episode sees Tim, Andy, and Barrett dive deep into Hollow Knight: Silksong after many years of anticipation, dissecting everything from game design and combat philosophy to boss battles and narrative. Each host brings their own playthrough perspective, sharing triumphs, frustrations, and stand-out moments, while weighing in on the game as a “masterpiece” contender for 2025’s Game of the Year. The panel also engages with live questions and discusses the best and most challenging content the game has to offer—for both newcomers and returning Metroidvania fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Wait and the Hype

• Andy Cortez reflects on joining the Hollow Knight fandom late (2021), thankful he didn’t have to endure the entire multi-year wait for Silksong.

  "I was late, Tim… immediately saw the light and saw why all the hype is there… I’m glad I got in late. That way I don’t have a long wait for Silksong." (09:38)

• The sense of expectation: Silksong had “only room to disappoint,” but Team Cherry “blew expectations out of the water.” (11:49)

Overall Impressions / Scores

• Andy Cortez: Calls the game a “masterpiece,” scoring it 10/10 despite minor nitpicks.

  “I’d give this a 10 out of 10 so far.” (11:49)

• Barrett Courtney: As a series newcomer, also names it a 10/10, praising its world, combat diversity, and the “ballet” of boss fights.

  "Even with some gripes… this is a 10 out of 10 masterpiece." (16:35)

• Tim Gettys: Loves the art, world, and challenge but drops one point (9/10) mainly due to pacing, grinding, and lack of convenience/optionality in difficulty.

  "This game has so many 10 out of 10 masterpiece qualities… But I feel like I was wasting a lot of time… I think that getting rid of those things would not detract from the game whatsoever..." (21:29 – 24:09)

• All agree: Silksong joins the pantheon of greatest Metroidvanias for its sense of exploration, visual design, challenge, and world-building.

Difficulty, Challenge, & Accessibility

• The hosts praise the “relentless” challenge (Tim: “all out of 10 all the time”), but question whether additional accessibility or difficulty options could improve the experience.

  “If this game had more options… it would help the flow…” – Tim (23:47)

• Grinding and resource systems (shards/tools): Both Tim and Barrett found the need to re-farm healing tools a drag, but also recognize how this friction is integral to the tension and learning curve.

  “I don’t love the kind of tool shard system…” – Barrett (14:30) "That's just my personal stubborn stuff… but I love that." – Barrett (34:04)

Metroidvania Design and Souls-Like Comparisons

• The game is described as “Elden Ring of Metroidvanias,” especially in how it constantly opens up, doles out secrets, and requires exhaustive curiosity.

  “The more you give it, the more it gives back…” – Andy (25:05)

• Tim draws contrasts to Ori, Prince of Persia, and other recent genre standouts, giving Silksong credit for both echoing and transcending familiar designs (27:00).

Worldbuilding, NPCs, and Narrative

• All hosts praise the game’s living world, dense atmosphere, and quirky NPCs.

  “Every single frame of this game I put on my wall… every NPC, I want to meet them all…” – Tim (16:38)

• Both returning and original characters offer unexpected, consequential interactions, making the world “feel like it exists even without you.” – Barrett (31:07)
• Spoiler-rich story themes: Issues of creation, devotion, community, and breaking cycles map onto explicit late-game plot points (see Spoilers section).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s really hard to not say this is a masterpiece…” – Andy (11:49)
• “This feels epic in scale for this little bug world…” – Tim (21:31)
• “It’s the Elden Ring of Metroidvanias… the more you give it, the more it gives back.” – Andy (25:05)
• “It is scary… you can’t spell atmosphere without fear—I just came up with that.” – Tim (18:10)
• “That’s what I was at with the final boss… just my wit and learning this boss over and over again… I’m not even convinced that this is the final final boss.” – Barrett (35:44)
• “I love Hornet, man—she’s so fast. Every pose is cool.” – Tim (66:13)

Detailed Segment & Topic Guide (Timestamps)

Pre-review Banter & Device Discussion

• [00:00–03:32] Handheld gaming devices, brief meta-chatter about the Kind of Funny team and the flow of the show.

Silksong Review Begins

• [04:48] Introduction: Game specs, price, and physical release details.
• [05:42] Tim's progression stories, personal gaming milestones, and leading into review discussion.
• [09:20–13:07] Andy’s review and scoring: Announces Silksong as a “masterpiece” (10/10).
• [13:13–16:35] Barrett’s review and scoring, discussion of Metroidvania/Souls influences, and critique of tool/shard system.

Tim’s Review & Metroidvania Breakdown

• [16:38–24:09] Tim’s love for the world and design, critique of pacing/economy, and final 9/10 score.

Genre Comparisons and Deeper Analysis

• [25:05–31:09] “Elden Ring of Metroidvanias,” how Silksong’s openness, scale, and rewards parallel modern action-RPGs.

NPCs, Worldbuilding & Story

• [30:01–31:09] Dynamic NPCs, how side characters affect the world and the player’s journey.

Ads (SKIPPED: [33:09–33:25])

Spoilers & Endgame Discussion

(Do not read beyond this section if avoiding spoilers. Begins ~[37:36])

Major Story and Boss Fights

• Lace and the Grandmother Silk revelations:

  “It’s really great… this emotional kind of, like, three, four, five punch…” – Barrett (38:21)
  “That fight was one of my favorites… even the field of flowers…” – Tim (38:51)

• Epic presentation moments:

  “Hornet looking away from the camera… fighting… soundtrack’s popping off… I forgive this game for all its things. This is so amazing.” – Tim (39:14)

Endings, Act 3 Access, & Quest Structure

• Multiple endings: The “bad” ending is unavoidable the first time; Act 3 unlock is hidden behind substantial side-quest completion.

  “It just seems so unnecessarily obtuse for a game that isn’t obtuse.” – Tim (44:03)

  • Collecting fleas, finishing town boards, and completing specific NPC arcs are needed for Act 3.
  • The process for Act 3 perhaps the most common frustration among panelists.

Favorite Bosses & Set Pieces

• Trobio:

  “I didn’t want to kill him… his fireworks go off… I fucking love this guy.” – Tim (51:42)

• Grandmother Silk: Praised for inventive arena and choreographed attacks.
• Cogwork Dancers: Highlighted as both a mechanical and emotional stand-out.

  “That was a standout boss fight… not just this game… awesome and heartbreaking.” – Tim (54:57) “You don't even know half the story… and it's even more heartbreaking.” – Barrett (55:21)

• Savage Beast Fly: Notoriously long/hard fight for many players.

  “That was a 100 minute fight for me.” – Andy (62:01)

• General praise for “dance-like” boss choreography and fights, frequently compared to ballet.

Live Questions & Game of the Year Talk

[65:41+]

• Silksong is a strong (potentially winning) Game of the Year candidate for all hosts, with some internal debate about it edging out titles like Hades II.
• Andy and Barrett are undecided on whether it’s number one, but all three have it in their top three for 2025.

Additional Highlights

• Mechanic, questline, and area advice shared between hosts (how to get “fleas,” side quests, house customization, delivery side quests, favorite weapons, and more).
• Ongoing inside jokes and community engagement: “You can’t spell atmosphere without fear,” “If you’re nothing without your tools, you’re nothing,” and loving NPC/side character moments.
• Music: Shoutouts to specific tracks (“Cogwork Core,” “Coral Chambers,” and final boss themes) as especially memorable and motivating.

Conclusion

The Kinda Funny Gamescast crew unanimously agree: Hollow Knight: Silksong is a must-play, an artistic triumph of world, challenge, and vision—worth the years-long wait. While a few interface and progression frustrations nag, the game’s atmosphere, incentive to explore, and scope of content catapult it to all-time great status among Metroidvanias (and modern games in general). Each host’s journey—whether as a series veteran, a newcomer, or a skeptical perfectionist—reinforces Silksong’s universal appeal and distinct tone.
Final word: “What a time to be alive, everybody. Great game of the year discussions coming your way in just a few short months.” – Tim (76:33)

End of summary. For timestamps and deeper topic breakdown, refer to the sections above.