The Besties Podcast

Episode: “Silksong is an Exceptional Metroidvania (If You Endure its Challenges)”

Date: September 12, 2025
Hosts: Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Russ Frushtick

Overview

This much-anticipated Besties episode delves into the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong, the long-awaited sequel to the beloved Metroidvania. The hosts break down their initial experiences, discuss the game’s difficulty, and analyze major gameplay shifts from its predecessor. Along the way, the crew shares personal Silksong launch day stories, debates on difficulty, and offers candid takes on design, exploration, and challenge. The episode also touches on upcoming games they’re excited for, AR glasses, and brings some classic Besties banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Silksong Launch Stories

• Russ’s Calamity-Filled Launch Day (00:06 – 04:37)
  • Russ recounts a day full of obstacles: failed downloads, canceled childcare, and a flooded apartment. Despite it all, he squeezes in 30 minutes of Silksong before Justin jokingly “spoils” a fake tip about an “OP yo-yo” weapon, leading to an entertaining exchange about spoilers and pranks in the group’s chat.
    • Memorable quote:
      “You actually can't babysit your child. You can only parent them.” – Griffin (00:41)
    • “It is so not a spoiler and yet it is enough to really cap off you.” – Griffin (04:00)

2. Silksong — Atmosphere, Vibe, and Visuals

• Immediate Impressions & The Magic of Place (09:03 – 11:51)
  • The team overwhelmingly agrees that Silksong recaptures and deepens the immersive, atmospheric feeling of Hollow Knight.
    • “I have not felt so sort of like transported by a game in a very, very, very long time, if ever.” – Griffin (10:41)
• Animation and Artistic References (11:51 – 12:26)
  • Justin compares the game’s look to Don Bluth’s lush, painterly animation of the 80s, praising its abundance of frames and visual generosity.
    • “It reminds me of a lot of the non-Disney animation of the 80s... Don Bluth, exactly.” – Justin (11:51)

3. Audio and Environmental Storytelling

• Sound Design Standouts (12:56 – 14:06)
  • Russ is blown away by the audio design, especially with headphones. Early moments are highlighted, such as following distant singing through echoey caves to meet the map vendor.
    • “I don’t think I’ve ever played a game with better audio design than this fucking game.” – Russ (13:03)
• Holistic Cues & Environmental Progression (14:06 – 14:38)
  • Chris notes subtle visual and audio cues guiding players—like objects signaling you’re close to key NPCs—which he finds “incredibly clever.”

4. Approachability & Difficulty

• A Gentler Introduction? (14:46 – 15:49)
  • Chris, who bounced off Hollow Knight, feels Silksong is more approachable, with clearer early direction and puzzle-solving.
    • “With that confinement, I feel like you have the opportunity to get the core parts of the mapping system before you get thrown out into the murkiness.” – Chris (15:49)
• Combat & Moveset Changes (15:55 – 17:18)
  • The combat is compared to “a Platinum game” for its speed, intensity, and the aggressive use of the moveset. Players are encouraged to use all tools, not just the classic “poke, poke, dodge” formula.

5. Balancing Difficulty & Exploration

• Difficulty Spike and Frustration (17:34 – 19:56)
  • Justin admits he’s struggling. Early game deaths, punishing runbacks, and a sense of not having the right toolkit make repeated attempts exhausting.
    • “There was too much distance between the safe point and the boss that I was fighting.... I just found that frustrating.” – Justin (17:43–18:32)
• Early Game = Hardest Game (20:07 – 20:33)
  • Russ and Griffin agree the opening hours are the hardest and least fun due to limited kit and punishing bosses—an issue that starts to resolve with upgrades and tools.

6. Evolving Metroidvania Mechanics

• Crests Mechanic (22:02 – 24:53)
  • Russ explains the major addition of Crests, item-based subclasses that reshape attacks, abilities, and playstyle—offering far greater variety and adaptability than the first game.
    • “Crests are basically subclasses or even classes that you can find in the world.” – Russ (23:08)
• Personal Playstyles and Tools (24:53 – 26:28)
  • Griffin highlights that different playstyles are not just possible but encouraged by the variety of crests. However, he criticizes punishing runbacks to bosses and notes Team Cherry is already patching those pain points based on feedback.

7. Metroidvania Philosophy & Player Agency

• “Wasting Time” vs. Meaningful Challenge (28:03 – 30:04)
  • Chris voices a classic Metroidvania critique: feeling the game wastes time through backtracking or artificially inflating length via grinding or repetition, noting that Silksong mostly avoids (but doesn’t eliminate) this trap.
• Non-Linearity and Signposts (29:09 – 30:35)
  • Discussion of “Hunter’s March”, an area accessible too early that spikes in difficulty without warning—a classic Metroidvania risk.

8. Reception and Final Thoughts

• Russ’s Verdict: A New Favorite (30:35 – 31:34)
  • Russ is all-in, calling Silksong potentially his new favorite Metroidvania, “better than Hollow Knight.”
• Chris’s Surprise Enjoyment (31:34 – 32:16)
  • Chris, a genre skeptic, is surprised by how much he’s enjoying Silksong and expects more discussion come Game of the Year season.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Atmosphere:
  “That vibe, the fact that they have been able to do that again, and I think much more even effectively than in Hollow Knight, is really above everything else.” – Griffin (10:41)

• On Audio:
  “I don’t think I’ve ever played a game with better audio design than this fucking game.” – Russ (13:03)

• On Difficulty:
  “I don’t think I’m gonna be able to hang with this one. I just found it pretty frustrating.” – Justin (17:34)

• On Playstyles:
  “I found a few at this point. And the one that I keep coming back to is the Crest of the Reaper… It creates this playstyle where it’s like, I’m gonna heal, I’m gonna use my moves. As long as I don’t get hit and I keep hitting the enemy, I can just keep this chain going.” – Griffin (24:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | Description | |-----------|----------------------------------------------|-------------| | 00:06 | Russ’s Silksong launch day/calamities | Personal story, group banter, and joking ‘spoiler’ | | 05:17 | Episode proper begins | Intro and pivot to Silksong discussion| | 09:03 | Setting spoilers boundary | Decision to discuss up to ‘Bellheart’ town| | 10:06 | Sense of place & atmosphere praise | Griffin leads discussion, all respond| | 12:56 | Audio design/playing with headphones | Russ’s rave| | 14:46 | Chris on approachability for newcomers | More directed, gentle intro| | 15:55 | Combat – action comparison | More kinetic, less passive than Hollow Knight| | 17:34 | Justin’s struggle and criticism | “I don’t think I’m gonna be able to hang…”| | 22:02 | Russ explains Crests and expanded loadouts | Major new mechanic| | 24:53 | Griffin: Different playstyles and early-game pain points | | 28:03 | Debating “wasting time” in Metroidvanias | Genre criticism| | 30:35 | Russ: “This is doing it all for me…” | High praise| | 31:34 | Chris: “Surprised how much I’ve enjoyed it” | Genre convert|

Additional Segments

Upcoming Games Discussion (34:11 – 41:15)

• Each host picks a title they’re excited about for the rest of 2025:
  Sonic Racing Cross Worlds (Chris), The Outer Worlds 2 (Justin), Pokemon Legends: Z to A (Griffin), Mina the Hollower (Russ), along with Kirby Air Riders, Cairn, Ball Xpit, and the looming Metroid Prime 4.

Gadget Pick: AR Glasses (45:09 – 49:47)

• Justin reviews the Xreal One AR glasses, describing their travel utility: “If you are watching a lot of TV, movies, video games in hotel rooms or planes... it’s a fantastic experience.” (46:01–49:47)

Lightning Recommendations & Mailbag (50:00 – End)

• YouTube recs: Griffin praises Kasso (a Japanese skateboard challenge show), and Russ highlights the Secret Base Scorigami video.
• Movie rec: Chris recommends “Halloween 3: Season of the Witch” for its cult-status fun.
• Mailbag Q: “What’s harder: a financially successful game or book?” – Group agrees making games is the tougher gamble but encourages making art for joy, not profit.

Conclusion

“Hollow Knight: Silksong” is lauded for its deepened atmosphere, intricate and evolving gameplay, and for offering a challenging but rewarding experience for Metroidvania lovers. While newcomers and veterans alike may be frustrated by punishing difficulty spikes—especially in the early game—the new Crests system and multiple playstyles make exploring Hallownest’s dangerous world richer than before. The Besties’ verdict: Silksong is a high bar for the genre, rewarding those who push through its early, imposing walls.

Links/References

• Hollow Knight: Silksong (up to Bellheart, spoilers avoided past this)
• Xreal One AR Glasses
• Kasso (YouTube)
• Secret Base: Scorigami (YouTube)
• “Halloween 3: Season of the Witch” (film)

Episode Tone:
Conversational, irreverent, passionate, and honest—with in-jokes, gentle ribbing, and deep genre knowledge throughout. The hosts speak as unapologetic fans but aren’t shy about identifying flaws.

(For a full listing of mentioned games and media, see Besties Fan Newsletter)