Hollow Knight: Silksong has been out for a week as of this article, with millions hopping on to see what Team Cherry has been cooking for seven years.

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A stellar game through and through, Silksong is probably going to leave you wanting for more, which is exactly what I’m going to help you out with. From classic metroidvanias to incredible Soulslikes, here’s what you should try out after beating Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Table of contents

  • Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
  • Blasphemous
  • Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
  • Adventure of Samsara
  • Carrion
  • Dark Souls 1
  • The original Hollow Knight

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Just look at that art. Image via Konami

One of the original metroidvanias, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night remains a high point for the genre. It is a fairly old game, and that comes with its own set of caveats, chiefly steep difficulty and a learning curve steeper still. But beyond that, it’s a title that provides all those great things we’ve come to love in Hollow Knight and its sequel: amazing art direction, sprawling levels, fantastic atmosphere, and satisfying combat.

Getting the hang of Symphony of the Night will take some time, but you aren’t going to find a game like it out there, whether new or old.

Blasphemous

Blasphemous is an incredible game, both in terms of gameplay and looks. Image via The Game Kitchen

If you’re looking for more of a Soulslike-metroidvania blend rather than pure Super Metroid-inspired games, look no further than Blasphemous. It is, I would say, the game most akin to Hollow Knight and its formula. It takes a lot of inspiration from genre classics and adds layers and layers of innovations, with an extra cherry on top straight from the Soulslike garden.

Blasphemous‘ best part is its artistry, with every bit of the game designed with utmost care and impeccable artistic vision, resulting in the gaming equivalent of Renaissance paintings. Its combat and exploration, and exceptionally gloomy atmosphere, are all high points, which you should definitely not miss out on.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

There hasn’t been a game closer to Castlevania before or since. Image via 505 Games

A spiritual successor to Symphony of the Night, this title is a modern iteration on the classic metroidvania formula. While also fairly challenging, Ritual of the Night offers many quality-of-life improvements to make your life easier, as well as introducing formulaic changes influenced by other genres of our time, namely Soulslikes, among others.

It retains all the artistic vision of those initial Castlevania games, though it never feels stale or regurgitated, but rather fresh and inspiring, which is precisely the vibe you’d want after beating Silksong, which itself is as fresh as they get.

Adventure of Samsara

Adventure of Samsara doesn’t deserve to die in Silksong‘s shadow. Image via Atari

Though it’s been in development for a decade and has a lot to offer, Adventure of Samsara was unfortunately overshadowed by the very game this list is titled after. It had the misfortune of releasing on the same day as Silksong, with publisher Atari inexplicably not pushing the launch forward to avoid a total collapse.

Which is precisely why I’m recommending it on this list: small indie developers need all the attention they can get, and Adventure of Samsara, with its amazing pixel art and direction, deserves it. If you are in the market for a Silksong-like, look no further than the game it has eclipsed; I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.

Carrion

Grotesque violence awaits in Carrion. Image via Phobia Game Studio

If you’re looking for more story and a lot more violence, look no further than Carrion. Though it differs in many ways from the games on this list, it’ll provide you with hours and hours of ultra-violent fun, allowing you to take control of the villain and wreak havoc upon everything you come across.

With incredible, satisfying combat, amazing art direction and pixel graphics, Carrion truly stands out among metroidvanias as one of the genre’s more unique titles.

Dark Souls 1

As iconic as it gets. Image via FromSoftware

The quintessential 3D metroidvania, Dark Souls 1 remains unsurpassed even by FromSoftware’s standards, at least in terms of level design. Featuring the most complex and interconnected world FromSoft has ever crafted, Dark Souls 1 epitomizes metroidvania design philosophies while adding an extra dimension to them.

Though definitely not the best overall game in FromSoftware’s vast array of titles, I, for one, think Dark Souls 1, and especially its first half, will provide you with some of the most satisfying exploration you have ever encountered. So, if you haven’t already, give yourself a treat by getting DS1 and starting down the path of what made Soulslikes what they are.

The original Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight: Silksong is only the second game, so how about you went back and played the first one? Images via Team Cherry, edited by Destructoid

A lot of people will be riding the hype train and skipping Hollow Knight 1 altogether, diving headfirst into Silksong. While nothing’s wrong about that, given Silksong‘s standalone story, you would do yourself a world of good by taking a step back and trying out the original as well, since there’s nothing quite like Silksong, except its predecessor.

You should also be quite familiar with the combat and design, allowing you to dive straight in without the need to learn anything new.

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