Hornet’s Movement In Hollow Knight: Silksong Might Remind You Of Another Iconic Metroidvania

Some of the best games around borrow from those that set the standard before them, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, Team Cherry’s highly anticipated sequel, is no exception. Protagonist Hornet differs from the first game’s Vessel in a number of ways but also features some familiar-looking animations that might remind you of one of the most influential metroidvanias of all time.

If you’ve enjoyed flicking Hornet about on the screen, you may have noticed a curious movement she makes when changing direction. Instead of the character model flipping to the new direction you’re moving in, Hornet backsteps and looks like she’s turning to face it instead. Line that up against Alucard in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and it’s obvious where this inspiration came from.

More of Hornet’s animations, such as her standard and diagonal air attacks, bear some similarity to Alucard’s own, but it’s the backstep that looks almost ripped out of Konami’s classic and endearingly recreated in its modern contemporary. Team Cherry hasn’t commented on the comparison yet, but it’s a nice touch that longtime fans of the genre are bond to appreciate the most.

Hollow Knight: Silksong hasn’t been out for a week yet, but it’s already made a massive impact, bringing down several storefronts at launch before going on to secure more than 5 million players in total. It’s already generated some discussion over its difficulty and even received a balance update that should make early encounters a little less punishing, as well as a hidden mode that makes skirmishes even more brutal.