Summary
Hollow Knighthas to be one of those games that simply changed the genre. There might have beenmetroidvania titlesbefore this one, and even soulslikes that adopted parts of the metroidvania format, but no game has managed to gracefully synthesize these two difficult genres likeHollow Knight. The gloomy atmosphere, the unique aesthetic, and the difficult but engaging gameplay have made this game something to remember - and something to slowly go insane over while waiting out the DLC.
There are many who would callHollow Knightthe perfect game. Hyperbole to some, sure, but to many, this is the game that ticks every box there is… except the DLC box. That still needs to be ticked. Perfection is subjective, however, and there are always people who are going to tweak the original product into something that aligns more closely with their vision. There aren’t many game-changing mods forHollow Knight, but these mods in particular are excellent ways to enhance or alter theHollow Knightexperience.
5Git Gud Patch
Combines Two Great Mods
The synthesis of two other lightweight mods, the Git Gud Patch, despite how it sounds, isn’t a mod that adds somecrazy level of soulslike difficultyto the game. Instead, this mod grants a console command system to modify their game, as well as enemy health bars so they can better assess their damage output and the toughness of foes. It’s a simple mod, but even for those not looking for cheat mods, the inclusion of a console command for debugging purposes, and a DS-style health bar on top of enemies are both great features that add a lot to a run-through.
The mod doesn’t quite meet the latest version of the game, and players will need to roll back their state ofHollow Knightin order to get the most out of this mod. With hype stirring for the one-day releasing DLC, however, modders have started getting back into the swing of things, and there might be a chance for this mod to get updated.
4Hollow Knight Recharmed
A Balanced Approach To Charms
Charms aregame-changing elements inHollow Knight. They can be fairly minor with their effects, or completely alter how players interact with the world. It stands to reason that some of the earlier found bought charms in the game have a price that matches their relatively slim utility, while the mid and late-game offer some great augments at the cost of more notches or a greater price. What this mod does, however, is rebalance the cost of charms to make them more worth using.
Hiveblood or Soul Eater, charms with great utility in theory but not as much in practice, now take up fewer notches, allowing for more experimental builds and combinations of charms. Some charms are also made cheaper or lightly buffed so they are more worth the player’s time. This is overall a great, balanced mod that doesn’t try to reinvent the game or throw in changes that trivializeHollow Knight.
3Moth Knight
Redesigns Gameplay To Be More Challenging
There are plenty ofhidden passagesinHollow Knightto explore and plenty of perils to go with them, but this mod, in particular, adds a great level of depth to exploration, while also being a fun way to challenge players who are old hands at the game. Moth Knight gives the player unlimited flight and allows players to focus or interact with objects while in the air. This sounds like something just thrown together to help make the game easier, but there’s another layer of depth here.
Players take constant damage when they touch any surfaces like walls or floors, meaning they now have to completely reconfigure how they navigate each area. It’s a fun way to add a level of challenge to the title, balancing a pretty good buff with a fairly dangerous downside.
2Hollow Knight By Nixos
A General Rebalancing Mod
For some players, balance isn’t really what they’re focused on when modding. Foratmospheric, moody titleslikeHollow Knight, there might be times when players just want to sit back and relax, not focusing on the high difficulty of the game.
Hollow Knight by Nixos is a catch-all mod that makes attacking animations faster and makes all charms cost one notch, reducing the difficulty of the game immensely. This is great for players who wantHollow Knightto be more of a relaxing exploration sim, but keep the customization of the unaltered game.
1HDR_VHS_HK
An Excellent, Atmospheric Graphical Mod
Few games can claim to have the samewonderful, gloomy aestheticthatHollow Knightdoes. It takes a skilled hand to alter the graphics of such a uniquely stylized game in a way that isn’t garish or gaudy, but HDR_VHS_HK manages to pull it off with aplomb. This mod adds a slightly saturated “VHS” look to the game, that makes the entire title feel like it’s running on an old big-back TV on a rainy night.
It’s an incredibly good reshade, certainly the best reshade forHollow Knight. There is a great level of restraint used with things like the bleeding colors or saturation that help make this reshade give the game a noticeably unique style. For those who love the default game and just want to relive it through a new lens, there’s no better mod than this one.
