Hollow Knight: Silksong may not have a release date just yet, but it remains a highly anticipated sequel. Those who have seen Silksong's screenshots and trailers or played the demo can ascertain noticeable changes that, for better or worse, set the game apart from the previous title. While the community is mostly happy with the alterations, the replacement of the ever-popular Grubs has received mixed opinions.
Regardless of the delay in its release, Hollow Knight: Silksong still has a shot at a bright future, as it is clear that Team Cherry has dedicated time and effort to its development. The game's anticipation is partially the result of the main protagonist being the charming enemy-turned-ally from Hollow Knight, Hornet. The character will be traversing an entirely new world much larger than that of the previous game, discovering new enemies, tools, and more along the way. One of those discoveries that can be seen through the playable demo is the Fleas, adorable creatures touted as the alternative to Hollow Knight's darling Grubs.
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Who or What Are Silksong’s Fleas?
Matthew "Leth" Griffin, head of marketing and publishing for Silksong, introduced the Caravan after members of the Hollow Knight Discord server solved his cryptic riddle. Based on the information and GIF released, the Caravan is a group of NPCs that resemble a stranded circus troupe. The flying creatures seen in the GIF have been deemed as Fleas, small fuzzy insects found throughout the unexplored world of Pharloom. As Hornet, players will traverse areas and encounter the Fleas, presumably sending them to the Caravan for safety. While there are many comparisons between the original Hollow Knight character and Silksong's Hornet in exploration and gameplay, it appears that the winged insects are meant to act as the future title's version of the Grubs.
Why Players Should Care About Silksong’s Fleas
Much like the Grubs, Fleas will be scattered throughout in either easy-to-spot or difficult-to-reach locations, patiently waiting to be saved by the main protagonist. Since the two already share several similarities, Silksong's Fleas could borrow a variety of behaviors from Grubs (although nothing is confirmed yet):
- Faint cries produced by the Fleas to signal where they're located
- A variation called Flea Mimics that are hostile towards the player upon interaction
- A progressive reward system based on the total number of Fleas that players are able to rescue
- In-game achievements for saving a specific number or all of the Fleas
With the depth of Hollow Knight's story and lore, the developers link the similarities between the Grubs and the Fleas. Given that the world of Pharloom is vast, there can be areas used to house items or characters that can provide further details on the Fleas. Whether it's directly through dialogue or subtly via visual interpretation remains to be seen and will be answered once Silksong is released.
Hollow Knight: Silksong's Development Timeline Explained
Hollow Knight: Silksong's development has been an ongoing saga, and as Team Cherry continues to work on the project, its future remains a mystery.
One change that Team Cherry can make to improve rewards for collecting these bugs is through the Caravan. Those who played the previous game know that the achievements for collecting all of Hollow Knight's charms and mask shards can only be attained by rescuing every Grub. After doing so, the player must traverse long distances to reach the area where the Grubfather happily showers the Knight with rewards without any dialogue. Silksong can take a different approach by allowing Hornet to interact with the NPCs of the Caravan to obtain prizes. It also creates the opportunity for a feature that lets the player view what can be obtained, giving more incentive to explore and find the adorable insects.
While the Grubs still shine as an element of the original Hollow Knight, the Fleas can carve out their own niche in Silksong. With Silksong getting more encouraging updates regarding its release, there is hope that the new creatures will have the qualities that will make them just as adored as Hollow Knight's lovable green caterpillars.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Franchise
- Hollow Knight
- Platform(s)
- PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , PC , macOS , Linux
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania
