Hollow Knight Tips and Tricks for Beginners

It’s a fact that Hollow Knight is not as easy to master as it seems at first. So, how can you make Hollow Knight easier or, how can you get better at Hollow Knight, especially for beginners? We already have a walkthrough about how to get Pale Ore in Hollow Knight and, this time, we’re going to show you some tips and tricks for your journey at Hallownest.

Hollow Knight Tips and Tricks for Beginners

Explore first, seek help later

I know this sounds really weird (even absurd in the context that this is about some guides for new players). However, I believe that Hollow Knight is all about exploration. To be honest, for the first 10 hours playing this game, I was kind of fed up and disoriented. With me, at that time, Forgotten Crossroads was monotonous, lackluster, and the atmosphere was so oppressive and disheartening. 

But, things changed dramatically when I first set my foot on Greenpath. It’s full of greenery and has a refreshing ambiance from the soundtracks. Even the enemies would be much cuter and amicable compared to those from Forgotten Crossroads. I just felt like everything was on point, and they all kept pushing me to keep discovering new areas. 

So, the question is, if I had looked for Hollow Knight’s walkthrough at such an early stage, would I have had these experiences?

Also, venturing on your own will offer you in-depth insights into the Hallownest when every mechanism in Hollow Knight makes sense. Many hidden rooms, shortcuts, and even mini-bosses are not visible on the maps. However, I believe that 90% of them are easy to spot. Keep looking for shaky floors, breakable walls because maybe the doors lead you to something worth your endeavor and exploration.

A controller makes the game a little bit easier        

Team Cherry advises about it right from the beginning, and that’s not a superficial suggestion for sure. You don’t have to use many buttons at the early stages of the game. Nonetheless, you have to perform every skill with good timing and at high accuracy. By using the keyboard, your default JUMP, ATTACK, and DASH buttons are Z, X, C, respectively, which are also three consecutive keys on your keyboard. So, it’s understandable that you’ll frequently mistake them and be teleported back to the nearest rest bench at first. 

But, if you use a gamepad or controller, things would be easier for you to get used to with everything laid out reasonably. Also, you don’t have to use your mouse when playing, so a gamepad could boost your gaming experience. 

However, don’t worry if you don’t have a gamepad; you will quickly get accustomed to the default buttons on the keyboard after 2-3 playing hours so that it won’t pose any significant problem to you in mid or late games.

Acquire every fundamental spell and ability as soon as possible

Besides FOCUS, the ability provided to the Knight right from the start, there are two spells and four abilities that you should focus on collecting in your early game: Vengeful Spirit, Desolate Dive, and Mothwing Cloak, Mantis Claw, Crystal Heart, and Monarch Wings. You could find all the information about where to get these, tips to defeat guarding bosses, etc., in “How to get all Spells and Abilities in Hollow Knight?”

Desolate Dive to break shaky floors!

Mastering the pogo-jump is vital

In short, pogo-jump (or Nail Jump/Bounce) is a “skill” that you can perform by striking down when jumping onto an enemy, some enemies’ nails or even spikes. If successful, you will be able to make another jump and reset your Monarch Wings and Mothwing Cloak.

But it doesn’t just end there. Pogo-jump is one of the best ways for you to evade attacks from enemies and retaliate at the same time when most enemies in Hollow Knight strike at only a specific direction for each strike. Some enemies, such as Stalking Devout in Deepnest, necessitate players to have good pogo-jumping skills to defeat. 

However, this is not an ever-victorious skill because some enemies with a wide attacking range could hit the Knight even he seems to be above their heads. So don’t try to spam this skill, but try to combine it with other abilities or spells to perform a perfect combo. This is the must-have skill in the late game, so get yourself well-prepared in advance.

Learn every time you die

In summary, death is inevitable in Hollow Knight. You cannot master and dominate the whole Hallownest in a day or two. Perhaps, your strength is advancing gradually, but the enemies you encounter will become stronger, faster, and deadlier at a higher pace than you. 

In the last stages of the game, you will have to witness the depletion of your Masks thousands of times before being able to find a decent strategy to defeat them. So, don’t be disheartened or frustrated too soon because more challenges have yet to come.