Silksong’s Wishes Feature Wasn’t Necessary and Should Not Have Existed

Given the six years it spent in development, it should be no surprise that the world of Hollow Knight: Silksong is vast. Due to its size, Team Cherry needed to ensure players had enough reasons to explore it. One of the ideas the developer came up with was the Wishes feature, and while it's great, I think it feels entirely unnecessary.

Wishes are essentially quests granted by the NPCs of Silksong that the main character, Hornet, will eventually encounter during her journey. There are many of them scattered throughout the kingdom of Pharloom, and while they do a good job of occupying players, they can also be intrusive despite being optional.

But what is it about Wishes that makes them feel pointless? Why should they be gone despite some of the positives the feature brings? Well, it's because of a few important reasons, ones I believe could convince players that the game's version of quests shouldn't exist.

1. Hollow Knight Didn’t Have or Need Wishes

Credit: Team Cherry

If there's one good reason why I think Silksong shouldn't have Wishes at all, it's the fact that Hollow Knight, its predecessor, didn't. While the previous game certainly had quests, there was no specific menu that provided details on what players should do to complete them. Silksong has one, and while it does make it easier to keep track of the many Wishes available, having them all huddled together can be overwhelming.

That wasn't an issue when I chose to replay Hollow Knight, as the lack of a menu for quests allowed me to complete them naturally. Although yes, it can be a problem not knowing the details of the optional missions, the lack of information actually makes them less intrusive, thus making anyone, including myself, want to figure out how to finish them. The previous game's world is more enjoyable without them.

2. Wishes Make Quests Less Exciting

Credit: Team Cherry

One of the best moments of Hollow Knight that I can remember is finding an NPC while exploring the world, and then having that character provide a quest that could potentially reward me with something amazing. It made going around the environments of the previous game feel worthwhile, as it gave players something to look forward to.

The Wishes feature somewhat destroys some of that magic, as making players aware of quests' constant existence forces them to expect that one might be coming after another. This can make exploring the world of Silksong and discovering new towns or NPCs less exciting, as players already anticipate them to be a part of something optional to complete.

Although there are still a few hidden Wishes in Silksong that feel satisfying to find, they are far and few in between, with the majority found in towns that players were bound to head towards. This is rather unfortunate, given that the world of Pharloom is much bigger than that of Hollow Knight, and it would have provided more ways to get players excited with unexpected quest discoveries.

3. The Wish Feature Provides an Unnecessary Checklist

Credit: Team Cherry

Again, having the Wishes feature is a great way for players to keep track of all the quests they need to complete. I won't deny how helpful it can be. However, its existence also provides players with an unexpected struggle when playing Silksong: the desire to complete any of the quests.

Now, why would there be people who wouldn't want to finish the optional side content? Well, it's because having them neatly listed down in a single menu makes them feel like chores on a checklist. In Hollow Knight, while there's no way to keep track of quests, the non-existence helps people get excited when they work towards finishing ones they remember, acting as a satisfying bonus when they're done unexpectedly.

Team Cherry could have done the same with those of Silksong's, but the developer instead went in a direction that made them look like something mandatory to cross off a list, rather than things that naturally go with the flow of how players progress through the game. This could turn fans away from doing them, as it almost did with me.

With a game that's full of exploration like Silksong, quests are needed to give life to the world players are in. However, with how the sequel handles the Wishes feature, it's unfortunate that they can feel more like an annoyance rather than something that makes environments special. If Wishes didn't exist, the game likely would have been better off, but they're here to stay, and hopefully, many find them enjoyable.

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