The indie gaming scene is currently going through a seismic shift in popularity rankings, with Hades 2 from Supergiant Games dethroning Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight: Silksong to claim the top spot on Steam’s Wishlist.
Hades 2’s meteoric rise follows its recent early access announcement, captivating fans of the original roguelike game as well as generating tremendous anticipation for its subsequent full release. Meanwhile, the formerly dominant Hollow Knight: Silksong has seen its momentum slow down following to its still-undefined release date and minimal communication from its developers.
Supergiant Games’ Hades, the precursor to Hades 2, left an indelible mark on players when it finally came out on the PC two years ago, weaving an intricate narrative with robust gameplay mechanics. This potent blend captivated audiences and solidified its status as an iconic indie title. Hence, the news of a sequel was always bound to be met with cheers. If coupled with Supergiant’s promise of a richer content offering in the launch version compared to Hades’ early access release, it’s not at all that surprising that Hades 2 is making more noise than its predecessor. Finally, it doesn’t hurt that the developer’s strategy of keeping fans in the loop with updates has further propelled its rise in wishlist rankings, paving the way for a projected Q2 2024 release window.
It’s a shame that Hollow Knight: Silksong, the follow-up to one of the best video games of all time, has suffered such a setback. It’s not just the fact that it’s now in second place – it’s the public opinion that has gone from hopeful to feeling as if it will never come out.
To make matters worse, Hollow Knight: Silksong, like the first game, will use Unity Engine, which has definitely seen far better days.
On the plus side, the hype, or lack thereof, is beneficial for a game such as Hollow Knight: Silksong. History proves how quickly audiences can turn on highly anticipated games following their launch. On the other hand, projects with little to no advertising and hype outside of word of mouth like Remnant 2 and, most especially, Baldur’s Gate 3, are welcomed. The subdued hype could, in turn, give Team Cherry the space and silence it needs to create a worthy follow-up to Hollow Knight, over six years after it first came out.
Of course, Steam’s Wishlists chart isn’t indicative of a game’s quality nor reception. Party Animals, for example, has been met with mixed reactions post-launch after holding a prominent position on the same listing.
At the end of the day, both Hades 2 and Hollow Knight: Silksong, although going in opposite trajectories development-wise, represent a strong indie market amidst financial difficulties faced by larger developers as game development costs balloon.
