Silksong voice actor behind Shakra says Team Cherry would give the same advice players shared: if something feels really hard, "maybe that's a sign" you should explore more

Hollow Knight: Silksong actor Lauren Koopowitz – who voiced over 20 characters in the game, most notably the mapmaker Shakra – shared a glimpse into Team Cherry's approach to the game's difficulty.

After the discussion around Hollow Knight: Silksong stopped being "when is it releasing please tell me my crops are dying," it swiftly moved on to the ever-dreaded difficulty discourse. The game seemingly expected players to pick up where they left off in Hollow Knight years ago with all their skills intact, and as a result was way harder than Hollow Knight. For weeks after it launched – despite it being one of the most beloved games of 2025 and a shoe-in for Game of the Year nominations – criticism was levelled at its difficulty, with a large amount thrown the Savage Beastfly's way.

Speaking to YouTuber Dan Allen Gaming, Koopowitz discussed the unforgiving difficulty. While Koopowitz hasn't had the time to play the game due to work commitments, she is "forcing" her partner to play to experience it before she gets the chance to play – "not that I would force him to play, because he wanted to play anyway,"

Allen said his experience with the game "was tough" but added that "if you're stuck on something, I think you can't be stubborn. You've got to kind of move on and explore and then come back later."

In response, Koopowitz said, "You were almost quoting one of the creators," adding that "I was chatting to him about it" and he suggested, "Look, if you get to a point and it's really, really hard, maybe that's a sign. Maybe go and – it's a huge map, there's so much to explore, there's so much to do."

She didn't specify which Team Cherry developer shared this sage advice, but did confirm elsewhere that she's worked with co-founders Ari Gibson and William Pellen closely throughout recording.

Supportive, sometimes commiserating players have shared similar tips since Silksong's release. Beyond the obvious benefits of health and damage upgrades, exploring to find the right tool or even an NPC companion can totally change a tough fight.

Koopowitz urged: "Don't be scared to play it if you know if it seems intimidating. I feel like a lot of people have hyped up just how difficult it is, and it is, but also, you know, there are levels to it."

While I haven't played Silksong, that's always a strategy I try to take in games like Dark Souls (which Hollow Knight was somewhat inspired by), so it's sound advice… or you could be like me and bash your head into it until it cracks, getting frustrated and playing worse in the process. That's also valid.

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