I played Silksong fresh off of completing HK for the first time, and throughout the entirety of HK I never really felt like I was in full control of my character, and a lot of design elements of the game really chaffed against me all the way to the bitter end. Most boss fights kind of felt like I was getting lucky or that I just happened to press all of the right buttons, platforming challenges felt very stiff, and most movement upgrades felt more like keys to unlock really specific doors rather than things I used regularly. The charm system felt really arbitrary and I HATED the map system. The way Hallownest is designed felt so opposite to how my brain works, and areas were often very labyrinthine and difficult to follow and remember without a map and compass.

Basically everything I have to say about Silksong is the exact opposite of all of that. Silksong's movement feels incredibly diverse and more like I'm controlling a character that has weight and attachment in the world. Combat is engaging and gives me enough options to feel like I'm actually good at the game when I do things right. Areas are designed distinctly enough that it wasn't until the end of Shellwood that I felt I needed to start using the compass again, and even then I checked my map FAR fewer times than in HK. It's like they remembered to hit the "make good game" button in the export settings for this one, it's amazing just how far beyond HK Silksong is.

(For some context, I defeated the True Final Boss without doing everything the game has to offer in HK, while I am currently fighting the True Final Boss in Silksong and eager to tackle future DLC)