Hollow Knight Silksong user reviews tank in one region amid localization trouble

Was Hollow Knight Silksong worth the wait? Thanks to Steam issues and a full day's work, I've only had one lunch break to dive in, but in that hour I've beaten the first boss and started on Hornet's journey proper. Many other players have committed far more time to the game, and excitement is still at fever pitch. However, players in some countries are having a worse experience than English speakers. Players in China and France are complaining about the quality of the translation and localization of the game, to the point where Team Cherry has responded.

Hollow Knight Silksong has released to resounding acclaim in almost every area. Sure, the new diagonal dive is frustrating at first, but the highly-anticipated sequel nails the Hollow Knight atmosphere and players have been flocking to the game in their thousands. Hundreds of thousands.

It's too early to say whether this could end up rivaling its progenitor as one of the best Metroidvania games, but players in some countries don't think it comes close. This is due to translation and localization issues that have plagued mainly the Simplified Chinese version of the game.

Digging into the game's Steam reviews by language reveals the extent of the problem. While the overall response across all regions combined has been 'very positive' (and the English language score sits at 'overwhelmingly positive') at the time of writing, the reviews written in Simplified Chinese are currently at a 51% 'mixed' score. That means just under half of all the reviews left in Simplified Chinese are negative.

Players are complaining that the localization is "really poor" and incorporates too many classical Chinese expressions. It's archaic, as if the dialogue mixed Shakespearean elements into the English text. There's definitely an element of stylistic merit to Silksong's conversations, but Chinese players clearly felt that the translation is problematic, especially when compared to the first game.

However, the issues don't stop there. The French localization has also come under fire, for a different reason. Instead of coming across as archaic and old-fashioned, the French translation is simply riddled with errors.

This isn't mentioned in any of the French-language Steam reviews I've seen, but BlueSky user and videogame translator 'dylanvegac' pointed out multiple discrepancies found by a friend.

Team Cherry's marketing and publishing manager, Matthew Griffin, took to X to apologize for the Simplified Chinese localization, saying that the team will be "working to improve the translation over the coming weeks." However, the developer has not yet acknowledged the issue with the French version of the game. Steam reviews in French still sit at Overwhelmingly Positive, so the team may not yet be aware of those particular inaccuracies.

If you need a pointer, we've got the guides for you. Getting your hands on the Hollow Knight Silksong map is a great place to start your journey, and will fare you well in your mission to defeat all the Hollow Knight Silksong bosses. There's some tips in there if you're stuck, too.

How are you enjoying Silksong so far? Run into any localization issues in your native language? Let us know in our community Discord server, where staff and readers are always ready to chat Hollow Knight.