Weekly Notes (Sep 01 – 07): Silksong Finally Arrives (and Crashes Steam)

Niklas Borglund

Author

2025-09-09

The week Hollow Knight fans have been waiting years for finally arrived - and crashed Steam's servers. Silksong's release dominated everything else, though a fascinating localization controversy emerged with Chinese players rating it 38%.

Let's dive in to the top releases last week!

Hollow Knight: Silksong by Team Cherry

Largest audiences: ~39% English, ~27% Chinese (Simplified), ~8% Spanish, ~7% Russian

The highly anticipated release of the sequel to Hollow Knight finally landed on steam last week. And it took the world by storm. It even crashed the store because of the high demand. Without a doubt, this will be one of the most popular releases this quarter - if not the most popular.

Players love it's incredible graphics, world design and challenging gameplay, while some criticizes its difficulty spikes with boss fights and how long it takes to get back there after you die trying.

However, there's some real controversy when it comes to the Simplified Chinese version of the game. Isolated, they would give the game only ~38% positive. And this time around it seems like it's because of the poor localization - most other audiences gives it in the high nineties.

Turns out, that the Chinese Translation is using overly archaic language and even broke their NDA back in 2024. If you are interested in reading more, i'd recommend this article by Loek Van Kooten about the subject.

Cronos: The New Dawn by Bloober Team

Largest audiences: 46% English, 13% Russian, ~12% Chinese (Simplified)

A third-person survival horror set in a grim world where players scavenge to survive while battling nightmarish creatures and time rifts.

The graphics showcase Bloober Team's technical expertise, while nostalgic elements and references remind players of classics like Dead Space and Resident Evil.

However, performance issues significantly impact the experience, with frame drops and stuttering frustrating many. The combat feels unsatisfying with poor enemy hit feedback and limited evasion options to some.

Hell is Us by Rogue Factor

Largest audiences: 56% English, 12% Russian, ~6% German

An action-adventure game featuring melee combat and exploration in a semi-open world. Players navigate a hostile environment plagued by civil war and supernatural creatures using a sword and drone.

Players praise the exploration-focused design that rewards discovery without hand-holding. The atmospheric world feels haunting and immersive, with stunning graphics enhancing the experience along with a narrative that tackles complex themes thoughtfully.

Technical issues including crashes frustrate some players, while others find the combat mechanics themselves become monotonous. Players also criticize the lack of variety in the enemies, becoming repetitive as the game progresses.

NBA 2K26 by Visual Concepts

Largest audiences: ~50% English, ~28% Chinese (Simplified)

The latest edition of the NBA games was also released last week, replacing it's previous version NBA 2K25. This edition brings improved gameplay mechanics and enhanced graphics to the court - which players seem to appreciate.

Players appreciate the smoother gameplay, improved shooting mechanics, and faster loading times. The graphics and visual presentation showcase noticeable improvements, while community features and multiplayer aspects remain active.

At the time of writing, this game sits on a global rating of 67%, which gives signs of some frustration from the player base. Greedy monetization practices draw heavy criticism, with many feeling the game pushes microtransactions too aggressively.

And as usual with big titles, it is plagued by performance issues and a buggy experience. One that I guess they will improve over time.

METAL EDEN by Reikon Games

Largest audiences: ~62% English, ~13% Chinese (Simplified), ~5% Russian

A sci-fi FPS where you wage warfare against engineers in a fast-paced boomer shooter format. Players praise the fast-paced combat and impressive visuals along with the incredible sound design.

The game's short 6-hour campaign disappoints many given the price point (of currently 39.99 euro without any discount). Some players also feel the story is underdeveloped or rushed.

Overlooting by Posing Possums

Largest audiences: ~44% English, ~19% Chinese (Simplified), ~10% Russian

An inventory management roguelike where players combine equipment to create powerful synergies. Players praise the addictive gameplay loop and significant replay value from varied builds.

However, balance issues frustrate some, with certain item sets and builds affecting gameplay fairness. Players note the game lacks depth in progression mechanics, while others desire additional game modes for variety

⚔️ Early Access Graduates

• Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel - A roguelike horde-survivor game. Players love the graphics, addictive gameplay and the variety of builds and general gameplay. They dislike the limited content, balancing issues and bugs & crash issues.
• Dark Hunting Ground - A minimalist pixel-action RPG. Players love its character customization options and high replay value. However, several players express frustration with the game's user interface and performance issues during the intense moments of the game.

Notable Mentions

Here are some games or DLCs that were on the top but didn't get its own section in the weekly notes.

• Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion - (Hack and Slash. Beat 'em up. Dungeon Crawler)
• MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - Shadow of Kerensky - (FPS. Resource Management. Shooter)
• Bad Cheese - (Walking Simulator. Psychological Horror. Action-Adventure)

Full List: Top Releases for September 01 - 07 (2025)

And that's it! Thank you for reading!

Stay tuned! If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it with someone who you think it'd bring value to - or get your hands on the advanced & visual search (and other features) by supporting me on Patreon.