From all the other Metroidvanias that had been released at the time, this one stood out from the crowd. There was something about this game's art direction is that drove me to download it, and ever since I beat it, I'll never forget the experience that was my first playthrough of this game. Hollow Knight from the very start drops you in with no questions asked. You're a lone knight in this dark and depressing world filled with many creatures and things you have no way of knowing what could be around the next corner. It's the mysterious factor of the game along with the atmospheric soundtrack that draws you in and keeps you exploring for hours on end. Like most Metroidvanias, you will get more abilities the more you progress making the adventure smoother the more you play, but the game in turn also gets harder. You'll notice immediately when you die and realize that you lost all your currency, you'll probably end up scrambling back to get to where you died to collect it all again only to have died again, meaning that past soul with all your currency is gone. It stings, but it's something you'll learn throughout the game, the fact being that it won't hold your hand. It respects the player enough to check their surroundings and pick and choose their battles carefully. It's not the best I've played in terms of design but for their first time attempting this genre, they nailed it.