Hollow Knight: Silksong Launch Marred by Translation Issues, Chinese Player backlash
Hong Kong - The highly anticipated release of Hollow Knight: Silksong has been met with a wave of negative reviews, particularly from players in China, impacting the game’s overall critical reception on platforms like Steam. Within hours of launch, the game’s user review score dropped from 97% to 91% positive, a significant shift attributed to complaints regarding the quality of the simplified chinese translation.
The controversy highlights the challenges of localization in the global gaming market and underscores the importance of quality assurance for translated content. While Team Cherry, the Australian game developer, may not possess in-house expertise in simplified Chinese, the negative feedback demonstrates the potential impact of translation errors on player experience and overall game perception. The Chinese translation was handled by Finn Wu and Hertzz liu, who are not affiliated with a specialized translation company, according to game credits.
Players are reporting issues with the translation, though specific details remain largely focused on general complaints. The drop in Steam user reviews illustrates the weight of the Chinese gaming market and its influence on global game ratings. The situation raises questions about the resources allocated to localization and the potential need for developers to partner with professional translation services to ensure accurate and culturally appropriate experiences for all players.
