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Hollow Knight: Lifeblood Update is currently in Beta on Steam (sadly Windows only) and it adds some rather nice stuff to the Metroidvania.

Here's what it adds in (full details here):

  • One boss has been seriously upgraded. A true challenge awaits!
  • A brand new boss with a new music track by Chris Larkin!
  • Map Markers are here! Cartographers rejoice!
  • Extras added to the Extras menu!
  • Numerous game balances and tweaks (Heavy Blow is now good... just kidding)
  • Various bug fixes
  • Additional sound effects and voices
  • Optimisations and performance enhancements

As said above, the Beta update is currently only for Windows and it's Steam-only (GOG doesn't really deal with Beta versions like this), with the full update expected sometime in the next 2 weeks for Linux, Mac and Windows.

Hollow Knight has seen some fantastic post-release support and content updates, I'm really pleased to see them continue developing it and upgrading it. I'm sure the map marker system will please many, as it's something I've seen people complain about.

The Linux version works great, available on GOG (affiliate link) and Steam.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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9 comments

TurtleShark Mar 26, 2018
Isn't ANY change to this game a 'bug fix'?
Mrokii Mar 26, 2018
"One boss has been seriously upgraded. A true challenge awaits!"

Well, that immediately made this totally uninteresting for me. I haven*t even beat all bosses *now* and they feel the need to make one of them even more difficult to defeat? Wth?!?!


Last edited by Mrokii on 26 March 2018 at 6:02 pm UTC
TurtleShark Mar 26, 2018
Quoting: Guest
Quoting: TurtleSharkIsn't ANY change to this game a 'bug fix'?
Well, in this game you're supposed to kill the bugs by yourself.

ahhhh...that explains why I keep dying in this one... :P
sn0rlax Mar 26, 2018
This is one that I own where I'm waiting until they're done updating to play. I tend to be disinterested once I complete a game, so I want to fully enjoy it. Excited.
TurtleShark Mar 27, 2018
Quoting: GuestDid you people notice there is a slight but annoying input lag in this game ? I tend to fall a lot when hitting the jump button while walking toward the edge of a platform -- which I don't notice in other games, for instance, Iconoclasts (another nice metroidvania) when the jump seems to occur exactly when I push the button.

I wonder if there's an additional input lag in Hollow Knight itself or if it's due to something in the Linux gfx stack.

(I tried with an NVIDIA, and Intel HD Graphics, with & without compositing ; X and not wayland ; and I don't use triple buffering).

I have noticed that Bidinou. Turning V-Sync off in the settings menu (in game) fixed it for me though (in case you haven't already tried).


Last edited by TurtleShark on 27 March 2018 at 12:25 pm UTC
Lembritt Mar 31, 2018
Quoting: TurtleShark
Quoting: GuestDid you people notice there is a slight but annoying input lag in this game ? I tend to fall a lot when hitting the jump button while walking toward the edge of a platform -- which I don't notice in other games, for instance, Iconoclasts (another nice metroidvania) when the jump seems to occur exactly when I push the button.

I wonder if there's an additional input lag in Hollow Knight itself or if it's due to something in the Linux gfx stack.

(I tried with an NVIDIA, and Intel HD Graphics, with & without compositing ; X and not wayland ; and I don't use triple buffering).

I have noticed that Bidinou. Turning V-Sync off in the settings menu (in game) fixed it for me though (in case you haven't already tried).

Thanks for the tip!
I turned V-sync off and now the control is much tighter. After playing some more I don't fall off edges and the boss fights are much more fun.
And I also managed to free 2x "worms" trapped in glass jars that I couldn't do before because of the input lag.

Playing with the steam controller.
Lembritt Mar 31, 2018
I also get no tearing with V-sync off. V-sync on always get some input lag, no matter which game. That's the problem G-sync and Freesync will solve.

But the defaults in this game should be V-sync off for the best experience. Maybe it's a bug in the Linux version that the developers haven't noticed.

Has anyone else experienced this issue that are not using Nvidia with the proprietary drivers?
tuubi Mar 31, 2018
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Quoting: GuestYep, it's much better indeed, and for some reason I don't get tearing even when disabling this option.
Nvidia's "Full Composition Pipeline" would explain it.
TurtleShark Apr 1, 2018
Quoting: LembrittThanks for the tip!
I turned V-sync off and now the control is much tighter. After playing some more I don't fall off edges and the boss fights are much more fun.
And I also managed to free 2x "worms" trapped in glass jars that I couldn't do before because of the input lag.

Playing with the steam controller.

Hey no problem man!

Quoting: GuestYep, it's much better indeed, and for some reason I don't get tearing even when disabling this option.
Hmm, actually, VSync should not add such a huge additional input delay, don't you think ? Could be a bug ? Maybe we should report it ? I usually play everything with VSync on and it's extremely rare I get a lag to the extent that it makes me lose.

I'm not certain its a bug...as tuubi says I think its V-Sync + nvidia pipeline settings...

I do notice SOME tearing on my 144hz monitor, but only during long drops/falls (like the intro)

Either way glad I could help a couple o' brothers out!
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