Silksong's Simplified Chinese Translation Sparks Review Backlash

Hollow Knight: Silksong has encountered unexpected translation quality issues since launch, with numerous Chinese players expressing dissatisfaction with the game's Simplified Chinese localization, causing Steam reviews to drop from initially overwhelming positive reception to "Mostly Positive."

Review Impact

Statistics show that 92% of the game's English reviews are positive, totaling approximately 35,000 reviews. However, among the total 88,000 reviews, only 78% are positive, primarily due to around 14,000 negative Simplified Chinese reviews. When filtered to show only Simplified Chinese reviews, the game's Steam rating becomes "Mixed" with just 44% positive feedback.

Translation Analysis

Translation expert Loek van Kooten provided detailed analysis of the translation problems in a blog post, comparing the Chinese version to "a high-school drama club's Elizabethan improv night" and criticizing the translation as being "so puffed with fake-archaic frills that quest hints become riddles and basic NPC chatter turns to word salad."

It reads like a Wuxia novel instead of conveying the game's tone. This isn't about effort, but about taste and direction, and speaking from experience likely can't be fixed without replacing the translator. — Chinese player on social media

Team Cherry's Response

Responding to strong player feedback, Team Cherry's marketing and publishing lead Matthew Griffin addressed the issue on social media: "To our Chinese speaking fans: We appreciate you letting us know about quality issues with the current Simplified Chinese translation of Hollow Knight: Silksong. We'll be working to improve the translation over the coming weeks. Thanks for your feedback and support."

The specific timeline for translation improvements remains unclear, but Team Cherry has acknowledged the problem and committed to implementing fixes.