I've been playing some Hollow Knight and I think I've come to a realization. I like games that thrive in being challenging but not games that thrive in being punishing. This game is punishing and the lack of QoL options, clearly on purpose, is making the game a bit of a chore to play. I compare it to Celeste which can be brutally challenging but keeps the game from being punishing with lots of QoL features. Having to backtrack, with minimal checkpoints, is just no fun.