Nine Sols Review

The first time I parried an enemy, put an explosive on them and watched them explode as body parts went everywhere, I thought – I’m going to like this game. Nine Sols by Red Candle Games is easily the best indie game I have played so far in 2024 and I cannot wait to tell you why!

Nine Sols is a hand-drawn 2D, Metroidvania, action platformer with Sekiro-inspired combat for Windows and Mac. The main character of Nine Sols is an anthropomorphic cat warrior named Yi who was betrayed by his fellow ‘Sols’ and is on a revenge fueled rampage to overthrow the other nine ‘Sols’.  The setting is an Asian fantasy-inspired, futuristic taopunk world, and I wanted to explore every inch of this lovingly crafted map. The story takes a minute to get your head around, but it is worth paying attention to the dialogue because it opens up a deep and rich lore behind the beautiful setting of this game.

The first feature I am excited about is the hand drawn art style…wow! I cannot express enough just how beautiful this game is. The hand drawn touch makes all the difference, and I would often die because I was too busy looking at how goddamn beautiful everything is. Also, Yi’s design is so badass! His coat flaps behind him as he runs, he has awesome poses when completing moves, and he even makes smoking an opium pipe look cool (don’t do drugs kids). Each area of the map has such a unique look and every time I entered a new area, I was excited to see how this section could be even more beautiful and cool looking than the last. Let’s not forget the soundtrack that accompanies all of this and makes you feel fully immersed in this Eastern inspired cyber punk world.

Now can I talk about the gameplay? Because it is flawless. Metroidvanias are so divisive for me. I either love them or become frustrated by them because I am constantly getting lost. Well in Nine Sols I did get lost…a lot. However, the combat was so much fun I didn’t care if I was lost, as it gave me more opportunities to slice and explode enemies. There is also a robust upgrade system, so it is worth back tracking for some adrenaline induced grinding. I found that just as I was on the verge of becoming frustrated, I would then figure out where to go – it is incredibly satisfying and a testament to perfect game design.

As is always the case with Metroidvanias, the way you get into new areas is by finding gadgets and gizmos along the way to allow you access into areas you may have seen but wondered ‘how the hell do I get there?’. Each upgrade was fun to use, from grappling hooks to a little drone-like creature, I became excited every time I got a new gadget/power because it meant that I could explore the map again, finding new areas to show off my new toy. Also there are so many mini games throughout that spice things up and is a nice garnish on top of what is already a lovely meal!

Now let’s get onto the best part of the gameplay – the combat. I had a moment where I was up against a group of enemies: I parried a projectile back at an archer, sliced through a dog creature and put an explosive on a swordsman, all within about 2 seconds, then I watched as body parts flew everywhere. I realised that I had become good at the combat because of how well the game teaches you to utilize every tool and study enemy movements. The upgrade system is also such a great way to keep making you more and more of a killing machine and I found it helped without ever making you feel too overpowered.

There are of course boss battles and they are (as you can imagine) epic as all hell! Each boss battle is about studying their unique move set and knowing when to parry, dodge, and slice to inflict the most damage. Saying that though, the boss battles are not easy! One mistake can cause a knock-on effect that will end with you being completely beaten to a cat shaped pulped! I did not find any of the deaths cheap though. Every time I died, I knew what I had done wrong and would be itching for another chance to show I’m top dog…or, I guess, cat.

I find it difficult to find flaws in this game, but I will try. Here we go. The game is…well there is of course…. the problem with Nine Sols is…you know what – screw that, I love it. It is the best Metroidvania I have played since Hollow Knight and to be honest – I might actually prefer it to Hollow Knight.

Just get this game, play it and thank me later.

10 out of 10

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