'Nine Sols' is my favourite game that has been released this year. I was lucky enough to interview the very talented developer 'Red Candle Games' about their game and their studio.
Nine Sols is a lore rich, hand-drawn 2D action-platformer featuring Sekiro-inspired deflection focused combat. Embark on a journey of Asian fantasy, explore the land once home to an ancient alien race, and follow a vengeful hero’s quest to slay the 9 Sols, formidable rulers of this forsaken realm.
In New Kunlun, hero Yi has awakened the 9 rulers of this forsaken realm. To defeat the 9 Sols in the deserted city.
New Kunlun, the Solarian’s last sanctuary, has remained quiet for centuries. Inside this vast realm, the ancient gods left mortals with a promised land that is forever protected by the sacred rituals, yet the truth of this world remains unknown to most. Everything changes when Yi, a long forgotten hero from the past, is awoken by a human child.
Follow Yi on his vengeful quest against the 9 Sols, formidable rulers of this forsaken realm, and obliterate any obstacles blocking your way in Sekiro-lite style combat. Explore in unique “Taopunk” setting that blends cyberpunk elements with Taoism and far eastern mythology. Unravel the mysteries of an ancient alien race and learn about the fate of mankind.
Read my review Here
1. How many people are there at 'Red Candle Games'?
We’ve only recruited 3 new members since Devotion’s release (while only 1 artist left the team), so not much has changed in terms of our overall team size, a slight increase from 11 to 13 full-time creators.
We’ve only recruited 3 new members since Devotion’s release (while only 1 artist left the team), so not much has changed in terms of our overall team size, a slight increase from 11 to 13 full-time creators.
2. This is one of the best looking Indie games I have ever seen. Talk to me about
the art style and the influences behind choosing that style.
Nine Sols features meticulous hand-crafted, anime-style landscapes and sprite-based animations, blending these with manga-inspired cutscenes. Each frame is carefully drawn in a traditional style, and we have taken great pains to create the most eye-catching and fluid animations. Our art direction is heavily influenced by our desire to blend Eastern mythology with cyberpunk aesthetics, resulting in a visually striking world that feels both ancient and futuristic.
We drew inspiration from traditional Chinese art, Taoist symbolism, and iconic cyberpunk visuals. Influences like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, with their rich detail and fusion of futuristic elements and cultural motifs, played a significant role in shaping our aesthetic. Additionally, the classic hand-drawn animations seen in Japanese anime provided a foundation for our animation style. We felt this style fits Nine Sols as a whole because it encapsulates the game's core themes and narrative. The blend of ancient and futuristic elements mirrors the game's exploration of the tension between tradition and technology. The intricate, hand-drawn visuals also help to immerse players in the richly detailed world we’ve created, making the fantastical elements feel grounded and authentic. This fusion of styles not only sets Nine Sols apart visually but also enhances the storytelling, drawing players deeper into the unique Taopunk universe we’ve crafted.
Nine Sols is deeply influenced by Eastern mythology, particularly Taoist philosophy and Chinese folklore. The concept of "taopunk" emerged as we aimed to blend these traditional elements with a futuristic, cyberpunk setting. This fusion allows us to explore themes such as the tension between nature and technology, and the essence of life and death, which are central to Taoist thought. Another significant cultural influence is the ancient Chinese legend of Yi shooting down the nine suns. This myth inspired our narrative, providing a rich foundation for our story and its themes.
4. The music really helps to create the atmosphere. What was the process of
building the soundtrack?
The sound in Nine Sols is unique and distinctive while maintaining immersion. With a setting that features both sci-fi and Asian mythology, we aimed to blend various traditional Eastern instruments and vocal sounds with modern electronic synthesizers. Instruments like the Erhu, Guzheng, and Gongs are woven into the soundtrack, enhancing the cultural depth of the game. Fusing these Asian cultural sounds with the game's narrative, we aimed to deliver a pleasant, albeit experimental, auditory experience for visitors of our Taopunk world. The soundtrack was meticulously crafted by our composer FFXX and their team, ensuring that each piece enhances the overall atmosphere and immersion of the game.
5. The story is so interesting, you created such a robust and unique world. How
do you even begin to develop such a detailed world?
Creating the world of Nine Sols began with a spark of inspiration: re-imagining the mythological Chinese archer Yi's story in a sci-fi context. From there, we engaged in extensive brainstorming sessions, where ideas were proposed, debated, and refined. This collaborative process allowed us to explore various narrative directions and gradually shape the game's unique setting. Often, when we need new inspirations, we delve into folklore and try to come up with reasonable explanations for all the mysterious and unexplained magic and events. We ask ourselves, "If that really happened, in a sci-fi setting, can we explain it in our own way?" This mentality drives our creative process, allowing us to blend mythological elements with futuristic concepts seamlessly. Our team's collective creativity and deep appreciation for Eastern mythology and cyberpunk aesthetics played a significant role. We meticulously crafted every aspect of the world, drawing on traditional Chinese art and Taoist philosophy while integrating futuristic elements. The result is a richly detailed environment that feels both familiar and novel. This approach allowed us to create a cohesive and immersive world, where each element, from the lore to the visual design, contributes to the overall narrative experience.
6. What video games influenced you when making 'Nine Sols'?
We greatly admire Sekiro for its deflection-focused combat system, which demands precision and skill. The intense, close-range encounters and the satisfaction of perfectly timed deflections were aspects we wanted to bring into Nine Sols. Additionally, Hollow Knight inspired us with its classic side-scrolling exploration and atmospheric world-building. We aimed to blend these elements to create a unique combat and exploration experience in Nine Sols. Katana Zero also influenced our approach, particularly in terms of its intense action sequences and its clever blend of action and narrative.
Though they resemble cats, our main characters are actually cat-like alien species called Solarians. We chose this design for several reasons. Firstly, since the story revolves around an advanced extraterrestrial civilization, we wanted them to look distinctly different from humans to emphasize their otherworldliness. During the design phase, we considered character hitboxes and movement dynamics. Initially, we aimed for a more square-shaped hitbox to facilitate smooth and agile movement. Human figures tend to be more rectangular, which didn't align with our vision for fluid combat and navigation. The cat-like design allowed us to achieve the desired hitbox shape and enhanced the character's agility and responsiveness.
When we landed on the Solarian design, everything clicked—especially the animation. The cat-like features brought a unique charm and fluidity to the combat, making the character feel more dynamic and engaging. This design not only set the Solarians apart visually but also enriched the gameplay experience, making it more intuitive and enjoyable for players.
8. The combat is one of my favourite elements of 'Nine Sols'. How did you
manage to develop such a fun combat system?
Creating a standout combat system in the crowded 2D action game market was a significant challenge. To make Nine Sols unique and engaging, we dedicated considerable time and effort to refining our core combat mechanics over several years. At first, there were times when we felt quite lost and ran into dead ends. Fortunately, during these moments, Sekiro inspired us. Our vision became much clearer with the question, "What would a 2D Sekiro feel like?" This idea became our main objective when designing the combat. We focused on close-range encounters, using deflection and charging attacks to create a dynamic and skill-based system. By incorporating these elements, we aimed to offer players a similar sense of satisfaction from perfectly timed deflections.
Through extensive testing and iteration, we balanced these mechanics to make them both fluid and impactful. We wanted to blend the best aspects of traditional action games with fresh, innovative ideas. This resulted in a combat system that feels both familiar and new, creating a fun and memorable experience for players. This blend of familiarity and novelty makes the combat in Nine Sols one of its standout features.
9. The audience response has been so positive, how does that make you feel?
We are incredibly grateful and thrilled by the positive response from the audience. It validates the hard work and dedication our team has put into creating Nine Sols. Knowing that players are enjoying the game and appreciating the unique elements we've incorporated motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of our creativity and delivering high-quality experiences.
It took us five years of tears and sweat to bring Nine Sols to life, so seeing it come to fruition and being well-received feels incredibly rewarding. This positive feedback fuels our passion and drives us to keep striving for excellence in our future projects.
10. What is next for 'Red Candle Games'?
Our team will continually work on porting Nine Sols to consoles and other platforms, adding more languages/localizations, and completing some of the promised physical products and the artbook. This will keep us busy until at least Q4 2024. On the other hand, if given the opportunity, we'd love to explore other genres in the future. Deep down, we are simply a group of game creators who love all kinds of games. As long as we ensure the quality of our products and meet the expectations of our supporters, we see no reason to be locked into specific genres. We're excited about the possibilities and eager to bring new and diverse gaming experiences to our audience.
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