A New Dawn for Red Candle Games
In a bold departure from its atmospheric psychological horror roots, studio Red Candle Games ventures into the vibrant, cyberpunk-infused world of Nine Sols. Known for Detention (2017) and Devotion (2019), the Taiwan-based studio’s latest release officially launched on May 29th, promising over 25 hours of Metroidvania gameplay.
More than just a stopgap for Silksong fans, Nine Sols carves out its own identity with breathtaking hand-drawn art, a captivating soundtrack, and an intricate narrative. While the initial aesthetic may echo Hollow Knight, Nine Sols quickly asserts its individuality through its unique setting and storytelling prowess.
Weaving the Tale of Nine Sols
Nine Sols thrusts players into a lore-rich, “Taopunk” universe—a mesmerizing blend of cyberpunk and Taoism. The world, the storytelling, and the characters’ philosophies engage, critique, and interrogate Daoism and its place in a technologically advanced society.
The game kicks off with a dramatic cliffhanger: Yi, the protagonist, after a near-fatal fall, is discovered by a young boy in a village of “apemen.” On the day of the ceremony, Yi walks through the village as the village elder recounts the legend of the Nine Sols, celestial beings who guided their ancestors to a new land. This land flourished as long as a select few lived among the gods. But you soon find out that this land is a far cry from paradise.
The Solarians, an enlightened, immortal species with seemingly infinite resources, populate this world ruled by the Nine Sols, the latter of whom each has a seal Yi must collect that plays a specific role in maintaining the world. Each of the Nine Sols’ territories brims with uniqueness and corruption, fostering imaginative and diverse-level designs.
The story unfolds through item-based storytelling and data terminals, making the world’s rich history accessible compared to other Souls-inspired games. Unlike traditional Souls games, though, the storytelling in Nine Sols is clear and concise. Before long, you’re able to pick up on the world and its characters. This clarity enhances immersion, drawing players deeply into the story. However, there are still plenty of mysteries to be solved.
Mastering the Art of Combat
Nine Sols excels in delivering tight, precise gameplay, incorporating the finest elements of 2D Souls-likes. The core gameplay loop is a dance of fast, brutal action sequences and classic platforming mechanics. You start the game with a sword, fashioned from Yi’s energy, that allows you to perform three-hit ground and air combos. Later, you’ll receive a bow with three arrow types: piercing, homing, and explosive. Piercing arrows are good for damaging multiple enemies in a straight line, while explosive arrows help rack up damage on stationary enemies. I didn’t find the homing arrow particularly useful, as many enemies can teleport, letting these arrows harmlessly fly away in the wrong direction.
Like Hollow Knight, your attack toolkit may at times feel limited, but the complexity lies in the timing and positioning of each attack, not to mention how you study your enemies’ patterns. After a while, though, I wish I could’ve used something other than the sword for melee combat, just to mix things up.
To add to the complexity, the game introduces a microchip-based system that offers buffs and bonuses, a refillable health mechanism via a smoking pipe, and a standard approach to in-game currency and experience points. Upon death, you drop your lost money and progress toward gathering skill points. As you gather your skill points, you fill out a pretty standard skill tree. Occasionally, the enemy that killed you will absorb your lost money and skill point progress, but you can reclaim it or find it again on the ground.
Combat is punishing yet mostly fair. Enemies strike hard, but players are equipped with a robust arsenal of defensive and maneuvers to counter each attack, including initially unblockable ones. The parry system, reminiscent of Sekiro, is deeply satisfying and vital for overcoming every enemy you encounter, especially mini-bosses and area bosses where your pattern recognition and reflexes are put to the test. The counter system is built around a dash mechanic that allows you to place a talisman on an enemy before using it to blow them up. These explosions deliver tremendous damage, resulting in thrilling, gory sequences.
As the game progresses, you can purchase microchips and items to change the properties of your defensive moves and talisman attacks, such as adjusting how much damage a counter does or making a talisman net you more experience and money. This opens up the door for a variety of builds and combinations that suit your play style.
Most of the time, I used microchips and talisman upgrades to farm for money and XP, since I felt the game was a little stingy with these resources. But during certain fights, I’d adjust my microchips to allow me to hit harder, recover health faster, or strengthen my defense. I wanted to quickly expand my microchip slots and develop my move set to give me any kind of advantage in this extremely challenging game.
I put about 25 hours into the game, and I can honestly say about a third of that time was spent dying and retrying area boss and mini-boss fights. Some fights set me back hours, and more than once, I had to put the controller down, take a deep breath, and walk out of the room before I broke something. But once you overcome those challenges, the deep sense of satisfaction is what keeps you going. Trust me: Look for whatever damage and defense buffs you can.
A Feast for the Eyes and Ears
Visually, Nine Sols is a masterpiece of hand-drawn art, animation, and manga-style storytelling. Every scene is meticulously crafted, creating a striking and immersive aesthetic. The game’s Taopunk style—a seamless fusion of mysticism and technology—pervades every aspect of the game, offering a setting unlike any cyberpunk world I’ve experienced.
The neon-glowing pagodas, reminiscent of ancient Chinese architecture, and the cybernetic vines and lotus blossoms that power society are breathtaking fusions of the old and the new. The soundtrack perfectly complements the visuals, with atmospheric, techno music that pulls you deeper into the game’s world. The sound design is equally superb, capturing every detail from ambient noises to the impactful sounds of combat.
It’s a shame that navigating the world isn’t nearly as pleasant as its presentation. The game’s map interface took some getting used to as I initially struggled to pinpoint where I was and where I needed to go to advance the story. I spent hours completely lost, trying to retrace my steps. Further, it’s a good thing the developers made this world so beautiful because levels are massive and the character moves too slowly. There’s an upgrade that allows you to dash, but you’ll still be spending too much time traveling back and forth between save points and the last place you died. The game’s save points, cybernetic lotuses, are sparse and you don’t unlock the ability to teleport between them until roughly 10 to 15 hours into the story. You’re only allowed to travel back and forth between two points until then.
Final Thoughts
Nine Sols is a tour de force in blending art, sound, and gameplay into an unforgettable experience. Its unique Taopunk aesthetic, coupled with challenging yet fair combat and an engaging story, elevates it to standout status in the Metroidvania genre.
Despite its punishing difficulty, it weaves a narrative that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, forging lasting emotional connections between the characters and the player. However, navigating was tedious enough to frustrate me at times, as I felt like I spent too many hours simply running through the massive levels desperate to advance the narrative.
Nine Sols is easily the most challenging Metroidvania game I’ve ever played, but its difficulty is just one facet of what makes it a truly remarkable game. Whether you’re drawn by demanding gameplay, stunning visuals, or immersive storytelling, Nine Sols commands your attention and warrants your time.
Score: 8.5/10
Nine Sols, developed and published by Red Candle Games, is out now for Windows PC and Mac. MSRP: $29.99.
Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher.
