Nine Sols

I played this a few months back, and I guess I moved on to other games and kind of ditched it for a while, but man, am I glad I got back to it. As a huge fan of Sekiro, this title really scratches that exact itch. Even though it is a metroidvania, the gameplay is purely focused on parrying to stay alive, and mastering this mechanic is absolutely of the essence. You can get lost, but that is only if you don't make use of the map, which usually tells you pretty clearly where you have to go. It is also incredibly easy to backtrack for collectibles. [h1]Combat & The Art of Parrying[/h1] While the game introduces plenty of abilities to use in fights, like a bow with different types of arrows that can turn the tide of battle, mastering parrying as early as possible is what matters most. Once you master that, the game becomes a smooth ride in almost all situations. It is the main mechanic you are expected to utilize, especially against the final boss. Basic enemies become a walk in the park once you have that down. While you can get by most regular fights by relying on dodges, you will end up making certain encounters much harder for yourself, so practice makes perfect. Once you get the timing down, the combat has a great, fluid flow. One excellent detail is that the game is quite forgiving with early parries. As long as you are blocking attacks, even if your timing is slightly off, you cannot die from a regular hit. The game will just leave you at one HP constantly until you manage to land a perfect parry, which negates all damage. Embracing the parry is truly the way to go. [h1]Story, Characters & Twists[/h1] I don't want to spoil anything about the narrative, but it is incredibly deep and beautifully connected to all the characters you meet. The central themes here are definitely betrayal and revenge. The story and its twists reveal themselves bit by bit, which is great because it can be a little confusing at the start. One interesting detail is how impactful the narrative feels, no matter which of the two endings you achieve. You encounter a wide variety of personas, from an old general to supernatural, ageless beings. The story keeps things interesting by unveiling lore in creative ways, and each encounter teaches you more about the characters and their motives. Whether you see their actions as right or wrong is mostly left to your personal view. Each character has a distinct look, and the art design makes them stand out. The game manages to make you care about them, even the bosses, using just a bit of dialogue, immaculate visual design, storytelling, and an amazing soundtrack. [h1]Boss Design & Map Exploration[/h1] All bosses have unique designs. One of the main bosses actually starts as a puzzle before turning into a complete boss fight, which was a smart way to explain a vital plot point. Each major encounter feels wildly different, and the motives of each boss differ from the next. You get to understand their backgrounds as you fight through the specific zones they control before facing them. The map system is fantastic for players who don't want to get lost or overwhelmed, making this a perfect entry point for newcomers to the metroidvania genre. The map makes it simple to backtrack after finishing the story, clearly showing the number of collectibles in each specific area so you don't have to mindlessly run around. [h1]Final Thoughts[/h1] Nine Sols is an ideal start for anyone looking to get into the genre. Games like Hollow Knight can get overwhelming real quick, often leading to frustration, but this title guides you smoothly to ensure you enjoy the aesthetics and story. It even features a dedicated Story Mode that tones down the challenge, but I would advise against using it unless you are truly struggling. Powering through the standard difficulty is worth it, as intended by the developers, because a lack of challenge can hurt the narrative impact of the bosses. The game is perfectly balanced with a great story, memorable characters, and two distinct endings. One of the endings definitely feels more canon than the other, and I cannot wait to see what this studio cooks up next. [h1]Rating: 8/10[/h1]

I played NINE SOLS just because the game looked cool on steam. Never would've thought that this game would be so epic. First of all, the background scores of the game are majestic,powerful and some invoke a sense of nostalgia with a hint of sadness. Every song/score is epic in its own term, but i liked a few songs more than others. MEMORY OF YOU,ETERNITY IN AN INSTANT, LAST WISH, LONE SOL AND MY FAV MAIN THEME II. The art style of this game was what drew me to it at first. The designs of all the characters were unique and their names were taken from chinese mythology. Kuafu was the giant man who chased the sun to bring wamth and light to his people and Kuafu in nine sols wanted to help his people by entering the council. Goumang is The God of Wood and Spring in myhtholgy while Goumang in nine sols is in charge of agriculture. I found these fascinating. The way the game told the story of a young and enthusiastic scientist Yi was awesome to me. The game was making me pick the info and put it together as a whole. The story was flawless, aleast to me and the characters were really well written. The gameplay was quite simple and stright forward. Parrying is the main skill you need to learn for an awesome battle experience. The scouting skill, double jumps, dashing mid-air, unbounded counter(can parry attacks that can't be parried by a normal parry), a bow as a secondary weapon and talismans for greater damage. I loved all the skills and weapons in this game, especially talismans. I loves using talismans more than anything. Overall the game is a 10/10 for me. Be it for background score , artsyle, story and gameplay. I would absolutely recommend this game to anyone who wants a great experience.

I love cats 😺

"What do you mean the boss has a second phase, I barely beated her!" - Me in the final boss fight before I rage-quitted that night. Highly recommend it if you are a fan of the Hollow Knight series. People only say it's more difficult than Hollow Knight just because you have to adapt to a new combat system, parrying, which you will do in every fight. This game is also more forgiving than Hollow Knight, as there is always a checkpoint in every room, which you can teleport to later in the game, and an NPC to tell you how many secrets you discovered in that room, and another NPC to tell you where to go for story progression. What I like is the parrying just because it makes a cool noise when you do a perfect parry, and the ability to counterattack, which looks cool. The story is great, as the main character, Yi, wants revenge on his fellow council members, which you find out why later in the game. What I do not like is the Prison. The stealth threw me off (it's only in this region), and I got lost multiple times while getting jumped by the giant guard. Other than that, great game.

The true final boss of this game is the best boss in gaming, I said what I said.

Did I fall in love with this game? Yes. Is it good? Yes. The bosses and fights are challenging, the story is amazing, the art style and gameplay is perfect. It is like an evolution of Hollow Knight but with more Samurai. I hope there will be more!

Easily makes it to my top 5 metroidvania (if you count both HK and both Blasphemous as one position) First half is a bit too easy to my liking, second half is fairly hard. Last boss is just savage, i finished the game in ~20hr, i believe half of this time went to this boss, still cant believe it got 5 phases

Might be the most satisfying combat I've played where I used every tool the game gave me (I never do this- usually do the bare bones required). Buy this game, it doesn't get enough recognition.