9 Years of Shadows

About

9 Years of Shadows is a side-scrolling Metroidvania by Halberd Studios. Travel alongside Europa, a brave warrior determined to enter the mechanical giant Talos and stop the corruption within before it swallows the world in darkness. Battle through tainted creatures, meet charismatic musicians and uncover the truth behind the curse that robbed the land of all color. Many have tried to venture in…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,514 reviews

gameplay238 positive mentions

grinding52 negative mentions

Gorgeous pixel art and vibrant visuals that enhance the overall experience.
Engaging combat mechanics with a unique health and mana system that adds depth to battles.
Challenging and varied boss fights that require learning patterns and strategies.

Frequent crashes and technical issues that disrupt gameplay and progress.
Linear level design with minimal backtracking and exploration opportunities.
Unskippable cutscenes and dialogue that can become tedious during repeated boss attempts.

gameplay
758 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
6%
The gameplay of "9 Years of Shadows" is characterized by its vibrant visuals and unique mechanics, particularly the health and energy system that encourages aggressive play. While many players appreciate the fluid controls and the innovative armor-switching mechanic, some criticize the balance of difficulty, especially with the overpowered healing mechanic that can make encounters feel too easy. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable exploration and combat, but it suffers from issues like linearity, repetitive mechanics, and a sudden difficulty spike towards the end.
- “While it is a very good metroidvania, it's refreshing to see new mechanics being implemented that actually enhance the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is smooth, the cutscenes are very well done.”
- “The gameplay is outstanding, the controls are simple and give the player a sensation of power and versatility; it’s clearly an example of 'less is (much) more.'”
- “The gameplay itself is seriously lacking and the boss fights, instead of being interesting or testing skill, are almost all nuisances.”
- “The decision by the developers to incorporate the mechanics of health bar with projectiles and evasion without any invincibility frames is confusing and frustrating.”
- “I ended up quitting the game simply because I was not having any fun playing it, simply because the game mechanics are tedious and annoying.”
music
726 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
36%
1%
The music in "9 Years of Shadows" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its beautiful and immersive qualities that complement the game's stunning visuals. While some players found the soundtrack to be catchy and enjoyable, others criticized it for being repetitive or lacking memorable tracks. Overall, the music is often highlighted as a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the atmosphere despite some concerns about its fit with the gameplay and environment.
- “The music is beautiful and dreamy.”
- “Not only is the artwork absolutely brilliant, the music in this game never got old for me; the smooth jazzy lounge feel with an upbeat pace was always fun to hear.”
- “The art is gorgeous and the music just elevates everything.”
- “Every environment music so far has gotten old quite fast.”
- “The large amount of notes in the melodies, combined with a short loop make it so the music doesn't calmly fade into the background.”
- “The music is also feels uninspired and, at times, clashes with the tones of the environment.”
story
502 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
59%
6%
The story of "9 Years of Shadows" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its emotional depth and charming characters, while others find it disjointed and lacking in meaningful development. Many highlight the game's beautiful visuals and music, which enhance the narrative, but criticize the pacing and the simplicity of the plot, often describing it as cliché or underwhelming. Overall, while the story has its moments and can be engaging, it may not be the primary draw for players seeking a more intricate narrative experience.
- “It has a very well written story with a simple premise while keeping things fresh with a new coat of paint on the tropes it uses.”
- “In the end 9 years of shadows really impressed me with its gorgeous art, fun & unique movement, varied & challenging bosses and engaging story.”
- “The story is simple yet heartwarming, gameplay is so solid it can be and let's not talk about the pixel graphics!”
- “Unfortunately, the story is a bit disjointed and never really comes together in a satisfying way.”
- “You meet few characters throughout the game but there is no meaningful character development and they don't advance the story.”
- “The story is very much rushed and the pacing is all over the place.”
graphics
458 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
29%
2%
The graphics of "9 Years of Shadows" are widely praised for their stunning pixel art and vibrant color palette, often described as some of the best in recent indie titles. Reviewers highlight the beautiful art style and animations, which enhance the overall aesthetic experience of the game, although some note inconsistencies in character design and a lack of depth in gameplay. Overall, the visuals are considered the standout feature, elevating the game's appeal despite criticisms of its mechanics and difficulty.
- “The visuals are stunning, the pixel-art is amazing and the importance of colors in this game make it really enjoyable to play and watch.”
- “Gorgeous visuals and music, interesting characters and world to dig into, crunchy platforming and systems, and doesn't overstay its welcome.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the animations and environments are gorgeous, the controls are gorgeous.”
- “I commend the graphics designer, but the gameplay this early is really bad.”
- “The graphics carry this game completely; the designers/programmers need to step up and really understand what this genre is all about.”
- “While the gameplay is easy to pick up and play, especially if you're familiar with metroidvania games, the star here are the graphics and music which will easily keep you hooked for the whole game.”
grinding
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
96%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, primarily due to the lack of fast travel, repetitive backtracking, and a cumbersome save system that requires manual intervention. The combat mechanics, which often feel drawn out and unengaging, further contribute to the overall sense of monotony, leading many to feel frustrated and disengaged from the gameplay experience. Overall, the game is criticized for its linearity and lack of meaningful progression, making the grinding feel more like a chore than an enjoyable challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I ended up quitting the game simply because I was not having any fun playing it, simply because the game mechanics are tedious and annoying.”
- “The final 'upgrade' the player receives completely switches the entire gimmick of the previous 99% of the game into something significantly more tedious and obnoxious to work through.”
- “Backtracking is a tedious chore.”
stability
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes, particularly during boss encounters and map navigation. While some players noted improvements post-launch, many still experienced significant issues that detracted from the overall experience. Despite these problems, a few users mentioned that the game runs well on specific platforms like the Steam Deck, suggesting that performance may vary by system.
- “Runs great on my Steam Deck, which is a perfect home for it.”
- “Runs great on my Steam Deck.”
- “This game is a giant mess; there are lots of glitches preventing enemies from being saved in the bestiary.”
- “But sadly, I experienced more glitches, lag spikes, visual bugs, and crashes than any other game in recent memory.”
- “The map design could be better; currently, there is a bugged achievement that does not unlock, and unfortunately, with the current version (1.0.19), there still seems to be a chance that the game freezes, at least it did it twice on the final boss for me.”
atmosphere
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
36%
8%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning art style and engaging music, which effectively enhance the overall experience. Many players appreciate how the ambient soundtrack complements the game's tone, creating a relaxing environment that allows for immersive storytelling. While some critiques mention a lack of originality in gameplay mechanics, the combination of visual and auditory elements is consistently highlighted as a standout feature that captivates players throughout their journey.
- “The music elevates the atmosphere and the game is really pretty.”
- “Finally, the soundtrack was engaging and boosted the atmosphere a lot!”
- “Looked pretty, nice music and atmosphere, however the gameplay is lacking.”
- “The atmosphere really went hand in hand with the art style which made the gameplay of this game feel awesome.”
- “Without spoiling anything, this game has great flow/combat/area design/music/boss fights/atmosphere that it truly had my attention and focus through my entire playthrough.”
character development
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
27%
12%
Character development in the game is largely criticized for its lack of depth, as players encounter few characters who do not significantly impact the story. However, the character design and art style receive high praise, with many players appreciating the unique visuals and abilities, suggesting that while the characters may not evolve, their aesthetic appeal is a strong point of the game. Overall, the game excels in visual presentation but falls short in meaningful character progression.
- “I personally enjoyed the character design and storyline, as well as the game mechanics and weapon use. I found it very natural to adapt to this kind of game even though I had never played a Castlevania/Metroid style format, so I would definitely recommend this game to anyone looking to explore different game mechanics and styles.”
- “The game is beautiful and I'm obsessed with the character design.”
- “The art is simply gorgeous - character designs are unique, and the various biomes/areas are captivating.”
- “You meet few characters throughout the game, but there is no meaningful character development, and they don't advance the story.”
- “I like the different powers, but I would prefer if it would go deeper into those powers.”
- “Character design is fine.”
emotional
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional storytelling, which is described as heartwarming and touching, often exploring themes of sadness and loneliness. The art style and music significantly enhance the narrative, creating a deep emotional experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay depth and difficulty. Overall, players find the emotional aspects compelling, making it a memorable part of the gaming experience.
- “Beautiful game with an emotional story, though average exploration.”
- “The story has an emotional tone about sadness and loneliness.”
- “It's a fairly touching story.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
57%
Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that it offers little incentive to play again after completing it. While the visuals and soundtrack are praised, the linear gameplay, ease of enemies, and absence of features like New Game Plus contribute to a consensus that the game lacks depth and replay value. Most recommend caution regarding its price due to these limitations.
- “I would still recommend the game as the visuals and music are excellent, but I can't recommend buying it at full price given the lack of depth or replay value.”
- “The only downside is that the game has 0 replayability unless you have missed some achievements.”
- “Tldr: short game, expect crashes, very linear, no replayability, enemies felt easy and some can be skipped entirely, few Steam achievements are either glitched or currently unavailable.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
Overall, the game's optimization has seen improvements, particularly after recent patches that addressed freezing and stuttering issues. While Steam Deck users report excellent performance with minimal issues, some PC players still experience performance problems, especially during specific encounters. The developers are acknowledged for their efforts in enhancing performance, but there is a general hope for further optimization across all platforms.
- “I understand it is hard to optimize a game for PC, and I’m super grateful they are working even harder to make the game flawless in performance.”
- “- No performance issues for Steam Deck owners (and the patches have fixed typical launch-window deck issues like cutscenes not playing properly).”
- “- Performance: excellent (played on Steam Deck and PC. Be aware it is not Deck approved, so it has issues).”
- “It's a solid game, but it has some performance issues. The last boss has a bug that makes it randomly do damage to me without any visible hits, and the overall design is quite poor, which is disappointing.”
- “After the last patch the game received, the technical issues I was experiencing, such as the game freezing on loading screens and the stuttering frame rate, have cleared up.”
- “I still hope the team will improve performance for everyone.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its unexpected charm, particularly in the amusing blend of Castlevania and Metroid elements. Players also find the abrupt difficulty spike of the final boss to be hilariously jarring, adding to the game's comedic appeal despite some design issues.
- “Then the final boss is one of the most hilariously abrupt difficulty spikes I have ever experienced in a game.”
- “I didn't think I was going to like it, but this game is like the perfect blend between Castlevania and Metroid, and I think that's kind of funny.”
- “Ok, now the game is funny, it's beautiful, but it has some design problems.”