Nine Sols

In any other universe, I would balk at Nine Sols’ difficulty. Yet, I gave it a chance, and it more than rewarded me for giving it a moment of my time. Over 20 hours later, I came out of it bruised, battered, and wanting more Taopunk goodness.

91%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, stability

96% User Score Based on 20,378 reviews

Critic Score 90%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

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About

Nine Sols is a single player hack and slash game with fantasy, dark fantasy, violence and science fiction themes. It was developed by RedCandleGames and was released on May 28, 2024. It received positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Nine Sols is a lore rich, hand-drawn 2D action-platformer featuring Sekiro-inspired deflection focused combat, immersive storytelling, and unique Taopunk setting. 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.

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96%Audience ScoreBased on 20,378 reviews

story4.4k positive mentions

grinding236 negative mentions

The game showcases a stunning hand-drawn 'taopunk' art style blending traditional Chinese aesthetics with futuristic cyberpunk, creating a unique and immersive atmosphere.
Combat is deeply rewarding with a refined parry mechanic inspired by Sekiro; boss fights are challenging, engaging, and well-designed, offering a high skill ceiling.
The story is emotionally powerful, well-written, and richly developed with strong character arcs, especially the protagonist's journey, often evoking strong emotional responses.
The soundtrack uniquely combines traditional East Asian instruments with electronic elements, perfectly complementing the game's atmosphere and emotional tone.
The game is well optimized across multiple platforms, running smoothly on low-spec PCs and the Steam Deck with stable frame rates and minimal bugs.
Humor is cleverly integrated, providing witty, funny, and heartfelt moments that balance the dark narrative and enhance character interactions.

The combat suffers from stiff and sometimes unpolished mechanics, including inconsistent parry timing, slow action speed, and occasional problematic hitboxes.
Story presentation is overly verbose with frequent unskippable cutscenes and long dialogue sequences that disrupt pacing and can become tedious.
Replayability is limited due to linear storytelling, lack of gameplay variety, absence of new game+ modes, and repetitive combat and exploration elements.
Grinding can be tedious and time-consuming, with slow movement early on, long boss phases, and a low XP reward system causing gameplay fatigue.
Some visual inconsistencies occur between different cutscenes and gameplay, and occasional bugs, freezes, and UI issues were reported despite overall optimization.

story
9,096 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
50%
2%
The story of Nine Sols is widely praised for its emotional depth, compelling characters, and thematic richness rooted in Taoism and Chinese mythology, presenting a dark, mature narrative about revenge, redemption, and acceptance. It is more directly told than typical metroidvanias, utilizing dialogue, cutscenes, and lore that gradually unfolds, engaging players despite some initial pacing issues. While some find the extensive dialogue and difficulty in standard mode challenging, a customizable story mode ensures accessibility, allowing players to fully experience its moving and memorable storyline.
- “The story in this game is very well brought, told through beautifully animated videos and chronicles, revealing the intrigues of the solar empire and the struggle with the council of the nine soldiers. It is a well-written but tragic tale of revenge, secrets, and god-like cats who need therapy after finishing this emotional rollercoaster.”
- “Nine sols combines expertly-crafted, precise combat with brilliant emotional storytelling. The story is conveyed subtly and elegantly through environmental storytelling, cryptic dialogue, and memorable encounters with a cast of well-developed characters, each bearing their own burdens and secrets.”
- “Nine sols has a very strong focus on story, more so than any metroidvania. Yi’s quest is not just about action; it’s a personal journey full of twists, emotional depth, and incredible character development. This game blends story and gameplay seamlessly, making every twist hit harder and every victory feel earned.”
- “There's just so much dialog, and I mean really so much of it, like you'll be playing along and suddenly another conversation starts where characters tell you their entire life story, feelings about recent events, feelings about other characters' feelings about those events, their theories about why everything is happening, philosophical perspectives on why those theories matter in the grand scheme, and how it all connects to other conversations hours ago. At some point, you mash the skip button because you've been reading dialogue for fifteen minutes straight and want to get back to gameplay, but then the next area has more dialogue, continuing the cycle endlessly, making it feel like the game is shackled by its own narrative exposition.”
- “My main gripe is the way the story is presented. There are unskippable cutscenes, lengthy dialogue whenever you try to progress the plot, and all the story constantly interrupts the gameplay. The pacing is off and repetitive dialogue drags out the experience, making it tedious and killing the flow of the game.”
- “I gave up on the final boss and switched to story mode after trying for an hour or so. The ending is incredibly badly handled from a game perspective (not story-wise), overwhelmingly frustrating, and a massive difficulty spike that grinds the story to a halt. I spent nearly a quarter of my playtime on the final boss before the story finally resumed, which ruins pacing and player engagement.”
gameplay
4,866 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
2%
The gameplay of Nine Sols is a challenging yet highly rewarding metroidvania-style experience deeply centered around a refined, sekiro-inspired parry mechanic. It features fluid combat, diverse boss fights with unique mechanics, and thoughtful progression that introduces new abilities steadily, providing satisfying depth and a high skill ceiling. While some players may find the intensity and punishing elements demanding, those who master the mechanics praise its tight controls, engaging fights, and seamless integration of story and gameplay.
- “The parry mechanics and everything that surrounds it like the jump parries and the charged parries are all very well-designed and interesting to master.”
- “The combat system is also interesting; many fights rely heavily on blocking, parrying, and dodging attacks, which makes the mechanics feel more understandable than some other games in the genre.”
- “Nine sols really sets the tone within the first hour of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is stiff with terrible parry mechanics (timing not aligned with enemy's move, unpractical jump-parry), every action is slow when enemies never stop moving.”
- “The combat is very unpolished: animations feel jaggy (and in a game in which parrying is the main mechanic is a big fault), hitboxes are often bad placed (i.e., hits that get you even if behind an enemy), most abilities you unlock are useless except for the gimmicky mobs.”
- “The combat feels erection-inducing, the mechanics and scenarios they put you in.”
music
3,013 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
36%
1%
The music in the game is widely praised for its unique blend of traditional East Asian instruments and electronic elements, creating an atmospheric and emotional soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's themes, settings, and intense combat sequences. Boss fight themes and the credits song are particularly highlighted as standout tracks that elevate the experience. While some find the music more atmospheric and less memorable outside the game, the overall soundtrack contributes significantly to immersion and emotional engagement.
- “The music, providing a fitting and oftentimes very deeply emotional background to every moment (seriously, I cry just listening to the soundtrack sometimes).”
- “The soundtrack absolutely cooks.”
- “The music absolutely bangs and helps pull the player into the game.”
- “The music is lackluster after the first area.”
- “The soundtrack is not really fitting with the sci-fi nature of the game and not very memorable either.”
- “The music is very just okay, often I don't really like it that much though, probably the worst part of the game for me sadly.”
graphics
2,761 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
35%
The game features a stunning, hand-drawn "taopunk" art style that beautifully blends traditional Chinese aesthetics with futuristic cyberpunk elements, creating a unique and visually striking world. Visuals are consistently praised for their detail, vibrant colors, and immersive environments, often compared favorably to titles like Hollow Knight. Alongside the gorgeous graphics, the animations, comic panel cutscenes, and cohesive presentation greatly enhance the storytelling and overall atmosphere, making the game's graphics a standout aspect.
- “Beautifully done hand-drawn visuals, charming characters, and engaging fast paced gameplay.”
- “The hand-drawn art style mixed with Taoist symbolism and futuristic cyberpunk environments gives Nine Sols an identity that immediately stands apart from most indie metroidvanias.”
- “The art style is stunning and the story is amazing.”
- “The visuals of this game are of inconsistent quality, in my opinion.”
- “The parry-focused combat feels amazing once you catch the rhythm of the bosses, movement gets more fun with each new ability you get, and the story goes in directions you definitely do not expect from the artstyle (there do be gore and body-horror).”
- “The artstyle can be a little bit inconsistent at times between the game, comic cutscenes and animated cutscenes, but it still looks very good.”
emotional
760 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its deeply touching, heart-wrenching, and thoughtfully crafted story that resonates with players on a profound level, frequently evoking tears and strong emotional reactions. Players highlight the powerful character development, especially the bond between the protagonist and key characters like Shuanshuan, as well as the meaningful integration of the narrative with the combat, art, and music, creating a cohesive and immersive emotional experience. The game is celebrated as a rare blend of challenging gameplay and moving storytelling that leaves a lasting impact.
- “Nine Sols has possibly the most powerful and touching story I've ever had the privilege of playing through.”
- “The true ending had me emotional, dude. The story is deeply emotional and the characters are all vibrant; certain scenes hit particularly hard because the story builds attachment before delivering emotional payoff.”
- “Everything else is nearly perfect—the engaging, parry-focused combat; the beautiful and unique taopunk aesthetic with breathtaking hand-drawn art; the music provides a fitting and deeply emotional background to every moment (seriously, I cry just listening to the soundtrack sometimes); and most of all, the story.”
- “A boring story and relentless waves of exposition ultimately sunk the game and bored me to death.”
- “Overall, I really wanted to like this game, but its boring story just didn't give me the drive to finish it.”
- “Clunky and not fluid controls, entire game dependent only on parrying, bad world building, boring story, repetitive with only a few enemy types, unclear navigation, forcing a tedious combat mechanic. An example of how not to make a metroidvania.”
atmosphere
346 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
33%
1%
The atmosphere of this game is widely praised for its unique and immersive blend of "taopunk" aesthetics—a mix of Taoist culture, cyberpunk elements, and Eastern mythology—enhanced by stunning hand-drawn art and a haunting, atmospheric soundtrack that dynamically complements exploration and combat. Reviewers highlight the game's disturbing yet beautiful world, rich lore, and emotionally engaging storytelling that draw players deeply into its dark, melancholic, and sometimes psychedelic environment. While some compare its atmosphere favorably to titles like Hollow Knight and Sekiro, the game stands out with a distinct, cohesive mood that is both captivating and integral to the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly well crafted, with subtle horror undertones that reminded me of the studio’s previous games ("Detention" and "Devotion").”
- “The dense world of Taoist mythology mixed with cyberpunk (the so-called "Taopunk") paired with a phenomenal soundtrack creates an atmosphere you won't easily forget.”
- “Every frame is dripping with atmosphere, and the world feels rich with lore and mystery without spoon-feeding you exposition.”
- “Maybe the pace got a little strange and I felt a bit weird with how the game tried to establish a connection between lore, atmosphere, and the map itself.”
- “While its world and atmosphere may have potential, the core gameplay is hindered by poorly executed combat mechanics and an overabundance of story that disrupts the pacing.”
- “How it is, it feels more like the game saying 'here's where you're going to go next; pack your bags!' It takes away a lot of the natural feel of exploring and replaces it with an almost railroady atmosphere.”
grinding
273 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
11%
86%
Grinding in this game is a mixed experience: while some players enjoy the challenging boss fights that require learning attack patterns and parrying rhythms, many find the combat and backtracking tedious due to lengthy boss phases, slow movement early on, unskippable cutscenes, and a grind-heavy upgrade system with low enemy XP rewards. Exploration and backtracking can feel monotonous, especially before unlocking fast travel, and repeated attempts at bosses often involve replaying slow or unrewarding segments. Overall, grinding is necessary for progression and upgrades but can become a time-consuming and repetitive chore that detracts from the experience for some players.
- “100% wasn't tedious at all and actually pretty enjoyable, just keep in mind there are some missable achievements that you have to watch out for during your first playthrough.”
- “A great metroidvania, in the sense that backtracking is fun and not tedious, exploration supplies you with enough of everything, so you don't feel pressured to 100% everything (even though it's fun and I encourage doing it), combat never feels annoying, and the story unfolds naturally throughout the game.”
- “Very cool map to explore and also it's not tedious to achieve the side quests.”
- “The boss difficulty really gives me that souls-like experience of grinding out a boss until I have mastered it, then experiencing the emotional payoff of my perseverance.”
- “Most enemies are damage sponges, many move way too fast for me to parry their moves (edit, you can parry, but it's a tedious learning curve and really ramps up at one point), there's so much you can do during fighting that I constantly jumble my inputs.”
- “It was just tedious, I fought tooth and nail through the first two phases for 6 hours only to find out there was a third phase, which I died to immediately and then switched to story mode because I know when it's not going to be worth my time.”
character development
220 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
51%
1%
Character development in the game is widely praised for its depth, emotional impact, and organic progression, particularly the protagonist Yi's compelling journey of growth and redemption. The characters are richly designed and distinct, with their arcs and relationships adding significant narrative weight that enhances player engagement. While a few critiques note some generic elements or limited development for minor characters, the overall consensus highlights strong, well-crafted character design and storytelling that elevate the game's world and emotional resonance.
- “Yi’s character development throughout the game is incredible and made the journey feel deeply personal.”
- “The story is well written and rich in character growth, making me genuinely feel for the main cast's tragedy by the end.”
- “Character development is a highlight, with strong relationship-building moments and interactions that can even be funny at times, balancing the otherwise grim tone.”
- “Granted I was already feeling jaded by the gameplay, but the overall story just didn't really interest me, and the characters all felt flat and predictable with very little real character development.”
- “Although the overall world-building is decent, the weakest aspects of the game are probably the dialogue and character development.”
- “No character development, no backstory, nothing.”
humor
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever, witty, and well-balanced integration within a dark and emotional narrative, often providing lighthearted, funny moments and charming character interactions that complement the intense gameplay. Players appreciate the quirky and memorable character banter, especially involving a "funny cat" protagonist, which adds levity without undermining the story's serious themes. Overall, the humor is seen as both amusing and heartfelt, enhancing the game's emotional depth and player engagement.
- “The combat is intense and difficult but insanely rewarding once you get into the rhythm of how parrying works, the world is unique and engaging, the story quickly sucks you in, characters and banter are entertaining and funny enough for you to want to sit into conversations.”
- “The protagonists and supporting cast are equal parts fun, funny, and profound... I won't say too much more to not give anything else away.”
- “The bits of conversation Yi has with his companions at the pavilion are very funny, clever, and full of heart.”
replayability
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
79%
9%
Replayability is generally viewed as low due to the game's linear storytelling, limited variety in playstyles, and lack of features like new game+ or a dedicated hard mode. While combat customization and boss fights offer some incentive for multiple playthroughs, unskippable cutscenes and minimal post-game content reduce the desire to replay. Many players appreciate the core experience but hope for future updates or DLC to enhance replay value with modes like boss rush or challenge runs.
- “The bosses' designs are great and some have high replayability.”
- “This choice in combat style also increases the replay value, as it encourages the player to explore different ways of defeating the same bosses.”
- “Upgrades are balanced and allow for replayability and variations in combat style.”
- “Low replay value: because of the highly linear storytelling, there isn't much incentive to replay the game after finishing it.”
- “Although this works in the game's favour by having the player focus on its few core aspects as the upgrades expand only existing abilities, it leaves practically zero variety in how you play, and gives the game no replay value after you've beaten it once.”
- “Unskippable cutscenes and linearity make this game a bit lacking in replayability; however, the first playthrough was very fun.”
optimization
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
57%
7%
The game is generally very well optimized, running smoothly on a wide range of hardware including low-spec PCs and the Steam Deck, with stable frame rates and minimal bugs. Some users noted occasional minor stuttering or performance dips in specific areas or boss fights, and a few reported longer load times and rare crashes, but overall performance is praised as polished and reliable. Optimization improvements are expected in future patches, but the current state offers a solid, enjoyable experience with impressive technical stability.
- “Greatly optimized, ran smoothly on a really low-spec PC.”
- “I'm definitely adding this to my list of 'games I go back and do another playthrough every year.' The game is amazingly optimized as well, and my fairly average laptop has stupidly fast load times - about a second!”
- “During my 36 hours of playtime I have encountered absolutely zero bugs, and, as of the current patch, absolutely zero performance drops.”
- “Hell no, its optimization is garbage and you have to wait far too long in the transitions between different map areas.”
- “RTX 3090, and for some reason it kept stuttering when I was parrying, it made it unplayable, which is unfortunate.”
- “I think the only thing that took away from the experience for me was poor performance.”
stability
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
5%
61%
The game generally runs well across platforms, including Steam Deck and PC, delivering smooth performance and stable framerates. However, users report occasional bugs such as freezes during loading or map access, some glitches in hitboxes and side quests, and occasional UI issues. While not bug-free, many find these issues minor or manageable, with developers actively addressing major problems.
- “The game runs great on Steam Deck and desktop PC, with smooth performance even when using a Nintendo Switch Pro controller. Only minor UI issues occur when hit during resting, which is easy to avoid.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck too, which is a huge bonus.”
- “The game runs great and looks amazing, with no glitches encountered.”
- “Where it freezes up as the game loads in.”
- “Buggy and laggy, constant freezes in a 2D game, clearly some optimizations could be made.”
- “Only issue is that I've now been getting a problem where the game freezes super bad sometimes when I open the map, and I have to close and restart.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Users criticize the monetization for introducing unintuitive and frustrating mechanics, including mandatory counters and respawning ads that impact gameplay negatively. However, many caution against spending money on microtransactions, suggesting the base game itself is worth recommending despite these issues.
- “Some bosses (2-3) are hard because of the unnecessary ads/environment problem.”
- “Unnecessary 2 ads that respawn all the time.”
- “I highly recommend this game, don't spend your $40 dollars on microtransactions.”

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90%Critics’ scoreBased on 10 critic reviews

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25h Median play time

48h Average play time

6-40h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 73 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Nine Sols is a hack and slash game with fantasy, dark fantasy, violence and science fiction themes.

Nine Sols is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 48 hours playing Nine Sols.

Nine Sols was released on May 28, 2024.

Nine Sols was developed by RedCandleGames.

Nine Sols has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Nine Sols for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Nine Sols is a single player game.

Similar games include ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights, MIO: Memories in Orbit, Bo, Hyper Light Drifter, Constance and others.

Nine Sols

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story

gameplay

music

graphics

emotional

atmosphere

grinding

character development

humor

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optimization

stability

monetization

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Hyper Light Drifter

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Hollow Knight: Silksong

Nine Sols, one of our best-reviewed soulslikes, is just $12 on Steam this week

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Nine Sols, and EA Sports FC 26 Free With PS Plus in May

Playstation Plus Monthly Games for May: EA Sports FC 26, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Nine Sols

Grab Nine Sols and six other great Steam Deck games for just $15, saving over $156

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