In a world full of metroidvanias — action games with non-linear progression — and platformer games struggling to compete with the likes of Hollow Knight and Dead Cells, Red Candle Games created a home run of a game that successfully integrates difficult gameplay with a phenomenal narrative and an art style based in Daoist mythology.
Released on May 29, 2024, Nine Sols certainly competes with the all-time greats of the genre and is one of the best games to come out this year.
A Daoist dystopia
Looking from the outside in, Nine Sols is a story about the Solarians, a race of cat-like creatures, and their fall from grace. Protagonist Yi is betrayed by his mentor in a near-death encounter but survived thanks to the Primordial Roots, the Solarians’ main energy source.
After living with the captured humans (hilariously called “Apemen”) on the New Kunlun colony ship, Yi finally gets the opportunity to return to the ship prior and exact his revenge on the Nine Sols, the tyrannical leaders who are responsible for betraying him.
In contrast with the game’s futuristic elements and its ruthlessly brilliant artistic decisions, such as complex cargo belts and high-end research labs that only anthropomorphic cats can make, it shows the player that the Solarians were once pushing all sorts of boundaries in science and technology while also maintaining their roots.
The futuristic setting isn’t the only thing going for Nine Sols, as it also features a robust backdrop shrouded in Daoist concepts.
Many characters in the game bear striking resemblances to mythological Chinese figures. One of the most important ones is Shuanshuan, a human who is an indirect reference to the Yellow Emperor — a mythological ruler who allegedly shaped the key precepts of Daoism — including the quest for long life and a harmonious society.
The evolving relationship between Yi and Shuanshuan shows how time can allow friendships to prosper. Given the game’s Daoist influence, their relationship can also be interpreted as a divine blessing to the Yellow Emperor from a “higher being” in the Solarian Yi.
Another example of Daoism’s influence in Nine Sols is Yi himself. Meant to represent the mythological archer Hou Yi, he uses a bow and a sword throughout the game. However, his story differs from that of Hou Yi based on the player’s choices.
Yi either succumbs to his goal of revenge or creates a new one of saving the imprisoned humans, either deviating from or adhering to Hou Yi’s fate. But both stories both share the concept of “shooting down” the Nine Sols, or the Nine Suns, and leaving one of them to guide the common people.
The story is a wondrous blend of future and fiction that never fails to surprise.
“Cat souls”
A game with an amazing story can still have bad gameplay to even it out to mediocrity. Luckily, Nine Sols doesn’t suffer from this problem.
Yi starts off with some basic equipment — he can jump, dash and slash just like any other platformer character. But the real game changer in Nine Sols is the ability to deflect incoming attacks. All of this builds up Chi, which Yi can consume to hit an enemy with exploding talisman attacks for more damage. A combination of all of these basic elements already makes for an exceptionally nuanced gameplay experience.
The best part about these abilities is that they are given to Yi when he needs them the most, allowing for many encounters to be the most challenging when you first see them.
All of these mechanics are matched with well-designed enemies. Even the regular enemies the player encounters right at the beginning of the game can prove to be a big annoyance near the end.
The boss battles serve as a worthy challenge for applying the skills the player has acquired throughout Yi’s journey. They start off decently enough but ramp up in quality quickly. The final boss is the ultimate test and feels like a flawless culmination of both skills and endurance, marking itself as one of the best in the entire genre.
Combining intensity, power and culture, the soundtrack and audio design contribute to an addicting gameplay experience and further help to immerse the player in the world at hand.
Nine Sols is an undeniably difficult game. Every death or setback is a learning opportunity. This is why many consider it a “Sekiro-like,” because of the uphill battle every encounter represents for the player.
The most rewarding way to experience Nine Sols is to never give up. Pushing through the end of this experience has taught me a great deal about the potential of the metroidvania and platformer genres, and the best ones are always the ones that allow the players to keep pushing forward.
Final thoughts
Nine Sols weaves cyberpunk and mythological Chinese elements to create a unique world with many cultural aspects for players to discover, especially those tied to Daoist imagery and thematics. Its characters highlight a story of universal compassion and an allusion to the rise of mythological rulers in Eastern history with an art style to boot. And all of this is corroborated by a near-flawless gameplay system that encourages creativity and perseverance.
Nine Sols is definitely one of the best metroidvanias ever made, and it is perhaps a true contender for Game of the Year.
Overall Rating: 10/10 - Masterpiece
Length: 12-24 hours
Nine Sols is out now on Steam and all major consoles.
