izigame.me

I'm seeing a lot of unfair negative reviews about this game, which bothers me because Nine Sols deserves a bigger audience. Make no mistake, this is a difficult game. Parry mechanics aren't for everyone, and that's totally fair, but so many of these complaints about feeling weak are solved with a couple points in the skill tree, or just some basic game progression. People who haven't gotten past the second area are complaining about a lack of features the game hasn't introduced yet. Players stuck at early bosses are calling the combat unresponsive. 'Git gud' is a really obnoxious sentiment to hear during gruelling boss fights, no doubt, but I really encourage people to give this game a chance, take it slow, and push through some of the difficult opening hours. If it still feels really unforgiving, then play on story mode. You can adjust damage values in the settings mid-game. Yes, you won't get that achievement, but who cares? This is a singleplayer game, play how you want.
Every boss, miniboss, and tough enemy that kicks your ass initially will eventually become second nature, especially as the difficulty curve flattens out, you get more upgrades, and most importantly, you learn the game more. Explore every corner, and don't hoard your money. Remember spots on the map to come back to later. Switch your Jades out for different situations. During new encounters, just play passive and learn the moveset. The talisman mechanic is very important, and finding moments to slap paper on enemies will pay off, doubly so if you use it to reposition. A Jade you get early that makes talismans stun enemies will help you get used it, but learn to keep a mental tab on how many you have as you deflect attacks and gain more charges. Experiment with the different types you get later, and find one that suits your playstyle.
Every boss makes use of the parry mechanic, so if that's not your cup of tea, I wouldn't recommend the game to you, but if you've played Sekiro, you'll feel right at home here. The final boss of a game hasn't made me feel like such a baller since The Glock Saint himself. It's cocaine. That other Steam review is right - it's cocaine. The bosses in this game are tightly designed, with the great animation work showing off their tells before each attack. It's cocaine. You'll find yourself getting into a flow state where you're picking up patterns and learning how to counter each and every move. It's cocaine. Don't get discouraged from dying - it's part of the game, and you're expected to. But with a bit of patience and some quick reactions, this game CAN be mastered. It's cocaine.
The visuals are just stunning. I haven't played a metroidvania this pretty since the Ori games, and both the Taopunk aesthetic and manga panels during key moments really give it a sense of style that adds to the already engaging story. The chilling opening sequence hooked me and made me want to discover what was going on in the massive facility you find yourself in. Fair warning to people drawn in by the charming character designs - the game has some dramatic tone shifts, and you will go from picking up bubble tea rations to exposed intestines in the span of a room. The atmosphere is also very eerie as you blitz through cyborg guards and mutated freaks to an absolute banger of a soundtrack full of chimes and distorted wailing. I personally could not get enough of it. I harpooned the backs of dragons and hid in storage containers filled with human meat and marvelled at the creative choices on display here. Did I mention the lovingly hand-drawn animations? It's all gorgeous.
The game has built a rich world, with a lot of history before the time you start the game, and many characters are absolutely ancient. Each Sol (boss) runs a sector of the facility, and part of the fun as you go throughout their level is finding out how they've adapted (or contributed) to the crisis going on at the moment as your angry little rationalist hamster clashes philosophies with them and generally talks some mad Taoist shit. Some of my favorite bits in this game come from when a Sol decided to introduce a new gameplay mechanic in their level - or completely switch genres in one case. The strongest of these segments come in the first two thirds of the game, but each level has a unique twist that makes for some interesting platforming.
If you're a lore enjoyer like me, there's a lot to dig into here. You'll find loads of entries detailing the facility's many ethically questionable processes. You'll learn about dynasties, families and religious groups in power who had a hand in shaping the current world. You'll stumble on recorded hologram meetings that help put a timeline on the web of events that went on before the game's story. That's without even mentioning all the Taiwanese myths and symbolism inspiring this game that I'm too culturally stupid to catch.
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Some issues that could be fixed with a patch or two:
Item Tracking: The true ending for this game requires picking up a loooot of collectibles, most of which you will find just by exploring and playing the game naturally. But if you missed one or two, scouring the map for them near the end of the game is a pain in the ass, which isn't helped by the barebones map markers. I think a simple "X artifacts/health upgrades left" for each area would help the pace of the game near the end if you're going for the 100%.
Progression Guide: Similarly, your AI computer and a few other characters in the game will point you in a direction for the main story or a sidequest, and then never speak of it again. This was fine for me, as I played the game in big sessions, but I can easily see someone picking up this game after a busy week and getting lost or completely missing a sidequest location because it's mentioned in one dialogue box. Obviously, exploration should still be a priority for minor upgrades, but there should be one of those permanent orange markers whenever an important character offhandedly tells you to check a broom closet across the map.
Arrow Switching: I'm not sure if this was a problem for anyone else, but the game would constantly switch around my arrow types throughout the game, even mid-fight. Maybe there was some quick-switch button combo I missed, but I lost many a boss run because I was expecting to stun a boss out of an attack with a laser arrow, and the game decided to randomly switch to another arrow type despite me never touching the menu since the fight started.
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These are nitpicks though, and the game is overall very well designed. I think Nine Sols may be the best metroidvania I've played in a long time, and I can't give it enough praise. I'm not sure why there was absolutely zero marketing for this game, but it's really sad that the Elden Ring DLC is right around the corner, because between that and the challenging gameplay, I'm not sure how much attention Nine Sols will get. Maybe some big name youtubers or streamers will pick it up and there can be a much needed spotlight for it. There is so much love put into this game, and I'd hate to see it fade into obscurity, especially with the popularity of Sekiro and Hollow Knight, which it borrows a ton from. Hopefully this review convinces at least a few people to try it out. Thanks Red Candle, I really hope you guys get the recognition you deserve.
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Overall: You chief a hit of that squong to heal. You get glad. You parkour into the exact same electric wall 14 times in a row and lose all your money. You get mad. You talk to any character in the game. You get sad.
Red Candle, make a boss rush mode that pays for Shuanshuan's university tuition if you beat it. Or make a dating sim. I see some of those character designs, you ain't slick. The furries will go nuts. You'll make bank. Everyone wins. That idea's for free because this game is such a 10. I'm still annoyed I had to waste a third of this review telling people to play it.
Buy Nine Sols. It's cocaine.