It’s been a few months since the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, meaning fans of Soulslike games have had plenty of time to conquer its imposing challenge and recover from the beating it took afterward. With Messmer firmly put in his place, that leaves room for another ultra-difficult game to round out the year for anyone still looking for a challenge. Fortunately, Xbox Game Pass just made a different FromSoftware-inspired game available to subscribers, and it’s well worth exploring its punishing depths.
Released by Devotion developer Red Candle Games a month before Shadow of the Erdtree, Nine Sols may have been overlooked by players gearing up for the latest From Software challenge. Nine Sols takes inspiration from a part of the FromSoft catalog that’s seen far fewer imitators than the Souls series — Sekiro. That makes it a nice change of pace from the more Souls-flavored approach of Elden Ring, while offering a kind of challenge that even Soulslike fans rarely get to experience.
Even Soulslike fans will be tested by Nine Sols. Red Candle Games
The Sekiro inspiration in Nine Sols comes across in its parry system. Like in FromSoft’s ninja action game, dodging is an option in Nine Sols, but not usually the best one. As nerve-wracking as it can be, the smartest reaction to most attacks is to stand your ground, ready your sword, and turn the strike aside with a perfectly timed parry. Missing a block means a lot more in Nine Sols than it does in most games, but its demand to react with split-second precision rather than just getting out of the way makes battles more thrilling and, if you come out the other end alive, more satisfying as a result.
Where many Soulslike games keep their narrative sides threadbare in an attempt to recreate the atmospheric storytelling of Dark Souls, Nine Sols makes its story more explicit. That’s somewhat in keeping with Sekiro’s comparatively larger focus on story, but feels like Nine Sols asserting its own identity rather than copying Elden Ring’s notes.
Boss battles are a particular challenge in Nine Sols. Red Candle Games
As you learn early on in the game, you play as Yi, a former high-ranking official of a technologically advanced society that fell into ruin long ago. Nine Sols begins in an idyllic village that’s quickly revealed — after an act of sabotage by Yi — to be a front for an underground facility for his former comrades, which is turning the people who call the village home into meat products. Yi’s people, the Solarians, aren’t native to this planet, and unwinding the story of who they were, why they came here, and how they’re trying to restore their place as rulers of all they see ends up being just as strong a motivation as seeing what the next battle has in store.
Fighting your way to the end of Yi’s tale is no easy task. I’d rank Nine Sols among the most difficult Soulslike games around, but it never feels unfair. Coming to terms with its combat system, which blends the rhythm of parries and strikes with a small arsenal of additional abilities, is a genuinely compelling learning process. A sharp eye and good intuition are as crucial as a steady hand, and Nine Sols encourages players to slow down and study their enemies to a degree that its Soulslike cousins often don’t. That makes victory always feel possible, if only you can put in the time to learn each of your foes’ intricacies and keep the fear of failure from getting the better of you.
On top of its great combat and story, Nine Sols’ hand-drawn art is breathtaking. Red Candle Games
Another welcome addition to Nine Sols is its difficulty options. While the words “easy mode” are anathema to many Soulslike fans, the inclusion of Story Mode opens Nine Sols up to an audience that may not be able to engage with it at all on its default setting. By lowering the damage Yi takes, Story Mode lets players experience its fascinating narrative without sending stress levels through the roof.
Whether you’re in it for the heart-pounding combat or the nuanced story, Nine Sols is one of the year’s most overlooked indie games. Its Game Pass launch coincides with the game’s release on consoles, so even if you’re not a subscriber, you can give it a shot. It’s far from the most relaxing way to spend your gaming time, but following Yi to the end of his journey is well worth the struggle.
Nine Sols is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
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