Rather than waiting impatiently for Hollow Knight: Silksong, you should play Nine Sols, a Taiwanese Metroidvania that just got ported over to PS5. It beautifully blends the philosophy of Taosim and the styles of East Asia with a sci-fi flair to deliver a thoughtful story told in a vibrant and deadly world.
The plot follows Yi, a cyborg humanoid cat who belongs to a species called the Solarians, as he fights through the stunning but decaying remains of his once-great civilisation. He's up against the council of Sols, nine powerful Solarians he had an ideological falling out with.
These are the most formidable bosses in the game, and no two are the same. With Sekiro-like combat, you have to carefully time Yi's dodges, parries, and attacks. Even simple enemies can best you if you're not careful.
It's simple at first but the wide variety of enemies and bosses mean it's tough to master the timing needed to beat the game. Overcoming challenging foes is incredibly satisfying because the fights never feel unfair, and the wonderful sound design and music give each battle a real rhythm that you'll often lose yourself in.
The world you explore is a classic 2D Metroidvania with plenty of branching paths and obstacles you'll have to return to once you gain the skills necessary to get through them. It can be very hard to figure out where the story wants you to go next, though. Some of the cutscenes are delivered via manga-esque comic strips, and in-game animations are so beautiful, you can almost feel them.
The platforming sections ramp up in difficulty steadily over the course of the game, but are very forgiving when you fall, simply placing you at the last safe spot you stood and only taking a small chunk of health as payment. All the areas feel unique, with different scores and environments, but the overall aesthetic and feel is consistent and high quality throughout.
You can improve Yi's abilities via the skill tree, by buying equipment upgrades, and finding jades; modules that get added to his internal computing system. There's also a solid range of well-written characters to interact with in a safe hub world, and they offer some exciting side quests that flesh out the setting.
Nine Sols will test you, but the atmosphere is stunning, the combat is thrilling, and the story is a fascinating mix of mysticism and sci-fi — so you'll meet the challenge happily. This is the best Metroidvania out there right now. Don't miss it.
Comments 48
Well this sounds awesome. Thanks for the review!
Not sure if it’s the best Metroidvania even, still got to finish it first, but I did have a very positive first impression, where I think it could shake up my top 10 list this year, but how deeply… I dunno. Prince of Persia is currently #4 on my personal list and a half hour in on Nine Sols, I was stroking my beard, thinking, “Wow, this could be better than The Lost Crown already.” That’s a high water mark for sure too. I love the genre and I’ve played a lot of them and Lost Crown is a contender for a top 20 list for the genre, you know? I’ll have to wait and see if Nine Sols hits the Metroid/Castlevania/Hollow Knight mark, but I’m happy with the game too.
It looks awesome. Another great game for the ps4.
Played it on my ROG Ally. Definitely a great game!
“Nine Sols/10” 😂 nice one 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
I honestly don’t care for the visual aesthetic. I’ve seen considerably better in both the indie and AA/AAA space. But, that alone won’t prevent giving it a try if all the other pieces are in place as far as gameplay and progression are concerned. The only potential thing that would kill any desire to even pick up the controller would be if the devs implemented a tedious, unnecessarily difficult, trophy hunter unfriendly trophy list.
@Balaam_ Saw your name and thought "bet they're gonna whine about trophies", and I wasn't disappointed.
I hope they implemented a rock hard trophy list. Separate the mindless collect-a-thon enthusiasts from people who actually have skill at games.
Played this for an hour or so earlier on gamepass and decided to buy it for PlayStation. It's brilliant!!!
@MrPeanutbutterz Wow, what a gamer you are!
@Balaam_ it’s not too bad from what I can see! There is a couple of missable ones you need to be wary of though
I played this earlier in the year on my steamdeck. This is a fantastic video game, one of my favourites this year. I'll purchase it again on playstation when I fancy it. These devs deserve all the praise and success they're getting!
@Frmknst definitely Ori by far.
@MeanBeanEgg Yeah, I don't piss and moan when a game asks me to have more skill than holding forward+R2 for forty hours!
I mean, this dude has a conniption about damn trophies in almost every single comment they make. It's... bizarre.
Been keeping an eye on this one, and glad to see the reviews give it high praise! Will defo pick up at some point, but I've recently splurged on a few other gems.
Also, cheers for the ratings spoiler in the sub-heading... 🙄
Joke! 😉
Played it for three hours and platforming have been nonexistent so far, only battles battles battles. Hope it will get better.
@MrPeanutbutterz I'm with you on that but I just can't be bothered to comment other than this.
I agree with the con, sometimes the game doesn't help in telling you where to go next, but it is the best Metroidvania I've played, beating out Hollow Knight, Metroid Fusion and tying with Ori Will of the Wisps for me.
@Frmknst both Ori and Nine Souls are on Gamepass, and a game's quality has nothing to do with which digital platform it's on.
It's very enjoyable probably game in my running for game of the year but I think Prince Persia slightly beats it in the Metroidvania department. It's very close.
So The Lost Crown is currently on sale so which is better this or POP TLC? Buying some games today
DON'T TEMPT ME!!! I cannot resist a quality Metroidvania, but alas I am a Canadian and therefore poor.
Good to hear. It’s on GamePass so I’ll definitely check it out
You had me at 'cyborg humanoid cat'.
That con automatically drops quite a few points from the score for me.
Will play it, but I'm not in a hurry. Can't see it surpassing the last Prince of Persia, though.
@MrPeanutbutterz …I thought trophies requiring effort was a good thing? At least they were originally supposed to, dunno why anyone would want more brainless trophy lists unless they really just seek the minuscule serotonin hit. Tbh, it’s part of why I love RetroAchievements, I’ve mastered very very few games’ lists because they range from ‘complete the game’ to the most insane challenges I’ve ever seen. And that’s ok, it’s part of the fun.
Does this game have a story mode setting?
@Jimmer-jammer I was actually about to mention you whilst reading this, but then just saw your comment at the top of the page.
Do you think you will be picking this up then, Jim? Perhaps after defeating that pesky final boss at the end of Sekiro? 😉
Fantastic so far, about 2 hours in. Had my eye on it since it's PC release in May!
Glad it's good, but it's not for me, as I'm not a fan of souls-style combat in 2D and also pretty much hate parrying (yeah, I'm the hardhead that platted Sekiro essentially without parrying). Too busy with SH2 and DQ3 anyway...
@MrPeanutbutterz If that's the case then I'll probably move on really fast and won't bother. Some/most games are not worth it I'm not wasting a fun experience for trophies that is why I never finished the first Tombraider reboot still have nightmares from boosting a dead multiplayer mode. 🤣
I’m excited to play this but waiting for a price drop.
Edit: I’ve just seen it’s on gamepass and I have 6 months free Xbox streaming with my broadband provider so this might have jumped up the list.
@nessisonett Im from the eighties and I just to old and not good enough for being number one a multiplayer shooter. Or completing a collectables run in one play through without a list with locked off locations Aka bad game design.
And I love DMC but I'm not even trying no hit difficulties. 🤣 Wolvenstein permadeath with no saves yeah that is a bomig no no.
@Flaming_Kaiser sometimes the trophys are just a bit too demanding for me and I absolutely hate trophys that have online requirements. I still enjoy the games that do have them but I'm not wasting my time chasing something that requires 20 million kills etc,etc,etc..I do like the challenge that the souls games have and I'll chase that trophy list (elden ring took me the best part of a year to platinum.) I'm a bit older than you from the sound of it and my reaction time just isn't what it used to be so I avoid some games that I really used to love playing-cygni being a prime example where hand to eye (four in my case) co-ordination is a prerequisite and will ultimately lead to frustration and it's a shame because I really want to play it.
This is a great game, but I’d probably only advocate it for those who enjoy games like Sekiro and Hollow Knight - where difficulty spikes and tough bosses are staples of those experiences. Whilst Nine Sols does have a ‘Story Mode’ (and difficulty slider options within this)… it sort of defeats the point of the game a bit. NS generally ‘is made for’ players wanting to overcome a tough challenge, and the ‘Standard’ normal mode is quite well balanced IMO
It is definitely one of the best MVs I’ve ever played, and would rank it comfortably with the new PoP, Hollow Knight,Blasphemous games, Metroid Dread etc
I perhaps favour NS slightly more due to the parry elements… being a huge Sekiro fan
@Frmknst I think Ori games are beautiful with some good platforming, but they kind of suck as metroidvanias.
N.i.c.e. i had a feeling pushsquare will dig nine sol also.word up son
@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN I’ve long surrendered my pride to The Sword Saint but will absolutely be checking this out. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
This game is rad, yo.
@Northern_munkey Same here if but if almost start crying or look on with disbelief by just glancing at the trophylist then i rather skip it. Or I will play the game if I like it enough but getting that platinum is also a form of showing that I really loved the game.
I do like collecting trophies so in a way it does influence me a little if I will get it especially free to play games. Are the trophies achievable by normal means. A Platinum does not matter to me though.
@Flaming_Kaiser platinums are not a must get for me either but if its in my grasp I'll give it a go.
@Northern_munkey If its fun to get to I really need to finish Uncharted 4 not looking forward to collecting the collectables though. 🤣
@Flaming_Kaiser I have yet to play uncharted 4 properly.
@nessisonett Depends how you define "effort". Running around looking for 100 hidden McGuffins is the bad kind of effort as it's just tedious busywork.
Requiring mastery of the gameplay systems = the good kind of effort. I've Platinumed games like Titanfall 2 ("Becomes the Master" is an infamous trophy and it requires you to do just that - master the movement system. But that in turn made the multiplayer far more enjoyable for me as I could dance across those maps using the skills to do that trophy), Wipeout Omega Collection and Sekiro (again, engaging with gameplay-driven titles at a high level makes them more rewarding to play).
I also don't understand boosting. There was a dude having a freak out in Street Fighter 6's Battle Hub because he couldn't win ten tournament fights (note - just fights within a tournament, not the tournaments themselves) and was begging people to throw their fights for him. I came up against him and caned him. He got salty in the chat, and I said "ever stop to think if you can't met the criteria for the trophy then you don't actually deserve to have it?".
Ultimately I wish they didn't exist and sincerely hope whatever Nintendo are cooking up for the Switch 2 they leave it "pure" and don't include trophies/achievements.
@MrPeanutbutterz I like trophies for the sole reason that it gives bloated open world games with no natural conclusion something to aim for. If I get the platinum in a game by engaging with all its systems and exploring everything it has to offer then that’s a good thing. If it has difficult trophies then maybe I’ll go for one or two but it’s not a big deal. The compulsion to trophy hunt just feels like you’ve turned games into a job rather than something fun, it’s the viewing of games as content rather than media.
@nessisonett Your last point sums it up perfectly. And to be honest, your first point also resonates - I'm about to 100% Horizon Zero Dawn (plus The Frozen Wilds) for the second time via the remaster. This is after I pumped 250+ hours into Forbidden West + Burning Shores.
Some of the more inane trophies (like smacking 20-whatever dummies in Carja territory) come naturally with engaging with content like I would when I was a kid, but again do appreciate they are very much nonsense.
@MrPeanutbutterz Horizon was one of the main ones I was thinking about, I did every single question mark on the map like I normally do in these sorts of games because that’s what I consider as ‘finishing’ a game like that. So the platinum coming at the end of that grind (along with the inane trophies you mentioned) feels like a reward for having seen what that game offers. The other main one I was thinking of was Far Cry. I got the platinum in Far Cry 3 and Far Cry Primal, which felt like such a natural ‘done’ moment given how living and breathing those worlds are. However, Far Cry 4 and 5 introducing multiplayer trophies I have no interest in meant that I didn’t get that moment that made me feel done with the game, which did sting a bit as I enjoyed my time and still cleared the map but have ‘undone’ parts of the game that I have no interest in completing. So it’s a balance personally, between rewarding you for exploring the game and not ever feeling like you’re undercutting the player’s experience as they chase trophies to the expense of them actually sitting down and engaging with the game normally.
If it gets people to shut up about silk song for a while it has fulfilled its purpose.
@smellyplaymarky yes. You can set damage taken to 1% and damage given to 1000%.
It is quite funny doing the boss battles like that.
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