Nine Sols

Amazing game, story and themes can get very dark which i like a lot, game has this somewhat edgier vibe to it compared to Hollow Knight, which is probably the game most people will compare to this one. Differently than Hollow Knight, all power-ups required for progression and exploration are more or less given to you right in the middle of your normal path, so it's basically impossible to miss a power-up needed to progress, which can happen in a lot of metroidvanias. Game also has a mapping system that shows how many items are in each area, so you know when you're still missing something and when you're not, overall this makes the exploration aspect of Nine Sols extremely comfy and straightforward, with little to no backtracking needed. Combat is very fun and very parry-focused, if you don't like parrying, this game is not for you, if you're bad at it, this game is gonna make you learn it. With that said i've found the game considerably easier than Silksong for example, a few bosses are going to give you trouble but nothing more than a few minutes, and after some point dying to normal enemies in the levels becomes very unlikely because you have so many resources to deal with everything. This is a must-play to anyone that likes Hollow Knight in my opinion. And if you're new to these types of games this is a perfect one to get started because it's not that hard. Pog game.

hollow knight attacked and nine sols parried it. and i say that as someone with 100% in both HK and silksong. the combat is EXCEPTIONAL. not "good for an indie game". genuinely elite. parry-focused, sekiro like, weighty, punishing. every boss is a dance - whether its a tango or a slow waltz. you dont just react; you learn tells, delays, fake-outs, the game is absolutely brutal but fair. zero artificial grind. the worst boss in nine sols is better than the best boss in most metroidvanias. true ending [spoiler]eigong[/spoiler] genuinely nearly broke me. for sure rivals some of the hardest fights ive ever done, but its absolute CINEMA. the exploration is classic metroidvania done RIGHT. ability gates, hidden paths, secrets everywhere. you start weak, lost, overwhelmed, by the end, your practically immortal. the world is smaller than a map like silksong but denser. the story really surprised me. revenge, atonement, world-class writing. the end had me seriously emotional. im not proud of it but the story earned it. nine sols has that unique ability to make you truly attached to the characters, in a way that is almost unparalleled. the art style is one of the best ive seen. taoist sci-fi (chinese devs for context), hand-drawn, comic book cutscenes, the sound design is excellent – not metro level, but excellent nevertheless. in all honesty, the skill curve is sharp and not entirely balanced, and some enemies feel rigged. if you liked hollow knight, buy this. if you liked sekiro, buy this. if you like not being the guy who misses out on peak gameplay due to skill issues, buy this. stop reading. your skill issue isnt an excuse. buy it. 9.7/10.

Absolutely gorgeous, surprisingly charming and just a good ass time. One of the best final bosses in any game I've played. Keyboard controls are a bit messed up with many bindings being hardcoded (z and space to accept and wasd /arrows for menus)