Here at PC Gamer, a score of 90% or above is pretty rare—if you look at our reviews policy, we reserve that sort of thing for “a compelling recommendation for most PC Gamers”. Nine Sols got one of those scores at a 92% in our Nine Sols review, and as someone who sank 28 blissful hours into the whole thing myself? I’m very much in agreement with contributor Abbie Stone. Nine Sols slaps.
Which is why I’m waving a big sign to tell you that it’s currently 60% off on Steam, and will be until May 18. That brings its price down to a deeply reasonable $12/£10, and for that you’re getting a roughly 20-hour game that completely cements itself as one of the best Sekiro-esque spinoffs. Next to Lies of P: Overture, of course.
In terms of its design, Nine Sols bosses are all great—but what accelerates it to an all-timer for me is, surprisingly enough, its story. Nine Sols comes from RedCandleGames, who’d previously only made horror titles. That DNA shows up in the grim, gory, and existentially worrisome tragedy of New Kunlun.
Unlike most soulslike protagonists, though, little cat guy Yi is his own character, and the unravelling of Nine Sols’ core mysteries—and the development of Yi from his hardened, vengeance-flooded rage into something greater—is genuinely compelling.
It helps that it’s a blast to play, also. If you’re as much of a freak about parry-based games as I am, this is one of the best. But it’s also worth checking out if you’re into Hollow Knight or Silksong, as there’s quite a bit of crossover in its genetic makeup—Nine Sols doesn’t have as many boss fights as something like Silksong, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality.
It also introduces some new spins on the genre, too. The Unbounded Counter (executed by holding down the block button and releasing it when it comes time to deflect a blow) is something I’d love to see worked into other Sekiro-style games. It just adds another layer of mastery to boss fights, since you can only hold it for so long, so you need to know when an attack you can prepare for is coming.
Oh, and the soundtrack’s got some bangers. The 60% off deal lasts until May 18 on Steam.
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