The PlayStation Plus catalog for May includes Nine Sols, a 2D Metroidvania developed by the Taiwanese studio Red Candle Games. Its hand-drawn art style and a combat system reminiscent of Sekiro have caught attention. Players describe the encounters as a dance, and word of mouth already positions it as one of the month's standout titles without the need for major advertising campaigns.
Combat that draws from Sekiro and a hand-drawn world 🎨
Red Candle Games, known for horror titles like Detention, has changed gears with Nine Sols. The game relies on a parry and counterattack system that demands precision, similar to FromSoftware's title. The visual aspect, entirely hand-drawn, combines influences from Chinese folklore with a vibrant color palette. Performance on PS5 remains stable at 60 fps, and map exploration is designed with shortcuts that reward the player's memory.
The dance of the parry: from scaring to slashing ⚔️
Red Candle Games went from scaring us with ghosts in Detention to making us dance with katanas in Nine Sols. Players now debate whether it's more satisfying to land a parry or remember where they left the map last time. That said, no one complains that a free game on PS Plus demands ninja cat reflexes. After all, if something goes wrong, you can always blame the controller.