Nine Sols

Play it on: PS4. Switch, Windows (Steam Deck: OK)
Current goal: Defeat Goumang

Red Candle Games is an indie team based in Taiwan that shocked the world with its great horror games, most notably 2019’s Devotion. It’s now pivoted to a completely different genre with Nine Sols, a side-scrolling action game in the mold of a 2D Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Combat is elegant, methodical and punishing as you journey through a gorgeous “Taopunk” world in search of revenge. The story is interesting, but sometimes feels like it’s intruding on the flow of the exploration and action. Fighting enemies, on the other hand, including bosses, feels crisp and rewarding.

There’s a deflection mechanic where timed parries build up chi that can be used to unleash exploding talisman attacks. You also take two types of damage, one of which you can recover from by not getting hit. Add in a long-range bow and sizable skill tree and there’s a ton of interesting stuff going on in Nine Sols that sets its encounters apart from your standard, dime-store Soulsborne Metroidvanias (even the ones I love). I’m pleasantly impressed so far, and while there’s not a Switch version yet, it reportedly runs great on Steam Deck. — Ethan Gach