Taking to Twitter, Red Candle Games has announced that Nine Sols will get a physical release on the Nintendo Switch at some point in 2025, courtesy of a partnership with Fangamer. When exactly it will launch next year or whether physical releases are also planned for other platforms is unknown. Red Candle Games also says Fangamer is currently the “exclusive retailer” for Nine Sols’ physical Switch release.

In our review of Nine Sols, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Whether you seek an addictive platformer, a substantial action experience with incredible presentation, or a new challenge, Nine Sols offers all this and more.” Read the full review through here.

Nine Sols is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

🎉 We are thrilled to announce our partnership with @Fangamer to release the physical edition of Nine Sols for the Nintendo Switch! 🎮✨

📢 Please note that @Fangamer is currently the exclusive retailer for the Nintendo Switch physical copy. 🛒 Stay tuned for our latest updates!… pic.twitter.com/JXnmklAQa0

— redcandlegames (@redcandlegames) December 17, 2024

After garnering significant acclaim on PC, both from Steam users (currently Overwhelmingly positive) and critics, it’s available for consoles. Suffice it to say if you’re a genre fan, someone seeking exceptional combat, or find the general premise intriguing, Nine Sols is an incredible experience that shouldn’t be missed.

"The areas themselves are also well-realized and imaginative. Each boss is in charge of a “district” of sorts, and their approach to managing it manifests in different ways."

The story follows Yi, a powerful warrior betrayed by the titular Nine Sols, the authoritative figures of the Tiandao Council governing New Kunlun. Though left for dead, the mysterious Primordial Roots keep him alive until he’s eventually discovered by Shuanshuan of a nearby village. The two become friends as Yi slowly recovers, but when Shuanshuan is chosen for a sacrificial ceremony, the former begins his quest for revenge anew, seeking to slay the Nine Sols and take their Sol Seals.

There’s a lot more going on than meets the eye, especially when factoring in flashbacks of Yi’s sister during their younger days, the origins of the council, and more. The amount of lore can be surprising at first, but it unravels steadily as you learn more about the Eternal Cauldron project and why Yi is so obsessed with reclaiming the Sol Seals. The characterization is also on point throughout, particularly the dichotomy when Yi interacts with Shuanshuan versus the Nine Sols, and offers quiet moments of reflection and some light comedy (Shennong’s poison consumption or Shanhai 9000 and its aloof nature) without losing the plot.

However, the two main pillars of the title are its exploration and combat. If you’ve played other games in the genre, the gameplay loop will look very familiar – explore areas, uncover secrets and upgrades, unlock an ability, defeat a boss, and use that new ability to open up new locations. Sometimes you’ll encounter places closed off and necessitating a new technique, but exploring out-of-the-way areas could yield rewards, like currency called Jin for purchasing Jades to equip for passive benefits. It’s a time-tested mechanic, and Nine Sols makes good use of it.

The areas themselves are also well-realized and imaginative. Each boss is in charge of a “district” of sorts, and their approach to managing it manifests in different ways. For instance, the Agricultural Zone has many facilities in ruin or disrepair and almost feels zombie-like in how it continues to function (foreshadowing, if nothing else).

"Unlike Sekiro, there’s no execution mechanic once you’ve broken an enemy’s posture. Instead, Yi gains Qi Charges, which can be used to attach a talisman that explodes after a short duration, dealing extensive damage."

Though they’re not as large as they may first appear – those moments where two areas link back together can feel a bit underwhelming – they’re still full of things to discover, whether it’s minibosses, challenging platforming sections or nodes and treasure chests to hack into. The only grievance I have is how some of them (ahem, Cortex Center) can feel unrelenting sometimes with their environmental hazards and enemies.

Speaking of which, there’s a fair bit of variety to the enemies, ranging from your average guards with swords and spears to drones and Wardogs. There are a fair amount of soldier types to encounter, but each presents different hazards to Yi’s well-being. A regular long-ranged enemy with a wrist-mounted crossbow will periodically send arrows your way and doesn’t pose much challenge. However, a proper sniper that can deal massive damage with their shots will keep you on your toes, the long charge time providing a window for attacking. Some melee-focused foes will also test your parrying skills and it can be a lot to manage at first.

This brings us to the other core pillar of the experience: Combat. Yi has your basic attack combo and eventually gains the ability to fire arrows with the Azure Bow along with charging up heavy strikes for more damage and breaking shields. He can also parry – time it right, and the attack is negated. Slight mistiming will reduce the damage from an attack, but it can quickly spell doom when dealing with combos. Enemies also have unblockable Crimson Attacks that can’t be parried normally and require a Tai-Chi Kick, performed mid-air, to stagger them.

Unlike Sekiro, there’s no execution mechanic once you’ve broken an enemy’s posture. Instead, Yi gains Qi Charges, which can be used to attach a talisman that explodes after a short duration, dealing extensive damage. The more Qi charges stored, the higher the damage dealt. Upgrading your skills provides more control over these, like detonating the talisman earlier (which can be useful against multiple enemies). Jades can also help in this endeavor, like incapacitating enemies stuck with talismans to provide breathing room.

"If it wasn’t obvious enough by now, Nine Sols is pretty great. Each element, be it the visuals, combat, or environments is honed to perfection, following a unified vision that perpetuates throughout."

While it’s initially challenging to master the parry timing, especially when taking on multiple enemies, Nine Sols’ overall combat oscillates pretty well between calculated battles and desperate struggles. That initial battle against a miniboss may be a wash, but after learning their patterns and quickly adjusting, attacks feel more surgical and precise. It is all the more notable in boss battles, which all feature unique mechanics, amazing spectacles, and robust challenges.

If exceptional combat, boss battles, and exploration aren’t enough, then Nine Sols deserves a look for its visuals. They’re hand-drawn, backed by remarkable designs for all characters and enemies, and animated so well. Of course, even the environmental aesthetics are noteworthy, playing with lighting and instilling different moods, whether it’s a sense of mystery or outright dread.

The soundtrack is also simply sublime – there are elements of traditional Chinese opera singing and classic instruments mixed with fast-paced techno and distortions, which must be heard to be believed (and they pair well with the combat). To say that the presentation values are exceptional would be an understatement, even with the comic book-style panels preceding some boss battles.

If it wasn’t obvious enough by now, Nine Sols is pretty great. Each element, be it the visuals, combat, or environments is honed to perfection, following a unified vision that perpetuates throughout. The plot can be initially challenging to follow, but it’s still compelling, and the in-game glossary helps keep track of everything. The challenge may not be for everyone, but there is a Story Mode available to adjust the amount of damage inflicted and endured.

Nine Sols warrants a look, delivering an unorthodox adventure without compromising on a single element. It doesn’t just stand out as a compelling side-scrolling action title with endearing characters, memorable boss fights, and a robust gameplay loop, but as one of the better games the genre has seen in years.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Nine Sols is a side-scrolling Metroidvania title with hand-drawn 2D visuals and focuses on Yi. After being left for dead, he’s nursed back to health and sets out to defeat the titular Nine Sols throughout New Kunlun. Inspired by Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, combat is heavily parry-based, with Yi building up charges to execute a powerful attack.

Based on HowLongToBeat, it takes about 21 hours to finish the story on average and roughly 31 hours to complete everything. This makes Nine Sols one of the longer Metroidvania titles out there.

Meanwhile, Battle Memories allows for rematching against any of the defeated bosses. Whether you’re trying to hone your skills or there’s a particular boss you want to fight again, it’s an excellent addition to the game.

Nine Sols is set to launch for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, roughly two months from now, on November 26. At launch, the game will also be available via Game Pass. Check out its console release date trailer below for a glimpse of what the game will have in store.

Nine Sols boasts what developer Red Candle Games has dubbed a “Taopunk” aesthetic, blending the cyberpunk look with elements inspired by Taoism and eastern mythology. On the gameplay side of things, it touts challenging, fast-paced, and action-packed combat inspired by Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, while across its 20-25 hour runtime, its gorgeous and varied setting of New Kunlun also offers plenty of room for exploration. 

It was over two years ago now that Devotion, the second horror title from Red Candle Games, released on PC. The game was acclaimed, but was only up for a very short time period due to being dropped by its publisher and being pulled from Steam. The main issues came from reference to a meme that compared the Chinese President to Winnie the Pooh. It seemed as if the horror game would find a new home when it was announced that it would return via GOG, but they quickly backed out. Well, it seems the game is available once more, this time directly from the developer.

Red Candle Games has announced that they are now selling the game via their own website. You can see the announcement below as well as a link to the purchase. You can buy the game, its soundtrack, or both together as a bundle. It’s a DRM-free PC copy of the title. You can also purchase the developer’s first game, Detention, and its soundtrack in a similar way.

Before this, the only other way to obtain the game was purchasing a physical copy via the Taiwanese website, but it required a Taiwanese address, and has proven difficult to actually get a copy out of Taiwan due to the red tape involved and political unrest in the country. Since this is being sold directly from the developer, I imagine it’s safe, but with Devotion, who knows. If you’re interested, you probably want to go ahead and jump in.

Hello, Red Candle e-shop is now online. https://t.co/smmZxHj7zQ#返校Detention, #還願Devotion and our future projects will all be on e-shop in DRM-free format.

We hope to provide a direct and simple purchasing channel for players who’re interested in our games. pic.twitter.com/1SxzBZSiyW

— redcandlegames (@redcandlegames) March 15, 2021

UPDATE: It seems like GOG got cold feet. GOG recently took to Twitter and said that “after receiving many messages from gamers” they have decided not to bring the game back on their store after all. Those who were looking forward to Devotion’s return are essentially back to square one, and the horror title’s fate remains up in the air for now.

Earlier today, it was announced that the game Devotion is coming to GOG. After receiving many messages from gamers, we have decided not to list the game in our store.

— GOG.COM (@GOGcom) December 16, 2020

Original story follows:

You may or may not remember, but at the beginning of last year came Devotion from Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games. It was a rather brief horror title, but one that saw much acclaim. Unfortunately, the game was delisted and most of the videos surrounding it were taken down abruptly. While the original reason given for that was technical issues, it later came out that it really was from a meme comparing the Chinese President to Winnie the Pooh, which led to the original publisher abandoning Red Candle, as well as leading to them apologizing.

While they did say that the game would return, it’s now been close to two years since its delisting, making most assume it’s been effectively banned with pressure from China (if you want to know more details, The Verge did a story on the situation last year). Now, however, it seems the project is finally coming back.

On their official Twitter, Red Candle Games has announced the game will finally be making its return on PC via GOG. Interestingly, there is no mention whatsoever of it returning to Steam, where it was originally returned and then delisted. It’s unclear if the game will return to that platform at any point.

Devotion will return to PC on December 18th. Considering the game’s history, if you have interest, you may want to jump on getting it just in case.

Hello friends, we want to share with you– Red Candle will publish #還願Devotion on Dec 18 on GOG.https://t.co/dlC6qzBiHx

The content and the price of the re-release remains the same, for $16.99 / €13.99

Thank you for your trust and support. We wish you a happy end of the year pic.twitter.com/peVPd7cyVo

— redcandlegames (@redcandlegames) December 16, 2020