An outstanding, hyper-precise deflect-heavy Metroidvania. Nine Sols successfully synthesizes Sekiro-style parry combat and high-stakes Qi talisman detonations with a gorgeous, hand-drawn 'Taopunk' sci-fi art style, delivering a highly polished, punishingly satisfying mechanical challenge.

Nine Sols is a punishing, hand-drawn 2D 'Taopunk' Metroidvania that blends Asian mythology with futuristic sci-fi and centers on Sekiro-style deflect combat. You play as Yi, a vengeful hero traversing the ruins of New Kunlun. The combat's primary mechanical loop is the 'Deflect' system—players must stand their ground to parry enemy attacks in real-time, building up 'Qi' charges. Once Qi is accumulated, Yi executes a high-speed dash behind the enemy to perform 'Talisman' strikes, detonating the Qi charges for massive explosive damage. Traversal is fluid and kinetic, incorporating air-dashing, wall-clings, and grapple hooks. Boss battles are highly theatrical and demanding, requiring precise timing, reflex parries, and managing health and Qi resource gates.