I picked up Nine Sols on a recommendation from a friend. They liked the interplay between the game’s beautiful art and the intense and dark story and thought I’d love it too. That sounded right up my alley, so I bought the game.
Playing Nine Sols wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t my favorite either. I tried really hard to stick it out with Nine Sols, but in the end, I had to drop it. This game retaught me a valuable lesson in gaming: don’t keep playing games you don’t enjoy.
When To Call It Quits
Nine Sols is a fine game. There’s nothing to really hate about it. The gameplay is decent. The ending is alright. Nine Sols’ story can be even quite good. There are some characters I loved and some moments that were genuinely stunning. However, a lot of Nine Sols is just okay.
For the most part, I can’t do much more than damn Nine Sols by faint praise. Even though I didn’t hate Nine Sols, I didn’t love it.
Nine Sols is a very “by the books” Metroidvania that takes a TON of queues from Hollow Knight. Nine Sols is a solid example of a Metroidvania, though this left it feeling somewhat derivative. Combat-wise, Nine Sols feels like a Soulslike, with a heavy counter-based combat system. While this combat system was better than others I’ve experienced, it is still not my favorite.
I got really burnt out playing Nine Sols. By the time I finished with Nine Sols, I had logged 58 hours. The average playtime for full completion was listed at only 30 hours. I stuck with Nine Sols for twice the average playtime, hoping it would be worth it. Finally, after getting stuck at the final boss, I finally gave up, looked up the ending, and called it quits.
Nine Sols was a hard reminder that not every game is for everyone. If you’re not having fun with a game, you can simply stop playing. Don’t play games you don’t like!
Nine Sols Bossed Me Around
I hit burnout with Nine Sols during the first boss fight. It took over five hours of grueling repetition to finally beat the general protecting the first Sol. I told myself I just needed to buckle down and get good at the game. In doing so, I ignored the first sign that this game wasn’t for me. Every boss thereafter was the same brutal grind, taking hours to complete. I didn’t get good at the game after the first boss. Instead, I got desensitized to it.
Nine Sols’ combat and difficulty (even on normal) were simply not for me. Even though I’ve enjoyed my share of Soulslikes before, I found myself dreading the long hours spent fighting Nine Sols’ bosses. This is in part because I didn’t actually find the bosses interesting.
Each boss (the titular Sols) heavily uses one character trope as their defining feature. Yanlao is a great example of this. This Sol exemplifies the archetype of the grumpy old man who hates the new generation. After defeating Yanlao, I finally realized that these archetypes failed to capture my interest. However, by then, I was committed. I had to keep going. So, I ignored more signs that I should have dropped Nine Sols and played on.
Watching the Clock
The biggest sign I should have had that Nine Sols was not for me was when I started watching the clock. When I hit the 30-hour mark in Nine Sols, I stopped focusing on the game. After I passed the expected average playtime, with half the game still left, my focus became finishing the game as fast as possible.
This vital shift in focus away from the story elements of Nine Sols should have been a sign. I wasn’t enjoying the game. I was just trying to get it over with.
Typically, lore and story are the most important aspects of a video game for me. However, by the time I collected the item required to get the true ending of Nine Sols, I realized I wasn’t invested in the story. I was going through the motions, rushing and barely paying attention. When unlocking the true ending, a moment that was meant to be a touching goodbye to a wise mentor felt incredibly hollow.
I kept playing Nine Sols in large part because I had no reason to drop it. The game was alright, so I just kept playing. What I didn’t realize was that I also had no reason or obligation to keep playing it. I realize now, having no investment in a game anymore is a great reason to drop a game.
Play Games You Love
There is an art to dropping a game. Sometimes you put down a game because you don’t have time or are not in the right space for it. Other times, you might hate the game. All of these are perfectly valid reasons to drop a game. It is also perfectly fine to put down a game if you’re not having fun.
It can be easy to get stuck playing a game you’re not actually enjoying. Dropping a game can even have a stigma to it. The constant adage of “get good” in reference to Soulslike games might convince you to keep playing past your comfort zone. It might even convince you that you’re the problem. It’s not that the game is bad; you’re just not a good enough player. I fell into this trap with Nine Sols.
When playing a game, try to take notice if you’re not enjoying certain elements of it. If you’re not invested in the story, the gameplay, or something else compelling, it might be time to call it quits. If you just keep worrying about how much time you’re spending playing a game, you’re probably not actually focused on the game anymore. You should play games that you love and games that excite you! Don’t keep playing games you don’t enjoy.
Dropping a game doesn’t mean the game is bad, and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad player. That is a lesson I had to learn the hard way. If you’ve really tried to enjoy a game and thrown yourself into the deep end and you just can’t get into it, that’s fine. If you’re not having fun playing anymore, then just stop playing! Dropping a game because you don’t like it doesn’t mean the game is bad. It just means it’s not for you.
Nine Sols Can Deliver
Nine Sols is not a bad game. While it has some elements I didn’t love, I generally didn’t outright hate anything about it. In fact, there were some things I actually quite liked about it. While I thought most of Nine Sols was just okay, there were a few elements that really stood out to me and kept me going.
Do It For Shuanshuan
Shuanshuan is the adopted child of the protagonist, Yi, and the best part of Nine Sols. Shuanshuan is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise fairly dark world, and Yi is determined to protect him. The relationship between Yi and Shuanshuan was the emotional center of this game that kept me coming back.
Yi and Shuanshuan play very well off of each other. Yi is a very reserved character, while Shuanshuan is kind and hopeful. As the plot progresses, Shuanshuan allows Yi to imagine a better future and overcome his shortcomings. The true ending even has Yi sacrifice everything for Shuanshuan and a better future.
Shuanshuan is a constant hopeful and bright presence in Nine Sols. As you advance through the map, you’ll find items that can be gifted to Shuanshuan in your main hub, the Four Seasons Pavilion. These gifts include everything from board games to plants, to coding manuals and calligraphy tools. These items often open or advance quests and have the characters interact with each other and help Shuanshuan grow. As Yi gifts more items to Shuanshuan, you really get the sense he is trying to provide his child with a better future.
Despite my love for Shuanshuan, it is pretty telling that he is my favorite character. Nine Sols is a game literally titled after the major bosses, the Sols. Yet, all of the Sols felt one note, and none of them were compelling enough to unseat Shuanshuan as my favorite. Shuanshuan is the best part of Nine Sols, and purposefully so. However, he also highlights some of the bigger shortcomings of the game.
The Best Sol in Nine Sols
Around midway through the game, I was starting to get tired. I began considering cutting my losses and focusing on other games. That was when I met Lady Ethereal. Lady Ethereal is the fifth Sol you’ll face, and the best boss in Nine Sols. Her introduction is a welcome change of pace as the game’s genre nosedives straight into horror.
Lady Ethereal starts her introduction by being initially quite pleasant. She’s kind and polite to Yi and lets him soak in a hot spring. As you continue to interact with her, you’ll learn that she is actually remorseful for her actions. It even seems like there’s a possibility she might even become another ally for Yi!
When things inevitably take a turn for the worse, Lady Ethereal remains a compelling character. Despite being a formidable opponent, Lady Ethereal’s boss fight is explicitly an act of mercy. Trapped inside an electronic world with a body that is already dead and driven insane by her own guilt-ridden conscience, there is no good ending for Lady Ethereal. Yi fights Lady Ethereal to let her rest and end her nightmare. In the end, she regains her sanity before peacefully accepting death.
I loved Lady Ethereal so much that I spent over ten hours and multiple days attempting her boss fight. While the charm wore off by the time I beat her, I loved this fight. While this three phase fight drove me up the wall, I enjoyed it in spite of myself. In the end, vanquished Lady Ethereal by using unbounded counters to maximize internal damage, repeatedly stunning her with arrows, and using those openings to fry her health with talismans.
Lady Ethereal is tonally and artistically different from everything else in Nine Sols. She kept me playing, eager for more. Unfortunately, Lady Ethereal was the highlight of Nine Sols for me.
A Fond Farewell to Nine Sols
I didn’t love Nine Sols. For as long as I tried to keep going, this game simply was not for me. That’s okay! Not every game is going to be for everyone. Even if a game is in a genre you love, sometimes it’s just not going to land right for you.
Nine Sols is a solid game with a lot to love. I’m still not sure how to rate Nine Sols, so this time, I simply won’t. Nine Sols has a unique aesthetic, an interesting art style, and uses Chinese mythology in a way I haven’t seen any other game do. If any of this sounds interesting, then Nine Sols might be right for you. Don’t be afraid to pick it up!
