Souls-like gameplay, beautifully stylised artwork and a mysterious, breadcrumbed storyline that’ll reel you in like a cat chasing a string—in creating Nine Sols, developers Red Candle Games have managed to distil the last 10 years of indie gaming into an experience that will challenge, captivate and delight even the most seasoned of gamers. If you’ve played games like Hades, Hollow Knight or Tunic, you might think you know what to expect, but Nine Sols goes above and beyond any of the games that have come before it.

The self-stylised ‘taopunk’ aesthetic of Nine Sols is also a massive breath of fresh air for gamers that have been breathing in the same old western visions of fantasy, space and the future for their entire lifetimes. If you’re struggling to envision what ‘taopunk’ might look like, think Journey to the West meets Cyberpunk 2077, mixed in with the cuteness of The Powerpuff Girls and the unbridled gory violence of the Mortal Kombat series. All of the above may seem like a contradiction in terms, but Red Candle Games have somehow managed to synthesise all of these elements into a cohesive and fully realised world that is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

In Nine Sols, you take on the role of a stoic anthropomorphic feline named Yi, who suffers a thorough and rather graphic defeat at the hands of a mysterious figure at the start of the game. Yi rehabilitates himself with the help of some inhabitants of a humble rural village surrounded by peach blossoms; however, right from the outset, things are not quite what they seem. Pretty soon thereafter, Yi is thrown into a topsy-turvy, mechanical dystopia on a quest for revenge.

Yi is a really intriguing main character, especially given that he knows the whole story up to this point, whilst the player must discover the events leading up to the start of the game throughout the course of their playthrough. One consequence of this gap in knowledge is that it’s hard to know Yi’s true motivations and desires, and sometimes you’re not sure whether you should even be rooting for him or not. However, much like an anime deuteragonist in the mould of Sasuke or Vegeta, sparks of humanity flicker behind our antihero’s apparently cool and uncaring exterior in a way that keeps you on his side.

The world itself, as well as the characters that populate it, are also a source of great interest. You can find little informative collectibles throughout the game world, but in the beginning they always seem to yield more questions than answers. What is an ‘apeman’? When was the ‘turbulent’ era? Who are the council? In terms of characters, you’ll also find poetic robots and boba-chugging nerd cats, among other immediately lovable personalities.

In order to keep this review spoiler free, that’ll be all for now, but rest assured that the plot of Nine Sols creates an engaging and emotive ride that sometimes ventures into the profound and philosophical too. The narrative here hooks you to the point where you’ll always be wanting to round the next corner in search of answers, even if there’s a hard-as-nails boss standing in your way.

As a soulslike, Nine Sols was always going to pose a bit of a challenge, but some of the bosses in this game are harder than a steel-plated diamond wearing a bullet-proof vest. If you’re one of those masochistic gamers that enjoys squaring up against the absolute nightmare fuel of the FromSoftware bosses, this game has some absolute monsters on its roster too. Complete with unblockable attacks, one-hit kill moves and unexpected, panic-inducing second stages, these bosses definitely scratch that Dark Souls itch.

However, the good news is that you will have an array of abilities at your disposal to take down any powerful enemies you might come across. There’s a really fun system for blocks and counters that takes some precise timing to pull off perfectly, but as a reward you’ll place an exploding tag on your enemy, who will more than likely be quickly reduced to a shower of viscera as a result. Near the start of the game you’ll unlock a jade system that lets you equip collectible boons for a power up, and there’s a full and complex skill tree that grants you access to new sword attacks, jumping kicks and health recovery abilities.

Nine Sols has a nice balance, where generic enemies aren’t too challenging (and you’ll feel like an unadulterated badass triggering an exploding tag without even looking back at the explosion), but the bosses can really test your resolve.

The exploration element of Nine Sols is also good fun—although it’s perhaps a little on the more basic side when compared to other metroidvania style games—and it’s always satisfying when you come back to a previously inaccessible door or passageway with some new toys to open a shortcut. It’s a minor gripe, but a little bit more challenge in this area and in the platforming part of the gameplay would have been a welcome addition.

There’s also a great little safe-zone to which you can return if you want to chat with your allies and upgrade your gear at any point, which seems like a small feature, but some of the funniest moments of the whole game happen here, so don’t forget to check in occasionally.

The artstyle of Nine Sols is all about balance. There’s equal parts gore and cuteness, technology and tradition, darkness and light.

The influence from traditional Asian folklore and customs is obvious, from the architecture of the buildings to the clothing worn by the characters and even the save-point animations. There are constant references to qi (the vital force in some Eastern philosophies), meditation and East Asian iconography, such as hibiscus plants and the yin-yang symbol. However, this is offset by more futuristic elements (the ‘punk’ to the ‘tao’). Giant computer-like structures, cyborg enemies and even computer hacking quick time events create this strange dissonance between the natural and the mechanical, which is beautifully woven into and explored by the narrative.

The biggest governing principle that Red Candle Games seem to employ when it comes to stylistic choices is ‘the rule of cool’. Comic book inspired cutscenes complete with panels and onomatopoeia? That’s cool, get it in there! Monolithic computerised tree structures? We’ll have some of that! However, with the aforementioned care afforded to balance within the game, the plethora of awesome aesthetics they cram into the game never feels forced or out of place.

Nine Sols is an absolutely rip-roaring ride that combines all the best elements of modern indie games into a complete package. It is undoubtedly the best indie game you will play this year, if not ever. Expect an engaging story, frankly breathtaking visuals and tough but engaging combat that really gets the blood pumping.

If all that isn’t enough to convince you to pick up Nine Sols, remember that this is a souls-like game about a sword-wielding cat fighting cyborgs in a mysterious futuristic world. Whilst it may be the case that logically Nine Sols should lose half a point here or there for some minor gripe, this game bypasses that gnarly and cynical processing centre that is my brain and injects its thrills and spills straight into my bloodstream. It has to be top marks.

Score: 10/10