It has been just over 4 years since the initial announcement of Hollow Knight: Silksong - the sequel to 2017's critically acclaimed metroidvania Hollow Knight. Despite recently receiving an update and trailer for Silksong from developer Team Cherry, fans still do not have a concrete release date other than anticipating that the title might release sometime in 2023. During the long wait for Silksong other indie developers have carried the torch for the metroidvania genre with a slew of excellent titles featuring rewarding exploration and snappy, responsive combat. One such title is the newly released 9 Years of Shadows from developer Halberd Studios.
Beginning life as Kickstarter project back in 2020, 9 Years of Shadows is a love letter to the classics of the metroidvania genre and is an almost literal combination of the two franchises that serve as the genesis for the term - Castlevania and Metroid. The game has now launched in 1.0 full release after a strong demo in the Fall 2022 Steam Next Fest and is garnering significant praise from players and fans of the genre. With gorgeous pixel art, a unique and captivating story, satisfying combat, and a varied map to explore, 9 Years of Shadows might be one of the best salves for the continued delay of Silksong.
9 Years of Shadows' Vibrant Art Style and Captivating Story
One of the first things players will likely notice when booting up 9 Years of Shadows for the first time is the game's use of breathtaking pixel art. One of the narrative conceits of the game is that the hero, Europa, is infiltrating Talos Castle to restore color to a world plagued by shadow. The use of color as a means to show Europa's progress in her quest translates to vibrant visuals and deftly used twinges of color to mark different abilities and upgrades. As Europa succeeds in her mission, the world of 9 Years of Shadows only becomes more colorful and alive.
9 Years of Shadows is heavily reminiscent of a classic in the metroidvania genre - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Similar to Alucard's infiltration of Dracula's castle in Symphony of the Night, 9 Years of Shadows' Europa is infiltrating a stronghold known as Talos Castle to end the curse that has plagued her world and removed all color. As players progress in their quest, they are assisted by various musicians and painters who also are desperate to see art return to the cursed world they inhabit. The thematic emphasis on art being necessary for life and subtle nods to Greek mythology and anime make for a unique metroidvania setting and story.
9 Years of Shadows' Excellent and Responsive Combat
Outside of its ability to keep players hooked with a steady stream of rewards and upgrades that give way to more exploration, a good metroidvania is often defined by its combat. Given that Hollow Knight has some of the best and most intricate combat of any metroidvania, the bar for Silksong and other metroidvania titles following in its footsteps is a high one to clear. Thankfully, 9 Years of Shadows provides players with a bevy of options and upgrades to assist in combat and the fighting in game feels tight and responsive. Enemies feature different colored barriers that either buff or nerf damage output based on the armor sets and abilities equipped by Europa, and the standard three-hit combo that serves as the basis for combat encounters is satisfyingly effective.
If boss encounters are the metric by which a metroidvania's combat system is truly tested then 9 Years of Shadows would pass with flying colors. One of the early game bosses sees players utilize a newly acquired ability to use the flooded arena to their advantage and exercise a level of speed and precision in their combat that stands toe-to-toe with some of the best boss encounters in Hollow Knight. While players only have their trusty halberd as their standard weapon, the use of multiple armor sets that each have their own ability sets allows for players to be strategic in how they approach combat challenges. The continued wait for Silksong may seem like an eternity by this point, but titles like 9 Years of Shadows are a more-than-welcome distraction.
9 Years of Shadows is out now for PC.