9 Years of Shadows

A Metroidvania title that dares to go where no other game in its niche has gone before, 9 Years of Shadows takes a tried-and-true formula and passionately revitalizes it. In a quest to save the world from darkness, Europa embarks on a side-scrolling journey that's definitely not for the faint of heart!

Though most of 9 Years of Shadows' gameplay might seem like nothing new to long-time fans of the genre, it still imparts a lesson in great level design and excellent gameplay progression. It won't get many extra credits for originality, but this is a game that knows its audience perfectly well – especially what they like to see in their Metroidvania adventures.

Monochromatic World

Nine years have passed since the darkness took hold of the world. Armed only with a trusty halberd and sheer determination, Europa ventures into the depths of Talos Castle, looking for a way to return color – and hope – to the rest of the world.

A lone heroine venturing into a castle to save the world? No, we're not talking of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, nor is it Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. 9 Years of Shadows has clearly taken some lines out of Castlevania's book – and the same could be said of any Metroidvania developed in recent memory.

However, 9 Years of Shadows goes above and beyond in terms of paying tribute to the classics, as its outstanding production values reveal.

A Visual Marvel

Sprite art fanatics will love this game's presentation. With characters and environments that look just as detailed as what we saw in Blasphemous a few years back, 9 Years of Shadows has effectively perfected the art of making a visually-appealing Metroidvania title.

Don't let the game's plot and its name deceive you: there's plenty of color in 9 Years of Shadow. One of the core aspects of the game lies in its armor-collecting mechanic; each armor gives Europa new morphing powers, which in turn unlock a whole new range of movement options and gorgeous animations to coincide.

Though some of the backgrounds are not as wonderfully detailed as those in the aforementioned Blasphemous, I think that the animation quality exceeds much of what I've ever seen on any Metroidvania game before.

It's also worth mentioning that, from a gameplay perspective, the addition of Apino – Europa's magical childhood teddy bear – makes for some interesting new mechanics, like protecting yourself from incoming fire and cleansing the corruption of Talos Castle.

A Musical Journey

Featuring music from Castlevania's Michiru Yamane and Metal Gear Solid's Norihiko Hibino, 9 Years of Shadows will deliver a nostalgia blast to any Konami fan that plays it.

The game even features some secret music-themed bosses that rely on their soundtracks for their patterns. All of a sudden, your Metroidvania game becomes something like Metal Hellsinger – and it's every bit as awesome as it sounds.

Simply put, the music is leagues above what I expected, and it might even be some of the catchiest tunes in any Metroidvania game since the classic Castlevania days.

Pros

• Incredibly fluid gameplay
• Entertaining exploration with lots of secrets to discover
• Amazing soundtrack

Cons

• Some backgrounds could have been a bit more detailed