Nine Sols shouldn’t exist. It’s the work of Red Candle, a small Taiwanese studio that had previously made just two story-driven horror games, one of which was banned from sale for two years due to political controversy. Most studios would fold at that point; instead, Red Candle made a game in a genre it had no experience in, and somehow created the best combat Metroidvania since Hollow Knight. As we approach its first anniversary, I spoke to Shihwei (Vincent) Yang, Nine Sols’ producer and creative director, to discover how this miracle occurred.
I’m not using hyperbole when I compare Nine Sols to Hollow Knight: it’s on our guide to the best Metroidvanias for good reason. The combat system is razor sharp, with a Sekiro-esque focus on expertly timed counters and parries. Though Nine Sols’ setting of New Kunlun is smaller than Hallownest, it is just as beautifully realized and packed with character. And the story that unfolds there is more character-driven, compelling, and frankly comprehensible than anything that has come before in either the Metroidvania or soulslike genres.
The studio’s two previous games, Detention and Devotion, are narrative horror adventures with almost no mechanical challenge – about as far as you can get from a combat-focused Metroidvania. “We had spent years crafting rich, narrative-driven experiences,” Yang recalls. “Shifting to a gameplay-focused title would not only rejuvenate our creative spirit but also help us reach a broader, international audience.”
The combat system isn’t the only departure for Red Candle. Detention is a point-and-click horror set during the ‘White Terror’ era of martial law and state oppression in 1960s Taiwan. Devotion is a slow, sad, chilling tale grounded in family dysfunction and Taiwanese culture of the 1980s. Contrast this with Nine Sols, its vibrant sci-fi setting and clean 2D art style that the studio calls ‘Taopunk.’
“We wanted to use action and engaging combat as a universal language – one that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries,” Yang explains. It paid off: “Nine Sols quickly became our studio’s best-selling title,” he tells me. “Words can’t describe how happy and relieved we feel right now.” Nine Sols attracted over 20,000 overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, and it’s since been ported to consoles. “It’s been a true blessing to see our game resonate with players across the board.”
Though the decision to make a game in a more popular genre certainly has commercial benefits, it has also enabled Red Candle to tell global audiences a story as tied to Taiwanese culture as Detention and Devotion. “Nine Sols might appear as a science fiction adventure on the surface,” Yang says, “but it remains deeply rooted in the cultural identity and artistic traditions of Taiwan and broader Eastern mythology.”
Take the myth of Hou Yi, an archer who saved the earth from the scorching rays of nine terrible suns, before going on to different fates in different tellings of his myths.- “His legendary tale of valor and sacrifice serves as a foundation for our narrative, offering a modern twist on a timeless story,” Yang says, which is news to me. In most soulslikes, I would have the excuse that the narrative is an incomprehensible mess of hints and innuendos. That’s simply not the case in Nine Sols; it makes its tale remarkably clear.
“We approached the narrative in layers: the core story is presented in a clear, accessible way, ensuring players always understand what’s at stake while additional lore and environmental details offer deeper, hidden mysteries for those who wish to explore further,” Yang says. “Balancing clarity with mystery was one of our biggest creative gambles.”
That tale is carried by a vivid cast of endearing allies and charismatic villains, and you only unlock the true ending once you exhaust their side stories. “Unlike typical soulslike protagonists — often silent or emotionally distant — our characters openly share their inner lives,” Yang says. “This approach not only makes the narrative more accessible but also deepens the player’s connection to the story,” he adds.
Nine Sols’ core revenge plot is a tale of loss, regret, and atrocity that questions the value of survival and the virtue of letting go. They’re familiar themes for soulslike games, but here they’re explored through character drama, not just item descriptions.
Underlying Nine Sols’ story is the Tao, a real-world philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes harmonious existence with the way of the world. “The Taoist elements in Nine Sols are meant to capture the spirit of Taoism rather than serve as a doctrinal lesson,” Yang says.
The question of how we relate to the infinite and unending universe is explored in all kinds of sci-fi ways, from a mysterious immortal, to a collector who values cultural artefacts over mortal lives, to a shared virtual reality with a sinister secret. Taoism is also part of the setting – the history of the world owes much to a character called Lear, who is a direct nod to Laozi, the founder of Taoism.
“Through Lear and other characters, we explore themes such as life and death, progress versus the natural order, and the tension between human ambition and going with the flow of the Tao,” Yang explains “Many character decisions and arcs are intentionally crafted to evoke reflection and invite players to form their own understanding of what Taoism means to them.”
Taoism even makes its way into combat. “We aimed for a combat system that encouraged a more passive, thoughtful playstyle — one that resonated with the Taoist idea of wu wei.” Wu wei is something of a nebulous concept, used by Chinese philosophers in several subtly different ways over many centuries. It translates to ‘effortless action’: acting in harmony with your circumstances, not with reckless effort.
“For over a year, we struggled to nail down a core combat loop that felt both satisfying and true to that concept. Then we found inspiration in Sekiro’s combat mechanics and adapted those principles to our 2D world.” From there, Yang tells me everything “fell into place—almost as if the Tao was guiding our creative process.
“In the end, we achieved a combat rhythm where patience and perfectly timed counter-attacks aren’t just thematic; they’re integral to the gameplay,” Yang says. “It almost feels like a graceful dance, where every move is defined by patience and perfect timing.”
He’s not overselling it. Nine Sols’ final boss offers the best balance of challenge and satisfaction I’ve faced in a soulslike since Sekiro’s Sword Saint Isshin. Over the three hours it took me to learn the fight and beat it, I found myself pressing fewer and fewer buttons on the controller, focusing less on attacking or moving and more on performing exactly the right movements at the right time. Getting good meant embracing effortless action.
Ultimately, all the characters in Nine Sols’ story struggle against destiny. Some accept their fate, some pursue their struggle into worse and worse depravity and indignity, and some succeed. I ask Yang where he feels the line is between a virtuous struggle, and a vain one. “You’ll notice that our characters adopt vastly different philosophies about struggle and fate,” Yang says, “I don’t believe there’s one definitive answer to what makes a struggle worthwhile; it’s as elusive as asking, What is the purpose of life?’”
Red Candle is painfully familiar with struggling against immense odds. “There were certainly times when external pressures and unforeseen obstacles—especially during the Devotion period—tested our resilience,” Yang admits. “We encountered moments of uncertainty that made the future feel very fragile.”
While Yang is obviously the authority, I sense he’s downplaying it. The 2019 launch edition of Devotion contained some small environmental details with text mocking Chinese president Xi Jinping. The backlash was immediate, and though Devotion patched the offending items out and apologized, the damage was done. Devotion’s publishers cut ties and left Red Candle liable for the losses. The game was unpurchasable for two years, and the only place to buy a copy today is the company’s own webstore. It’s the kind of disruption that would destroy most studios.
Though successful in retrospect, the decision to go from potential disaster into a totally new type of game didn’t always seem like the right choice. “There were moments when the challenge of building an intricate, skill-based combat system was daunting,” Yang admits. He credits the “unwavering support from our community” and the team’s commitment to their vision for seeing them through.
That history of hardship surely shaped Nine Sols’ story. Yang says the game isn’t just inviting players to think “about when to persist or give up —the universe never guarantees outcomes.” Rather, “we suggest that even in failure there is value.” The fact that something can fail and still be exceptional seems particularly resonant in the current videogame market, where a game’s quality, its commercial success, and the fate of the people who make it are often unconnected. But as Yang says, we can’t just think about life in terms of success and failure: “In a world defined by uncertainty and chaos, the real challenge lies in discovering what gives our lives meaning and helps us feel truly ‘alive’.”
If you haven’t played Nine Sols already, get on it. It’s free to Microsoft Game Pass subscribers. It will thrill you, delight you, break your heart. Even if you’re the most hardcore of soulslike players, there are moments when the diamond-hard boss fights will frustrate you. But it will definitely make you feel alive.