Since it was announced in 2020, 9 Years of Shadows managed to get the attention of metroidvania fans from all over the world. The Halbert Studios project launched a promising Kickstarter campaign that, in addition to raising the money the studio was looking for, earned several glances for immediately recalling classics like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Several years after its reveal and fundraising campaign, 9 Years of Shadows is ready to debut. Was the wait worth it? Did a Mexican team manage to create a metroidvania charming enough to earn its place in a genre saturated indie market? We already played it and we can anticipate that it is a game with quality and that it is worth reviewing. Of course, just do not expect a perfect game that is going to become the new independent gem that everyone loves.
Related video: 9 Years of Shadows – Trailer Trailer
A labor of love well executed
Like other independent games, 9 Years of Shadows It is a labor and show of love for videogames. From the first minutes you can see the deep affection that developers have towards franchises like castlevania, metroid, Megaman and many others they grew up with.
Be careful, this is not synonymous with the game only trying to copy those who led the way to deliver a bland product that takes advantage of nostalgia to sell. What it does is take the lessons that the classics left behind to create a new identity that feels authentic, own and modern. 9 Years of Shadow He shows love and respect for the greats by daring to have an identity and create his own route.
Now, with the above, don’t expect it to be a metroidvania that deconstructs the genre to build something on its ruins. That it has an identity does not necessarily mean that it is revolutionary. In fact, at no point does it try to reinvent the wheel or deliver everything you expect from the genre. What makes it a truly special release is that many elements are well executed.
But what makes good 9 Years of Shadows? There are many things, so we go by parts. First let’s talk a little about your world and history. The protagonist is Europa, a girl who enters the Talos castle to try to end a curse that erased the color of the world and has kept it in shadow for 9 years. She immediately discovers that things will be more complicated than they seem, but she will be accompanied by Apino, a cute magical teddy bear that she heals and protects.
Initially it may seem that it is another of those video game stories that only serve as a pretext for an adventure. And while it is true that the narrative is not the pillar that supports the experience, in the end it ends up being more than that. It’s good enough to intrigue, surprise, and tell a tragic story that has a lot to say.
We repeat it: 9 Years of Shadows is a metroidvania that at no time seeks to revolutionize the genre. It is a 2-dimensional game in which you will have to explore a place to get abilities that open the doors to areas that at some point seemed inaccessible to you. It is a product with a lot of quality and it demonstrates it in a phenomenal way.
One of his main strengths is that he is never shy about introducing new mechanics. It’s as if something new is thrown at you every so often for you to learn to master, both in terms of exploration and combat. This allows the rhythm to be fantastic and constantly surprise you. At one point it seems like you’ll just have to run, fight and jump, but it immediately proves you wrong by having Europa transform into a mermaid to give you new mobility options. Then, when it seems like you’ve seen it all again, you have to master a new type of jump to glide through a world of fire.
These mechanics are combined with a level design that, without being sophisticated, stands out because it flows like water. Talos is full of interconnected areas that force you to make the most of all your abilities and keep your eyes wide open to be able to discover each of its secrets. It also complements the mechanics by letting you become familiar with them; then add elements that turn the experience around and at the end turn up the intensity to make it more challenging. Something magical is that the level design added to the good control provide a sensation of fluidity in which you are in motion at all times and it is impossible to take your eyes off the screen.
Its quality is not limited to that, it also has great boss battles. Their secret is that many are more than a fight against a very powerful enemy, because they understand their place as that climax that must put what the player has learned to the test. They are highly entertaining and while they are far from difficult, they are so intense that you end up with your heart in your throat and your hands tense.
By now, you probably already noticed that 9 Years of Shadows it looks beautiful. The game uses today’s technology to create a retro aesthetic that stands out for its well-done characters, gorgeous animations, and art direction with gorgeous use of color. With how beautiful it is, it is easy to understand why it captivated our eyes. It also has an excellent sound section, with an audio design that gives weight to each hit and a soundtrack that, although it may not have iconic themes, creates environments that generate feelings.
An outstanding game, with marked errors
Earlier we praised 9 Years of Shadows because of its constantly surprising mechanics and because its boss battles are demanding and well designed. Sadly, that quality is lacking in the design of the common enemies, which leave a lot to be desired. You see, on your way through Talos you will find a lot of creatures and beings that will prevent Europa from achieving its mission. The unfortunate thing is that, although there is variety, the evolution of the enemies is unsatisfactory, and is limited to presenting versions of another color of the rivals that you have already encountered. Of course, all with elemental advantages and disadvantages that exploit the armor that you find in your path.
It’s also a shame that it does little to offer more than exploration. As we mentioned, common enemies aren’t anything to write home about, so second-by-second combat is just another task in the game and there comes a time when it’s more comfortable to avoid enemies. With that in mind, it’s a shame that we also don’t have interesting puzzles or some other kind of challenge to help shake up the game system.
Also, as nice as it looks and as well as it plays, it lacks polish, which translates into bugs. Don’t think it’s a bugfest either, because nothing is further from the truth. However, we did encounter a frequent issue where the game would crash after dying a second time.
Maybe it’s a rare issue and we’re sure Halberd Studios will get to work on fixing it soon. Perhaps the problem will not even reach its version for Switch, which will be released in a few months. However, the error is a reality and if it happens to you, you will surely find it annoying.
One of the most important elements of the metroidvania are the improvements. It’s not just about mastering the combat and knowing the map, but about finding secret objects that make us feel very powerful and that serve as a good reward for exploring every corner of the world.
This is present in 9 Years of Shadows, but the problem is that the best options are not satisfactory enough. They are limited to being health, shield and armor upgrades that rarely make you feel like a legendary warrior after redeeming them. In part, a lot of it is because the game is accessible, but it’s a shame that it fails like that.
Quality without reinventing the wheel
So how are you 9 Years of Shadows? Was it worth the wait since Halberd Studios announced their Kickstarter? The answer is yes. 9 Years of Shadows It might not rock the indie gaming world, but it comes as a metroidvania with quality, personality, and a ton of good ideas. Recommended for fans of the genre.
9 Years of Shadows opens on March 27 for PC and its version for Nintendo Switch is scheduled to debut before the end of the year. You can learn more about this release by clicking here.
