9 Years of Shadows let me relive my childhood memories of staying up late to play Castlevania. Keep reading to learn more about 9 Years of Shadows, its release date, gameplay, and story.
9 Years of Shadows Release Date: Early 2023
9 Years of Shadows will release in Early 2023. It will be available on PC, with a Nintendo Switch port slated for release afterward. Although the game was supposed to release on October 10, 2022, the developers tweeted that they would be delaying the release. They explained this on their Kickstarter, saying that the delay will help them release the game as they intend it to be. The release date became November 14, 2022. However, following the feedback they received from the Steam Next Fest last October, they decided to postpone the release to further work on the game. For the full explanation, as well as some teasers. click here.
9 Years of Shadows gameplay
9 Years of Shadows is a Metroidvania game. For those who are not familiar, Metroidvania is a combination of Metroid and Castlevania. That is, it refers to side-scrolling platformers with a focus on exploration and combat. Those familiar with those two games will feel right at home when playing 9 Years of Shadows. Players must explore a castle, filled with enemies and other dangers. While exploring, players can either choose to fight these enemies or avoid them. It becomes a balancing act of sorts, as most of the time the smaller enemies respawn whenever you leave a room. This means that it could be a waste of time to keep killing every enemy you see.
Should you decide to kill them, however, the character has access to one weapon, a halberd. The player can swing the halberd to do light and strong attacks. Light attacks don't deal as much damage, but can be done a few times, and while moving. The strong attack, on the other hand, prevents the player from moving while attacking. As such, players must learn when to do which attack. Players can also charge up their attacks to carry out a charged attack, dealing a lot of damage in one go.
The game operates on a shield and HP system, where the player's shields must deplete first before taking damage. It's important to note, however, that the player's shield doubles as their mana pool. Players can use magic attacks via their companions to attack enemies and open up pathways. However, once the player's mana and shield run out, they must recharge either by hugging their companion or by attacking enemies.
Although the player does not have a variety of weapons that is normally the norm in Metroidvania games, they can instead equip elements. As the player progresses through the game, they unlock various elements to help in their journey. These elements, like water, lightning, or fire, imbue the player's halberd with that element. Some enemies are vulnerable to some elements, so switching elements at the appropriate time is important.
These elements also help in exploration. For example, having electricity equipped lets the player open up certain pathways, while water allows them to swim. This makes backtracking an important part of the game. Exploration of the map is not linear by any means, as players will backtrack whenever they acquire new elements and skills. This is one of the defining features of Metroidvania games.
9 Years of Shadows story
The game follows the story of Europa, a young one-eyed warrior. The land has been drained of all of its colors, plunging the land into 9 years of shadows and darkness. In an effort to bring back color, Europa enters Talos Castle. Inside, she discovers Apino, a ghostly teddy bear that offers to accompany her in her fight. Together they must take down the evils discovered inside the castle, and bring color back to the dark world.
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