Despite my remarkably high expectations, Nine Sols became one of the best Souls-Likes of 2024 with surprising ease.
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The story, narrative, gameplay, level design, art, and music are all absolutely splendid, with extremely high points where it has nothing to envy its kind’s finest titles.
However, the experience’s true key is its combat, which we will praise through this ranked list with every Nine Sols boss.
10 Kanghui
Annoying Minions
Location
Prison
Reward(s)
Noble Ring
With a few overly specific exceptions, I’ve always found minion-based boss fights to be annoying, as is Kanghui’s case.
Hacking in the middle of combat is an interesting challenge, but hitting a stationary target while evading and taking out multiple lesser enemies isn’t satisfying.
If you’re good enough, you’ll spend several seconds where you can’t deal damage to any enemies until the recovery phases end, which breaks the fight’s flow.
I wouldn’t say it’s an unpleasant encounter, but Kanghui is the least engaging Nine Sols boss by far.
9 Fuxi and Nuwa
Infuriating and Unrewarding
Location
Nobility Hall
Reward(s)
Twin Tao Fruit
The concept earns them a higher ranking than Kanghui, but Fuxi and Nuwa are the most frustrating bosses I fought in all of 2024.
From the hitboxes to the patterns, including the difficulty in distinguishing projectiles due to their similarity in shape and color to the environment, this fight is a living hell.
What should be a challenging and satisfying boss becomes a constant struggle to evade the myriad of attacks while looking for a small window to deal damage.
Even if you master the fight, you are at the mercy of so many inconsistent aspects that it’s tricky to predict it, going against the fundamental gameplay elements of this kind of sequence.
8 Goumang
Neither Adds Nor Subtracts
Location
Agricultural Zone
Reward(s)
None
I don’t think a boss has to be difficult to be good, but often the most memorable are the ones that pose the greatest challenge, which is why Goumang doesn’t stand out.
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Aside from its generic execution, feeling more like fighting two normal enemies than a boss, it isn’t special in any way.
The setting, patterns, and mechanics aren’t up to par with other bosses, and its excellent aesthetics and lore aren’t enough to rate the fight any higher than it is.
Despite working well, it doesn’t feel like a boss but a one-off encounter with elite enemies, which detracts from the overall experience.
7 Yanlao
A Fun Laser Show
Location
Warehouse Zone
Reward(s)
Greater Tao Fruit
Fun is the word that best describes the fight with Yanlao, whose idea and execution work quite well throughout.
Even without being a high-magnitude challenge and not relying so much on the iconic parry, it’s quite entertaining to master.
Its inclination towards a boss fight focused on platforming features is excellent, as mastering jumps and distances can also be satisfying.
It doesn’t exploit Nine Sols’ gameplay to the fullest, but being the only dispute of this kind, it adds much-needed variety, especially since it is among the first fights in the game.
6 Xingtian
Exciting Difficulties
Location
Boundless Repository
Reward(s)
None
Xingtian is an underrated boss who genuinely plays to all of Nine Sols’ strengths, both from a gameplay and narrative standpoint.
Because he awaits us in a small cubicle, he demands pinpoint precision from every attack, jump, dash, and parry, increasing the challenge considerably but fairly.
Plus, the build-up to meeting him is one of the finest, as the game makes you feel an affinity for Chiyou and his story, and then makes you the executioner of his long-lost brother.
He lacks the spectacle and cinematography of the rest, but despite this, he plays his few cards very well to become a great boss.
5 General: Yingzhao
Wonderful Tutorial
Location
Radiant Pagoda
Reward(s)
Herb Catalyst
From this point on, all of Nine Sols’ bosses fall into the category of amazing, with General: Yingzhao excelling as a superb tutorial.
As the game’s first main boss, you’re forced to learn Nine Sols’ gameplay loop to perfection, emphasizing timing, skills use, and distance calculation.
Yingzhao’s two stages are an excellent exercise in fully teaching everything there is to know about the game―if you get through it, you can overcome any challenge thrown at you.
And that’s not to mention the music and the scenery, which, despite being introduced so early in the campaign, are some of the greatest in all of Nine Sols.
4 Jiequan
The First Big Challenge
Location
Transmutation Zone
Reward(s)
Greater Tao Fruit
In my experience, Nine Sols’ difficulty is decent all-around, save for particular spikes like Jiequan that can really grind your gears.
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Aside from the area it belongs to, which is among the most annoying in the entire game, the fight offers a superb mix of challenge and satisfaction reminiscent of the genre’s best works.
Following in the footsteps of General: Yingzhao, its two stages make for a magnificent showdown, where you’re forced to know everything with godlike precision to come out ahead.
Overall, Jiequan encapsulates the reasons why Souls and Metroidvania fans love these kinds of games. It can be frustrating, but it’s fantastic.
3 Ji
Perfect Construction and Rhythm
Location
Ancient Stone Pillar
Reward(s)
Ji’s Hair
While he lacks the level of difficulty some of his peers have, Ji is the kind of boss who proves not everything has to be a colossal challenge to be splendid.
He’s not easy at all, but the main charm lies in the adaptation of his lore to his combat, which perfectly reflects the character he is.
His relationship with destiny, arcane arts, and clairvoyance are masterfully represented in his variety of attacks, majestic music, and outstanding visual design.
He’s easier than the most lauded bosses on the list and that has led him to go unnoticed, but I want to claim Ji as unquestionably one of the best bosses in the also underrated Nine Sols.
2 Lady Ethereal
A Test of Resilience
Location
Cortex Center
Reward(s)
Greater Tao Fruit
The sensation that you’re facing a boss you will never beat isn’t particularly pleasant, and I have to admit I felt it for a long time against Lady Ethereal.
Three-phase encounters have always been devastating, but realizing this after the first two stages took me dozens of attempts truly devastated me.
Aside from that, it’s the type of fight that automatically becomes a favorite when it clicks, putting you in a masterful flow state.
On my winning attempt, once my Nine Sols combat skills were nearly perfect, Lady Ethereal had me feeling on cloud nine, which is the ultimate testament to her greatness.
1 Eigong
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Would Be Proud
Location
Research Institute
Reward(s)
None
I don’t know how common it is for the hardest boss to also be the standout, but Eigong is notably responsible for why I think Nine Sols is one of the best indies of 2024.
Not since Isshin, The Sword Saint in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has a boss humbled me so many times without making me feel even a hint of annoyance or frustration.
Her pacing, moveset, choreography, setting, music, difficulty, colors, and lore are all impeccable, worthy of being on the list of the best bosses ever created.
It took me more hours than I’d like to admit, and I genuinely thought I’d have to settle for the bad ending and watch the secret one on YouTube.
However, I eventually got there, and nothing gives me more satisfaction than knowing I beat Eigong in all three of her phases.
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Nine Sols
Action
Platformer
Soulslike
Released May 29, 2024
ESRB T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Use of Alcohol
Developer(s) RedCandleGames
Publisher(s) RedCandleGames
Engine Unity
How Long To Beat 22 Hours
PC Release Date May 29, 2024
Xbox Series X|S Release Date November 26, 2024
PS5 Release Date November 26, 2024
Nintendo Switch Release Date November 26, 2024
Steam Deck Compatibility Verified
OpenCritic Rating Mighty
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