9 Years of Shadows
Halberd Studios · 2023 · Metroidvania, Platformer, Side Scroller, Fantasy, Anime
PC
Mostly Positive80% · 2,225
Compare prices in Official Stores
Compare prices in Keyshops
Keyshops are third-party marketplaces — keys are resold and can be region-locked or a different edition. Check the listing's region & edition before buying.
Some store links are affiliate links — playze may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the price you pay, and the cheapest option is always shown in the Best price box above.
Screenshots
About 9 Years of Shadows
✦ AI summary
Join warrior Europa and her magical companion Apino as you explore the corrupted mechanical giant Talos, battling twisted creatures and switching between elemental armors to unlock new abilities and exploit enemy weaknesses. This visually striking Metroidvania features a world starved of color that you'll restore through exploration, combat, and a transcendent soundtrack by legendary video game composers that's woven into both gameplay and story.
9 Years of Shadows is a side-scrolling Metroidvania by Halberd Studios. Travel alongside Europa, a brave warrior determined to enter the mechanical giant Talos and stop the corruption within before it swallows the world in darkness. Battle through tainted creatures, meet charismatic musicians and uncover the truth behind the curse that robbed the land of all color. Many have tried to venture inside the twisted depths of Talos, a dormant fortress where several civilizations have settle over centuries. And, after losing everything she held dear, Europa has nothing holding her back from attempting what others could not achieve. As a noble fighter who refuses to be bound by the curse, she must enter the castle, find the source of corruption, and return the color once and for all.
This adventure is not for Europa to face alone. Inside the giant, she befriends Apino, a cute floating bear who seems to possess magical abilities that can restore color and replenish the health of his allies. He is also able to shield his companions from the multiple dangers that roam Talos’ hallways.
While exploring the castle, Apino can cleanse the corruption around Talos and shoot a variety of projectiles that can destroy dark crystals and inflict damage:
Harness the power of lightning, water, earth, and fire. Surprise bosses while you switch armors, perform strong halberd combos, and exploit your foes’ weaknesses to pave your way through the heart of the shadows. Music is all but the soul of the game. Revitalize the world while you listen to a moving soundtrack composed by Miguel Hasson, as well as soothing pieces scored in 432hz by celebrated composers Michiru Yamane (Castlevania series) and Norihiko Hibino (Metal Gear Solid series). Meet these guest composers as in-game NPCs who aid in Europa’s quest throughout the game.
Music is the binding thread that combines gameplay and storytelling: collect musical notes and perform a healing lullaby to restore your health.-------------------------------------"Literally stunning" Keen Gamer"A stunning Metroidvania"
GamesRadar+"Excellent & responsive combat"Game Rant"Delights all the senses"GameLuster"Two thumbs up"LadiesGamers
This adventure is not for Europa to face alone. Inside the giant, she befriends Apino, a cute floating bear who seems to possess magical abilities that can restore color and replenish the health of his allies. He is also able to shield his companions from the multiple dangers that roam Talos’ hallways.
While exploring the castle, Apino can cleanse the corruption around Talos and shoot a variety of projectiles that can destroy dark crystals and inflict damage:
- A fist that punches upwards when conjured.
- A blast that travels along a surface until collision
- A cyclone that returns to Apino like a boomerang.
Harness the power of lightning, water, earth, and fire. Surprise bosses while you switch armors, perform strong halberd combos, and exploit your foes’ weaknesses to pave your way through the heart of the shadows. Music is all but the soul of the game. Revitalize the world while you listen to a moving soundtrack composed by Miguel Hasson, as well as soothing pieces scored in 432hz by celebrated composers Michiru Yamane (Castlevania series) and Norihiko Hibino (Metal Gear Solid series). Meet these guest composers as in-game NPCs who aid in Europa’s quest throughout the game.
Music is the binding thread that combines gameplay and storytelling: collect musical notes and perform a healing lullaby to restore your health.-------------------------------------"Literally stunning" Keen Gamer"A stunning Metroidvania"
GamesRadar+"Excellent & responsive combat"Game Rant"Delights all the senses"GameLuster"Two thumbs up"LadiesGamers
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
So much missed potential. Meh story, meh map design, Mary Sue protagonist, boring boss fights. I played this in anticipation of Mariachi Legends but this was more a warning than anything else1 found this helpful
Very good MetroidMania, with two strong points : Boss and artistic direction. I firmly recommend !!1 found this helpful
Good game, but not great: I'd say is a 7/10. I loved the soundtrack, the graphics and overall atmosphere. The story is somewhat of a excuse plot and tends to the melodramatic, specially the ending. Challenge is good, but the difficulty of some bosses really could be toned down, some are borderline aggravating, sometimes beating them depends more on luck than skill. It's a shame that it doesn't offer much replayability after you've beaten it once. Good metroidvania that has some flaws but is otherwise enjoyable.1 found this helpful
Art is nice, but the combat and exploration so far is rather meh. Balancing your HP, or shield, and attacks seems like a nice idea in paper, but I find myself having to disengage with combat every now and then to hug that bear because your shield and HP are extremely low.
8/10 Great metroidvania. Pros - Art and exploration are fantastic in this game. Saint Seiya armor design rules. Character portrait art style is really good. - Lots of boss fights with fun mechanics. The game was very easy if you aren't aiming for a no damage run, I'm not a graceful player so worked out great for me. Cons - Some movement mechanics are bound to the light attack button when jump would've worked better. - Game auto armor switches as required when you need spefic armor skill, It's a cool feature but it doesn't switch back when you are done so you can't really keep your favourite armor on by default. It isn't big issue but I found annoying having to switch back at times.
Excelent gameplay. Quite good ost. Excelent graphics and character design. I encountered 2 bugs. One at the end of the first sequence, I couldn't go past a dialogue, and the other one, the same exact bug, at the end of the last sequence, when Europa is grabbing the kids hand, pressing A woulnd't do anything. Quick traveling should be free because there is just not enough money in the game to buy all the upgrades without heavy grinding (I grinded a considerable amout of money, still I was like 800 short for the last upgrades, which is A LOT, and I 100% the map). The story is sadly non-existant: there a is curse in the castle, you must destroy it. That's it. Just a little plot twist there but not much more.
Community reviews
—
0 reviews
Sign in to write a review.
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.
