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9 Years of Shadows is an emotionally-driven Metroidvania, enhanced by healing music that tells the story of Europa, a young woman of noble birth tasked with ending the curse that plagues her people and restoring color to all lands.
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Nostalgic, unpretentious, serious and classical in form.
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A few lines from each review; the whole review is on the critic's site. Not part of Taste Buds's numbers.
TheXboxHubAug 20254.5/5 stars9 Years of Shadows is a love letter to the 90s, amalgamating classics such as Metroid, Zelda, Castlevania, Altered Beast – the list goes on and on. But never once does it feel as though it is plagiarising these games, rather paying homage and rejuvenating their ideas for a modern audience.
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Nintendo LifeTom MasseyNov 20238/10Halberd Studios has crafted a Metroidvania with a really encouraging number of unique elements. We have no issue in declaring it A Good Game™ and a great time thanks to its careful crafting and implementation of a number of original ideas that elevate the gameplay, rather than stifle it. It is just another Metroidvania at heart, yes, and it doesn't revolutionise the genre; but, while there are a few scrappy bits where you can see a thinning of the budget compared to works by larger studios, it holds its own as an inventive, pretty, and consistently enjoyable adventure.
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GameLusterJordan DubeMar 20239/109 Years of Shadows is an artful blend of fluid, challenging gameplay, beautiful environments, animations and user interface, and music that gets your blood pumping.
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PC InvasionAndrew FarrellMar 20236/10It's pretty and it plays well, but this is a short, underwhelming Metroidvania with no exploration and uninteresting level design.
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Final WeaponNick ErlAug 20253/5 stars9 Years of Shadows is a beatiful game that shines with its atmosphere, but it is held back by some lacking combat, shallow exploration, and tiring backtracking. Still, there is a solid experience here for those willing to look past the flaws.
Read the reviewSnippets via OpenCritic, where 61% of critics recommend it.
IGDB rating 6.2/10 from 17 ratings.
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