Nine Sols’ first gameplay footage shows a bold new direction for Devotion’s developers

polygon.com:

Nine Sols is an upcoming 2D action-platformer from Red Candle Games, the developer behind the fantastic psychological horror games Detention and Devotion. We’ve previously heard about the fast-paced game, but getting to see it in action makes it clear that it significantly departs from the usual formula.

On Tuesday, Red Candle Games gave us our first look at the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice-inspired deflection-focused combat. Even from these brief glimpses of enemies and bosses in the game, it’s obvious that getting the rhythm of enemy attacks down will be essential. The protagonist, Yi, can deflect enemy attacks with a handy sword to charge up his Chi, which he can then unleash to explosive effect. Finally, he has a big bow in his arsenal for any ranged threats.

Yi will need to fight the titular nine sols, who manifest as big bosses with different sizes, shapes, and personalities. Red Candle Games also says the game will be rich with lore, and players will be able to explore a unique Taopunk setting and a dark electronic soundtrack.

The project has already been funded via Red Candle Games’ website. The game is expected to release in Q2 of 2023.