9 Years of Shadows review

I’m not going to lie: I was drawn to 9 Years of Shadows for two reasons. Firstly, you can tell from screenshots that it’s a Metroidvania with sumptuous pixel art visuals. The other reason isn’t given away in screenshots: its soundtrack has been created by Michiru Yamane.

If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Michiru Yamane has contributed to many Castlevania soundtracks over the years, with her work on the phenomenal Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in particular being a highlight. Here she’s joined by Norihiko Hibino, who’s famous for his work on the soundtracks of the Metal Gear Solid series. Needless to say, 9 Years of Shadows has excellent music.

While it was Michiru Yamane’s name that drew me to 9 Years of Shadows though, ultimately I stayed for its gameplay. The attractive visuals helped too, of course. This game looks absolutely gorgeous, as you see from the screenshots on this page. Starting out in black and white, you instantly appreciate the animation work put into the main character, Europa, and the detail laden upon the world around her. Then an event occurs that sees everything come alive with colour, and your eyeballs will be very pleased indeed.

After a curse sweeps the world, killing most people, including Europa’s parents, all hope seems lost. But after nine years, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Rumour has it that the curse originated from Talos Castle, but no-one who has entered has returned alive. Having already lost pretty much everything, Europa decides to enter. If she finds the source of the curse, maybe she can stop it. And if not, at least she’ll find peace in death.

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It’s not long after Europa enters the castle that she encounters Apino, a cute ghostly bear. And aside from being cute, he also proves to be a valuable ally. While Europa is skilled in combat with a halberd, there are some enemies that physical attacks just aren’t effective against. That’s where Apino comes in. His magic is at your disposal, and it’s not only useful for defeating enemies, but also for destroying certain objects that block your path and activating switches.

You have to be careful with your use of magic, though. You see, Europa is rather frail, only being able to withstand a couple of melee hits unless you’ve acquired some upgrades. But Apino’s magic acts as a shield, defending her from blows. Incoming attacks initially deplete the magic meter then, but when it’s depleted you’re vulnerable. Thankfully the meter can be replenished by landing melee attacks. And when fully depleted, you can hug Apino for short while to give it a welcome boost.

Other than that, there’s little else here that should surprise Metroidvania fans. There are multiple themed areas to explore, and to access them you’ll need to acquire new abilities. Perhaps the most unique thing here is an armour-switching mechanic. You’ll unlock multiple colour-coded armours as you progress through the game, and you’ll need to switch to the correct one to effectively deal with some enemies. They grant other powers, too; a certain set of armour will allow you to breathe and fight underwater, for example.

It’s the panache that 9 Years of Shadows brings to the table that elevates what is mostly a generic Metroidvania to the next level. The controls are wonderfully responsive, the combat is fun and engaging, and overall it’s just a joy to play. The game’s wonderful presentation and mysterious story are the icing on the cake. And let’s not forget the soundtrack.

If you’re a Castlevania fan, or simply love the Metroidvania genre in general, I can heartily recommend 9 Years of Shadows. It’s not the biggest Metroidvania in the world, but it’s impeccably put together. And if you enjoy the music of Michiru Yamane, it might quickly become one of your favourite entries in the genre in recent years.

This review of 9 Years of Shadows is based on the PS5 version, with a code provided by the game’s publisher. It’s available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC.