The Parry Game That Rewires Your Brain

I have heard Nine Sols referred to as "2D Sekiro" about 100 times, but that really isn't doing the game justice. It is a beautiful, hand-crafted Metroidvania Soulslike that, through introducing mechanics like the Unbounded Counter and Tai Chi Kick, has one of the most satisfying combat rhythms of all time. In this deep-dive video essay, I will explore the differences between execution-based gameplay and decision-based gameplay and how this game is the best of both worlds. There are execution-based games like Geometry Dash and Celeste, there are decision-based games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Balatro, and there are games that combine the two. Nine Sols combines the two at an extremely high level. I went into the game having just finished Sekiro and Lies of P, but was still caught extremely off-guard by just how many different counters I would need to learn at a moment's notice. Bosses like General Yingzhao and Jiequan pushed me to my limit and made me weigh a ton of different potential moves in a fraction of a second in extremely high-stakes battles. But, through a trial by fire, these unforgiving bosses completely rewire your brain and force you into an absolute flow state, which I experienced when fighting Lady Ethereal. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Execution vs. Decision-Making 2:50 - Early-Game Struggles 4:49 - Expanding the Toolkit 7:24 - Jiequan 8:52 - Lady Ethereal 10:24 - Conclusion MUSIC USED Quiet and Falling - Celeste Crossroads - Hollow Knight Out of Tartarus - Hades Scattered and Lost - Celeste Mantis Lords - Hollow Knight Colony 9 (Night) - Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition 👇 Support the Channel Don't forget to subscribe to CyclicalZ and ring the bell for more gaming deep dives! BUSINESS INQUIRIES: [email protected] Follow me on social media! TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@cyclicalzgaming Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cyclicalzgaming/ Twitter/X - https://x.com/cyclicalzgaming Gameplay footage, trailer clips, and music from my gameplay, official game trailers and clips from various content creators, news outlets, and publishers are used for commentary and analysis under fair use. #NineSols #GameDesign #VideoEssay #Soulslike #Metroidvania #CyclicalZ