The real meaning of this game is that cats are the genetically-regressed descendants of aliens sent from space to harvest our brains and now we make them shit in a box for all eternity as punishment for their hubris.
I remember devs talking in the interview "players can miss every other messages in the game, but they need to understand the relationship between yi and heng", and I think that is really a fantastic choice
One of the themes throughout the game that resonates with me personally is Yi coming to terms with the wrongs he's committed. This entire project was his idea, and he has to go through each area to see these atrocities firsthand, juxtaposed by the welcoming nature of his home in the Pavillion. I believe the moments in which he finally figures it all out and forgives himself are near the final hour of the game, when he decides to save the race he originally insisted on harvesting. I believe that's the reason his theme plays in the last phase of the final boss, personally, because he had finally understood, and forgiven himself. It's absolutely brilliant. One day I hope to forgive myself for the wrongs I've committed too.
To be fair, I think part of the early game fugue is that the devs expect you, the viewer, to have the context of the culture that shaped nine sols. Fangshi, Kunlun, and Penglai are all terms lifted from real world Chinese folk mythology and Taoism, and even things that don't really need explaining like the major characters' names are also taken from real world mythology. A player with the same cultural insight as RCG would have more foresight as to what these words mean than a player that doesn't have that. Anyways, hugely underrated video
This sounds true as well, but I still think it's really impressive how the game slowly unravels its setting in a way that is completely comprehensible to someone unfamiliar with the material it's being based on (like myself). I also think it's good storytelling that the game doesn't need to rely on supplemental material to be understood.
@@AurumAlex64 brother, this video is wonderfully written and incredibly underrated. I'm really glad to have found it! God bless ya and Jesus loves ya!
I mean, the nine Sol’s in the original lore was literally nine fricking glowing sun so dunno the cultural context will give you a lotta help there. I think the characters here, though borrowing some names and concept from folklores, are very much largely standalone characters.
I mean, the tianhuo virus immediately jumps out as extremely dangerous because how else did it earn the name of “heavenly fire.” It isn’t just some common cold that’s for sure. That said, tianhuo is mentioned in detail only when meeting yanlao (who’s name is a homophone for extend age lmao) and it’s in a way that implies that yanlao is one of the few people infected by it, or that tianhuo only majorly affects old people, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.
This is a really great video essay. I found it quite frustrating seeing other youtubers completely brush over the story of NS. I started playing NS for the combat mechanics but ended up adoring the game for its storytelling, so thank you for appreciating what a masterpiece of a story this is.
Ji's final lines are so haunting. I adore those rare situations in fiction where a character name-drops multiple proper nouns without ever explaining them. It intimates a world much larger than what is immediately before us. We will never know about the bell of Donghuang. We will never know about the slaughter at Fangshan. With Ji's passing, the world shrinks. All things are lost to the Tao. In time.
nine sols has become one of my favourite games just because of the story alone i absolutely love the gameplay as well (even with certain flaws it has) but the story is just perfect i genuinly cried at the ending sequence and listening to the credits song still gives me the shivers i find it really sad how the devs were harassed so much over this game just for expressing taiwanese culture and i think the game is way too underrated but i do hope the devs can make more masterpieces like this in the future
Oh, I didn't know about the harassment. I know they got into some hot water with Devotion, but it's sad to see the hostility continue on. RCG makes really wonderful games.
I just got the true ending 2 days ago, and the little cutscene of Yi giving Shuanshuan his mystic nymph made me cry. The rest of the true ending did honestly. My personal game of the year unless silksong or a bloodborne sequel release.
Yeeeeesss! Nine Sols content!!! And the one that is about it's story and themes!!! Such a shame that a lot of players have found the dialogue to be distracting and consider it "a flaw". To me this game is one of the best out there, and, quite ironically, I've played it during the time of being extremely anxious about my mortality.
I've been excited for this video all week!!! This is great! I definitely agree with your assessment of the characters. I think one of the strongest things a story can do to make a character feel real is to have them be just a bit inconsistent. As in, doing things that exist outside the purview of whatever trope or theme they are meant to convey. With Yi, I'd say it's very much so in how he's genuinely a really friendly and compassionate person. It starts with him letting Shuanshuan and Shennong live in the pavillion, which one could dismiss as there not being much reason for him to object. But it isn't! When we play the game, we find those items and want to bring them back and see what the characters have to say about them. Which mirror's Yi's own thought. Hey, a VR headset. I bet Shuanshuan will like this. Oh, Kuafu's tool. Maybe Shuanshuan will want to make something with this. There's no logical justification he tries to make up for doing this, he just does it, because he just wants to do it. Whereas another story might have this logic character come up with some logic reason for why this is a logic thing, he just does nice and thoughtful things for the other characters! It's fitting that it's through that understated compassion that the true ending is unlocked. And this is true in how he treats the other characters, too. He makes sure that Kuafu isn't against him, but then forgives him pretty quickly. He even teases him, and encourages Shuanshuan to befriend him. The player will often buy things like jades from Chiyou that they're not necessarily interested in using. Chiyou points this out himself, that Yi is buying things he doesn't need, and that he appreciates the help. The game is directly rewarding player curiosity and investment with more characterization, but also is contextualized as something that Yi is choosing to do as well! To help Chiyou! When talking to Lady Ethereal, he makes it very clear that he does not want to fight, and is sympathetic to her plight. Of course, that's likely partially out of a sense of shared guilt, but also, he didn't have to take the time to talk to her after winning, but he did. (The Lady Ethereal part of the game is immaculate, as far as I'm concerned). One line that really sticks with me is his line while drinking with Shennong, near the end of the game. "Maybe there's a reason faith can't be replaced." It's interesting to see just how openly he's willing to consider that, even if drunk. It's like he's taking the value of emotions, and turning it into its own kind of logic he can deconstruct and understand. In general, he's a lot more mellow than when he was a kid. In the flashbacks, that's when he'll talk about how only function matters, only logic matters, that's when he's that trope of an undeveloped logic character. But by the time we play as him, he's matured! He's nice to characters without real ulterior motive. He tells stories to Shuanshuan. He still decries lies and superstition, but also, he actively fosters Shuanshuan's exploration of the small joys of Solarian culture. In fact, the times he goes all "reason and logic" on people is as a form of pushback. I think he's as drastic as he is as a kid because he's constantly having to push back against his parents. He admits that Shennong's recipe is good. It's only when Shennong won't tell him the recipe that he brings up that it's just chemistry. Reason is a tool against ignorance, but if a character isn't fostering an ignorant perspective, he's a lot more Normal in how he talks about things. I don't know how much sense this all made. But i really do like Yi, and I really really like this game, and it was really awesome to see this analysis! I enjoyed it a lot, and will definitely be rewatching this! Your videos are a treasure! (Side bar, but do you have a Discord server or anything like that? I love hearing how you talk about this stuff and if you have a community, would want to join :) )
Thank you! Agree with your perspective on Yi. I came into Nine Sols expecting a fun metroidvania, but I got a lot more than that, and he is a big reason why. As for a Discord, I don't have anything like that yet, but it's something I'm considering. Can't say anything definite right now, though!
Me when renowned youtuber AurumAlex makes a video on a game I am currently playing through and as such am barred from watching to avoid any potential spoilers
Yeah, I figured that was going to be a lot of people who saw this video. Especially since the console version is coming out at the end of the month. But it'll be here to watch later, at least.
Just finished this game last night. Went in expecting maybe a decently fun game but nothing crazy. Left feeling completely blown away by both the story and themes, as well as the fun and tight combat system. What a masterpiece
Thanks for covering this aspect of hte game, the story of this game feels a bit underappreciated since in metroidvanias people really expect only ininterrupted gameplay, but for someone like me that started their adult life as a very rationalistic person and changed over time it was very cathartic seeing the character of Yi, especially because it was handheld very well, and I think it works very well in context of eastern philosphy/
Wow, incredible video! The store is a bit overwhelming to take in with all the information, but this video puts all of it into perspective. Thank you for putting effort into giving this master piece of a game the love it deserves.
Back to back videos on my favorite games ever i'm popping off rn Nine Sols is such an incredibly meaningful game to me, I see a lot of my younger self in the younger Yi. It's very relatable as someone who intended to go into computer science from a very young age, move to california work at big tech, all that jazz. until as i got older i got to see tech companies actively destroy the fabric of society for the sake of profit, i think at that point the parallels are pretty clear. It's rare for a character of Yi's archetype to be handled with the amount of care and nuance that he is. Honestly it's very rare to see a game with something to say, plenty of confidence in its delivery, and the competency to back it up in general. For example, i have no doubt making it so you can only teleport to and from the pavillion was an unpopular decision in testing, and even less that it was more annoying to program than just letting you teleport between any 2 nodes. But they believed the events that take place there were compelling enough to justify leading the player back there so often, and I think they were right. The choice to make a metroidvania that is so dialogue heavy itself has been met with hesitation from a lot of people, judging by a lot of steam reviews, as the Super Metroid doctrine of Show Don't Tell is baked into much of the genre's identity. Nine Sols meets this with the understanding that if you have something so nuanced and complex to say, showing sometimes involves a lotta words, and it seems most people come around to it. I guess I dont really have a specific point to make in this comment, I just felt compelled to gush on a great video essay on one of my favorite games (i will second other commenter asking for a discord btw. I think that sounds like a great time)
Honestly, as I'm currently in my second year of college, I actually see myself right now in past Yi, with the whole "logic and reason trumps all" stuff, in the way I'd explain it. I should give this game another go several years down the line, and see how I've changed since then; do I still cling to logic, or do I accept emotion?
This video is immaculately put, you explain all of these themes in a way that I really haven't been able to articulate. Although I'm very much focused on the gameplay aspects of the game, the story and just the way the characters are written kept me playing past some of the (very few) BS sections of the game (I'm looking at you, hallway arena). This video has just helped me appreciate it even more, I can't stop saying how fantastic your work is here.
Very good video. I loved this game and you espoused upon themes that were on the edges of my mind but I couldn't bring to words while playing through it. Your comments about what makes a game "mature" resonated with me the most. I honestly didn't know what I was getting in to with this game when I picked it up, I was expecting a lighthearted game mainly from my impressions of the artstyle alone. The first confrontation with Jiquan into the torture scene almost made me stop playing because of how dismayed I got, and the boss fight afterwards in the prison was even worse. In spite of this, I kept playing because I was so invested, and I'm glad I did. I felt that the imagery was serving the story in a meaningful way that I appreciated as much as I feared.
Glad to see someone exploring philosophical themes of nine sols. Good job ✨ Also that lady ethereal fight just sucked me dry to a point when I finally defeated her, I didn't feel anything. I was just so happy it was over. There was no frustration, no relief, no empathy, absolutely nothing. From my experience that's what pure intellectualism feels like -- a sterile scalpel. I was so glad watching main protagonist grow and change his viewpoints and open up, rarely you see such alive characters in games or any media. Have you played Grime? 😁
Thank you! Yeah, I struggled a lot with the Lady Ethereal fight as well (though not nearly as much as Eigong, haha). As for Grime, I have not played it, or even heard about it until this comment, but it would be interesting to check out at some point! Always in the mood for new metroidvanias.
A delicious video I must say. From the way of speech, through the writing to thoughts and conclusions, this video was a delight to experience through it's entirely. Coming to think again about NineSols' themes caused by the right questions you asked and insights you provided made me appreciate the game even more once again. Fenomenal video
I'm a sucker for profound and abstract thought - and I found myself *deeply* invested in the game's story in just the first 15 minutes of gameplay. The deep topics of spirituality juxtaposing the harsh Tao-punk aesthetic, the artstyle alone speaks to the game's thematic consistency. Nine Sols is one of the best games I've ever played in my life, and this video puts the sheer beauty of it all into perspective - insanely underrated. ❤
And just when you upload this video, the game gets updated and now supports RTX HDR. Great timing! Love it, will definitely play this at some point. So many games, so little time :D
From the ending song : "When the sun is falling, should i chase it?" The line perfectly encapsulates Yi's philosophical struggle in the game. To explain it in as short as i can : Sun = light = good No sun = dark = bad When the sun is falling, should i chase it? When the good is fading, should i put my entire being to preserving it? When the sun sets, if you move west, you can theoretically chase the sun, and stay in its light forever if you keep chasing it. But is it worth it? Youll be dedicating your life to chasing the sun. You wont have time for leisure or rest. You will keep chasing, and for what? Whats the point? Youre just wasting your time and energy, time and energy that you could spend actually living your life instead, and when the night comes, you can be assured that the sun will eventually return. This encapsulates Yi's dilemma and the games theme, and also the teaching of taoism that the game puts forward, which is "effortless action"/"action through inaction".
I know I already commented but I wanted you to know that this video, and the Layton vs Wright one, are my comfort videos to put on while I'm doing work. I like them a lot.
Spoilers! . I found that a large bit of irony is how Eigong accepts the natural end of things in a way through a twisted view of immortality. She starts out with trying to create immortality but in the end decides to want to have everyone be assimilated and transformed into mutants thus killing the original people even going as far as to corrupt the tree itself. The ending reminds me a lot of outer wilds with a similar theme in it's ending.
The Story of this game was definitely unexpected, I was not expecting to care about the story or characters, much less be enthralled by them, especially as it progressed. Definitely one of the best games released this year, loved it. Wish some bosses were harder though, only the Final Boss scratched the sekiro itch for me, not that the bosses were bad by any means.
I hadn't tried this game yet. Despite metroidvanias being a favorite genre of mine, something about the setting or presentation seemed off-putting to me in the trailers. But your analysis of the game's story and themes has made me much more interested in giving it a shot.
Beautiful analysis! I fell in love with the combat of this game and stayed for the story, this essay puts it into perspective even more! I do have one thought that I interpreted somewhat differently (and apologies for the length of this post): I think it’s interesting to bring up sciences role in truth and nature. Axiology, ontology, and epistemology deal with sciences of truth, nature, and knowledge itself. Since Yi is an unyielding scientist, I felt like he was assessing some of the interactions in the pavilion as empirical evidence as a social scientist might. Truth is often seen in a number of different camps. Karl Popper saw it when one truth is proven, all other truths are null or false. I think this is what Yi thinks with his binary point of view of science vs Taoism. Thomas Kuhn refuted that to say multiple truths can exist, but when more truths stack together, they can create a paradigm shift. Both truths can exist, but there is a shift in how we understand the world around us with this new information. The latter is very popular amongst social scientists. Yi does gather social empirical evidence through Heng and then through similar truths from those in the pavilion over time. As his beliefs in the rigidity of science are broken down piece by piece, it’s noted that multiple truths can exist. That while Yi’s science was not evil as his parents perceived, neither was Heng’s belief in Taoism. As Yi’s cognitive dissonance unravels, I think he still is assessing things as a scientist. After all, belief is something that is very difficult to break. So, Yi has to break it down in a way that makes sense to him, which is through the previously mentioned axiology, ontology, and epistemology. And to be clear, I hope I am not refuting your claim, I think your interpretation is valid and very interesting, just wanted to share that observation. I am liking and subscribing to your channel. Excellent work!
I really like this interpretation! There's a temptation to view the archetype of Nine Sols' story and say that Yi needs to "reject" scientific inquiry in favor of Taoism, but I think the game is instead interested in getting the two to work together, along the lines of what you suggest.
I recognised this theme in the game but I didn't really understand it till your video so thanks a lot. As a writer I can't help but feel my ego was hurt a little seeing as I didn't quite grasp how powerful it was on my playthrough. But at least I got it eventually. But yeah in terms of execution and things it doesn't strawman anything as you said. Eigong's perspective is the only one really demonised and its free to do so because that will be the player consensus. Everything else though is up to interpretation and opinion which is great. Very willing to get dark and introspective which isn't the easier to follow along with. Thats the difference i notice between indie and triple A is that even with arcane I just finished watching the themes are pretty generic. As much as I like anime and things, non American/Europe storytelling does seem to be behind in theory+strucutre. This really stubborn showing doesn't seem to be that common in Asian stories so it was a nice surprise when I picked it up and had the entire playthrough to just speculate about stuff. Something cod or something can't do, at least anymore.
this is awesome!! thank you so much!! i am reminded a lot of hit indie videogame Rain World (2017), which is very similar in aesthetics but explains way less of its lore and, honestly i am really tempted to try this game when i'm doing better, this Actually Has Meaning, unlike my current favorite
Damn I thought they were going crazy with six black heavens guns but arcsys has genuinely gone mad, I thought we were just going to max out at order sol and sol badguy
Goddammit I’m gonna play the game eventually just gimme a bit. I’ll get back here eventually. Edit: ok I’m back. Great game, 9/10, some jank but that probably came from my playing on keyboard. I feel woefully unequipped to understand the themes though, since I only have a basic knowledge of Chinese myths and Taoist philosophy.
One thing about philosophy and forms of spirituality is that it makes the simple complicated and may even contradict that. Relativism it can be summed up as given right and wrong, but can never hold up to the realities of life. I believe it was Nietzsche that agreed with this thinking until WWII occurred. He had to say evil did indeed exist. There is right and wrong and even the most adherent will contradict themselves. I like that it did examine spiritualism and science as belief systems in their extremes, yet comes to say one's truth is sufficient even though Yi only traded an ignorant outlook for which I'm not sure if was selfish or selfless. His choice was to save others, but it was more made for himself and that was the result of it. I think it was said in the video living for one self is pointless, but I wonder why it was such a hard conclusion to come to as selflessness has no downside. Well, other than personal sacrifice without reward. If no answer was come to in the end, I think the apemen will make the same mistake in the future if they can't say what was right and wrong about the Solarians.
The real meaning of this game is that cats are the genetically-regressed descendants of aliens sent from space to harvest our brains and now we make them shit in a box for all eternity as punishment for their hubris.
I remember devs talking in the interview "players can miss every other messages in the game, but they need to understand the relationship between yi and heng", and I think that is really a fantastic choice
One of the themes throughout the game that resonates with me personally is Yi coming to terms with the wrongs he's committed. This entire project was his idea, and he has to go through each area to see these atrocities firsthand, juxtaposed by the welcoming nature of his home in the Pavillion. I believe the moments in which he finally figures it all out and forgives himself are near the final hour of the game, when he decides to save the race he originally insisted on harvesting. I believe that's the reason his theme plays in the last phase of the final boss, personally, because he had finally understood, and forgiven himself. It's absolutely brilliant. One day I hope to forgive myself for the wrongs I've committed too.
To be fair, I think part of the early game fugue is that the devs expect you, the viewer, to have the context of the culture that shaped nine sols. Fangshi, Kunlun, and Penglai are all terms lifted from real world Chinese folk mythology and Taoism, and even things that don't really need explaining like the major characters' names are also taken from real world mythology. A player with the same cultural insight as RCG would have more foresight as to what these words mean than a player that doesn't have that. Anyways, hugely underrated video
This sounds true as well, but I still think it's really impressive how the game slowly unravels its setting in a way that is completely comprehensible to someone unfamiliar with the material it's being based on (like myself). I also think it's good storytelling that the game doesn't need to rely on supplemental material to be understood.
@AurumAlex64 Yeah! It's a testament to RCGs storytelling ability
@@AurumAlex64 brother, this video is wonderfully written and incredibly underrated. I'm really glad to have found it! God bless ya and Jesus loves ya!
I mean, the nine Sol’s in the original lore was literally nine fricking glowing sun so dunno the cultural context will give you a lotta help there. I think the characters here, though borrowing some names and concept from folklores, are very much largely standalone characters.
I mean, the tianhuo virus immediately jumps out as extremely dangerous because how else did it earn the name of “heavenly fire.” It isn’t just some common cold that’s for sure. That said, tianhuo is mentioned in detail only when meeting yanlao (who’s name is a homophone for extend age lmao) and it’s in a way that implies that yanlao is one of the few people infected by it, or that tianhuo only majorly affects old people, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.
This is a really great video essay. I found it quite frustrating seeing other youtubers completely brush over the story of NS. I started playing NS for the combat mechanics but ended up adoring the game for its storytelling, so thank you for appreciating what a masterpiece of a story this is.
Ji's final lines are so haunting. I adore those rare situations in fiction where a character name-drops multiple proper nouns without ever explaining them. It intimates a world much larger than what is immediately before us. We will never know about the bell of Donghuang. We will never know about the slaughter at Fangshan. With Ji's passing, the world shrinks. All things are lost to the Tao. In time.
nine sols has become one of my favourite games just because of the story alone
i absolutely love the gameplay as well (even with certain flaws it has) but the story is just perfect
i genuinly cried at the ending sequence and listening to the credits song still gives me the shivers
i find it really sad how the devs were harassed so much over this game just for expressing taiwanese culture and i think the game is way too underrated
but i do hope the devs can make more masterpieces like this in the future
Oh, I didn't know about the harassment. I know they got into some hot water with Devotion, but it's sad to see the hostility continue on. RCG makes really wonderful games.
@AurumAlex64 yeah i think it was mostly only directly after the release but a lot of reviews after release were very negative sadly
this game emotionally devastated me and is now one of my favorites of all time. i love everything about it.
I just got the true ending 2 days ago, and the little cutscene of Yi giving Shuanshuan his mystic nymph made me cry. The rest of the true ending did honestly. My personal game of the year unless silksong or a bloodborne sequel release.
Agreed, my GOTY as well. I'm pretending Silksong doesn't exist until it comes out at this point haha
@ same here. I’m giving them as long as they need to release what they believe is their best work
I love this game so much, incredibly ambitious for the studio, and unabashedly candid about storytelling and cultural influence
Yeeeeesss! Nine Sols content!!! And the one that is about it's story and themes!!!
Such a shame that a lot of players have found the dialogue to be distracting and consider it "a flaw".
To me this game is one of the best out there, and, quite ironically, I've played it during the time of being extremely anxious about my mortality.
I've been excited for this video all week!!! This is great!
I definitely agree with your assessment of the characters. I think one of the strongest things a story can do to make a character feel real is to have them be just a bit inconsistent. As in, doing things that exist outside the purview of whatever trope or theme they are meant to convey. With Yi, I'd say it's very much so in how he's genuinely a really friendly and compassionate person. It starts with him letting Shuanshuan and Shennong live in the pavillion, which one could dismiss as there not being much reason for him to object.
But it isn't! When we play the game, we find those items and want to bring them back and see what the characters have to say about them. Which mirror's Yi's own thought. Hey, a VR headset. I bet Shuanshuan will like this. Oh, Kuafu's tool. Maybe Shuanshuan will want to make something with this. There's no logical justification he tries to make up for doing this, he just does it, because he just wants to do it. Whereas another story might have this logic character come up with some logic reason for why this is a logic thing, he just does nice and thoughtful things for the other characters! It's fitting that it's through that understated compassion that the true ending is unlocked.
And this is true in how he treats the other characters, too. He makes sure that Kuafu isn't against him, but then forgives him pretty quickly. He even teases him, and encourages Shuanshuan to befriend him. The player will often buy things like jades from Chiyou that they're not necessarily interested in using. Chiyou points this out himself, that Yi is buying things he doesn't need, and that he appreciates the help. The game is directly rewarding player curiosity and investment with more characterization, but also is contextualized as something that Yi is choosing to do as well! To help Chiyou! When talking to Lady Ethereal, he makes it very clear that he does not want to fight, and is sympathetic to her plight. Of course, that's likely partially out of a sense of shared guilt, but also, he didn't have to take the time to talk to her after winning, but he did. (The Lady Ethereal part of the game is immaculate, as far as I'm concerned).
One line that really sticks with me is his line while drinking with Shennong, near the end of the game. "Maybe there's a reason faith can't be replaced." It's interesting to see just how openly he's willing to consider that, even if drunk. It's like he's taking the value of emotions, and turning it into its own kind of logic he can deconstruct and understand.
In general, he's a lot more mellow than when he was a kid. In the flashbacks, that's when he'll talk about how only function matters, only logic matters, that's when he's that trope of an undeveloped logic character. But by the time we play as him, he's matured! He's nice to characters without real ulterior motive. He tells stories to Shuanshuan. He still decries lies and superstition, but also, he actively fosters Shuanshuan's exploration of the small joys of Solarian culture.
In fact, the times he goes all "reason and logic" on people is as a form of pushback. I think he's as drastic as he is as a kid because he's constantly having to push back against his parents. He admits that Shennong's recipe is good. It's only when Shennong won't tell him the recipe that he brings up that it's just chemistry. Reason is a tool against ignorance, but if a character isn't fostering an ignorant perspective, he's a lot more Normal in how he talks about things.
I don't know how much sense this all made. But i really do like Yi, and I really really like this game, and it was really awesome to see this analysis! I enjoyed it a lot, and will definitely be rewatching this! Your videos are a treasure!
(Side bar, but do you have a Discord server or anything like that? I love hearing how you talk about this stuff and if you have a community, would want to join :) )
Thank you! Agree with your perspective on Yi. I came into Nine Sols expecting a fun metroidvania, but I got a lot more than that, and he is a big reason why.
As for a Discord, I don't have anything like that yet, but it's something I'm considering. Can't say anything definite right now, though!
I liked how Yi pushed Shuanshuan to befriend Uncle Chubby
Me when renowned youtuber AurumAlex makes a video on a game I am currently playing through and as such am barred from watching to avoid any potential spoilers
Yeah, I figured that was going to be a lot of people who saw this video. Especially since the console version is coming out at the end of the month. But it'll be here to watch later, at least.
Just finished this game last night. Went in expecting maybe a decently fun game but nothing crazy. Left feeling completely blown away by both the story and themes, as well as the fun and tight combat system. What a masterpiece
Absolutely wonderful video, and thank you for the link to the comic.
Thanks for covering this aspect of hte game, the story of this game feels a bit underappreciated since in metroidvanias people really expect only ininterrupted gameplay, but for someone like me that started their adult life as a very rationalistic person and changed over time it was very cathartic seeing the character of Yi, especially because it was handheld very well, and I think it works very well in context of eastern philosphy/
Wow, incredible video! The store is a bit overwhelming to take in with all the information, but this video puts all of it into perspective. Thank you for putting effort into giving this master piece of a game the love it deserves.
Back to back videos on my favorite games ever i'm popping off rn
Nine Sols is such an incredibly meaningful game to me, I see a lot of my younger self in the younger Yi. It's very relatable as someone who intended to go into computer science from a very young age, move to california work at big tech, all that jazz. until as i got older i got to see tech companies actively destroy the fabric of society for the sake of profit, i think at that point the parallels are pretty clear. It's rare for a character of Yi's archetype to be handled with the amount of care and nuance that he is. Honestly it's very rare to see a game with something to say, plenty of confidence in its delivery, and the competency to back it up in general. For example, i have no doubt making it so you can only teleport to and from the pavillion was an unpopular decision in testing, and even less that it was more annoying to program than just letting you teleport between any 2 nodes. But they believed the events that take place there were compelling enough to justify leading the player back there so often, and I think they were right. The choice to make a metroidvania that is so dialogue heavy itself has been met with hesitation from a lot of people, judging by a lot of steam reviews, as the Super Metroid doctrine of Show Don't Tell is baked into much of the genre's identity. Nine Sols meets this with the understanding that if you have something so nuanced and complex to say, showing sometimes involves a lotta words, and it seems most people come around to it. I guess I dont really have a specific point to make in this comment, I just felt compelled to gush on a great video essay on one of my favorite games
(i will second other commenter asking for a discord btw. I think that sounds like a great time)
100% agree. I'm glad Red Candle Games took a chance with the story; it paid off massively.
Honestly, as I'm currently in my second year of college, I actually see myself right now in past Yi, with the whole "logic and reason trumps all" stuff, in the way I'd explain it. I should give this game another go several years down the line, and see how I've changed since then; do I still cling to logic, or do I accept emotion?
This video is a gem. Hope you make more videos about nine sols.
This video is immaculately put, you explain all of these themes in a way that I really haven't been able to articulate.
Although I'm very much focused on the gameplay aspects of the game, the story and just the way the characters are written kept me playing past some of the (very few) BS sections of the game (I'm looking at you, hallway arena). This video has just helped me appreciate it even more, I can't stop saying how fantastic your work is here.
omg it's sherplung
Very good video. I loved this game and you espoused upon themes that were on the edges of my mind but I couldn't bring to words while playing through it. Your comments about what makes a game "mature" resonated with me the most. I honestly didn't know what I was getting in to with this game when I picked it up, I was expecting a lighthearted game mainly from my impressions of the artstyle alone. The first confrontation with Jiquan into the torture scene almost made me stop playing because of how dismayed I got, and the boss fight afterwards in the prison was even worse. In spite of this, I kept playing because I was so invested, and I'm glad I did. I felt that the imagery was serving the story in a meaningful way that I appreciated as much as I feared.
Glad to see someone exploring philosophical themes of nine sols. Good job ✨
Also that lady ethereal fight just sucked me dry to a point when I finally defeated her, I didn't feel anything. I was just so happy it was over. There was no frustration, no relief, no empathy, absolutely nothing. From my experience that's what pure intellectualism feels like -- a sterile scalpel. I was so glad watching main protagonist grow and change his viewpoints and open up, rarely you see such alive characters in games or any media.
Have you played Grime? 😁
Thank you! Yeah, I struggled a lot with the Lady Ethereal fight as well (though not nearly as much as Eigong, haha). As for Grime, I have not played it, or even heard about it until this comment, but it would be interesting to check out at some point! Always in the mood for new metroidvanias.
@ can't recommend it enough! It's gorgeous, parry based difficult combat, and the story is incredibly powerful
You've done an excellent job here, by the by. There isn't enough discussion about Nine Sols these days.
Great Video! I love hearing more about this game from different perspectives, and you did a very good job
A delicious video I must say. From the way of speech, through the writing to thoughts and conclusions, this video was a delight to experience through it's entirely. Coming to think again about NineSols' themes caused by the right questions you asked and insights you provided made me appreciate the game even more once again. Fenomenal video
just like the true ending, this video made me cry. no shit.
anyways, all in all amazing video, I'm glad you enjoyed my favorite game of all time! :3
I'm a sucker for profound and abstract thought - and I found myself *deeply* invested in the game's story in just the first 15 minutes of gameplay.
The deep topics of spirituality juxtaposing the harsh Tao-punk aesthetic, the artstyle alone speaks to the game's thematic consistency.
Nine Sols is one of the best games I've ever played in my life, and this video puts the sheer beauty of it all into perspective - insanely underrated. ❤
And just when you upload this video, the game gets updated and now supports RTX HDR. Great timing!
Love it, will definitely play this at some point. So many games, so little time :D
Yeah, I've noticed this game gets QoL updates pretty frequently. It's nice to see.
@@AurumAlex64 They added new effects to Lady Ethereal's Soulscape, too, which was surprising to me considering that's like, actual content.
i dont know how this person soesnt have more subs or at least more views these video was the best
From the ending song :
"When the sun is falling, should i chase it?"
The line perfectly encapsulates Yi's philosophical struggle in the game.
To explain it in as short as i can :
Sun = light = good
No sun = dark = bad
When the sun is falling, should i chase it?
When the good is fading, should i put my entire being to preserving it?
When the sun sets, if you move west, you can theoretically chase the sun, and stay in its light forever if you keep chasing it. But is it worth it? Youll be dedicating your life to chasing the sun. You wont have time for leisure or rest. You will keep chasing, and for what? Whats the point? Youre just wasting your time and energy, time and energy that you could spend actually living your life instead, and when the night comes, you can be assured that the sun will eventually return.
This encapsulates Yi's dilemma and the games theme, and also the teaching of taoism that the game puts forward, which is "effortless action"/"action through inaction".
I know I already commented but I wanted you to know that this video, and the Layton vs Wright one, are my comfort videos to put on while I'm doing work. I like them a lot.
Glad I can make the workday slightly better!
Spoilers!
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I found that a large bit of irony is how Eigong accepts the natural end of things in a way through a twisted view of immortality. She starts out with trying to create immortality but in the end decides to want to have everyone be assimilated and transformed into mutants thus killing the original people even going as far as to corrupt the tree itself.
The ending reminds me a lot of outer wilds with a similar theme in it's ending.
The Story of this game was definitely unexpected, I was not expecting to care about the story or characters, much less be enthralled by them, especially as it progressed. Definitely one of the best games released this year, loved it. Wish some bosses were harder though, only the Final Boss scratched the sekiro itch for me, not that the bosses were bad by any means.
I hadn't tried this game yet. Despite metroidvanias being a favorite genre of mine, something about the setting or presentation seemed off-putting to me in the trailers. But your analysis of the game's story and themes has made me much more interested in giving it a shot.
Beautiful analysis! I fell in love with the combat of this game and stayed for the story, this essay puts it into perspective even more! I do have one thought that I interpreted somewhat differently (and apologies for the length of this post):
I think it’s interesting to bring up sciences role in truth and nature. Axiology, ontology, and epistemology deal with sciences of truth, nature, and knowledge itself. Since Yi is an unyielding scientist, I felt like he was assessing some of the interactions in the pavilion as empirical evidence as a social scientist might.
Truth is often seen in a number of different camps. Karl Popper saw it when one truth is proven, all other truths are null or false. I think this is what Yi thinks with his binary point of view of science vs Taoism. Thomas Kuhn refuted that to say multiple truths can exist, but when more truths stack together, they can create a paradigm shift. Both truths can exist, but there is a shift in how we understand the world around us with this new information. The latter is very popular amongst social scientists.
Yi does gather social empirical evidence through Heng and then through similar truths from those in the pavilion over time. As his beliefs in the rigidity of science are broken down piece by piece, it’s noted that multiple truths can exist. That while Yi’s science was not evil as his parents perceived, neither was Heng’s belief in Taoism.
As Yi’s cognitive dissonance unravels, I think he still is assessing things as a scientist. After all, belief is something that is very difficult to break. So, Yi has to break it down in a way that makes sense to him, which is through the previously mentioned axiology, ontology, and epistemology.
And to be clear, I hope I am not refuting your claim, I think your interpretation is valid and very interesting, just wanted to share that observation.
I am liking and subscribing to your channel. Excellent work!
I really like this interpretation! There's a temptation to view the archetype of Nine Sols' story and say that Yi needs to "reject" scientific inquiry in favor of Taoism, but I think the game is instead interested in getting the two to work together, along the lines of what you suggest.
Dude, I am praying that this game gets a sequel 🙏
Great analysis of the themes. I cant praise this game enough.
I recognised this theme in the game but I didn't really understand it till your video so thanks a lot. As a writer I can't help but feel my ego was hurt a little seeing as I didn't quite grasp how powerful it was on my playthrough. But at least I got it eventually.
But yeah in terms of execution and things it doesn't strawman anything as you said. Eigong's perspective is the only one really demonised and its free to do so because that will be the player consensus. Everything else though is up to interpretation and opinion which is great. Very willing to get dark and introspective which isn't the easier to follow along with. Thats the difference i notice between indie and triple A is that even with arcane I just finished watching the themes are pretty generic.
As much as I like anime and things, non American/Europe storytelling does seem to be behind in theory+strucutre. This really stubborn showing doesn't seem to be that common in Asian stories so it was a nice surprise when I picked it up and had the entire playthrough to just speculate about stuff. Something cod or something can't do, at least anymore.
Alright, I'm sold. Buying the game
After 100hrs, 100% achivement on Steam, its worth it
Finished it two weeks later now I can watch the video 😎
this is awesome!! thank you so much!!
i am reminded a lot of hit indie videogame Rain World (2017), which is very similar in aesthetics but explains way less of its lore
and, honestly i am really tempted to try this game when i'm doing better, this Actually Has Meaning, unlike my current favorite
excellent video, superbly underrated video and game !!!
Great video man
Damn I thought they were going crazy with six black heavens guns but arcsys has genuinely gone mad, I thought we were just going to max out at order sol and sol badguy
Goddammit I’m gonna play the game eventually just gimme a bit. I’ll get back here eventually.
Edit: ok I’m back. Great game, 9/10, some jank but that probably came from my playing on keyboard. I feel woefully unequipped to understand the themes though, since I only have a basic knowledge of Chinese myths and Taoist philosophy.
17:20 And... OH IT'S PISS!!!
Nine Sols? What happened to the 10th one? (That was an awful joke, I’ll see myself out)
Well, actually, Yi *is* the tenth Sol, but he was kinda... 'kicked out', we'll say.
Cool video
I haven’t finished the game does this video have to much spoilers I’m in the grotto scripture right now
yes you should finish the game first
One thing about philosophy and forms of spirituality is that it makes the simple complicated and may even contradict that. Relativism it can be summed up as given right and wrong, but can never hold up to the realities of life. I believe it was Nietzsche that agreed with this thinking until WWII occurred. He had to say evil did indeed exist. There is right and wrong and even the most adherent will contradict themselves. I like that it did examine spiritualism and science as belief systems in their extremes, yet comes to say one's truth is sufficient even though Yi only traded an ignorant outlook for which I'm not sure if was selfish or selfless. His choice was to save others, but it was more made for himself and that was the result of it. I think it was said in the video living for one self is pointless, but I wonder why it was such a hard conclusion to come to as selflessness has no downside. Well, other than personal sacrifice without reward. If no answer was come to in the end, I think the apemen will make the same mistake in the future if they can't say what was right and wrong about the Solarians.
Just so you know, Nietsche died 14 years before first the world war. You might be thinking of a different philosopher.
@@irtakus Probably