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9 Years of Shadows

in library

4.2/5

( 449 Reviews )

4.2

449 Reviews

English & 1 more
Offer ends on: 10/20/2025 09:59 EEST
Offer ends in: d h m s
19.997.99
Lowest price in the last 30 days before discount: 7.99
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
Safety and satisfaction. Stellar support 24/7 and full refunds up to 30 days.
9 Years of Shadows
Description
A fateful night of sorrow and ancient magic changed the life of a young child forever, and with it, everything else as mankind knew it. For 9 long years, the world has been submerged in the deepest of shadows, robbing every object and living creature of their color, their joy, and most impor...
Genre:
Action - Adventure - Metroidvania
Tags:
Adventure, Action, Indie, Fantasy, Story Rich, show 8 more... Atmospheric, 2D, Exploration, Female Protagonist, Pixel Graphics, Platformer, Magic, Metroidvania
Critics reviews
64 %
Recommend
Softpedia
8.5/10
CGMagazine
7/10
User reviews

4.2/5

( 449 Reviews )

4.2

449 Reviews

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Product details
2023, Halberd Studios, ...
System requirements
Windows 10, Intel Core i3-9100F, 8 GB RAM, GT 730, Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system...
Time to beat
6.5 hMain
9 h Main + Sides
9.5 h Completionist
9 h All Styles

Game length provided by HowLongToBeat

Description




A fateful night of sorrow and ancient magic changed the life of a young child forever, and with it, everything else as mankind knew it. For 9 long years, the world has been submerged in the deepest of shadows, robbing every object and living creature of their color, their joy, and most importantly, hope.


Many brave souls have tried to venture inside the corrupting depths of Talos Castle, a long-abandoned orphanage from which the curse stemmed. All have failed, except for one. Armed with little other than her halberd and sheer nerve, Europa’s daunting quest is clear: enter the castle, find the source of darkness, and return color to the lands before it is too late.



However, this adventure is not for Europa to face alone. In her most desperate hour, Europa encounters Apino, a cute magical bear with the ability to heal, cleanse the corruption and protect his allies.


While exploring the castle, Apino can shoot powerful projectiles at enemies, open locked doors and shield Europa from ranged attacks.




Enhance your battle prowess by acquiring elemental armors. Master the might of lightning, water, earth and fire to defeat a vast assortment of enemies.


Use the elements to your advantage to travel the map dynamically, surprise bosses while you change armors on the fly and perform strong combos. Obtain special abilities to swim against waterfalls, travel underground tunnels or glide through warm air currents to access hidden locations and uncover their secrets.





Meet enigmatic composers that will aid you in your mission. With the special appearance of Michiru Yamane and Norihiko Hibino, both as NPCs and composers of several tracks tuned to 432hz, a soothing frequency used in what’s known as healing music. And there is more to music than meets the eye. Hidden bosses with musical attack patterns lurk in the shadows ready to strike. In fact, music is the binding thread that brings gameplay and storytelling together; from collecting musical notes, to performing a healing lullaby to restore your health, music is all but the soul of the game.

© Halberd Studios & Freedom Games. All Rights Reserved.

System requirements
Minimum system requirements:
Recommended system requirements:
Recommended system requirements:
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
Safety and satisfaction. Stellar support 24/7 and full refunds up to 30 days.
Time to beat
6.5 hMain
9 h Main + Sides
9.5 h Completionist
9 h All Styles

Game length provided by HowLongToBeat

Game details
Genre:
Action - Adventure - Metroidvania
Tags:
Adventure, Action, Indie, Fantasy, Story Rich, show 8 more... Atmospheric, 2D, Exploration, Female Protagonist, Pixel Graphics, Platformer, Magic, Metroidvania
Works on:
Windows (10, 11)
Release date:
{{'2023-03-27T00:00:00+03:00' | date: 'longDate' : ' +0300 ' }}
Company:
Halberd Studios / indie.io
Size:
1.3 GB
Links:
Forum discussion
Game features
Cloud saves
Controller support
Overlay
Single-player
Languages
English
audio
text
Español (AL)
audio
text
Critics reviews
74
Top Critic Average
64 %
Critics Recommend
OpenCritic Rating
Softpediaby Andrei Dumitrescu
8.5/10
Nine Years of Shadows is a good Metroidvania with an impressive presentation and intriguing world. Gameplay mechanics will be instantly familiar to any genre fans and easy to understand for newcomers. There aren’t too many surprises in the narrative but it is imbued with a sense of optimism that kept me engaged.
Read full review »
CGMagazineby Philip Watson
7/10
9 Years of Shadows is a solid 2D action-adventure title that is very pretty to look at, and could be recommendable to those who don't focus on combat.
Read full review »
Reviews powered by OpenCritic
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User reviews

Posted on: March 24, 2025

dfodiego

Verified owner

Games: 165 Reviews: 1

good but not excellent

good but not excellent. nothing new but bring a beautifull visuals and soundtracks. Good challange thou

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Posted on: March 28, 2025

nerdmanpap2

Verified owner

Games: 52 Reviews: 1

Metroidvania lite

Gameplay is decent, it is a metroidvania style game. The map system works well and it is fun to explore all the boxes on the map looking for secrets. Where this game falls short is the combat system. Many of the enemies seem unintelligent and are far too easy to beat. The big ones require dodging and some timing, but nothing complex. Most enemies seem like canon fodder. The boss fights are fun, but their difficulty compared to the other mobs is on a whole different tier. If you die and have to repeat a boss fight you do have to sit through the cutscenes. This gets old very fast (water boss). One other complaint I have is the music just was not enjoyable to me. Overall this is a perfectly average metroidvania, with around a 7 hour playtime.

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Posted on: March 29, 2025

Dude_Named_Jim

Verified owner

Games: 31 Reviews: 2

Great Game so far

I put in about 3.5 hours in already and I am having fun playing it. The armor color schemes and abilities are cool as heck, and its hard while not being too hard. Im just a casual gamer dude, and I like this game alot so far.

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Posted on: April 4, 2025

stinkinslime

Verified owner

Games: 147 Reviews: 1

Fun and Challenging

This game was a bit challenging for me, but that was a welcome change. I was a bit lost by the plot, but still enjoyed the theme. I appreciate a change in play dynamics even if sometimes it felt frustrating. I look forward to whatever comes next!

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Posted on: April 5, 2025

enobmas

Verified owner

Games: 216 Reviews: 1

Fun boss fights

A somewhat linear Metroidvania with some fun boss fights that test your memorization of patterns. Unique themes in some of the exploration 'upgrades' you get along the way

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