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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: February 13, 2025

Alconok653

Verified owner

Games: 192 Reviews: 1

Does everything well

After sitting in my library for some time, I finally played 9 Years of Shadows a few days ago, and as a long standard fan of this genre, the game delivered. Tight controls, intuitive puzzles, actual exploration, and a decent story that like is told more by small narrative bites than long pieces of exposition. I plan to finish the game and see where the journey will take me.

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Posted on: February 16, 2025

kuchtaao

Verified owner

Games: 51 Reviews: 1

A slick beautiful delight

As goregous as it looks, interesting, but not hard.

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Posted on: February 17, 2025

TrapChamploo

Verified owner

Games: 135 Reviews: 1

Yes please

Good mechanics. Doesn't hurt my brain. And the art is done really well. i'm just getting into this style of games, but this one is done really well as far as I am concerned. Big ups.

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Posted on: May 14, 2025

plssgameds

Verified owner

Games: 72 Reviews: 1

If once It has only black and white...

I really enjoyed. When I play It gets me a felling that I'm bring colors and music back to her home. The challengers in the way is not easy at all, but you have a fellow by your side, a cute teddy bear...

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Posted on: May 31, 2025

KungFuOpera

Verified owner

Games: 79 Reviews: 2

Solid metroidvania

All around solid game so far, though I'm only a couple hours in. Music plays a major part thematically, but not mechanically. For me, that's a little bit of a let-down but probably a good choice for the majority of players.

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