Devotion and Detention dev's "Taopunk" action-platformer Nine Sols gets first trailer
Crowdfunding campaign now live.
Red Candle Games, the developer behind critically acclaimed horror outings Detention and Devotion, has shared a first trailer - and launched a crowdfunding campaign - for its previously revealed "Taopunk" action-platformer Nine Sols, which it's aiming to release in Q3 next year.
When first we heard of Nine Sols last year, Red Candle described it as a "lore rich hand-drawn 2D platformer with Sekiro-inspired deflection-focused combat" - and an accompany bit of concept art set the dark, manga-inspired tone of the experience with its combination of cute animal protagonist and piles of mangled, bloody limbs.
Following on from that initial tease, Red Candle has now revealed considerably more about Nine Sols as part of its newly launched crowdfunding campaign. We do, for instance, now have a name for its distinctive protagonist, Yi, and we know players will guide him on a vengeful quest through a dark fantasy world - melding sci-fi elements with Eastern mythology - to eliminate the 9 Sols, formidable rulers of the realm, and unravel the secrets of an alien race.
Core to the strictly single-player adventure is combat, and more specifically its timing-based deflection system, enabling players to not only avoid damage but accumulate energy that can be turned back on enemies in a stylish charging attack. That will combine with the likes of a slash attack, dash, and double jump to create a "smooth and responsive" close-range battle system. You can get an early taste of Nine Sols' action in the crowdfunding trailer above.
Additional details on Nine Sols' combat - alongside more on its world, enemies, bosses, NPCs, and upgrade system - can be found on Red Candle's newly launched crowdfunding page. The developer is looking to raise NT$ 3,000,000 (around £80,000) before the campaign comes to a close in 51 days time. But given it's already managed to secure 79% of its target - NT$ 2,374,492 at the time of writing - it seems certain that goal will be well and truly smashed.
As part of its crowdfunding pitch, Red Candle explains Nine Sols has already been in development for over two years. "We actually began looking at prototypes for this game a couple months after the launch of Devotion," it says, "so we are thoroughly committed to this project." It goes as far as to admit the crowdfunding campaign "will not alter the fate of Nine Sols, meaning that we will do our absolute best to complete the game regardless of the result."
Instead, Red Candle says the main goal of the campaign is to receive feedback from players, explaining it will be rolling out regular PC betas to backers at key milestones in development. "That being said," it adds, "the more money we raise, the more resources our team will have to enhance the game's overall experience. We'd be able to polish it even further before the launch, and have far more leeway in which to expand and improve it."
If all continues as planned for Nine Sols, Red Candle says it should launch for PC in Q3 next year.