Claim it. Nine Sols on PS Plus is the best kind of subscription add, a game that is easy to recommend when it costs you nothing extra and still easy to respect if you had to pay full price. It is normally $29.99 on Steam, it lands on PlayStation Plus on May 5, and it absolutely earns the download if you like hard action games with real boss fights. Honestly, this is the game in May’s lineup I would install first.
Sony confirmed on the official PlayStation Blog that Nine Sols joins May’s Monthly Games alongside EA Sports FC 26 and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. If you miss the claim window, you are back to paying for it. That would still be defensible, but PS Plus is the much better way in. This is a demanding 2D action-platformer with Sekiro-style deflection combat, 94% positive Steam reviews from 34,987 users, an 86 average on OpenCritic, and about 21.5 hours for the main story according to HowLongToBeat.
What Nine Sols actually is
Nine Sols comes from Red Candle Games, the studio behind Detention and Devotion. Instead of psychological horror, this one goes for a hand-drawn action game with a weird sci-fi mythology setup the developers call Taopunk. That sounds like marketing nonsense until you see it in motion. Then it clicks. The world mixes Taoist imagery, cyberpunk tech, and alien ruins into something that does not look like every other indie Metroidvania on Steam.
You play as Yi, a long-forgotten hero waking up in New Kunlun to kill the nine rulers known as the Sols. The story matters more than I expected. A lot of action-platformers treat story like an excuse to move you toward the next boss door. Nine Sols actually slows down enough to make the world feel mournful instead of just stylish. That helps, because the game is hard enough that you need a reason to care.
Why the combat is the real hook
The elevator pitch is simple: what if Hollow Knight borrowed Sekiro’s parry brain. Nine Sols is not a clone of either game, but that comparison gets you close. You are not supposed to roll around like a panic button addict. The combat wants you to stand your ground, read the swing, deflect at the right time, and punish.
That changes the feel immediately. A lot of 2D action games blur together after a few hours because every fight becomes dodge, poke, dodge, poke. Nine Sols feels sharper than that. The deflection system gives regular fights more tension, and boss fights feel like actual tests instead of health sponges with particle effects. When it works, it works beautifully.
It also helps that the game gives you more than one trick. You have your basic blade attacks, parries, movement tools, ranged options, and talismans that let you stick explosive charms onto enemies. That last mechanic adds a nice rhythm to fights, because you are not just waiting for an opening, you are building toward one. Specific mechanics like that are why Nine Sols has a reputation instead of being lost in the indie pile.
Is it worth claiming if you are not a parry freak?
Probably still yes, but with a warning label.
If you already like Sekiro, Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, or tough boss-focused games in general, stop overthinking it. Claim Nine Sols. This is your lane. If you liked the heavier combat in Wuchang Fallen Feathers on PS Plus but wish it were tighter and less messy, Nine Sols might be the better use of your time.
If you do not usually play demanding action games, I would still claim it, but I would not promise you will stick with it. Nine Sols is fair more often than not, but it is not relaxed. The parry timing takes a little time to trust. The bosses punish sloppy play. Some sections can feel brutal if you come in expecting a breezy metroidvania. This is not a background podcast game.
That said, PS Plus is perfect for this kind of release. If a game is challenging but clearly good, a subscription lets you test your patience without spending extra money. That is exactly where Nine Sols lives. It is not a casual freebie you claim and forget. It is a strong game with a real learning curve, and PS Plus removes the risk.
What might bounce people off
The obvious issue is difficulty. Nine Sols is not trying to be cozy, funny, or broadly approachable. Some players are going to hit the first few real skill checks and decide they have better things to do. Fair enough.
The less obvious issue is that the exploration is good, not amazing. The combat carries the game. The art carries the game. The world-building carries the game. The map design is solid, but if your favorite part of Metroidvanias is getting wildly lost and stumbling into upgrades for hours, Nine Sols may not hit the same high as the genre’s absolute best. I think that is fine, because the boss fights are the point here. Just know what you are signing up for.
It is also worth saying that May’s lineup gives you options. If you want the safer crowd-pleaser, there is still a case for older PS Plus picks like Tomb Raider I-III Remastered or broader budget recommendations like our best free Steam games list. Nine Sols is for the person who wants friction on purpose.
How much game are you getting?
Quite a bit. HowLongToBeat puts the main story at roughly 21 and a half hours, and that feels about right for a normal run. Completionists will push well beyond that, especially if boss attempts pile up. For context, that is a healthy amount of game for a $29.99 indie even before the PS Plus angle enters the conversation.
That price matters. Free games get graded too softly all the time. I do not want to do that here. Nine Sols is not good for a free game. It is just good. The PS Plus claim is a bonus, not an excuse. That is why the verdict is easy.
Verdict
Nine Sols on PS Plus is absolutely worth claiming. It has the art, the combat, and the review scores to back it up. The catch is simple: you need to enjoy games that ask something from you. If you do, this might end up being your favorite PS Plus download of the month. If you don’t, claim it anyway and leave it in the library for the day you feel patient.
One-sentence version: claim Nine Sols if you want a hard, stylish 2D action game that respects your reflexes more than your free time.
For more cheap gaming picks, check our coverage of Oddsparks free on Epic this week and our honest take on Wuchang Fallen Feathers on PS Plus.
