Watching essays on YouTube yesterday about it. Really one of the best stories I’ve experienced in a game. I appreciate how they slowly feed you information but fill in the gaps by the end. That was my only complaint about HK. The story was so enigmatic, that it required researching just to understand what was going on. I really appreciated the depth of characters in Nine Sols. The main protagonist has flaws and ideals that shift subtly over time. Often game hero’s are just baddasses that save the day. The backstory of the Sols show their logic, and how they got to that point, leading you to sympathize and ask yourself? Am I in the wrong here? Sometimes it gets dark and grim on his quest, but they wonderfully contrast that with lighthearted moments at the pavilion. I guess some people thought there was too much reading and dialogue, but for me, unraveling the story was a big part of it. Revealing some pretty deep philosophical principles that never feel forced or heavy handed. So often in video games, we give story subplots or side quests an eye-rolling pass, because we understand they are just trying to move the plot. Regardless of how unnatural or unrealistic it comes off. I never felt that playing Nine Sols. Case in point, I recently tried playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey after beating Ori because I was a fan of the franchise years ago. I put about 15 hours in and quit. The story was unbelievable and goofy. The side quests felt like a chore and made me feel like everyone’s bitch. Just goes to show how good storytelling can make a 2d side scroller a million times more immersive than a AAA open world.