Initial release date: 2024
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Reflector Entertainment
License: proprietary license
Genres: Action-adventure game, Fighting game, Adventure
Publishers: Reflector Entertainment, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Unknown 9: Awakening is part of a new meta-universe that spans many platforms and tells an overall narrative composed of various stories. The story of the search for the Unknown 9 is told through webseries, comics, a trilogy of novels, and even a scripted podcast. They are a group of powerful Immortals, similar to the Illuminati, who possess ancient knowledge that have the potential to save or destroy humanity. The Ascendants and Quaestors are the two groups that seek them out, with the Leap Year Society serving as a middle ground for do-gooders.
In Awakening, you play as Haroona, a young woman with Quaestor abilities who is instructed to utilize her Shade Bracelets to channel Am, an ancient inner power from another realm known as The Fold. What began as a quest for vengeance quickly turns into a war to defend mankind when Haroona becomes entangled with Luther Goodwin and the Leap Year Society while searching for Vincent, her vengeance target.
Unknown 9: Awakening’s sources of inspiration are clear from the start. The game has ancient cults, rival covert societies, climbing, stealth, and silent takedowns, and feels similar to early Assassin’s Creed games. Much of the game is spent crouching in tall grass or hiding behind crates, waiting for patrolling guards to forget they have discovered a dead body and stroll away.
However, Unknown 9: Awakening differs in its usage of Shade powers. Haroona, played by Anya Chalotra in The Witcher, has the ability to reach into the Fold and manipulate specific elements to channel telekinetic energy, turn invisible, read the life force of those around her (see also: Eagle Vision), and even possess her adversaries by “shadow-stepping” into them. It provides plenty of combat options, even if it makes you a little overpowered for the most of the game.
The standard gameplay is somewhat predictable, following the Uncharted ethos of clearing adversaries before either going on, watching a movie, or solving a puzzle, which usually involves “diving into the Fold”. Few scene transitions do not entail either opening a hefty door or squeezing through a tight aperture, which can become a little repetitive.
Combat is enjoyable but somewhat clunky, as collision detection and hitboxes fail when fighting multiple enemies. There is always something to do, including interacting with the opponents as you Shade-step in and out. Eventually, you can chain up to three steps, and when you return to your body, all of the activities you completed occur simultaneously. You can have one guy stand near to an exploding gas tank, another guy shoot it, and another guy shoot the second guy, all at once. You rarely see the results of such efforts, however, because the camera is an unruly little imp at the best of times. However, it has a Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden feel to it, which is a good thing.
The plot is well-acted, but a touch complex, and nowhere near as creative as it appears to be. The most of the story beats are obvious, but the cast does an excellent job. Chalotra is fantastic, and the actor portraying Goodwin does his lines so casually that you forget you’re playing a game. However, sound direction is inconsistent, with speech activating while characters are halfway through sentences, making it impossible to predict how they will finish some sentences. It’s not like God of War, where they reaffirm their point; instead, they just swap one line for another, which is always disconcerting, especially given how much time you spend with NPCs.
You may enhance Haroona’s capabilities, such as prolonging the duration of some Shade abilities, and there are trinkets scattered around the game, however they yield little actual benefit. There is also a lot of wasted space, with different roads that lead to dead ends or just rejoin the primary path for no apparent reason. It’s sometimes overly designed for the sake of it, and the lack of an objective marker can be aggravating. Half of the time, you don’t realize you’re heading the wrong way until you reach a complete wall or insurmountable barrier with nothing to collect or pick up. .Because you need to explore everywhere to find Gnosis Points to level up and special pick-ups to raise Health and Am, useless dead-ends make the game feel like a waste of time.
It is unclear whether Unknown 9’s extended world will take off. It doesn’t seem unique or intriguing enough to pique my interest when the “secret ancient society” theme has been done to death by Assassins Creed, The DaVinci Code, Indiana Jones, and National Treasure, among countless others. However, as a standalone adventure, Unknown 9: Awakening is more than adequate, featuring some enjoyable action and exploration with a cast of mainly sympathetic good characters and hilarious pantomime baddies. It’s hardly a revolution, but it’s appealing enough to hold your attention.
Review Overview
Gameplay: 76%
Controls: 79%
Aesthetics: 88%
Content: 73%
Accessibility: 75%
Value: 72%
Overall: 77%
GOOD
Summary:
“Unknown 9: Awakening” is a graphically fascinating and narratively ambitious game that immerses players in the protagonist’s enigmatic universe. The gameplay focuses on exploration, problem solving, and finding secret layers of reality, with a novel concept that allows players to interact with a hidden world. While the controls are largely smooth, the platforming and puzzle elements can seem clumsy at times. The game’s strong atmosphere and beautiful graphics stand out, but its story-driven approach may leave some players wanting more information and clearer explanations. It’s a terrific pick for individuals who want complex storytelling and mystery, but others may find the pacing and complexity inadequate.