Unknown 9: Awakening invites you into a vast and mysterious world, serving as both a standalone action-adventure game and a gateway into the broader Unknown 9 universe. This game is developed by Reflector Entertainment and published by Bandai Namco. It explores a story filled with secret societies, supernatural powers, and the mysteries of The Fold—a parallel reality brimming with untapped potential. The game is part of a larger transmedia project spanning novels, podcasts, and comics. However, it aims to stand on its own, offering a self-contained story that doesn’t demand prior knowledge of its universe.
At its core, Unknown 9: Awakening follows Haroona, a young woman on a journey of revenge and discovery. Her powers as a Quaestor, a rare individual attuned to The Fold, introduce unique gameplay mechanics, blending stealth, exploration, and combat. In this review, we’ll explore its story, gameplay, and presentation. We’ll see whether this ambitious entry carves a meaningful place within its genre or simply sets the stage for what’s to come.
A World of Secrets and Shadows
Unknown 9: Awakening follows Haroona, a young woman looking for revenge after witnessing her mentor’s murder. Her journey quickly shifts from personal vengeance to a mission tied to humanity’s survival. Haroona, a Quaestor, can tap into The Fold—a mysterious parallel dimension granting her extraordinary abilities. The story takes you around the world, including India’s jungles and Portuguese mansions, each tied to the secretive Leap Year Society and their rivals, the Ascendants.
The plot blends historical intrigue with supernatural elements, creating a world filled with conspiracies and ancient mysteries. While the lore feels expansive, the story often follows predictable paths. Haroona’s journey is engaging, though her abrasive personality can make her harder to relate to at times. The supporting cast, particularly the crew aboard the Morning Star airship, adds much-needed charm and depth. Conversations with these characters bring some of the game’s best writing, offering glimpses into their histories and motivations.
There was one mission in the jungle that stood out for me. It showcased Haroona’s Fold abilities to uncover hidden paths and secrets. Moments like this highlighted the game’s potential, even though the story doesn’t always flow smoothly. Unfortunately, abrupt scene transitions disrupted the pacing, making parts of the story feel disconnected. Despite its flaws, the story sets up the Unknown 9 universe well, teasing possibilities while wrapping up its core narrative.
Powers, Stealth, and Missed Potential
Unknown 9: Awakening’s gameplay blends stealth, combat, and exploration, with Haroona’s Fold abilities adding a unique twist. You can reveal hidden paths, manipulate objects, or even possess enemies using the Step ability. Early on, gameplay focuses on stealth, using tools like psychic distractions and silent takedowns to avoid direct combat. These mechanics work well with Haroona’s Fold abilities, offering creative ways to approach challenges.
Unfortunately, the game’s combat struggles the further you get into the game. Later encounters overwhelm you with waves of enemies, forcing reliance on clunky melee mechanics. Enemy types like Gearheads limit your abilities, removing the strategic options that make the early gameplay enjoyable. These battles feel tedious and mismatched against Haroona’s skillset, which works better in stealth-focused scenarios.
One of my favourite missions in the game involved using Haroona’s Step ability to possess a guard and set off a chain reaction. This created an explosive trap that eliminated multiple enemies and felt rewarding and satisfying to plan. Sadly, moments like this become rare later in the game as combat leans more heavily on unbalanced, repetitive encounters.
Exploration is one of the better gameplay mechanics in the game. Semi-linear levels include hidden paths, collectibles, and skill upgrades that feel rewarding to find. Haroona’s Fold abilities help uncover these secrets, but some areas lead to dead ends with no real payoff. The lack of clear navigation markers sometimes makes it hard to know where to go. The gameplay offers flashes of brilliance, especially in stealth and puzzle-solving moments. Unfortunately, repetitive combat and limited progression hold it back from its full potential.
Atmosphere and Execution
Unknown 9: Awakening captures its atmospheric settings with detailed environments and thoughtful lighting. Jungles and mansions each have their own look, with shadows and reflections creating a detailed atmosphere. Haroona’s Fold abilities add unique visual effects that stand out. Character models and facial animations feel stiff and don’t match the detail of the environments.
The voice acting brings the characters to life, particularly Haroona and the Morning Star crew. Conversations aboard the airship feel natural, with well-written dialogue supported by solid performances. Unfortunately, the sound design stumbles with abrupt transitions, cutting off lines of dialogue during scene changes or overlapping conversations. These issues break the flow, especially in key story moments.
In one jungle mission, the lighting caught my attention as moonlight filtered through trees and shadows shifted realistically. Moments like this show what the game’s visuals are capable of. The game offers glimpses of brilliance but is weighed down by inconsistent technical performance. Strong environments and voice acting stand out, but technical issues and stiff animations hold the experience back.
Unknown 9: Awakening is a Promising but Flawed Adventure
Unknown 9: Awakening introduces an intriguing world filled with mysteries and conspiracies, but it struggles to deliver a consistent experience. The early stealth sections and creative Fold abilities make the gameplay enjoyable, with moments that feel rewarding. However, as combat grows repetitive and technical issues pile up, the cracks in its design become hard to ignore.
The story is the game’s strongest aspect, teasing a rich universe with potential for more adventures. The supporting cast aboard the Morning Star and their evolving relationships stood out to me. These moments of connection gave me a reason to push forward, even when the gameplay didn’t.
Despite its flaws, Unknown 9: Awakening leaves a lasting impression. It’s a game with ambitious ideas that sometimes fall short in execution. If you enjoy story-driven games and can overlook some rough edges, there’s enough here to warrant a closer look. For me, the mix of lore and worldbuilding was enough to stay curious about the Unknown 9 universe and what might come next.
Unknown 9: Awakening
Summary
Unknown 9: Awakening introduces a world of mysteries and conspiracies, blending stealth and action with rich lore. While its early gameplay and story-driven moments shine, repetitive combat and technical issues hold it back. Despite its flaws, the game teases an intriguing universe that leaves you curious for more.
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