Unknown 9: Awakening Review

When it comes to single-player, action-adventure experiences, two video game series that often come to mind are Uncharted and The Last of Us. The former offers a thrilling, globe-trotting adventure featuring a witty treasure hunter and his comrades, while the latter presents a dramatic journey of survival, exploring mature themes of loss and hope amidst a zombie apocalypse.

Both series have undeniably left a significant mark on the video game industry, setting high benchmarks for any similar games that follow. Whether these games directly inspired Unknown 9: Awakening is uncertain, but they certainly came to mind while playing this 2024 title developed by Reflector Entertainment and published by Bandai Namco.

Unfortunately, while Unknown 9: Awakening captures a similar feel to these iconic titles, it falls short of reaching the same heights of greatness. It is not a terrible game by any means, but it also fails to stand out as particularly remarkable.

In this review, we will explore why Unknown 9: Awakening didn’t quite hit the mark.

Face your destiny

The story of Unknown9: Awakening follows Haroona, portrayed by Anya Chalotra of Netflix’s The Witcher fame. Haroona is a Quaestor on a journey for revenge and uncovering the secrets of the Unknown 9, a secret group of wise individuals possessing vast knowledge that can influence the fate of the world.

As a Quaestor, Haroona is not only a skilled hand-to-hand combatant but also possesses Umbric abilities, allowing her to enter another dimension called the Fold and temporarily possess others. The game follows her journey from a vengeful loner to a compassionate individual who values relationships and understands her place in the world.

While the narrative of personal growth and transformation is a familiar one, Unknown 9: Awakening manages to deliver some touching moments and intriguing twists. However, the experience is marred by lackluster writing and a cast of largely forgettable characters.

Attempts at humor through Haroona’s interactions with her companions fall flat, with the dialogue often coming across as dull and generic. The script is not terrible, but it fails to be memorable, and the cast does not leave a lasting impression.

Aside from a few AI companions who assist Haroona, the game introduces several characters who populate a mode of transportation you acquire. Unfortunately, these characters do little to enhance the overall experience, which is disappointing considering the narrative focus of the game.

Step into the fold

Unknown 9: Awakening looks and plays similarly to the many third-person action-adventure titles you may have experienced over the years. The game incorporates platforming elements and occasional combat, while actively telling the Haroona’s story of vengeance.

Throughout her journey, Haroona collects hidden items such as extractors and trinkets. Some are cleverly concealed, requiring detours, while others are more straightforward to find, reminiscent of Nathan Drake’s treasure hunts. Like Drake, Haroona also engages in spelunking and climbing cliffsides and vines to navigate her environment.

Haroona does not wield guns but relies on her Umbric powers. In combat, she can throw distractions, pull enemies towards her, or unleash Umbric attacks to inflict Faze damage. Her unique ability, Stepping, allows her to possess enemies and use their abilities against each other.

Players can customize Haroona’s abilities by collecting Anomalies to spend on a Skill Tree, enhancing her melee combat, stealth, and Umbric powers. These upgrades provide significant advantages in combat, though some, like the ability to take down elite enemies, may feel overpowered.

The Stepping mechanic is particularly enjoyable, enabling players to possess enemies in succession and trigger environmental hazards like exploding tanks or collapsing roofs. This adds a layer of fun beyond simple melee combat, which can become repetitive.

Boss encounters are present but tend to be underwhelming, with predictable combat patterns that only become slightly more interesting towards the end. Overall, they do not leave a lasting impression, which could be said about the overall experience of the game.

With enemies like these…

Unfortunately, Unknown 9: Awakening’s combat is often undermined by the enemy AI, which can be frustratingly simple at times. While enemies will spot you after you take down one of their own, hiding in tall grass—even right in front of them—can make you seem to magically disappear. Additionally, if you run far enough, enemies will stop pursuing you and act as if you vanished.

This is disappointing because the game does acknowledge Haroona’s growing skills through the Skill Tree, with later enemies equipped with mechanics to counter her abilities. For instance, some enemies have devices that alert others if Haroona is nearby or generate fields that prevent her from using her Stepping ability.

These mechanics are reminiscent of The Last of Us Part II, where enemies bring dogs to make stealth approaches more challenging. However, in Unknown 9, these precautions are easily manipulated, reducing the challenge and tension, and making the game simple and straightforward to a fault.

Moreover, the AI of your companions is also lacking. Unlike the dependable AI companions as can be seen from other titles, Haroona’s allies, such as the gunslinging Luther or Buchra, offer minimal assistance, often only landing a few hits that mostly go unrecognized.

Stuck in the Past

Unknown 9: Awakening also suffers from an outdated visual presentation, which is disappointing for a title released in 2024. While the game attempts to showcase a diverse world—from deserts to cities, jungles, and the Fold—these environments appear dated, reminiscent of the previous generation of games.

The outdated graphics are particularly noticeable in the character models. Although there are occasional expressions of emotion, such as smiling or frowning, the characters’ eyes often have a blank stare that fails to convey their feelings fully. This issue extends to enemies, who maintain a lifeless expression even when knocked out, resembling unrealistic rag dolls.

Both in-game and cinematic cutscenes are used to convey action and thrills, but they feel underutilized. Some in-game cutscenes seem rushed, fading to black abruptly, while the cinematic cutscenes often consist of brief shots of characters or nearly still images with narration, failing to create a lasting impact.

The sound design in Unknown 9 is another area where the game falls short. While the main cast delivers decent performances, the random NPCs often sound as if they are reading from a script or delivering generic threats. The lack of memorable music throughout the game, except near the end, further detracts from the experience.

Additionally, Unknown 9 could have benefited from more development time to address various bugs encountered during gameplay. Although these bugs are not game-breaking, they are noticeable, particularly during combat where enemies will just walk in place amidst the chaos.

Occasionally, enemies will inexplicably moonwalk while pursuing you, or they might stand still as if you were invisible. There was even an instance where I was hiding behind a wall, only for an enemy to walk through it upon hearing and investigating my presence.

Verdict: Wait for it…

Overall, Unknown 9: Awakening is a decent effort, meeting the basic expectations of an action-adventure platformer, incorporating interesting elements, and drawing inspiration from some of the best single-player experiences. However, it fails to execute these elements in a remarkable way that would justify adding it to your library.

Unknown 9 has potential, particularly with its supernatural lore, but its numerous shortcomings—such as glitches, an average story, and forgettable characters—make it a tough sell, especially during this time when multiple highly-rated titles have been launched.

*Unknown 9: Awakening was reviewed on a PS4/PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.