Unknown 9 Awakening is a kind of uncommon new IPs that, flaws and all, alerts a powerful begin for a possible franchise. Not that Unknown 9 Awakening is flawless—no recreation is, in any case—however it positively has a powerful basis.
That is the primary launch from Reflector Leisure, printed by Bandai Namco, and one of the intriguing facets is its method to storytelling throughout a number of media. And by that, I don’t imply consoles; I imply that Unknown 9 Awakening has its story threaded throughout comics, a trilogy of novels, an audio drama podcast, two upcoming internet collection, and the platform Unknown 9: Nexus, which brings collectively all of the characters, places, and occasions throughout these media.
It’s formidable, little doubt. After beginning the comedian collection, the improbable podcast Unknown 9: Out of Web site, and the novel Unknown 9: Genesis, I’m excited to see the way it all connects on this expansive, globe-spanning narrative.
Now, onto the sport itself.
Story
Unknown 9 Awakening story is about lengthy earlier than the opposite entries within the Unknown 9 universe. You play as Haroona, a strong younger lady and disciple to her mentor, Reika. Her journey begins in a desert oasis scattered with ruins of a misplaced civilization, the place she follows Reika on a mysterious mission. As they draw nearer to their vacation spot, Haroona learns about Reika’s former disciple, Vincent Lichter, who has since turned rogue. Tragedy quickly follows when Haroona witnesses Reika’s loss of life at Vincent’s palms, however she narrowly escapes.
The story picks up 4 years later, in 1912, as Haroona, now in northern India, is on a path of revenge, monitoring down Vincent. Alongside the best way, she meets Luther, a gun-slinging American who shortly turns into an ally, hiding her from enemy patrols and providing his assist as she pursues her aim. Collectively, they handle to steal Vincent’s airship, The Morning Star, and study that Haroona’s childhood village has been destroyed. Haroona retrieves a strong amulet given to her by Reika, whereas Luther reveals his ties to the Leap 12 months Society, a secret group lengthy thought misplaced.
What follows is a journey with Luther and the Leap 12 months Society as they work to cease Vincent from releasing Seshin, a strong being imprisoned in The Fold, a mysterious realm between worlds. Seshin was sealed away by the Unknown 9, a collective of entities often known as the Sahin, who’ve maintained Earth’s cycles to keep away from the destiny of their fallen civilization.
I gained’t delve additional, as the sport’s story is its strongest asset. What I can say is to be ready for a story that hooks you in, connects you with Luther, and divulges lore that interweaves with the Unknown 9 universe. It’s crammed with twists that preserve issues fascinating. Whereas not the very best story in gaming, it’s refreshingly unique in an period crammed with recycled plots.
Gameplay
Gameplay is the place Unknown 9 Awakening actually excels, largely because of the revolutionary use of The Fold. The Fold is akin to a mystical “upside-down” world, just like Stranger Issues’ alternate dimension, the place time is fluid. For Haroona, a Quaester, The Fold offers talents that assist her on her journey, although many have turn out to be misplaced souls inside its boundaries.
A method Haroona makes use of The Fold is to glimpse into this different realm, revealing enemies, environmental hazards, and collectibles. That is just like the detective imaginative and prescient from the Batman: Arkham collection, and it is sensible right here, becoming seamlessly into the sport’s mechanics. Haroona may draw on The Fold throughout fight, using an array of talents unlocked by a ability tree that branches into Fight, Stealth, and Umbric Skills. Talent factors, amassed by amassing anomalies, improve her powers in a number of areas:
Takedowns – Stealth strikes that allow you to silently remove enemies; abilities unlocked over time enable for takedowns of more and more highly effective foes.
Crush – A capability to set off environmental hazards, like gas canisters, to blow up and injury close by enemies.
Push and Pull – Helpful for shoving foes close to ledges (as you possibly can think about).
Shroud – Grants short-term invisibility, superb for mixing stealth with takedowns.
Stepping – Maybe essentially the most enjoyable ability, letting you possess enemies briefly and use their talents towards different foes. Initially restricted to 1 use per fight, the sport finally permits three steps. Stepping tokens may be replenished by stealth and head-on fight.
With this arsenal, the fight feels addictive, fluid, and genuinely fulfilling. It might take some apply, however it shortly turns into second nature. By the ultimate chapters, when swarms of enemies come at you, it feels empowering to make use of each trick in Haroona’s ebook—luring enemies close to ledges, triggering explosive distractions, vanishing into the Shroud, and eventually moving into one enemy after one other. The sheer selection retains fight contemporary, a welcome reduction from the repetitive grind some motion video games fall into. That is simply the sport’s standout function.
Graphics and Technical Hiccups
Sadly, Unknown 9 Awakening suffers considerably within the graphics division. Visually, it seems like a throwback to the PS3 period—jarring in 2024, to say the least. Textures typically pop out and in or load slowly, which may be distracting, particularly in cutscenes. Character fashions lack element, and environments generally look bland. On the upside, the body charge stayed regular, and I didn’t encounter any game-breaking bugs, although some glitches with NPCs sometimes required me to reload from the final checkpoint.
The shortage of visible selection in enemy NPCs—each in look and voice—was one other disadvantage, although finally, I managed to disregard it. It’s a disgrace these visible components drag down what’s in any other case an immersive expertise.
Writing, Voice Appearing, and Music
Whereas the story holds its personal, it’s the dialogue and character interactions that shine. The writing is sharp, and the voice appearing does it justice. Anya Chalotra, recognized for her position as Yennefer in The Witcher, is improbable as Haroona, although the standouts for me have been Luther and Vincent. The atmospheric music enhances the story, including depth to the sport’s immersive high quality.
Closing Verdict
Unknown 9 Awakening is an formidable recreation, extending past the standard gaming narrative with its transmedia storytelling. The story is intriguing, the fight partaking, and the dialogue well-crafted, however the expertise is marred by its visuals, which really feel a decade outdated. Regardless of its flaws, this recreation lays a promising basis for what might turn out to be an expansive and rewarding franchise. With that in thoughts, I’d charge Unknown 9 Awakening a 6 out of 10.
Unknown 9 Awakening is accessible now on Xbox Sequence S and X, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC. This assessment is predicated on an Xbox Sequence X playthrough.
Unknown 9 Awakening Trailer
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