Once I consider Bandai Namco video games, titles like Unknown 9: Awakening do not actually come to thoughts first. They’re just like the Darkish Footage Anthology to me—recognized titles, however not instantly a “Bandai Namco recreation.”
So I actually did not know what to anticipate with my preview of Unknown 9: Awakening, however after spending an hour with my fingers on the controller, I used to be pleasantly stunned with what Reflector Leisure is attempting to do.
Starring Anya Chalotra, who you may know as Yennefer from The Witcher Netflix sequence, this bold recreation is step one in a transmedia venture, involving comics, novels, and even a podcast sequence. However earlier than we zoom out too far, is Unknown 9: Awakening a very good first step?
A Story Stuffed with Secrets and techniques
As step one on this bigger story, there’s a variety of worldbuilding and terminology to wrap your head round. It is a universe that blends real-world historical past, mythology, and conspiracy to create a singular narrative.
From what I may inform, a main a part of the plot entails the Fold, a parallel world that exists alongside ours that holds highly effective secrets and techniques that might change the world. Our protagonist, Haroona, is a Quaestor, a selected one who can see into and manipulate the Fold.
There is a bigger context right here involving secret societies (as you’d count on for conspiracies), however evidently, when you’re the sort of individual that likes getting misplaced in fiction, Unknown 9: Awakening is serving up a buffet.
In my hourlong demo, half of it was spent on the run in an Indian metropolis within the late nineteenth century. A bunch known as the Ascendants have been searching for Haroona, and it created a number of alternative for rooftop climbing, sneaky takedowns, and frantic chase scenes.
Within the different half, I explored a jungle, which was crawling with enemy patrols nonetheless on the hunt for Haroona. In the meantime, she was looking for the situation of some magic merchandise, and an American gunslinger named Luther was attempting to assist her.
It jogged my memory a variety of video games like Uncharted or The Final of Us—very narrative-driven, blockbuster-adjacent motion.
A Completely different Tackle Stealth
The place Unknown 9: Awakening actually set itself aside for me was the stealth-combat sequences. Between gentle platforming with some banter, I discovered myself in little arenas with enemies scattered round.
Haroona’s capacity to work together with the Fold actually manifest in the course of the gameplay right here. She will go invisible for just a few seconds and set off traps (learn: purple barrels) from afar. There’s additionally a detective-vision mode to see enemies via partitions.
Probably the most fascinating mechanic, nonetheless, was her capacity to take over enemy our bodies. This allows you to management an enemy, cease time, transfer them freely, and even queue up considered one of their assaults.
For instance, if an enemy wasn’t shut sufficient to a purple barrel, I may make them stroll over and smack it, resulting in their premature demise and plenty of confusion. If two enemies have been close to an environmental pitfall, out of the blue I may flip that into three.
This is not a hardcore stealth recreation although—when you’re caught, a battle breaks out, and Haroona can decently defend herself. Open fight wasn’t too troublesome to get ahold of, along with your typical gentle/heavy assaults and dodges.
Plus, you should use your body-swapping powers throughout fight, opening up your choices much more. I noticed within the improve tree that I may spend money on a number of physique swaps too, opening the door for all kinds of elaborate setups.
Not like different video games, when stealth does not work, I did not really feel like I needed to reset. Constantly, I felt like I used to be making selections, typically out of practicality, different instances out of vainness. Unknown 9: Awakening provides you a number of instruments in these arenas, and it was as much as me to learn the way I wished to precise myself.
Unknown 9: Awakening Has a Lot to Accomplish
Nonetheless, if the objective right here is to start out a bigger franchise with novels and comics, Unknown 9: Awakening (and its universe) will want greater than thrilling stealth fight.
All these implausible factional fables in regards to the Leap Yr Society and the Ascendants are good and all, but it surely’s the character work that makes or breaks them for me. To this point, my publicity to 2 main characters, Haroona and Luther, have not moved me an excessive amount of.
I discovered their banter to really feel a little bit half-baked. Haroona’s the stoic, centered one, whereas Luther is whimsical however undoubtedly is aware of greater than meets the attention. It did not trouble me, but it surely additionally did not depart me wanting extra from these characters. However to be truthful, it would take greater than an hourlong vertical slice to actually let these characters marinate.
Unknown 9: Awakening Preview | Ultimate Ideas
Montreal-based Reflector Leisure gave itself a tall order with its first recreation. It has to not solely stand by itself legs, but additionally set up a complete transmedia franchise. Whereas I am hopeful the sport can be a enjoyable, serviceable journey, it stays to be seen if I will be hooked on some comics and novels.
But when I can maintain forcing some schmucks to blow themselves up with purple barrels, I am fairly on board with seeing extra of what the sport has to supply. Fortunately, it comes out quickly on October 18 for PC and all consoles besides the Nintendo Change.
TechRaptor previewed Unknown 9: Awakening at PAX West 2024 courtesy of Bandai Namco.
