Unknown 9 Awakening Review | Invision Game Community

Unknown 9 Awakening is a kind of uncommon new IPs that, flaws and all, alerts a formidable begin for a possible franchise. Not that Unknown 9 Awakening is flawless—no sport is, in any case—nevertheless it undoubtedly has a robust basis.

That is the primary launch from Reflector Leisure, printed by Bandai Namco, and one of the crucial 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 sequence, and the platform Unknown 9: Nexus, which brings collectively all of the characters, places, and occasions throughout these media.

It’s bold, little question. After beginning the comedian sequence, the incredible 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 robust 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 fingers, 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 rapidly turns into an ally, hiding her from enemy patrols and providing his help as she pursues her aim. Collectively, they handle to steal Vincent’s airship, The Morning Star, and be taught that Haroona’s childhood village has been destroyed. Haroona retrieves a robust 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 robust being imprisoned in The Fold, a mysterious realm between worlds. Seshin was sealed away by the Unknown 9, a collective of entities often called the Sahin, who’ve maintained Earth’s cycles to keep away from the destiny of their fallen civilization.

I received’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 full of twists that preserve issues attention-grabbing. Whereas not the perfect story in gaming, it’s refreshingly unique in an period full of recycled plots.

Gameplay

Gameplay is the place Unknown 9 Awakening really excels, largely due to the modern use of The Fold. The Fold is akin to a mystical “upside-down” world, much like Stranger Issues’ alternate dimension, the place time is fluid. For Haroona, a Quaester, The Fold supplies talents that assist her on her journey, although many have develop into misplaced souls inside its boundaries.

A technique Haroona makes use of The Fold is to glimpse into this different realm, revealing enemies, environmental hazards, and collectibles. That is much like the detective imaginative and prescient from the Batman: Arkham sequence, and it is smart 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 Talents. Ability factors, gathered by amassing anomalies, improve her powers in a number of areas:

Takedowns – Stealth strikes that allow you to silently get rid of enemies; abilities unlocked over time permit for takedowns of more and more highly effective foes.
Crush – A capability to set off environmental hazards, like gasoline canisters, to blow up and harm close by enemies.
Push and Pull – Helpful for shoving foes close to ledges (as you may think about).
Shroud – Grants momentary invisibility, excellent for mixing stealth with takedowns.
Stepping – Maybe probably the most enjoyable ability, letting you possess enemies briefly and use their talents towards different foes. Initially restricted to at least one use per fight, the sport ultimately permits three steps. Stepping tokens will be replenished by stealth and head-on fight.

With this arsenal, the fight feels addictive, fluid, and genuinely satisfying. It could take some apply, nevertheless it rapidly 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 e-book—luring enemies close to ledges, triggering explosive distractions, vanishing into the Shroud, and at last entering 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 looks like a throwback to the PS3 period—jarring in 2024, to say the least. Textures usually pop out and in or load slowly, which will be distracting, particularly in cutscenes. Character fashions lack element, and environments typically look bland. On the upside, the body price 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 dearth of visible selection in enemy NPCs—each in look and voice—was one other downside, although ultimately, I managed to disregard it. It’s a disgrace these visible parts 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 function as Yennefer in The Witcher, is incredible 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.

Last Verdict

Unknown 9 Awakening is an bold sport, extending past the normal gaming narrative with its transmedia storytelling. The story is intriguing, the fight participating, and the dialogue well-crafted, however the expertise is marred by its visuals, which really feel a decade old-fashioned. Regardless of its flaws, this sport lays a promising basis for what may develop into an expansive and rewarding franchise. With that in thoughts, I’d price Unknown 9 Awakening a 6 out of 10.

Unknown 9 Awakening is out there now on Xbox Collection S and X, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC. This evaluate relies on an Xbox Collection X playthrough.