Unknown 9: Awakening PAX West Preview: Finally, Something Truly Fresh

I’ve been eager to get my hands on Unknown 9: Awakening since it was first announced, and the small taste I got at Summer Game Fest this summer just wasn’t enough. I was fortunate to have a hands-on session at PAX West in a behind-closed-doors demo, different from what was available on the show floor, and now that I’ve played Unknown 9: Awakening , October can’t come soon enough.

In the game, you take on the role of Haroona (played by Anya Chalotra), a Quaestor with magical abilities she is learning to harness, allowing her to travel into a dimension called The Fold. However, a group called The Ascendants seeks to harness the same knowledge Haroona is searching for, believing that a group called the Unknown 9 has kept this power hidden, preventing humans from reaching their true potential. I’m excited to dive deeper and learn more about The Ascendants, the Unknown 9, and The Fold, as so little has been revealed so far!

I was able to play an hour of Unknown 9: Awakening , learning how to master Haroona’s unique abilities, especially Stepping, where she can move into an enemy’s body and control their actions. This ability gives the game a fresh and unique spin. I can’t wait to sink more hours into it and see what kind of creative chaos I can cause. During my playthrough, the Bandai Namco representative walking me through it often encouraged me to experiment with Stepping, and when I asked why, he said, “Because it’s fun!”—and he was right.

Stepping in Unknown 9: Awakening will make for some amazing kills—some funny, some skillful—and I’m excited to see the creative ways players use it. You can step into an enemy and have them blow themselves up, shoot another, or maybe even line up a shot to take out multiple targets at once. Later in the game, as Stepping becomes more powerful, you’ll be able to step into one enemy, make your move, and then Step again into someone else. I’m already planning to pile enemies on top of each other for the ultimate explosion.

“I was able to play an hour of Unknown 9: Awakening, learning how to master Haroona’s unique abilities, especially Stepping, where she can move into an enemy’s body and control their actions.”

Of course, it’s not always that easy. In Unknown 9: Awakening , Stepping needs to recharge, and you do this by fighting enemies the old-fashioned way—through brute force. You can melee your way through opponents, using your Umbric abilities to push, pull, and throw enemies. Alternatively, you can opt for a stealth approach, sneaking up behind enemies and stealing what I’d call their soul from their bodies. These stealth kills instantly refill a charge of your Stepping ability. Each of these combat methods has its own dedicated skill tree, allowing for some customization of your playstyle.

There is also a skill called Peeking, which will be useful for those of us who like to develop a plan of attack. Haroona uses her skill to detect nearby enemies or objects that can be interacted with, like locks, explosives, and collectibles. Using Peeking, I could see how many people I was up against, whether they were on ledges or near explosives or even who were grouped up close together. Running in without a plan is doable, but Haroona’s skills in Unknown 9: Awakening are perfect for mapping out exactly how you want to take down each opponent.

“Stepping in Unknown 9: Awakening will make for some amazing kills.”

What I didn’t realize at first is that Unknown 9: Awakening is a fairly linear experience. While there are opportunities to stray off the beaten path to find skill points and collectibles, the way forward is usually straightforward. I found some similarities to Assassin’s Creed in the environment design and the way you traverse cities by climbing, scaling, and jumping across buildings. However, it feels a bit more simplified, which I appreciated, as I don’t normally enjoy parkour in video games, but had no issues here.

The environments in Unknown 9: Awakening are colourful and detailed, with bustling cities and stunning caverns. There are still a few minor glitches, like Haroona’s hair occasionally twitching, but nothing that affects gameplay. There will also be companions throughout her journey, though I haven’t spent enough time with any to form a solid opinion on that aspect yet.

At a minimum, Unknown 9: Awakening will be a blast if you are looking for creative ways to take down enemies. But with a rich lore spanning podcasts, graphic novels and video games, a deep lore within the game itself, and finally, some fresh, unique combat, Unknown 9: Awakening is one of my most anticipated games this year.

You can pre-order Unknown 9: Awakening on Xbox Series X or PlayStation for $49.99, with an expected release date of October 18, 2024.