Unknown 9: Awakening Hands-Off Preview – Just Enough to Have Me Clamouring for More

Unknown 9: Awakening brought a hands-off preview to Summer Game Fest 2024 , and as I sat down with Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco , it was quickly apparent that I had to play this game.

If Anya Chalotra from The Witcher TV series playing our main character, Haroona, isn’t enough to get you excited, Unknown 9: Awakening is a fully thought-out story with gameplay mechanics that feel truly unique. The basics of the story have been told before. Haroona is able to access a realm called The Fold, which holds great power. While she learns to control this power, another faction, The Ascendants, led by a man named Vincent, look to harness that power for themselves and use it selfishly. Along the way, Haroona meets companions from various factions who accompany her on her journey.

Reflector has developed Unknown 9: Awakening with players in mind, allowing them to customize their gameplay in various ways. First, there are four difficulty levels for players looking to adapt to their skill set. There are also three skill trees: Close Combat, Stealth, and Umbric Abilities. The first two are self-explanatory, but Umbric Abilities are like a special power, which allows for magic-like abilities, including a push and something called Stepping.

“ Unknown 9: Awakening urges players to find their own playstyle but ensures it keeps them on their toes at the same time.”

Stepping allows Haroona to enter the minds of her enemies, which can allow her to use their skills to her advantage or control them in other ways. One example we saw had Haroona taking over enemies and standing them in one spot. Time freezes, so she is safe from attack, but when she steps back into her body, time starts again, allowing her to use an AOE attack on the enemies, which are now conveniently grouped up. I am very interested in seeing the unique ways players use Stepping in Unknown 9: Awakening.

There are also enemies that will require you to get creative with your abilities. A boss encounter found our player stuck, as he was completely covered in Ascendant tech, which is resistant to Haroona’s Umbric Abilities. Since he had specced heavily into those, he had to find another way around the problem. Unknown 9: Awakening urges players to find their own playstyle but ensures it keeps them on their toes at the same time.

The graphics are also absolutely to die for here. Between the ethereal glow of Haroona’s Umbric Abilities, the vast environments that span continents and the diverse characters and companions, Unknown 9: Awakening is breathtaking. We only saw a small slice of the game, which I believe they said took place in 1912 in a fictitious city in Africa. With what I have seen so far, I am eager to see more locations.

Something I thought was interesting was that Unknown 9: Awakening will feature a Level Select option. The game features many collectibles that share the lore of the game, so you will be able to go back to each level to complete them to 100 percent. However, you are locked to the difficulty you originally chose.

I can understand this choice, especially if you want people to replay the full game. But as a player who usually hates replaying standard portions of a game (Thanks, Diablo IV ), I can also see players who want to challenge themselves not doing so because they have to complete the entire story instead of each level. It seems like it’s a choice that would only bother some players and not really benefit any specifically.

Unknown 9: Awakening has a story that is similar to many, but I think Reflector is doing so much with the game’s style and gameplay that it will feel completely fresh and new. I simply cannot wait to get my hands on Unknown 9: Awakening later this year . My best of Summer Game Fest so far, for sure!