Unknown 9: Awakening Review

Unknown 9:

We video game lovers tend to demand, from time to time, that we get new franchises, those that move away from the “sequelitis” and “remakeitis” so prevalent today. But of course, starting from scratch can be complex, especially if you want to make a splash.

“Unknown 9: Awakening” is basically so much more since it is not just a video game, but an entire transmedia universe populated by podcasts, books… The idea is to create a whole lore around the powers, mythology and mysteries of this world, without it being necessary to know each work to be able to immerse ourselves in the rest of them.

Hard to implement into a new franchise? Maybe. Complicated? Yes.

Story:

From the tutorial-prologue alongside the mentor Reika, the will of Unknown 9: Awakening is clear: to focus on the story. What reveals it is not so much the hiring of a famous actress to play the protagonist, but the consistency and generosity with which the game does its utmost to make us passionate about its lore . We impersonate Haroona, a Questor – individuals who follow the call of the unknown, seekers of the truth – capable of accessing the Reverse, a parallel dimension.

It is from here that she draws her strength, drawing on the Umbric Energy to unleash her abilities in combat. Given her particular power, Haroona ends up in the crosshairs of the Ascendants, an association that split from the Leap Year Society – a secret society founded in 1888 dedicated to the pursuit of arcane knowledge – determined to exploit at any cost the wisdom contained in the alternate plane of existence.

Gameplay:

The game’s development is that of a third-person action adventure. Haroona has to explore fairly linear environments, with the occasional detour, to find items, follow the different characters that accompany her (from a mysterious American gunman to an old childhood friend) and, of course, face the numerous ascending enemies.

That’s where Haroona’s powers come in , thanks to her special bond with the Upside Down . She can use her am, something like spiritual energy , to deploy defensive and offensive abilities.

The first involves using special vision, similar to Assassin’s Creed’s Eagle Vision, to see behind walls and spot enemies and interactive objects; turning invisible for a few seconds to throw off guards; or deploying an energy shield that repels bullets.

On the offensive side, Haroona not only knows how to use her fists, but she can also attack with her arm to temporarily knock out enemies. She can even push or pull them from a distance. Without a doubt, the heroine’s most unusual and cool ability is the ability to temporarily enter the body of an enemy to move it and attack her companions, which slows down the action for a few seconds and, when everything moves again, gives rise to spectacular moments of chaos between the bad guys.

Getting used to using this possession from the beginning is crucial because it helps a lot in combat, but it is also impactful and fun.

The am gauge fills up little by little if we move away from the action, which is important not only to develop these movements, but also to heal ourselves. There are no first aid kits or anything like that here , but we have to sacrifice a little am to heal our wounds a little.

Maintaining a balance between offense and defense is key, as is knowing how to take advantage of infiltration . When we reach an area with enemies, we usually start out hidden. If we use invisibility or hide in tall grass, we can attack enemies from behind and eliminate them in one fell swoop.