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Game Information

Game Title: Unknown 9: Awakening

Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (Oct 17, 2024)
• PlayStation 5 (Oct 17, 2024)
• PC (Oct 17, 2024)
• Xbox One (Oct 17, 2024)
• PlayStation 4 (Oct 17, 2024)

Trailer:

Developer: Reflector Entertainment

Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 69 average - 19% recommended
Metacritic - 64

Critic Reviews


CGMagazine - Dayna Eileen - 8 / 10

Despite some technical issues and a lacklustre final encounter, Unknown 9: Awakening brings a unique take on combat with an extremely well-acted plot that creates a story truly worth experiencing.

Cerealkillerz - Steve Brieller - German - 7.3 / 10

Unknown 9: Awakening has promising ideas, but is let down by mediocre execution, bugs, framerate issues, and poor AI. Even the involvement of a well-known actress can’t mask the weak story and character development. While some combat can be enjoyable, it doesn’t elevate this linear adventure. Overall, Unknown 9 feels about 10 to 15 years too late to make a significant impact, despite its ambitious plans for a multimedia franchise.

Checkpoint Gaming - Tom Quirk - 8 / 10

I really enjoyed Unknown 9: Awakening; I loved its pulpy globetrotting action tone and likable cast, and the combat and stealth were rather a lot of fun. The ability to remote control foes and turn them against their allies was a cool unique mechanic that, if anything, could have stood to be even more central to the gameplay. Despite some less-than-stellar boss fights and a somewhat shallow main villain, I had a very good time with Unknown 9: Awakening, and so might you. Hopefully it, and the rest of the Unknown 9 expanded universe, will find enough of an audience that we will see more of Haroona's story in the future.

Daily Mirror - Aaron Potter - 3 / 5

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Eurogamer.pt - Jorge Salgado - Portuguese - 3 / 5

Unknown 9: Awakening is a single-player adventure with enormous potential, mixing stimulating gameplay and a mysterious universe. The game offers some very memorable moments, but the average graphics and poor performance prevent it from being one of the most enjoyable experiences of the year.

GAMES.CH - Olaf Bleich - German - 70%

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God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 7.5 / 10

Unknown 9: Awakening is more than decent, offering some fun combat and exploration with a cast of mostly likeable good guys and entertaining pantomime villains.

IGN Italy - Alessandra Borgonovo - Italian - 7 / 10

An adventure with a strong emphasis on narrative, plagued by a far from optimal technical side but more engaging than you might believe.

PSX Brasil - Portuguese - 65 / 100

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Press Start - 7.5 / 10

Unknown 9: Awakening is a thoroughly AA gaming experience. Like a lost gem from the Xbox 360 era, its charm and jank are intermingled in interesting ways, but its commitment to a unique cultural perspective and killer remixing of the stealth/combat loop elevate it above its slightly unpolished wrappings.

Push Square - Jenny Jones - 7 / 10

Unknown 9: Awakening is a good debut from a first-time development team. This narrative-driven action-adventure has some rough edges but the beautiful locations, intriguing narrative, and well-written characters make it hard to put down. The gameplay doesn't evolve much but the entertaining stealth mechanics add a lot of variety to the skirmishes you find yourself in. Overall, this is a compelling new IP with lots of potential for future adventures.

SECTOR.sk - Matúš Štrba - Slovak - 6 / 10

I can't say that I didn't enjoy Unknown 9: Awakening. I liked some aspects of it, Haroona is a likeable character and the world manages to intrigue me. But mechanically and technologically, it's a game lost in time. It's as if someone suddenly discovered it in a drawer where it had been lying around since 2007. These days, action-adventure games like this are made better, funnier and more variable.

Spaziogames - Italian - 6 / 10

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TechRaptor - Erren Van Duine - 7 / 10

Unknown 9: Awakening is full of originality, but suffers from some frustrating gameplay decisions despite the interesting mystery of its narrative.

XboxEra - Győző Baki - 7.8 / 10

enjoyed the first videogame of the Unknown 9 universe, and I sure hope it won't be the last, as I wanna keep going back to this vast fictional world.

Zoomg - Afshin Piroozi - Persian - 6.5 / 10

If you enjoy linear action-adventure games, Unknown 9: Awakening is worth a try. The game has decent character development, and while its stealth system and melee combat don't quite meet current standards, creative ideas can be implemented through the main character's magical abilities. Unknown 9: Awakening could have offered a higher-quality experience with some better optimization of the mechanics, but in its current state, it can still entertain you quite well for about 8 hours.

 

[March Climber]

Oh, oh well it's too late. I wanted to make a bet on the score. I would have said mid 60s.

It's a shame the gameplay is the issue and not the story. Now I'm not even sure if it's worth the 4.99 discount in a few months like Immortals of Aveum was.

 

[Punished Miku]

Definitely still picking it up on sale. Sounds like I wont have to wait that long.

 

[PJX]

I wonder if they are going to blame this on Incel Gamers.

 

[Gonzito]

Sweet Baby Inc strikes again with another masterpiece

I wonder how many more games have to fail for companies to realize that those grifters should be kicked out of the industry

 

[DragoonKain]

I watched two gameplay videos and a couple reviews and it looks really bad. A generic, cheap, run of the mill action adventure that looks and plays like a game from 15 years ago.

 

[winjer]

Well, they tried and failed...

 

[Mr Hyde]

Great scores. I'm happy for the devs.

 

[March Climber]

I wonder if they are going to blame this on Incel Gamers.

No one important is going to bat for this game. The only way someone here will find a dev whining about it is if they go digging for it. If it's you, then I hope you enjoy the twitter excavation.

 

[PJX]

No one important is going to bat for this game. The only way someone here will find a dev whining about it is if they go digging for it. If it's you, then I hope you enjoy the twitter excavation.

Not happening.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Another rare incel victory in the books for 2024. I’m losing track of them all.

 

[Exede]

They should've not used Denuvo, the devs aren't as smart as Bioware to blame stuff on piracy....

 

[Jaybe]

Employees’ opinion of the game from Glassdoor:

 

[Bruno_Arrais85]

Certified stinker.

 

[RedC]

Definitely still picking it up on sale. Sounds like I wont have to wait that long.

Yep. I'll get it for 10 dollars or less this time next year.

 

[Fake]

 

[TintoConCasera]

 

[Holammer]

Namco Bandai's contribution to SBI's funeral pyre.
Sparking! ZERO will have to pick up the tab.

 

[analog_future]

I have a free code so I'll definitely try it. I have a soft spot for these AA 6-7/10 type games.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Theres still time to preorder so you can get these awesome costumes + hairstyles.

 

[RedC]

I have a soft spot for these AA 6-7/10 type games.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I watched two gameplay videos and a couple reviews and it looks really bad. A generic, cheap, run of the mill action adventure that looks and plays like a game from 15 years ago.

Yup.

If it's got a 69 score now on MC, during the 360/PS3 days it might eek out an 75. It's really just a higher res version of mediocre old action game from that era.

 

[Kacho]

Harada in tatters

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

For those of you like me who had forgotten, this was one of the 17 different “modestly dressed, average looking Strong Female Protagonist” games shown in the Xbox showcase earlier this year.

 

[Kacho]

For those of you like me who had forgotten, this was one of the 17 different “modestly dressed, average looking Strong Female Protagonist” games shown in the Xbox showcase earlier this year.

Love seeing organic change like this in the industry.

 

[U n i o n 0015]

The title finally makes sense to me. Unknown 9 are the nine people that are gonna buy this.

 

[//DEVIL//]

Got this and warhammer games for free as part of amd cpu bundle ….. not sure I’ll ever play it lol

 

[Lokaum D+]

 

[spartan30gr]

Another sweet baby inc garbage game

 

[Punished Miku]

Theres still time to preorder so you can get these awesome costumes + hairstyles.

I still dont see the issues with those costumes. The Shadow Pack one is kind of sick. Looks like a monk x Peruvian mountain climber. The colors are neat.

Reviews for games right in this range of production values are always weird to me. Make a 8 bit or 16 bit game and everyone's fine. But if you advance to the point of 360 era then everyone trashes it and calls it ugly.

 

[Bitstream]

Send them a message, we're not buying your slop.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Love seeing organic change like this in the industry.

It’s really amazing how like every existing IP and game genre decided to go in the exact same direction over the last 2 years. Just goes to show you how much pent up demand there was. I bet the gaming industry has grown at breakneck speed now that they have successfully reached the Modern Audience. Why, all these studios must be expanding and hiring every developer they can find.

 

[proandrad]

Send them a message, we're not buying your slop.

No organized boycott needed. No one even knows this game exists.

 

[The Cockatrice]

grilboss yaas certified pass.

 

[Mister Wolf]

"Don't like it, don't buy it."

 

[StreetsofBeige]

In the Mercenary Pack, it looks like her nose gets pointier too.

 

[Nickolaidas]

I knew Eurogamer would suck this game's cock.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Oh yeah, this game

 

[Roman Empire]

Another one bites the dust. It'll come and go as a fart in the wind.

 

[Astray]

Oof that is a very low critics recommend score.

 

[DeepEnigma]

 

[Cakeboxer]

19% critics recommend is a disaster, even Concord got 20.

 

[Kacho]

Oof that is a very low critics recommend score.

Big oof indeed

 

[LectureMaster]

No one important is going to bat for this game. The only way someone here will find a dev whining about it is if they go digging for it. If it's you, then I hope you enjoy the twitter excavation.

My man, I feel offended. LMAO.

 

[delfrickintree]

Reviews for games right in this range of production values are always weird to me. Make a 8 bit or 16 bit game and everyone's fine. But if you advance to the point of 360 era then everyone trashes it and calls it ugly.

Thats a really good point. I actually dont mind lower tier graphics if it means they are not trying to be cutting edge and just focusing on a decent gaming experience. And thats separate from intentional retro graphics as well. Theres a charm to AA- gaming where I don't feel some grabbler after my wallet, and we can comfortably judge the game on average merits.

 

[Denton]

this game got me banned on reddit

thank you game

 

[Fabieter]

Holly shit iam shocked this game got so bad reviews scores.

 

[Physiognomonics]

The fall of western developmennt happening before our eyes. How did we end up there?

narrative-driven

That's a promising start

The fold

Like they couldn't even name it differently than in the (excellent) Shadow and bone material? Shit I would like to see a real Shadow and bone game.

 

[Last Hearth]

Oh look, another 7/10 game.

 

[Mossybrew]

We're already up to Unknown 9? I must have missed the first 8. Guess the title is accurate.