Unknown 9 Review

Dive into the immersive world of Unknown 9 with this in-depth review. Explore the stunning graphics, captivating storyline, and engaging gameplay that make this game a must-play for all gamers.

In an industry dominated by big franchises, every time an original IP comes out we should approach it with interest. That was definitely my main draw for Unknown 9: Awakening; precisely as its name suggests, the unknown nature of its proposal. A new world to explore to discover the secret behind its name and the mysterious powers of Haroona , its protagonist. But I think that’s the main reason why the game didn’t work for me. Like in every adventure, a promise is made with the player that will lead them to discover all these secrets linked to a handful of characters, but, from the beginning, you notice that the game is more interested in throwing you into dull combat arenas than in doing anything else.

Perhaps we haven’t stopped long enough to examine what makes a good action/adventure game , as it is one of the most abundant genres in the medium. This mix is ​​one of the most expensive precisely because it requires a lot of everything, an attractive look, great level design, good dynamics between action, exploration and perhaps some puzzles and platforms… When I played Unknown 9 I saw that desire to belong to this category, but also that limitation of resources that didn’t allow it and sometimes made it seem like a game from the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation. The Reflector team had a good premise that isn’t exploited. We go through levels that are nothing more than transitions to the next combat zone, which don’t contribute to the story and have no interest in us stopping to think about it.

This makes it difficult for the player to focus on the story when the game itself doesn’t. Most of what I’ve managed to retain about the world comes from the introduction itself, which tells of an ancient, unknown civilization called Sahin that, foreseeing its own self-destruction, stored all of the world’s knowledge in a group of immortal beings called the Nine Unknowns. This premise comes from an ancient Indian legend about the creation of a secret society known as the Nine Unknowns of Ashoka, who were also charged with preserving all knowledge and preventing it from being used for evil purposes.

There are times when this plot takes on more of a role in the game, and it has some interesting moments, such as the exploration of that strange dimension called the Upside Down , but there are many others where Unknown 9 leaves it too far behind, to focus on more mundane objectives. Haroona doesn’t seem as interested in this world as she is in a (strange) quest for revenge. She makes some friends along the way, but not all of them seem to know very well what’s going on and, therefore, it’s difficult to convey passion for this background that is explored more in the collectibles than in the game itself. Thus, the characters focus more on stopping the Ascendants , a group that checks all the boxes of the classic enemy commanded by a villain who likes to make speeches and dominate the world.

It’s a shame, because as I said, this universe had a lot more to offer and I think the game knows it. Sometimes it wants to stop, but not much. When we get our ship, we meet its crew with whom we can chat. But this is rarely used and they are not very attractive characters with elements that expand the story. The introduction of these characters is very strange, appearing suddenly and not even showing their faces when they are introduced. This is the constant feeling that the game gave me. Unknown 9 knows that it needs humanity, but it fails to develop it because of the rush. It knows, for example, that it would be important to tell Haroona’s past, but it has a hard time doing it in a way that doesn’t seem forced. And, if I had to try to explain why this happens, I would say that it’s because it only has one resource in its hat: action .

When Uncharted , for example, wants to advance the story or develop its characters, the action stops but it’s still fun because exploring its levels, solving puzzles or listening to its characters while jumping from one platform to another goes perfectly and everything works. In Unknown 9, hardly anything surrounding combat is developed. Jumping and climbing are practically automatic and there’s hardly any exploration or puzzles. As much as the game tries to fill those transition scenes with dialogue, everything is focused on waiting for the next fight.

Unknown 9 has two protagonists: Haroona and the action

As the centerpiece of the game, Unknown 9’s action is well planned, though the execution is uneven. Haroona has powers that she develops that allow her to manipulate the dimension known as the Upside Down as well as possess enemies for a short period of time. This translates into a mix of stealth and action where the only way to get out alive is by taking advantage of the environment and enemies. There’s an interesting tactical component here, as we can make enemies shoot each other and produce some chain reactions. Stealth is functional, but less spectacular, and I think the game knows this because there comes a point where some enemies can’t even be taken down silently, but it does serve to thin out enemy troops and better deal with the situation in combat.