Unknown 9: Awakening

I 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. And while I absolutely want to applaud Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco for trying something different, perhaps they stuck a little too close to the action adventure videogame genre’s tropes, in an attempt to better appeal to the masses. Still, it’s a game that has some good ideas and a terrific lore, one expanded upon by all the transmedia products out there. Fans of action adventure games should take this leap of faith into The Fold and give Unknown 9: Awakening an honest shot, with its budget price that should help with pulling the trigger over such an… Unknown quantity.

It's not a bad game, it just may not be for everyone. The negative aspects outweigh the positives, which unbalances the experience and leaves us without the necessary incentive to continue.

With some truly interesting ideas and story at times, it is even more of a shame that it's the “game” part of Unknown 9: Awakening that drags down the whole experience. Worth a playthrough certainly, but also lacking in some fundamental areas for the era that has ensured this will probably be the last we see of Haroona and the hooligans.

While there are elements to like in Unknown 9: Awakening, it doesn't feel particularly innovative, except for the enemy possession mechanic.

Unknown 9: Awakening marks the beginning of a new transmedia franchise, but maybe not the expected one. As a starting point presents several flaws. It's technically poor and its story isn't very impressive. Its action has good ideas, but not all of them are well executed. Even so, if you're looking for a more direct gaming experience, this could be yours.

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.