Unknown 9: Awakening throws you into a world brimming with supernatural powers, mysterious societies, and untold secrets—but much like its protagonist, Haroona, the game feels uncertain of its direction. Set in a rich, alternate-history universe teeming with occult forces, Awakening offers a lot in terms of world-building, but its execution often leaves much to be desired. As much as the game tries to channel the atmosphere of classics like The Last of Us and God of War, it ends up being a much less polished, forgettable experience.
A Familiar Formula With a Twist
At its core, Awakening sticks to the well-trodden formula of action-adventure games: stealthy navigation, simple combat encounters, and an emotional personal journey. Players control Haroona, a woman with the ability to tap into a mysterious parallel dimension known as the Fold, using powers like invisibility, telekinesis, and—most interestingly—mind control. The mind-control mechanic allows you to possess enemies, turning them into puppets to solve environmental puzzles or take down their comrades. This twist adds a little flair to the otherwise familiar gameplay loop, but unfortunately, it doesn’t quite live up to its potential.
The game’s stealth mechanics, while present, feel undercooked. You’ll spend a lot of time crouching behind cover or sneaking through tall grass, performing the usual “hide-and-seek” routine that we’ve seen countless times before. The AI isn’t much of a challenge either—enemies often remain blissfully unaware of your presence, even when you’re setting off explosions in their midst. Still, the thrill of executing a stealth takedown is momentarily satisfying, but it quickly grows repetitive. There are a few clever touches, like using the mind-controlled sniper to clear the path, but these moments are few and far between, especially as the game progressively pushes you into combat.
Unknown 9: Awakening Combat – Misses the Mark
Speaking of combat, this is where Awakening truly stumbles. The action is clunky and uninspired, with the same basic melee and ranged combat mechanics you’ve seen in every action-adventure game for the past decade. While Haroona’s powers should, in theory, make combat feel dynamic, the execution is sloppy. The “step” ability lets you possess enemies for brief moments, using their unique abilities against other foes, but the system never fully develops. It starts to feel like a gimmick rather than a core feature, especially when faced with repetitive battles against generic enemies.
Unfortunately, as the game progresses, combat becomes unavoidable, and the lack of polish really shows. Even on the hardest difficulty, you can brute-force your way through fights by spamming the same moves over and over again. The skill tree also contributes to the game’s identity crisis: after spending most of your points on stealth, you’ll soon realize that the game funnels you into combat scenarios that negate your efforts. The skill system is basic, and despite a few branching upgrades, it doesn’t allow for enough meaningful player choice to enhance the experience.
Unknown 9: Awakening – A World That Deserves More
Where Awakening shines, however, is in its setting. The game is set in Chamiri, a fictional Indian city that bursts with life and color. The streets are vibrant, the architecture detailed, and the atmosphere immersive—evoking memories of Dishonored 2 and Assassin’s Creed. While the visuals are stunning, the city’s potential is undercut by an awkward narrative and inconsistent pacing. The world-building surrounding secret societies, immortal beings, and extinction cycles is intriguing, but the plot quickly devolves into a tangled mess of mystical jargon that’s hard to care about.
Haroona’s personal journey, driven by revenge against the death of her mentor, feels all too familiar. Her dialogue is full of clichéd one-liners and overwrought platitudes that add little to her character development. The rest of the cast, including Luther, an elderly sidekick with a knack for snarky commentary, doesn’t do much to elevate the narrative. Though there’s an effort to make the world feel rich and lived-in, the execution feels shallow, as if the developers focused more on crafting lore than on telling a compelling story.
Unknown 9: Awakening – Bugs, Jank, and Performance Woes
Another major issue with Awakening is its technical state. The game suffers from a range of bugs and performance issues, even on high-end hardware. On my Ryzen 9/RTX 4090 PC, the framerate regularly dipped during combat and cutscenes, which was both distracting and frustrating. There were times when Haroona would get stuck on objects or when cutscenes abruptly jumped between shots, giving the impression that the game was rushed out the door before it was truly ready.
Unknown 9: Awakening Verdict: A Missed Opportunity
Unknown 9: Awakening is a game with great potential, but it falters in its execution. The world, lore, and mechanics have the foundations of something special, but the lack of polish, a weak combat system, and a predictable story hold it back from greatness. The mind-control powers are the most fun part of the game, offering a brief flash of excitement in an otherwise underwhelming adventure, but they, too, lose their charm over time.
While Awakening might appeal to fans of linear, narrative-driven games, it ultimately feels like a relic of a bygone era—one that, despite its ambitions, doesn’t quite live up to the standards of its genre peers. If you’re looking for a deep, immersive experience with a well-tuned combat system and gripping story, you’ll be better off revisiting the classics. For now, Unknown 9: Awakening remains a middling attempt at an action-adventure that might have been, but never quite was.
SKOAR!: 6/10
MOAR!
Developer: Reflector Entertainment
Publisher: Reflector Entertainment, Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platforms:PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X | S
Played on: Microsoft Windows
Price: Rs 2,999 (Steam)
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Manish Rajesh
Manish can usually be found fervently playing video games of all kinds or… no wait he’s pretty much always playing games View Full Profile
