Unknown 9: Awakening

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.

52%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

graphics, optimization

32% User Score Based on 490 reviews

Critic Score 75%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

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About

Unknown 9: Awakening is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Reflector Entertainment Ltd. and was released on October 17, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and negative reviews from players.

Unknown 9: Awakening is a game where you play as Haroona, a Quaestor with the ability to access a mysterious dimension called the Fold. Use your powers from the Fold to uncover hidden knowledge while avoiding the Ascendants, a faction that seeks to alter human history with the Fold's power. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes three cosmetic packs with unique skins and animations for Haroona and her journal.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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32%

Audience ScoreBased on 490 reviews

story80 positive mentions

graphics39 negative mentions

The combat mechanics, particularly the ability to control enemies, add a unique and fun twist to the gameplay.
The game features beautiful environments and a visually appealing art direction, showcasing a rich cultural setting.
The story, while not groundbreaking, has engaging elements and interesting characters that can draw players in.

The game suffers from technical issues, including frame rate drops, bugs, and poor optimization, leading to a frustrating experience.
Character animations and facial expressions are often stiff and lifeless, detracting from immersion and emotional engagement.
The gameplay can feel repetitive and linear, with a lack of depth in combat and exploration, making it less engaging over time.

story
258 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
55%
14%
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it average or lackluster, often describing it as predictable and filled with generic characters. While some appreciate the intriguing lore and world-building, others criticize the delivery and coherence of the narrative, suggesting that it could have been more engaging with better writing and character development. Overall, the story seems to be a point of contention, with some players enjoying its potential while others feel it falls flat amidst gameplay and technical issues.
- “The game has many references to various places, including the 'initiation well' from the 'quinta da regaleira.' The plot is very immersive.”
- “On the positive, you can tell a lot of effort went into its cast, storytelling, and worldbuilding - think a blend of Indiana Jones and Star Wars.”
- “The story, the music, the visuals - they just hit hard and I loved every minute of the game.”
- “The story is lackluster; at one point, I ended up watching a video on my second monitor while playing just to finish it.”
- “The story felt scattered and uninspired, with zero explanation about what’s even going on.”
- “The story is just boring and there feels like there is no reason or motive to do anything.”
graphics
181 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
59%
22%
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers describing them as outdated and reminiscent of early PS3 or Xbox 360 titles, even when played on high-end hardware. Issues such as frame rate drops, graphical pop-ins, and poor character animations further detract from the experience, leading to a consensus that the visuals do not meet modern AAA standards. While some players found certain environments visually appealing, the overall impression is that the graphics are mediocre and lack the polish expected from a game released in 2024.
- “The graphics are good with well-detailed environments and great character models.”
- “The setting and graphics are beautiful; the main character is really cool, and the character model is not nearly as bad as people claim it is.”
- “The story, the music, the visuals—they just hit hard, and I loved every minute of the game.”
- “Technical performance is also a concern—frame rate drops, occasional crashes, and graphical pop-ins can disrupt immersion, even on higher-end machines.”
- “The graphics are mediocre at best, and near the end of the game the fps drops heavily, dipping into the mid-50s even on an RTX 4080 Super.”
- “The graphics look like something you'd see on a PS3, so I don't know what they were thinking trying to sell this for $49.99 USD in 2024.”
gameplay
179 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The gameplay of *Unknown 9: Awakening* presents a mix of unique mechanics, such as the "stepping" ability for enemy possession and a focus on stealth, but is marred by clunky controls, technical issues, and a repetitive combat loop. While some players appreciate the innovative ideas and narrative integration, many criticize the overall execution, describing it as outdated and frustrating, with uneven difficulty and a lack of engaging exploration. Despite its potential, the game struggles to deliver a satisfying gameplay experience, often feeling like a missed opportunity.
- “The gameplay centers around Haroona’s unique abilities as an unbric—an individual able to access and manipulate the fold, a shadow-like plane that allows her to influence the physical world in supernatural ways.”
- “The 'stepping' mechanic, wherein you briefly possess enemies to turn them against each other, opens up a whole new dimension of tactical play and is just incredibly fun.”
- “The gameplay develops nicely through the game as you unlock more skills and it actually shifts from 'be as stealthy as possible and delete enemies one by one' to 'jump right in the middle and alert everyone and then use all your skills to rip 'em apart while they come to you.'”
- “The story seems fine and all but the mechanics are terrible; target locking is useless and the forced camera moves make gameplay a frustrating experience, more so than any Souls game, just due to the fact that the targeting and camera mechanics are terrible enough you can't even play effectively.”
- “There's no innovation in the linear level design or the awkward combat, and the gameplay loop feels shallow due to the rinse and repeat nature of all encounters and collectibles.”
- “The gameplay is bland, the story is okay, and the level design is really confusing.”
optimization
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
46%
35%
The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, with players reporting frequent frame rate drops, stuttering, and crashes, even on high-end systems. While some users experienced adequate performance, many noted significant issues such as graphical pop-ins and bugs that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game suffers from poor optimization, making it difficult to fully enjoy despite its potential.
- “As for optimization and performance, the game runs super well at max with a Ryzen 5800X, 32GB RAM, RX6600 8GB, NVMe Gen4, 60Hz display, Windows 10.”
- “Luckily, the optimization is fairly good, but well, the main character can’t even do justice to Anya Chalotra.”
- “This game has nice optimization.”
- “Technical performance is also a concern—frame rate drops, occasional crashes, and graphical pop-ins can disrupt immersion, even on higher-end machines.”
- “The game is plagued by bugs, random frame rate drops, and stuttering.”
- “Moreover, the game experiences frame rate drops, even at high graphical settings on a powerful system like one with an RTX 4090, indicating poor optimization.”
stability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
96%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues, including frequent slowdowns and soft locks. Players have experienced a range of problems from graphical glitches to sluggish controls, leading to an overall frustrating gameplay experience. While some users noted minor issues, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized and riddled with stability problems that detract significantly from enjoyment.
- “No glitches or bugs, nice visuals.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes, providing a seamless experience.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or stutters.”
- “I've encountered a couple of glitches; I think there are memory leaks in some of the later levels, since sometimes performance degraded slightly and then returned to normal after restarting the game.”
- “Lastly, to add insult to injury on being a part of the AMD bundle, this game is poorly optimized, where you'll not only notice slowdowns and freezes, but they are fairly frequent.”
- “The game is a buggy mess; the story and gameplay are boring, the graphics are bad, and the controls suck.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while the lead character Haroona is portrayed as a determined and relatable figure grappling with significant themes, the execution falters due to stiff animations and a lackluster script that undermines emotional moments. Some players found the characters charismatic and the performances, particularly by Anya Chalotra, compelling, but many criticized the overall story as boring and lacking depth, leading to a disconnect during key emotional scenes.
- “Haroona is a compelling lead—a determined and emotionally driven young woman uncovering her powers and grappling with a morally grey organization that seeks to control the fold for its own ends.”
- “The premise is strong, touching on themes of destiny, heritage, and personal agency.”
- “More importantly, the characters themselves are charismatic and emotionally compelling.”
- “Terribly boring story about uninteresting characters made by people who clearly didn't care.”
- “Utterly boring story.”
- “Boring storyline.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising it as pleasant and well-integrated into the overall experience, while others find it forgettable or lacking impact. Voice acting is generally well-received, enhancing the game's atmosphere, but there are criticisms regarding the balance and quality of the sound design. Overall, while some players appreciate the music's contribution, others feel it fails to leave a lasting impression.
- “Voice overs are great and the music is pleasant to the ear and the controls are simple and easy to learn and master.”
- “The story, the music, the visuals they just hit hard and I loved every minute of the game.”
- “The music adds to the experience without being overwhelming.”
- “I can't recall a single track.”
- “If there was music in this game, it literally left no impression on me.”
- “As harsh as it may sound, but even from playing just for a rather short amount of time, everything about this game feels amateurish: sound and music all feel without impact, not properly balanced and mixed.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, particularly due to combat mechanics that make encounters with multiple enemies cumbersome and unengaging. The repetitive nature of grinding, coupled with poor enemy design and world exploration, detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of boredom and dissatisfaction with the gameplay experience.
- “The fighting never got better, it just got much more tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Already 35 minutes in and feel like I'm playing something from PS2, and as pretty as the landscape looks, it's quickly undone by tedious climbing and gaps disguised as loading screens every few minutes.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing ragdoll physics, quirky enemy behaviors, and comical animation glitches, which contribute to a lighthearted experience. Players appreciate the blend of funny moments with the game's narrative, suggesting that humor is essential for engagement, especially when gameplay may falter. Overall, the game's comedic elements, including the entertaining use of powers and absurd character interactions, enhance its appeal.
- “There were sad moments, happy moments, and funny moments.”
- “Moonwalking enemies when you tap into them, AI getting frozen, an enemy somehow pushing itself outside the area’s bounds, and even hilarious animation bugs when Haroona (the main character) was supposed to hold a mounted gun, but I could see her in a supposed-to-be FPS sequence rather than the flying planes, so I patiently waited to die, but all I knew was I was suffering.”
- “There's tons of clipping issues, especially the door animations that are hilariously bad.”
character development
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as unremarkable, with only one character, Buchra, experiencing significant growth, while others are seen as lacking depth. The main character's development is noted but fails to create a strong connection with players, compounded by bland character designs and minimal customization options. Overall, the narrative suffers from poor pacing and insufficient character exploration, leaving players wanting more.
- “There was really only one character (Buchra) who I felt saw any significant character development, whereas everyone else needed more.”
- “The main playable character saw some character development, but I didn't find her particularly likable.”
- “I have finished the story; the cuts in the story flow were annoying me, and the story lacks a lot in character development.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players note that while "Unknown 9" features numerous collectibles that encourage replayability, the overall experience is considered straightforward and limited, with many feeling that one playthrough suffices. With around ten hours of gameplay, it may appeal primarily to fans of the genre, but there are other games that offer greater replay value.
- “Lots of collectibles which I like in games, makes for replayability if you miss them.”
- “With around ten hours of gameplay and limited replayability, Unknown 9 is an enjoyable but straightforward experience best suited for fans of supernatural stealth.”
- “Though one playthrough, in my opinion, is enough, it is not very replayable.”
- “There are many other games that are more replayable.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the DLC as a cash grab lacking real value, while others appreciate the absence of microtransactions and DRM. Many recommend waiting for a sale due to the game's high initial price, suggesting it is overpriced at launch.
- “Based on illuminati-style conspiracies and folklore from India, Unknown 9 is a single-player action-adventure game with no microtransactions or DRM. I did enjoy it and recommend it to fans of the Tomb Raider trilogy (but get it on sale, as this game was far too overpriced at launch).”
- “I would recommend the game, yes, but only at a good price. The DLC is a bit of a joke, just a cash grab with no real value. I regret spending the money!”
- “Remember how we always used to get mediocre cash grab movie games that sold just because they were tied to popular movies?”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its cultural detail, architectural authenticity, and effective atmospheric lighting, creating a beautiful and coherent environment that exceeds the general average.
- “These areas are crafted with a clear appreciation for cultural detail, architectural authenticity, and atmospheric lighting.”
- “I find it above the general average, and they're still beautiful, atmospheric, and coherent.”

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75%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews

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4h Median play time

3h Average play time

2-4h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Unknown 9: Awakening is a action adventure game.

Unknown 9: Awakening is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Unknown 9: Awakening.

Unknown 9: Awakening was released on October 17, 2024.

Unknown 9: Awakening was developed by Reflector Entertainment Ltd..

Unknown 9: Awakening has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its graphics.

Unknown 9: Awakening is a single player game.

Similar games include Forspoken, Echoes of the End: Enhanced Edition, Gotham Knights, Atlas Fallen, Immortals of Aveum and others.

Unknown 9: Awakening

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