Unknown 9: Awakening

Last updated
Unknown 9: Awakening
Unknown 9 Awakening cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Reflector Entertainment
Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Entertainment
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
ReleaseOctober 18, 2024
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Unknown 9: Awakening is a 2024 action-adventure video game developed by Reflector Entertainment and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S. Set in India in the early 20th century, the game focuses on a woman with magical powers fighting against a mysterious organization that killed her mentor. British actress Anya Chalotra portrays the main character through both body-scanning and motion capture.

Contents

The game was designed to be part of a multimedia franchise based on the Nine Unknown Men, a secret society first originating from the 1923 novel The Nine Unknown and later popularized by the 1960 occultic novel The Morning of the Magicians , [1] with the Unknown 9 series being referred to as a transmedia series. It received mixed reviews upon release and due to low sales, the planned sequels were cancelled.

Story

The character Haroona grew up in Kolkata. [2] [3]

The game is set in Northern India in 1912. The protagonist Haroona who is known as a Quaestor, who has the ability to enter the alternate dimension known as the Fold. An organization known as the Ascendants wish to use the Fold to change the course of history for their benefit. [4] Her mentor is killed by a secret society that she then must set out to face. [5]

Gameplay

Unknown 9: Awakening is a third-person action-adventure video game. [3] The player is allowed to decide to take a combat or to avoid enemies using stealth. [6] A key feature of the game is the ability to body-swap by tapping into the main characters supernatural powers which allows for alternative means of traversing a level. [7] She has a variety of psychic powers as well, referred to as Umbric Ability, which include invisibility, or possession. Through clairvoyance, she can see enemies through obstacles and see where they are on the map. [4]

Development

Reflector Entertainment was founded by Alexandre Amancio who had previously worked as creative director for Assassin's Creed Unity. [8] Amancio partnered with Canadian businessman and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté who helped fund the project. Additionally, Reflector Entertainment was based in Maison Alcan, a building that Laliberté purchased for 50 million dollars. [9]

Preliminary plans for the Unknown 9 series including the earliest announcement of a video game were first revealed in October 2018 at the New York Comic Con. [10] It was later submitted as a nomination for the Best Use of Storytelling in Social Media award at the 11th Shorty Awards in 2019, but was not chosen as a finalist. [11] [12] The series was described at that time as utilizing a transmedia form of storytelling which uses a multimedia approach to tell its overall story, spanning video games, a scripted podcast, comic books, and other forms of entertainment. [3] [13] The first planned console game, Unknown 9: Awakening, was formally announced at the 2020 Gamescom trade fair. [14] Developers say they were inspired by other media, such as Indiana Jones , The X-Files , and The Matrix . [3] The following month, Bandai Namco announced it had purchased Reflector Entertainment. [15] Bandai-Namco's plan at the time was to have half of their content produced outside of Japan. [16] The video game consultation firm Sweet Baby also worked on the game. [17]

British actress Anya Chalotra plays the main character Haroona including doing motion capture for the character. [5] Charlotra says the motion-capture work for the game was similar to previous work after some adjustments. "We had a director who was directing us like any other scene. And we do take after take after take to try and get the best one. So it wasn't as different as I thought it might be." [18]

Reception

The game received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. [19]

IGN said "a few good ideas and can’t save this bland and janky adventure". [21] Eurogamer Portugal reviewed the game, and noted that the game seemed to be ignored on release while lamenting that the setting had potential. [17] IGN Deutschland said the game was middling adventure, neither good nor bad. [22] Several reviewers made reference to the low budget nature of the game. Eurogamer Poland said the game's low budget was obvious from the lack of polish in the final game and that it was too much for the developers to handle. [23] IGN Benelux compared it to a bargain bin game from back in the day. [24]

Some reviews were more positive. IGN Italia praised the game's story driven narrative and adventure elements, saying that the problems stemmed from technical issues. [25] GamesRadar+ praised the story but said that gameplay was lacking. [20] Hobby Consolas gave the game a more positive review. [26]

Edge gave it a poor review, saying "You could also call it derivative and crudely executed, and no transmedia offering can compensate for that." [27]

Release and legacy

Unknown 9: Awakening was released on October 18, 2024 for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S. [28] On Steam, the game reached a peak player count of 285 players by a month of the game's release. [29] Additionally, fewer than 100 people had left a review for the game on the platform. [8]

A month after the release of the game, 18% of the workforce at Reflector Entertainment was laid off though sales and reception of the game were denied to be a reason. [29] In January 2025, Bandai-Namco Europe CCO Herve Hoerdt released a statement on the reception of the game saying that there will be no sequels for the game. [30] The statement said in part "This decision correlates directly with the failure of the studio's ambitious and courageous first project, a new IP with a rich transmedia universe," and "The performance of the release didn't come near the company expectations, after numerous timeline adjustments and investments, both financially and other, and didn't warrant any further exploration in this universe." [31] Follow up series and additional staff that worked on the game were laid off. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namco</span> Japanese video game developer and publisher

Namco Limited is a defunct Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955 which operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. They were one of the most influential figures in the worldwide coin-op and arcade game industry; Namco produced several multi-million-selling game franchises, such as Pac-Man, Galaxian, Tekken, Tales, Ridge Racer, and Ace Combat. In 2006, Namco merged with Bandai to form what is now named Bandai Namco Holdings; the standalone Namco brand continues to be used for video arcade and other entertainment products by the group's Bandai Namco Amusements division.

Ace Combat is an arcade-style combat flight simulation video game series by Project Aces, an internal development team of Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco. Debuting in 1995 with Air Combat for the PlayStation, the series includes eight mainline installments, multiple spin-offs, and other forms of media, such as novels, model kits, and soundtrack albums. Since 2012, the series has been developed primarily by Bandai Namco Studios through its internal development group, Project Aces.

<i>Tales</i> (video game series) Role-playing video game series

The Tales series is a franchise of fantasy role-playing video games published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, and developed by its subsidiary, Namco Tales Studio until 2011 and presently by Bandai Namco Studios. First begun in 1995 with the development and release of Tales of Phantasia for the Super Famicom, the series currently spans seventeen main titles, multiple spin-off games and supplementary media in the form of manga series, anime series, and audio dramas.

Mario Kart Arcade GP is a sub-series of arcade games in Nintendo's Mario Kart series developed specifically for arcades in collaboration with Namco. To date, four entries have been released—Mario Kart Arcade GP (2005), Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 (2007), Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (2013), and Mario Kart Arcade GP VR (2017). The first two entries are considered to be relatively rare outside of Japan, with the fourth title not seeing a release outside of Japan at all. The games have been generally been well-received by critics, who have praised the game's transition of traditional Mario Kart gameplay into an arcade game format, while lamenting that none of the entries have been released outside of the arcade format onto any of Nintendo's home video game consoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandai Namco Holdings</span> Japanese entertainment holding company

Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. is a Japanese mass media and entertainment conglomerate founded in 2005 by the merger of Namco and Bandai. The company specializes in toys, video games, arcades, anime, restaurants, and amusement parks. They are also unofficially nicknamed as "Bamco" by some.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandai Namco Entertainment</span> Japanese video game publisher

Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., formerly Bandai Namco Games until 2015, is a Japanese multinational video game publisher, and the video game branch of the wider Bandai Namco Holdings group. Founded in 2006 as Namco Bandai Games Inc., it is the successor to Namco's home and arcade video game business, as well as Bandai's former equivalent division. Development operations were spun off into a new company in 2012, Namco Bandai Studios, now called Bandai Namco Studios.

<i>Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm</i> 2008 video game

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, known in Japan as Naruto: Narutimate Storm is a 2008 fighting video game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3. It is based on the popular manga and anime series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto, and the first installment of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series, followed up by Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (2010). The game has since been remastered and released as part of the series Trilogy on newer platforms in 2017, as well as mobile platforms in 2024.

<i>Clash of the Titans</i> (video game) 2010 video game

Clash of the Titans is a 2010 video game developed by Game Republic and published by Namco Bandai Games and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is based on the film of the same title. An abridged version for the BlackBerry developed by Glu Mobile was released three months earlier.

<i>Time Crisis: Razing Storm</i> 2010 video game

Time Crisis: Razing Storm, known in Japan as Big 3 Gun Shooting, is a compilation of light gun rail shooter video games developed by Nex Entertainment and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3. Featuring full compatibility with both the GunCon 3 light gun and the PlayStation Move motion control system, the compilation consists of ports of various arcade games. Developed by Nex Entertainment and published by Namco Bandai Games, the compilation was released in 2010 in North America on October 19, and in Japan on October 21, which is the launch date of the PlayStation Move in Japan. It was released as part of a bundle with the PlayStation Move, PlayStation Eye and the Shooting attachment for the PlayStation Move in Japan and other Asian countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandai Namco Studios</span> Japanese video game developer

Bandai Namco Studios Inc. is a Japanese video game developer headquartered in Kōtō, Tokyo and founded in 2012, with studios in Singapore and Malaysia. Bandai Namco Studios is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Entertainment, which itself is part of the wider Bandai Namco Holdings group. The company works under its parent company as a keiretsu; Bandai Namco Studios creates video games for home, arcade, and mobile platforms, while Bandai Namco Entertainment handles the distribution, marketing, and publishing of these products.

Dark Souls is a dark fantasy action role-playing game series developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the series began with the release of Dark Souls (2011) and has seen two sequels, Dark Souls II (2014) and Dark Souls III (2016). It has received critical acclaim, with its high level of difficulty being among its most discussed aspects, while the first Dark Souls is often cited as one of the greatest games of all time. The series had shipped over 37 million copies outside of Japan as of 2024. Other FromSoftware games, including Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring, share several related concepts and led to the creation of the Soulslike subgenre.

<i>Little Nightmares</i> 2017 puzzle-solving horror game

Little Nightmares is a puzzle-platform horror adventure game developed by Tarsier Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One, released in April 2017. A Nintendo Switch version was released in May 2018, followed by a Google Stadia version in June 2020 and mobile versions were released on 12 December 2023 and published by Playdigious. Set in a mysterious world, Little Nightmares follows the journey of Six, a hungry little girl who must escape the Maw, an iron vessel inhabited by monstrous, twisted beings.

<i>Metroid Prime 4: Beyond</i> Upcoming video game

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an upcoming action-adventure game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It was announced at E3 2017, and was reportedly initially developed by Bandai Namco Studios. In January 2019, Nintendo announced that development had restarted under Retro Studios, the developer of the previous Metroid Prime games. Kensuke Tanabe, who worked on all of the previous Prime games, returned as a producer. The game is scheduled for release in 2025.

<i>Twin Mirror</i> 2020 video game

Twin Mirror is a 2020 adventure game by Dontnod Entertainment. Co-produced with Shibuya Productions, the game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 1 December 2020. It received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Elden Ring</i> 2022 video game

Elden Ring is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware. It was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding provided by American fantasy writer George R. R. Martin. It was published for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 25 in Japan by FromSoftware and internationally by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Set in the Lands Between, players control a customizable player character on a quest to repair the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anya Chalotra</span> British actress (born 1995/1996)

Anya Chalotra is an English actress. She began her career in a 2017 production of the play Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare's Globe, and made her screen debut with BBC dramas Wanderlust and The ABC Murders in 2018. She gained recognition for her starring role as Yennefer of Vengerberg in the Netflix series The Witcher.

<i>Tekken 8</i> 2024 video game

Tekken 8 is a 2024 fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the eighth main installment in the Tekken series and the first one to debut on home systems instead of arcades. Game tests were held starting in July 2023 before the final game was released for the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on January 26, 2024.

<i>Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero</i> 2024 video game

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a 2024 fighting game developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Based on the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama, it is the fourth main installment in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, a sequel to Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (2007), and the first to be released under the original Sparking! title outside of Japan.

References

  1. ↑ "Unknown 9: Awakening Developer Interview - Talking Storyworld and Protagonists". PCMag. September 21, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Unknown 9: Awakening Developer Interview - Talking Storyworld and Protagonists". PCMag Middle East. 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Skrebels, Joe (2020-08-27). "Unknown 9: Awakening - Opening Night Live's Mystery Game Announcement Explained". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-08-13. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  4. 1 2 なんでもゆうこ (October 16, 2025). "『Unknown 9: Awakening』先行レビュー。憑依、隠れ身、念視などの超能力が使えるステルスアクションアドベンチャーは、自分だけの攻略方法を見つけるのが楽しい". Famitsu. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  5. 1 2 ""Jouer un personnage de jeu vidéo rend plus libre": l'actrice de "The Witcher" prête ses traits à l'héroïne de "Unknown 9"". BFMTV (in French). Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  6. ↑ "Bandai Namco Reveals First Look At Unknown 9: Awakening Gameplay". GameSpot. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  7. ↑ Northup, Travis (2024-03-07). "Unknown 9: Awakening Aims to Fuse Body-Snatching Gameplay With a Strong Narrative". IGN. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  8. 1 2 Phillips, Tom (2024-11-20). "Unknown 9: Awakening developers report layoffs". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  9. ↑ Kelly, Brendan (July 15, 2020). "Guy Laliberté's Reflector Entertainment launches multimedia studio". Montreal Gazette .
  10. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (2018-10-07). "'Unknown 9,' Transmedia Occult Thriller, Debuts at New York Comic Con". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  11. ↑ "From the 11th Annual Shorty Awards - Unknown 9 - Entered in Storytelling". The Shorty Awards. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  12. ↑ "From the 11th Annual Shorty Awards - Best Use of Storytelling". The Shorty Awards. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  13. ↑ Phillips, Tom (2024-03-07). "Unknown 9: Awakening is an ambitious new transmedia bid". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  14. ↑ Wes Fenlon (2020-08-27). "Unknown9: Awakening is a new game about a 'mysterious hidden dimension known as The Fold'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  15. ↑ Oloman, Jordan (2020-09-18). "Bandai Namco Buys Unknown 9: Awakening Developer, Reflector". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-12-12. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  16. ↑ Rahman, Abid (2020-09-18). "Bandai Namco Acquires Montreal Game Developer Reflector". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  17. 1 2 Redactor, Análise por Jorge Salgado (2024-10-17). "Unknown 9: Awakening review - universo entusiasmante com gráficos medianos". Eurogamer.pt (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-11-25. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  18. ↑ "Unknown 9: The Witcher star Anya Chalotra on her gaming debut". BBC . 16 October 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-12-04. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Unknown 9: Awakening reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  20. 1 2 Oscar Taylor-Kent (2024-10-17). "Unknown 9: Awakening review: The Anya Chalotra-led story charms, but combat lacks serious polish". GamesRadar . Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  21. 1 2 Northup, Travis (2024-10-17). "Unknown 9: Awakening Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2025-01-15. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  22. ↑ Oktober 2024 16:01, von Kai Schmidt Gesendet 17 (2024-10-17). "Unknown 9: Awakening im Test - Sleeperhit oder Midbudget-Flop?". IGN Deutschland (in German). Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2025-01-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ Skowron, Recenzja-Mateusz (2024-10-17). "Recenzja Unknown 9: Awakening. Anya Chalotra i intrygujący świat nie wystarczyły". Eurogamer.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2024-12-05. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  24. ↑ november 2024 15:00, Door Perry Rodenrijs Geplaatst op 1 (2024-11-01). "Unknown 9: Awakening Review". IGN Benelux (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2025-01-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ Borgonovo, Alessandra "Aelinar" (2024-10-17). "Unknown 9: Awakening - La recensione". IGN Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  26. ↑ Quesada, Daniel (2024-10-17). "Análisis de Unknown 9 Awakening, una aventura con mucho potencial, lastrada por un apartado técnico caduco". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2024-12-26. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  27. ↑ Edge staff writers (Christmas 2024). "Play - Unknown 9: Awakening". Edge. No. 404. pp. 112–113.
  28. ↑ Romano, Sal (August 20, 2024). "Unknown 9: Awakening launches October 18". Gematsu. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  29. 1 2 Andy Chalk (2024-11-21). "Unknown 9: Awakening studio makes major layoffs just a month after the game's release". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  30. ↑ Phillips, Tom (2025-01-21). "Unknown 9 franchise cancelled as developer admits game "didn't come near" expectations, series "didn't warrant any further exploration"". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  31. ↑ "Unknown 9 Deemed A "Failure" As Developer Cancels Future Project And Confirms Layoffs". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2025-01-22. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  32. ↑ Chalk, Andy (2025-01-21). "Action adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening was a 'failure,' says developer, which has cancelled a follow-up project and laid off staff". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2025-01-24.

External links:

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.