The presentation Xbox Partner Preview was full of interesting announcements and saw the return of a project that many players had undoubtedly forgotten or of which they were unaware of the existence, Unknown 9: Awakening. This is the very first game of Reflector Entertainmenta studio founded in 2016 by Alexandre Amancio (creative director on Assassin’s Creed Revelations And Unity) and the group Red Moonbut which was bought in 2020 by Bandai Namco after the game caught the eye of the publisher. Surprisingly, its founder left the entity at the beginning of last year after committing to stay on board to ensure that the universe of his cross-media project Unknown 9 is on the right track, since it is available in multiple formats. From, he joined FunPlus if you were ever wondering. In all cases, the development of Unknown 9: Awakening has progressed well since it now has a release period and has finally shown us its gameplay !
Trailer in French
We thus discover for the first time the adult appearance of the heroine. Haroona and its capabilities who promise a gameplay combining infiltration and parkour Assassin’s Creed with superheroic action. To embody this character, This is the actress Anya Chalotra known for her role as Yennefer in the series The Witcher of Netflix which was chosen.
Unknown 9: Awakening is a third-person narrative action-adventure game that follows Haroona, a Quaestor born with the ability to venture into the Reverse, a mysterious dimension parallel to our own. In search of powerful secret knowledge, she will have to learn to master her unique link with the Reverse, which will allow her to channel her powers into our world. Unfortunately for her, such power attracts attention and she soon becomes the target of the Ascendants, a branch of the Leap Year Society, a secret organization who wishes to use the Reversal to change the course of human history.
As Haroona, the player embarks on a journey across the world and seeks to right the wrongs of their past. To accomplish his mission, he must sneak among the shadows to surprise his enemies and pass into the minds of your opponents to take control, dodge bullets, create shields to protect yourself, project energy rays and improvise creative combat combinations to suit his playstyle.
Trailer in English
For a little more detail, an article was shared on Xbox Wire (which we have adjusted again):
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This third-person action-adventure title centers on Haroona, a truth-seeker with a troubled past, whose ties to a dark dimension known as the Reverse have endowed her with powerful powers.
The last time the world saw the game’s heroine, she was just a child left to fend for herself on the streets of Chamiri, India, unsure of what to do with her strange gifts. Today, Haroona has grown up. She has embraced her unique talents and continues to learn the ways of the Reverse.
You will play Haroona following a loss that has turned her life upside down. At first, you’re only looking for revenge, but the Unknown 9 universe has other plans. Before you know it, in addition to seeking revenge, you find yourself traveling the world, discovering powerful hidden knowledge. This will put you on the path of the Ascendants, a splinter faction ofa secret society known as the Leap Year Society (Leap Year Society). Founded by the brilliant and ruthless Vincent Lichter, the main antagonist of Unknown 9: Awakeningthis dangerous splinter group intends to use the Reverse in a way that could jeopardize the future of humanity.
The question is whether you can foil this elusive organization’s plan before it’s too late.
Building a narrative universe
From integrating Reflector into the Bandai Namco Group to the trials and tribulations of creating an entirely new intellectual property, while finding our feet in a pandemic and then post-pandemic work environment, it’s safe to say I was wrong that it was a real obstacle course!
However, recent years have not only been about adjusting processes and workflows. We came up with ideas, refined our narrative approach, and explored different mechanics and combinations to create gaming experiences that stand out.
Ultimately, we didn’t just develop a video game. We have built a complex narrative universe in which you can immerse yourself!
The Unknown 9: Awakening video game is a gateway to the larger story world of Unknown 9, a universe that encompasses a set of interconnected stories told across different mediums. The game’s story seeps into all the narratives of this universe.
To ensure you can transition seamlessly from one story to the next, our development and storytelling teams spent a lot of time fine-tuning specific details and features to ensure the overall story and resulting experience are perfect.
While we can’t wait to reveal the full experience, we’ll take you into the world of Unknown 9 step by step, starting with our first video game.
Harnessing the Powers of Reverse
Your quest begins this summer. Once you take on the role of Haroona, you will have free rein to harness her impressive talents by channeling the energy of the Reverse into the world.
Haroona, played by actress Anya Chalotra, is fierce, quick-witted and possesses powerful abilities, which the inhabitants of the Unknown 9 universe call Umbric abilities. By harnessing the powerful energy of the Backhand, Haroona manipulates people, objects, and weapons at any distance. With a flick of her wrist, she annihilates anything in her path, and her ability to screen shots is nothing short of impressive. But what makes her a formidable force is that she can slip into any of her enemies and take advantage of her size, skills, and weaponry to defeat the opponent she confronts.
Our design and development teams have focused on this unique combination of skills, designing a set of game mechanics that give you complete control over your combat strategy. The resulting experience lets you choose how you eliminate your enemies. Whether in stealth mode, in full combat, channeling Reverse energy to use the Umbric’s abilities, or using a combination of all of these, it’s up to you.
You can find the first visuals on the next page.
“We are happy to present Unknown 9: Awakening for the very first time,” explains Christophe Rossignol, Creative Director at Reflector Entertainment. “This is a great moment for our studio, because our teams have worked hard to create this new universe and offer an exciting narrative game in a rich and vibrant world. We will reveal new elements of the game soon and we hope that players will embark with us on an exciting adventure! »
Finally, Unknown 9: Awakening is expected this summer on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC (Steam). Yes, although it was only announced for the new generation of consoles, we must believe that Bandai Namco preferred to play the safety card by offering it to as many people as possible. It would be high time to put them aside…
If this universe interests you, the two books Unknown 9: Genesis And Revelation are on sale on Amazonpart of a trilogy, but the third volume of which has not yet seen the light of day.
Read also: Reflector Entertainment (Unknown 9: Awakening) will develop a game from a known license for Bandai Namco
| Alexandre SAMSON (Omega Law) Responsible Proofreader – Editor | ||
| Addicted to Assassin’s Creed and Destiny, big fan of RPGs and passionate about video game experiences in general. Reader of comics (DC) and various mangas (One Piece!). Chemist by training and Whovian at heart. | ||
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