During Summer Games Fest, we got to sit in on a demo and learn more about the upcoming narrative action game Unknown 9: Awakening. The game is set in the expansive cross media Unknown 9 universe which already includes a comic book, book trilogy, and a podcast story. We got to see a short demo of the game consisting of a small combat section of the game.

The demo showcased  Unknown 9: Awakening’s main gameplay philosophy in stealth, stepping, and combat. The short sectioned showcased how you could use stealth and take out enemies quickly and quietly thanks to a handy ability where the protagonist Haroona has the ability to look into an alternate reality and peer through walls to see enemies, items, and interactables. However, the demo did show that enemies have some ways to disrupt her ability. Haroona also has an ability to possess enemies via a power called “Stepping” you are able to take over an enemy and cause them to take one action in a short amount of time. We saw in the demo Haroona use that power to make three enemies basically take themselves out without having to directly engage them. However, in actual combat, Haroona is able to to use a mix of melee and special abilities call “Umbric Powers” to engage with enemies. Speaking of, the game’s skill is split into three separate branches for new Stealth, Melee, and Umbric abilities for players to unlock.

With how much lore and build the universe of Unknown 9 already has, the developers want to keep you as immersed as possible. The combat looks great especially when you’re using Haroona’s specific powers to take out enemies. The developers even have taken a minimalist approach to UI design to keep the screen as clean as possible, and want you to feel like you’re in the world of the game at all times.

Unknown 9: Awakening is set to release later this year.