"There's far more than meets the eye" - Unknown 9: Awakening's creative director shares insight on their upcoming title (Exclusive)

Unknown 9: Awakening is easily one of the most intriguing upcoming releases of 2024. Developed by Montreal-based studio, Reflector Entertainment, the title aims to deliver a narrative experience that extends way beyond just the game, with parts of the universe's lore shared via tie-in media like comics, novels, and even a dedicated podcast.

The idea of creating an overarching narrative universe that supplements a game is something that genuinely intrigued us, right from the moment the title was announced. And with the game's release date looming, we got a chance to have a chat with the creative director, Christophe Rossignol.

We discussed plenty of key details about Reflector Entertainment's upcoming title, including key inspirations for the game's concept, narrative universe, and much, much more.

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Unknown 9: Awakening's creative director, Christophe Rossignol shares insight on the game, its protagonist, Haroona, and the overarching "Unknown 9" universe

Q1. Unknown 9: Awakening to me, looks like a fascinating mash-up of some of my favorite games like Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted The Lost Legacy, and also, a little bit of Dishonored (owing to the possession mechanic). How did you and your team come up with the idea of such a game? Also, what were the true inspirations for it, other games, books, movies, etc.?

As with any creative project, inspiration for Unknown 9: Awakening was drawn from many sources. The Reflector team set out to build a game that belonged to a larger universe spanning many mediums, so it was necessary to establish and develop deep lore and specific rules. With that in mind, games themselves need to be fun and include interesting game mechanics at their core. When we developed the Stepping feature, we knew it would become the foundation on which we would keep building.

Another goal of ours was to create a universe filled with hope and possibility. If you look at the world today, it often feels like it's lost its magic. So, we built a universe in which there’s far more than meets the eye. From an ancient civilization that advanced well beyond its time to immortal guardians of knowledge and powerful secret societies, there’s magic, mystery, and adventure to be found in all corners of the Unknown 9 universe.

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Q2. From what I’ve seen of the game so far, Unknown 9 looks fairly linear, with a heavy emphasis on storytelling and combat. Will it be a linear action-adventure game, akin to the Uncharted or Tomb Raider titles, or will there be ample opportunities for exploration?

Indeed, Unknown 9: Awakening is a narrative-driven game with a linear approach, as we believe this configuration fits this genre best. Though there is a main path to follow to progress through the story, over the course of your adventure, you'll have a chance to explore some of your surroundings to unearth secrets and Anomalies (skill points) scattered around many of the chapter locations.

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Q3. As the first game in the series, what are the elements/aspects of Unknown 9: Awakening that you think or expect to resonate with players?

I think players will enjoy having the freedom to choose how they want to approach the situations they’ll be faced with. Whether you opt to go stealth, engage in combat, step into enemies, or employ a combination of all styles, it’s all about mastering the tools at your disposal. There’s also the narrative aspect of the game, which is made up of compelling characters, deep lore, age-old secrets waiting to be unraveled, and mysterious locations to explore that are rarely depicted in video games.

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Q4. The combat system of Unknown 9: Awakening is something that genuinely intrigues me, due to how it mixes real-time action with strategy elements (via the possession mechanic). What were the inspirations behind the combat system of Unknown 9?

We really wanted to give players agency. The combat system was designed with the Stepping mechanic at its core and was further elaborated on to give players the freedom to define their approach—direct confrontations or sneakier methods. Once this design intention began to show promise, we created our lead protagonist, Haroona, and crafted a story that supported both our gameplay intentions and the larger universe the game would come to belong to.

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Q5. Unknown 9: Awakening is the first piece of media in the larger Unknown 9 universe, which also includes a podcast, comic books, novels, and more. However, will the game offer a conclusive story that anyone can hop into, without having to go through the additional/companion media?

While Unknown 9: Awakening is a key entry point into the larger world of Unknown 9, every adventure set within this narrative universe can be enjoyed as a standalone story. This means one doesn’t have to listen to the podcast or read the comic to understand the game, and vice versa. If players enjoy the story of the game, they can extend their experience by exploring the many other Unknown 9 products set within the same universe. Those who follow all the interconnected stories will piece together a much larger saga.

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Q6. Any words of advice or encouragement for players who are excited to jump into Haroona’s shoes come October 18th?

The game will provide you with a wide range of powers and skills and we recommend that you use them all! Have fun Pushing and Pulling enemies, wielding your Shield, Shrouding yourself to disappear in plain sight, and Stepping into enemies to set up impressive chain reactions. We’re looking forward to seeing how players approach novel situations in the game. And for those who love this story, take some time to check out the other adventures that unfold within the Unknown 9 universe, including a podcast, novels, comics, and more. Many are out now, and most are available for free!

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Unknown 9: Awakening is scheduled to be released on October 18, 2024, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC.