Unknown 9: Awakening and Little Nightmares III: small glimpses of what Bandai Namco has to offer

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to attend the Bandai Namco Showcase, where we not only learned more about the future of Tekken 8 with the arrival of Heihachi and new DLC content, but also had the chance to play other titles that shine in their own right. Unknown 9: Awakening and Little Nightmares III are titles that go hand in hand with this publisher and are getting closer and closer. Although time was short, it allowed us to write a few lines about each of them.

Unknown 9: Awakening: Magic, Strategy and Narrative

Originally unveiled in 2020, it wasn’t until 2024 that this project made a comeback. Unknown 9 was one of those games that caught my attention because of its mechanics. Developed by Reflector Entertainment, Unknown 9 is a risky bet that goes beyond the simple fact of being a video game. It is a transmedia experience that includes comics, books, podcasts and, of course, a video game starring Anya Chalotra, Yennefer of Venderberg in the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher. In this game, the actress plays Haroona, a woman with a very special set of supernatural powers from a clan known as Quasterora, which makes her a target for various factions.

The first few minutes of the test found us in a jungle where we were able to review Haroona’s powers and the elements of the game. A key part of this is the use of stealth and how you can use it to control your enemies. The mechanics are interesting, and although it can get repetitive, that’s not the point of the game. In fact, you only get one ‘charge’ of this power at the start, so you have to be very careful how you use it.

The setting of both levels is good, even if it’s not that visually stunning. There are still some problems with maintaining 60 frames per second, but nothing serious, as this was otherwise a non-definitive version of the game.

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My big problem with the game was the controls. They’re not as intuitive as you’d expect, or maybe it’s because I’d already spent the afternoon playing fighting games where hitting the Square button on the PlayStation controller didn’t quite work and I ended up ‘possessing’ the enemies. Fortunately, you can change the button mapping on the controller, although I discovered this rather late in the game.

Unknown 9: Awakening will arrive on 17 October 2024 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Little Nightmares III: Nightmares to share

Another game we got to play was Little Nightmares III, which at this point in the franchise needs no introduction after its two titles in 2017 and 2021. This demo took us through the first few minutes of the game, which will now be a co-op experience in which we control two protagonists, Low and Alone.

Both characters are controlled very similarly, although each has their own special ability. Low can use a bow and arrows, while Alone can use a giant wrench. As with other titles that rely on co-operative gameplay, working as a team is essential to progress and survive. This includes opening certain doors, supporting each other when jumping, or walking together while carrying a light to avoid insects swarming the ground.

The side-scrolling mechanic that we are used to from the franchise continues, but now with these two characters. Although the activities are simple as always, we have to avoid being trapped by the creepy adults in the game, while solving some puzzles that are very simple up to this point. The cooperative experience is quite enjoyable, and even if the two players are sometimes too far apart, one can’t progress without the other. As we were told, this experience also works if one player owns the game; they can give a friend a ‘friend pass’ to play the title with. Don’t expect any couch co-op though, as the whole experience will be online for the time being.

What we saw was always very fluid, in keeping with the great art direction the game has taken to show us this creepy and twisted world. Just 20 minutes into the game, we realised that the eeriness that the franchise has always conveyed was still there, proving that Supermassive Games have done their job well in taking over development from Tarsier Studios.

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For now, we can rest easy, as the final version of Little Nightmares III is still some time away. In fact, it was announced in May this year that the release date has been pushed back to 2025.