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AlthoughUnknown 9: Awakeningis clearly aiming to invoke games like Uncharted and Tomb Raider with its linear third-person action gameplay, it does have a few tricks up its Am-wielding sleeves to make it stand out.
The main thing that separates Unknown 9: Awakening from other similar games is the suite of powers that protagonist Haroona can use over the course of her adventure.She doesn’t start the journey with all of them, though, so here’s when you’ll gain access to each ability and how they work.
Crush
The very first power you’ll get in Unknown 9: Awakening is Crush,which can be found in the opening chapter with Haroona and Reika. As you get your Am bracers, Reika will instruct you to use them on the wall to crush it and clear a pathway by pressing Triangle on PlayStation and Y on Xbox. That’s just one use of the ability, though, as Crush has a range of different capabilities.
In your adventure,you’ll be able to Crush explosives and objects to trigger them, destroy machines and traps to break them, and even use it on the environment to clear a path. Whenever you approach an item that lets you crush it, there’s a good chance it’s going to help you out.
Crush initially seems quite specific in its uses, but it quickly becomes essential in combat for stunning enemies.
Heal
One of the most helpful abilities you’ll unlock in Unknown 9 is the Heal,which lets Haroona recover some health at the expense of Am by pressing Left on the D-Pad. You’ll get this abilityafter your first combat encounter during the opening chapter.
Heal doesn’t really get any more complex as you progress through the game, but it does remain as consistently useful as it was when you first got it. You’ll usually be healed after most combat encounters, but if you’re running low on health during a fight,it’s worth attacking an enemy to build up your Am and then using that to heal.
Push
It’s time to channel your Jedi powers, because the next ability in Unknown 9: Awakening is a push. Just like Crush,you’ll get this power in the opening chapter of the game while exploring with Reika, a few combat encounters into the mission. As the name implies, this ability lets you push enemies away from Haroona by tapping L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox.
The uses for Push are pretty obvious,but it can be used to clear a distance between you and your enemy, as well as pushing them into objects to trigger them, such as explosives and gas canisters. By far the best use for Push, though,is using it near a cliff or high object for an instant kill, which comes in handy in later combat arenas.
Peek
One of the most helpful abilities in Unknown 9: Awakening is Peeking,which lets Haroona take a glimpse into the fold to spot enemies in the vicinity by pressing up on the D-Pad. This ability is alsotaught to Haroona in the opening chapters of the game, and comes shortly after you get your Push ability.
Although the Peek starts out a little simplistic,it can be upgraded to highlight collectibles and even keep enemies marked once you’ve viewed themwhile using the ability. It also doesn’t cost any Am, so it’s worth using whenever you’re in a stealth encounter and want to keep track of your opponents.
When you unlock Peek in Unknown 9: Awakening, you’ll also unlock the stealth takedown ability. We’ve not listed here because it’s not really a power, although it does have a cool soul-crushing visual.
Step
By far the most important ability in all of Unknown 9: Awakening is Stepping, which letsHaroona jump into the bodies of her enemies and briefly control them by pressing Square on PlayStation and X on Xbox. You’ll unlock this powernear the end of the game’s first chapter, and will get a brief tutorial on how it works.
After expending a Step token and jumping into an enemy,Haroona can move them around for a short while and even use their main attackagainst their friends or nearby objects in the environment. Although you only start off with one use of Step,you can get up to three as the story progresses and you become more experienced. Step recharges every time you defeat an enemy or deal enough damage.
The ways in which you can use Step are varied, but my favouritesinclude walking an enemy over to Haroona for a quick stealth takedown, using it to position someone near a ledge for a quick Push kill, and causing a shockwave when a bunch of enemies are together. It’s an essential tool to master both in and out of Stealth.
You sadly can’t use Stepping to make an enemy walk off a cliff. I tried, but it never works like you hope it would.
Shroud
Another essential tool in Unknown 9 is the Shroud,which Haroona will unlock early on in the game’s second chapter. By pressingDown on the D-Pad, Haroona will cloak herself for a short amount of timeand be completely invisible to her enemies, making it perfect for stealth.
Shroud doesn’t last very long at all and drains the Am bar very quickly,but it’s worth using whenever you want to stealthily take down an enemy. It can also be used during combat to disappear briefly and reposition yourself, but it’s not usually that reliable if you want to permanently disappear.
Umbric Shield
By far my favourite power in Haroona’s arsenal is the Umbric Shield,which is unlocked towards the end of Unknown 9’s second chapter.By pressing and holding L1 on PlayStation and LB on Xbox, Haroona will use her energy to summon a shield that can beused to deflect attacks and bullets. It also makes a beautiful noise that scratches my brain when bullets hit it.
As you get further into Unknown 9 and have more enemies with guns, the Umbric Shield becomes an essential tool that you’ll need to get good with. While blocking bullets is helpful,it can also be used in hand-to-hand combat to parry and eventually riposte attacks, provided you use it at the right time.
Ripple
One of the most underused powers in Unknown 9 is the Ripple,which you’ll unlock in the game’s third chapteras you adventure through the jungle with Luther.By pressing and holding Right on the D-Pad, Haroona will generate a ball of energy that can bethrown in the environment to cause a distraction for enemies.
If you’ve ever played Assassin’s Creed and thrown a rock to evade capture, you’ll know how to use the Ripple. While it’s a good idea in practise, it seems to get stuck in the environment a lot when thrown and doesn’t have much range until you upgrade it.You’re better off Shrouding and doing it yourself.
Pull
What would Haroona’s suite of powers be if she had a push but not a pull?Once you’ve made it towards the end of Unknown 9’s third chapter, Haroona will get the ability topull her enemies towards her by holding L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox, which costs some Am.
Pulling initially seems like it’s only useful for opening enemies up to melee attacks,but it does eventually become a bit more helpful as you learn to drag enemies into explosivesand grenades fired by your targets. If you upgrade it, it can also be used to open up a heavy strike, which makes it a lot more useful.
Umbric Attacks
The final power you’ll unlock in Unknown 9: Awakening is the Umbric Attack,which can be found in the game’s fifth chapterafter you’ve made your way through the jungle and into the village. Once you’ve found Reika’s amulet, you’ll get this essential ability,which is triggered by pressing or holding R2 on PlayStation and RT on Xbox.
Umbric Attacks let Haroona use Am to send out a version of herself to attack enemies. Both the light and heavy versions of Umbric Attacks willbuild up a separate bar that lets you perform a Burst Attackand deal a massive amount of damage. The light version is more of a projectile, while the Heavy is a shockwave. Both are easily the most powerful attacks in the game.
If an enemy is blocking, they won’t receive Faze damage, so ensure to use a regular heavy attack on them to open them back up.
