Support NeoGAF

[GHG]

Based on the release version gameplay footage, Steam reviews and impressions from independent youtubers etc, it looks like these review scores suffer from a condition known as wokeflation.

Should be sub 50's. Anyone even thinking about playing this when we've had some of the releases we have in recent months needs to check themselves. Hundreds of other better games out there to spend your time with.

 

[MudoSkills]

It's weird how there seem to be so many studios spending years on games nobody cares about, and that they have all decided to send them out to die in 2024.

 

[Hydroxy]

I don't really understand how this franchise got this far

The very first Unknown game, titled simply "Unknown Soldier", was kind of a generic WWII CoD-clone shooter in the PS360 days. It did alright but had a lower budget

After that they had kind of a weird series of games with different settings. Unknown 2: Alien Menace was a sci-fi shooter, Unknown 3: Vietnam went back to a more realistic setting, and Unknown 4: Cyberspace had a cool Ghost in the Shell vibe

The franchise switched to a third person view with Unknown 5: Rome and marked the start of the God of War clone era, it was followed by Unknown 6: Samurai and Unknown 7: Zulu

At this point, something changed. I want to say maybe it was Sweet Baby Inc but Unknown 8: Redemption was the first one to star a female protag and it returned to a vaguely modern setting. However it was still fundamentally kind of a God of War clone, I want to say it was a lot like Heavenly Sword

I don't know how this franchise got to 9 entries but at some point somebody needs to say that maybe the franchise should be laid to rest like Tomb Raider

Lol you almost got me. I was actually interested in checking out the earlier entries because it actually sounded cool. What a horrible name for a game.

 

[TrebleShot]

Based on the release version gameplay footage, Steam reviews and impressions from independent youtubers etc, it looks like these review scores suffer from a condition known as wokeflation.

Should be sub 50's. Anyone even thinking about playing this when we've had some of the releases we have in recent months needs to check themselves. Hundreds of other better games out there to spend your time with.

Problem with this is people may choose to buy it based on reviews and liking 7/10 games.

 

[TrebleShot]

I don't really understand how this franchise got this far

The very first Unknown game, titled simply "Unknown Soldier", was kind of a generic WWII CoD-clone shooter in the PS360 days. It did alright but had a lower budget

After that they had kind of a weird series of games with different settings. Unknown 2: Alien Menace was a sci-fi shooter, Unknown 3: Vietnam went back to a more realistic setting, and Unknown 4: Cyberspace had a cool Ghost in the Shell vibe

The franchise switched to a third person view with Unknown 5: Rome and marked the start of the God of War clone era, it was followed by Unknown 6: Samurai and Unknown 7: Zulu

At this point, something changed. I want to say maybe it was Sweet Baby Inc but Unknown 8: Redemption was the first one to star a female protag and it returned to a vaguely modern setting. However it was still fundamentally kind of a God of War clone, I want to say it was a lot like Heavenly Sword

I don't know how this franchise got to 9 entries but at some point somebody needs to say that maybe the franchise should be laid to rest like Tomb Raider

LOL you made this all up didnt you cos Googling returned nothing. what a beautiful waste of time.

 

[GHG]

Problem with this is people may choose to buy it based on reviews and liking 7/10 games.

Nobody sets out to intentionally like 6 and 7 out of 10 games. Yes there will always be the odd game that is a bit "out there", does a bunch of different/unique things and as a result gets misunderstood by critics in the time period which it releases in (see Nier), but this isn't that, not even close. This is as vapid as they come with no redeeming qualities.

Honestly, there are some people who have decided to align themselves with a particular platform who have been forced to like 6 and 7/10 games in recent years.

People who are stuck in prison for long periods of time have no choice but to appropriately adjust their tastes when it comes to food, this is no different.

 

[YuLY]

I love the smell of burning Sweet Baby Inc in the morning...makes you feel alive.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Looks like a lot of money well spent!

 

[mdkirby]

I assumed that this was a $50mil ish game…but the more I hear about it, the more it sounds like it could be a much bigger financial disaster for namco than I thought.

Studio founded in 2018
120 staff
Equates to 6 years dev time
Big transmedia universe (like concord, which I would expect they were using external parties to develop the comics, cartoons, podcasts etc)
Montreal, not cheap.
Studio was acquired in 2020, which was the very peak for massively over inflated valuations for game company acquisitions, the amount they paid was not disclosed, but I really wouldn’t be surprised if it was 100-200mil at the time. Publishers were getting fleeced back then.
It was a key part of Namco’s “western development” initiative where they planned to have western games make up 50% of their product.

All of which suggests to me that they’ve easily lost a couple hundred million on this…which, if they saw the writing on the wall (which they would from pre orders and social metrics) explain them cutting staff and cancelling multiple games.

 

[Bloobs]

Where's the OT

 

[Germuso]

Gender: unknown

 

[Reaseru]

Unknown 0: Profit.

 

[PatientGamer]

Bomba, dead on arrival. No surprises here. Next.

 

[Gonzito]

Is there a lore reason why the game is trash?

 

[EN250]

If like any fad "wokeism" is just one more, devs are gonna suffer a lot, since games take too damn long too develop, we're probably seeing the last of this crap and games in development right now won't have a chance in 2-3 years from now when this thing is forgotten for good, at least I hope

 

[GHG]

Where's the OT

 

[MayauMiao]

On the bright side, one hundred and...

 

[winjer]

Is there a lore reason why the game is trash?

Once a upon a time, peace and prosperity ruled across the land. But then the nation of the purple haired attacked, vowing to destroy gaming.
They screamed and screeched that everything is racist and misogynistic and that gamers are incels.
But true gamers rallied against the purple haired maniacs, and won many rare victories.
For it is known that “Evil is not able to create anything new, it can only distort and destroy what has been invented or made by the forces of good.”

 

[Holammer]

Get a load of this, a 2018 article talking about Unknown 9. They wanted to make movies and TV based on the U9 setting. Recent messaging don't mention tv/movies, so I guess they scaled back expectations.
Logically it was in pre-production for awhile and saw a minimum of two years in full development before Namco Bandai acquired them then in 2020. If they got a bunch of support studios to help out, this is going to be another costly failure.

Reflector Entertainment To Introduce ‘Unknown 9’ Transmedia Universe at New York Comic-Con

The company will unveil its transmedia universe at the convention. The "U9" world includes a TV series, film, podcast, video game, and more.

variety.com

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Looks like the modern audience has all migrated to Unknown 9

 

[Mr Hyde]

Watched a couple of reviews of this and holy shit it looks bad. I've played plenty of janky games but they had charm and passion that made you overlook the glaring budget issues. But this game seems totally devoid of anything that can be labeled fun. Just a generic and bland shovelware game made with zero passion. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought this was released on PS360. This isn't even a 7/10 game. This is a 4-5/10.

 

[mdkirby]

Lmfao, this is legit the first actual ad I’ve seen for this game, and it’s on a neogaf thread trashing it

 

[StereoVsn]

On the bright side, one hundred and...

It’s just Fri morning! On the weekend it will surge… by unknown 9 and get to 178 concurrent!

Come on Unknown 9, you can beat Concord if you try very hard. If they have “Professor” at home, they need some encouraging tweets!

I can’t believe Bamco bought this studio for this game. Much like with Sony and Concord, what were they thinking!?

Like how could an executive sit down, look at their storyboard and some vertical game slice and go “Yep, let’s spend $100-200 mil for the Studio and another $100 mil to complete it”.

Obviously these numbers are out of my ass but 120 people dev team with US or EU salaries (no idea where this studio is located ) ain’t cheap. Whoever that exec was , they should be fired.

And of course Bamco is now canceling games and firing people because partially of failures like this one which means their management team is terrible.

 

[tommib]

Worst reviewed and worst sold game of the year.

We got a winner, ladies and germs.

 

[Fabieter]

Worst reviewed and worst sold game of the year.

We got a winner, ladies and germs.

No it doesn't get worse than concord.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

2024 will forever be remembered as the year of the big budget woke bomb.

I assumed that this was a $50mil ish game…but the more I hear about it, the more it sounds like it could be a much bigger financial disaster for namco than I thought.

Studio founded in 2018
120 staff
Equates to 6 years dev time
Big transmedia universe (like concord, which I would expect they were using external parties to develop the comics, cartoons, podcasts etc)
Montreal, not cheap.
Studio was acquired in 2020, which was the very peak for massively over inflated valuations for game company acquisitions, the amount they paid was not disclosed, but I really wouldn’t be surprised if it was 100-200mil at the time. Publishers were getting fleeced back then.
It was a key part of Namco’s “western development” initiative where they planned to have western games make up 50% of their product.

All of which suggests to me that they’ve easily lost a couple hundred million on this…which, if they saw the writing on the wall (which they would from pre orders and social metrics) explain them cutting staff and cancelling multiple games.

They panic bought during the pandemic when everyone thought gaming was going to grow exponentially forever, and that there was some huge “modern audience” that could be tapped by putting diverse girlbosses in everything.

The saddest part is you KNOW so many weak men (and women) thought this shit was terrible, but they kept their mouths shut out of fear. Releasing their game to the general public is the first time they’ve been exposed to honest, unfiltered criticism. It’s no wonder these games are bombing horribly.

 

[tommib]

No it doesn't get worse than concord.

You’re right when we think of budgets and the game being taken out of the market.

Kudos.

 

[MayauMiao]

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Reading some user reviews, this is not a solid 7/10 game. This is pure trash 3/10 that the media didn't go hard on because reasons.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

'Powerful hidden knowledge'

You made a story that an eight year old could make up! Here's a 100 million squillion billion gazillion dollarsssss

Congratulations!



..At this rate of decline we're all going to need spaz helmets just to play, read or watch western media.

 

[tommib]

Reading some user reviews, this is not a solid 7/10 game. This is pure trash 3/10 that the media didn't go hard on because reasons.

And it’s not a solid 7. It’s sitting at 63 metacritic. It will only go down.

 

[winjer]

Reading some user reviews, this is not a solid 7/10 game. This is pure trash 3/10 that the media didn't go hard on because reasons.

It's the woke score inflation.
And this is why we can't trust modern gaming journalists, because they are willing to trick gamers into buying bad games, for political reasons.

 

[Punished Miku]

Lol you almost got me. I was actually interested in checking out the earlier entries because it actually sounded cool. What a horrible name for a game.

You should have seen his Cyberpunk 2077 bit. Took up 17 posts in a row.

 

[winjer]

MSI to give away "Unknown 9: Awakening" with purchase of AMD X870/X870E motherboards - VideoCardz.com

MSI will give away a free game for eligible purchases of AMD X870 boards MSI is announcing a special promotion for its AMD 800-series boards, which will now ship with a free copy of Unknown 9: Awakening. Note, this promotion does not cover Intel 800-series boards, which are due to come out next...

videocardz.com

 

[Moriarty1889]

So nice to see this trash burn.

 

[Stuart360]

Were the first 8 games any good?

 

[Fake]

Looks like the modern audience has all migrated to Unknown 9

Zero in-game sure get us all of guard.

 

[Vyse]

Lmfao, this is legit the first actual ad I’ve seen for this game, and it’s on a neogaf thread trashing it

This is why I pay for gold membership!

 

[Malvira]

MSI to give away "Unknown 9: Awakening" with purchase of AMD X870/X870E motherboards - VideoCardz.com

MSI will give away a free game for eligible purchases of AMD X870 boards MSI is announcing a special promotion for its AMD 800-series boards, which will now ship with a free copy of Unknown 9: Awakening. Note, this promotion does not cover Intel 800-series boards, which are due to come out next...

videocardz.com

Both companies aren't currently on best terms but that is really a low blow from MSI to AMD.

 

[Dusktildawn48]

Jokes on you guys, it's peaking! Already up to 236 concurrent players!

 

[intbal]

South of Midnight producer right now

 

[Kacho]

South of Midnight producer right now

That and Fable are doomed

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Jokes on you guys, it's peaking! Already up to 236 concurrent players!

The Bandai Namco workers who were put in isolated rooms are doing their part.

 

[M1987]

I got this shit for free, and I still won't be playing it

 

[DeepEnigma]

So weird that Bamco would buy this no name team. Elden Ring is now Bamco’s war chest for these adventures I guess.

They don't even own the Elden Ring IP either. FromSoftware has full rights to it as of a year ago.

Good luck moronic publishers and devs.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

The Bandai Namco workers who were put in isolated rooms are doing their part.

That’s the perfect scheme to get them to quit ASAP

 

[DeepEnigma]

On the bright side, one hundred and...

Modern Audience: Unknown

 

[intbal]

That and Fable are doomed

Fable has somewhat of a built-in fan base. I suspect it will perform decently (but not great) on Xbox at least. South of Midnight is a SBI-overhaul of an unknown property. It will kill the studio.

 

[Lux R7]

Jokes on you guys, it's peaking! Already up to 236 concurrent players!

 

[delfrickintree]

You should have seen his Cyberpunk 2077 bit. Took up 17 posts in a row.

Any chance you can link me? That was one of the best trolls ive fallen for, I want to see more