AWAY Journey to the Unexpected

55%
Game Brain Score Based on 40 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
AWAY Journey to the Unexpected Game Cover
Away stands out from the sea of roguelites by being a little unexpected.
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In "AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected," you play as a curious kid exploring a vibrant world filled with quirky characters. The game combines first-person action with friendly conversations, allowing you to turn foes into friends. Your goal is to discover the truth behind an unusual prophecy while unraveling the mysteries of your surroundings.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

55%
Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews
gameplay9 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • The game features a charming art style and expressive character designs that are visually appealing.
  • The unique friendship mechanic adds an interesting layer to gameplay, allowing players to switch between characters with different abilities.
  • The soundtrack is enjoyable and complements the lighthearted tone of the game.
  • The gameplay is repetitive and lacks variety, leading to a dull experience over time.
  • Combat mechanics are poorly designed, with inconsistent hit detection and a lack of depth, making encounters frustrating.
  • The game is short, with limited content and low replayability, which does not justify its price.
  • gameplay23 mentions

    The gameplay of "Away: Journey to the Unexpected" is characterized by a charming aesthetic but suffers from repetitive mechanics and a lack of enemy variety, leading to a bland experience over time. While the unique recruitment mechanic and visual design are praised, many players find the combat awkward and the overall gameplay loop unsatisfying, with limited replayability and technical issues detracting from the enjoyment. Despite its potential, the game is seen as needing significant improvements in gameplay depth and mechanics to fully realize its concept.

    • “The gameplay is simple but solid, and the gimmick you recruit party members as your 'weapon' but you also change into their point of view when you change into them, for example, someone might only see in monochrome, or someone might have broken glasses ruining their perspective.”
    • “A feel-good action game with a short gameplay loop and tons of charm.”
    • “Incredibly underrated game, yes it's simple but the gameplay loop is flawless!”
    • “Overall, it was a charming game with a charming art style, but the constant replaying of levels for unlockables and achievements dragged the gameplay down.”
    • “The characters and story have no real depth, and the gameplay is bland, although the graphics are pretty nice.”
    • “The game is short (around 3 hours) and suffers from some (albeit minor) technical issues on top of a few questionable design choices, such as awkward and clunky combat in a combat-heavy game, a main mechanic based around gathering allies while having a very narrow number of allies to gather, and being a pseudo-roguelike with little replayability.”
  • graphics20 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and unique art style, with many reviewers highlighting the expressive character designs and overall visual appeal. While the aesthetics are considered a major strength, some critiques mention an overuse of post-processing filters and a lack of depth in character and story. Overall, the visuals are described as beautiful and engaging, contributing positively to the game's experience.

    • “The art style is the biggest positive this game had; all of the characters are expressive, well drawn, and lovely to look at, and the music is decent to boot.”
    • “The graphics are super gorgeous and I love all the different characters.”
    • “Graphically, the game is beautiful.”
    • “The story wasn't great or in-depth, which would be fine, but the characters lacked the personality and characterization to carry it or match the art style.”
    • “But the intro animation, aesthetic, and honestly standard price point really leads you to think there's going to be more game for your game.”
    • “While aesthetically pleasing, I wish it were a toggle rather than a default feature.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game is consistently praised, with many reviewers describing it as good to great, complementing the charming art style and overall aesthetic. The soundtrack enhances the nostalgic feel of the game, contributing to its engaging atmosphere, despite some critiques of the gameplay itself. Overall, the music is a standout feature that adds to the game's charm and personality.

    • “The music is great, the aesthetic is wonderful, and it feels like a fun little action platformer from days of old.”
    • “The positives: music, theming, the attention to detail like every character having their own vision type, the beautiful animation, and the decent boss fights.”
    • “I enjoyed the art style, the soundtrack, and the difficulty is challenging enough it will keep me engaged till I complete the game.”
    • “The music is charming, but the gameplay isn't great.”
    • “The music is enjoyable, but it doesn't elevate the overall experience.”
  • story7 mentions

    The story is described as lighthearted but lacking depth, with characters that fail to engage or match the appealing art style. Reviewers feel that the narrative and character development are insufficient to elevate the gameplay, which is considered bland, leading to low replayability. There is hope for future titles to improve on storytelling and gameplay mechanics while leveraging the strong visual assets.

    • “It's a lighthearted story about a boy that's trying to figure out who busted a hole in the wall of his grandparents' home.”
    • “My hope is that the developers take all of the experience they have from this, and make another game that capitalizes on their art and animation, and has better gameplay, a gameplay loop that isn't 'roguelike' circa 2014, and tells a story that is at least slightly interesting.”
    • “The art assets are great and I think with a lot more time in the oven and a greater focus on plot or expansion of abilities would have helped this greatly.”
    • “The story wasn't great or in-depth, which would be fine, but the characters lacked the personality and characterization to carry it or match the art style.”
    • “The characters and story have no real depth, and the gameplay is bland, although the graphics are pretty nice.”
    • “Low replayability once 100% completed with the story.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game has low replayability, primarily due to its short length of around three hours and limited content once the story is completed. While it features enjoyable gameplay and presentation, many players find it lacks depth and variety, making it less appealing for multiple playthroughs.

    • “This game is a lot better than most reviews say when it comes to gameplay. It's priced a little high for its length and replay value; however, it is definitely worth buying when it's on sale.”
    • “Low replayability once 100% completed with the story.”
    • “The game is short (3-ish hours) and suffers from some (albeit minor) technical issues on top of a few questionable design choices (combat feels awkward and clunky in a combat-heavy game, main mechanic based around gathering allies while having a very narrow number of allies to gather, being a pseudo-roguelike with little replayability).”
    • “Wonderful presentation, fun abilities, and a good sense of humor help buoy it along, but it's disappointingly light on content and has no real replay value.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players find the game emotionally resonant, evoking nostalgia and a sense of warmth through its charming writing, appealing art style, and uplifting music. The overall feel-good atmosphere contributes to a wholesome experience that many reviewers appreciate.

    • “Somehow made me feel nostalgic.”
    • “It's a feel-good FPS, but for all of the wholesome reasons.”
    • “I like the charm and personality it has; I appreciate the wholesome writing, the art style, the music, and the environments.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in "Away" is frequently praised for its wit and charm, contributing to a lighthearted and enjoyable experience. However, while the game's fun abilities and presentation enhance its comedic elements, some reviewers feel it lacks depth and replay value, ultimately hindering its overall execution.

    • “The writing is often quite funny.”
    • “Away is a brief, humorous, and adorable first-person ‘roguelite’ that puts the emphasis on fun and good vibes instead of challenge.”
    • “Wonderful presentation, fun abilities, and a good sense of humor help buoy Away along.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is noted for its varied reach and interaction styles, which some players find inconsistent with character design. However, the art style and character designs themselves receive positive feedback, indicating a strong visual appeal despite the gameplay mechanics.

    • “Love the art style and character designs.”
    • “Some characters you can hit from a mile away while others you can get right up in their face, and the same goes for their reach, which seems to vary just as much with no regard to whether it makes sense for their character design or not.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be easy but tedious, suggesting that while the tasks may not be challenging, they can become monotonous over time.

    • “Easy yet tedious 😕”
    • “The grinding feels endless and repetitive.”
    • “It takes too long to level up, making the game feel like a chore.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is praised for its potential and immersive qualities, yet many users feel it currently lacks completeness, suggesting that it may need further development to fully realize its atmospheric potential.

    • “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the world like no other game.”
    • “Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
    • “The game's atmosphere is rich and layered, making exploration feel both rewarding and eerie.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting numerous bugs that affect gameplay.

    • “Finally, the game is pretty buggy.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game performs significantly better on PC, where it is optimized for mouse-and-keyboard controls, while the Nintendo Switch version suffers from poor performance issues.

    • “Away certainly handles better on PC than on the Switch because I feel this was just built for mouse and keyboard, but let me just say, the performance on the Nintendo Switch is quite poor.”
    • “Away certainly handles better on PC than on the Switch because I feel this was just built for mouse and keyboard, but let me just say, the performance on the Nintendo Switch is just poor.”
    • “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering, which makes the gameplay experience frustrating.”
    • “I was really disappointed with how poorly the game runs on lower-end systems; it feels like it wasn't optimized at all for those configurations.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

61% average critic score

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