Away: Journey to the Unexpected

Just a few weeks ago I wrote about how I wished more games would embrace the absurd, and that’s exactly what Away: Journey To The Unexpected set out to do. It succeeded, but oh boy did it fail.

Away: Journey to the Unexpected begins as a fun and lighthearted romp with a few very unique wrinkles to its gameplay. Unfortunately, this quickly unravels and is severely hampered by poor design choices that sour what was first an enjoyable experience.

Away: Journey to the Unexpected is the sort of game that's disappointing because of how good it could have been if more thought had been invested into certain systems. There's a good game buried in here somewhere, but it's so mired in confusing or irritating game design elements that it becomes incredibly difficult to recommend. If you're really into roguelikes and want to try out an okay one in first-person, Away: Journey to the Unexpected is perhaps worth a punt, but even then, we'd highly suggest that you take a pass. There are far better roguelikes available on the eShop for a comparable price; you're sure to get much more out of those.

Away: Journey to the Unexpected on the Nintendo Switch features some good ideas when it comes to the bonding system between characters and boasts an appealing visual environment. However, on the depth and overall quality of the experience this feels like a game that doesn't live up to its potential. With a gameplay that is rather shallow and a disappointing plot, Away: Journey to the Unexpected falls short of what it could have been.

Even if Away: Journey to the Unexpected weren't a roguelike, it still has issues that would put it in mediocre territory. The main melee combat would be awful, the level designs would be boring, and the boss fights wouldn't be exciting. While some people may be fine with that, the forced repetitive nature of the roguelike makes Away feel unnecessarily padded, especially since parts of the title are too forgiving for the genre. It may look nice most of the time, and the story is so off the wall that it's endearing, but Away should only be on your radar if you can purchase it on sale and don't mind its baggage.

While AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected features some great 2D character models and animations, the gameplay simply didn't provide a fun experience. Close-up first-person combat and first-person platforming has never been easy in games and AWAY doesn't take any meaningful step forward in solving those issues.

I enjoyed my time with Away: Journey To The Unexpected, and although I’m not a fan of Anime, the game stuck to its task. The developers have produced a title that is light hearted in the sense of an FPS…. Bravo!

Away: Journey to the Unexpected describes itself as a Feel-Good-Adventure right from the start and when it reaches the right target group, the four-hour adventure might also be a bit fun and feel good. The cuddly child comic style with a hint of anime, the uncomplicated gameplay - albeit with pitfalls - and the story are basically a round thing. Whether this is sufficient in form and scope as a gaming experience, everyone must decide for themselves. For me personally it was okay as a game snack for in between, but didn't bring me any highlights or the often quoted Feel Good atmosphere, felt shallow and will therefore quickly disappear from my memory.

AWFUL - Look elsewhere for a rogue-like adventure game. With sloppy controls, terrible combat, and irritating noises that will drive you insane, Away: Journey to the Unexpected will begin your journey to the loony bin.

A direction-less, offensive and pitiful mutation of genres that doesn't leave a strong mark in any ripped from other sources.