AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected Trailers
AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected - Character gameplay - Woody
AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected - Character gameplay - Ernestin
AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected - 10 minutes of Gameplay
Critic Reviews for AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected
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.
Magic mushroom design, endearingly wacky NPCs and visually plush environments are mixed with simple and fun gameplay countered with patience testing level repetition adding up to a fairly unique short and sweet FPS.
Wonderful presentation, fun abilities, and a good sense of humor help buoy Away along, but it's disappointingly light on content and has no real replay value.
Away: Journey to the Unexpected tries to do a lot at once, which is a tall task for a game mostly built by just a pair of people. Ultimately, its strange direction lends to the charm of it all, but it's also clear the game is lacking in a few key areas — namely, shoddy combat and inconsistent level randomization. Still, it was billed as a "feel-good" indie and I'd have to agree. Despite its faults, I'm happy to have played this weird game.
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 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.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
AWAY : Journey to the Unexpected can be seen as a charming, crazy, thankfully simple and short game to spend an afternoon on. Sadly, it is also a hollow, redundant and not very interesting experience.
Review in French | Read full review
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.