One of the standout games announced under the newly formed Playdius Entertainment indie publishing label of Plug In Digital, Away: Journey to the Unexpected is a first person rogue-lite featuring vibrant, cartoonish visuals and kooky characters inspired by Japanese anime and manga culture, paired off with a gameplay mix of action, adventure, and negotiation. I’m sort of getting a One Piece meets Dragon Quest vibe from the art style and character/creature designs.
French indie developer Aurelien Regard explains his desire to do something different with the stale first person genre:
“I’ve been a long-time fan of first person games, but most of the time, you’re either facing realistic war or very abstract universes. I’ve been waiting for a long time to play this type of games in a different, colorful setting, filled with joyful or wacky characters you can interact with. Also, sometimes I really miss the silliness of the 90’s anime shows we grew up with in Europe. This is how this project started, and I hope others will enjoy this experience as much as we enjoy creating it!”
A release date is still to be announced, but Away: Journey to the Unexpected will be out this year, and when it’s ready it’ll be out on PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One. More details as they come. Don’t forget to hit play on the debut teaser trailer below. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one, boys and girls.