Sony held its second State of Play stream on May 9, 2019, during which we got updates on upcoming PS4 games that we knew about (Final Fantasy VII) and new announcements. While the stream was super short, it was jam-packed with trailers and reveals. One of the new games shown was Away: The Survival Series, by developer Breaking Walls.
Admittedly, a couple of the new game reveals were overshadowed by some of the bigger showings, which is why Away deserves a second look. It’s got a unique premise. According to the Creative Director Laurent Bernier, the goal with Away was to make a game the team has always wanted to play. Breaking Walls wanted to send you on an adventure through gorgeous environments that you’d see in a nature documentary, like Life and Planet Earth II.
The game seems to lean into realism, with creatures modeled to scale—in fact, the developers ensured that “every plant, leaf, and blade of grass was accounted for, and this attention to detail pays off when you navigate the wide variety of landscapes in Away.”
There also seems to be some level of combat, according to the PlayStation Blog post. In reference to interacting with creatures in the wild, Bernier had this to say:
Of course, you will also be able to interact with these animals as you encounter them throughout your journey. Whether you’re hunting down small critters or avoiding large predators through stealth and agility, you get to choose how you want to approach each situation. But be careful not to bite off more than you can chew…
Music will also play a large role, again, echoing the score that would “complement the narrator throughout your adventures.” This is where Away stands out, and it will be interesting to see if it lives up to the goal of feeling like a documentary.
Surely, you’ve seen some of the announcements from the most recent State of Play, so what did you think of this one? Let us know!
[Source: PlayStation Blog]
