Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 59 | 8 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 55% | 56 | 111 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 85% | 78 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 4 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 1.3 up / 0.2 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (18)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 50
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“To say it’s an odd bird would be an understatement...”
read full review ↗ - 70
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“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. ”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Away: Journey to the Unexpected is a thoroughly abnormal game that triumphs when its oddities all click. When you're rolling out there switching between your little boy, robot bounty hunter, and drunk wizard and blazing through battles against colorful foes, it's excellent, but when the repetitive areas and roguelite malaise starts to creep in, it falters. If all works out, by the time you hit that point, you'll be rolling the credits.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“I don’t know if I can recommend Away unless I say this, so here it is: If you find rogue-lites to be too unforgiving or are looking for a beginner rogue-lite for your child, Away is a suitable choice. It allows the player a great deal of freedom, but one they realize how broken the robot with the missile launcher is, the illusion of difficulty is wiped clean. The narrative is bizarre and certainly unexpected, with the final… “boss…” being unlike anything the game has yet to offer, but players might feel cheated by the lack of options present. It’s a game that has so many good ideas individually, but fails to put them together to form a cohesive and substantial challenge. If you’re not really looking for challenge, though, and you love the game’s aesthetics as much as I do, you might be able to find something to love here. While I love the way this game looks, I cannot say the same about the way it plays, and that’s an unexpected disappointment.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 10
“A direction-less, offensive and pitiful mutation of genres that doesn't leave a strong mark in any ripped from other sources.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nintendo Life
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PC Invasion
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
Worth Playing
FNintendo
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SwitchRPG
Gameblog
Sick Critic…and 6 more tracked reviews.