I’m a huge fan of nature series like BBC’s Planet Earth, and I still remember growing up watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins and his danger-seeking buddy, Jim Fowler, so it’s only natural that I would enjoy something like AWAY: The Survival Series, even if the star of the show is a tiny sugar glider. Yeah, I never heard of this critter before playing this game, but it only took a few moments to fall in love with this tiny ferret-flying squirrel hybrid.
AWAY is presented more like a Disney feature film; they have some of the best nature movies out there, which helps to keep things from getting too dry and educational, but you will still learn stuff. The game has a narrator who will offer up all sorts of relative facts about sugar gliders as well as other species you will encounter in this post-apocalyptic world. It’s been twenty years since a cataclysmic disaster destroyed most life on the planet, and what little life remains must struggle with raging storms and other natural disasters. It is one of these storms where we are introduced to our sugar glider and his family as they seek immediate shelter.
Sadly, dad is lost in the storm and we are forced to embark on an epic quest with our mom and sibling in search of a new and better life. It’s a massive journey across wonderfully imagined environments and stunning vistas, all presented from the perspective of this tiny ground-hugging creature. Things can get quite dizzying at times with this gargantuan world where even a nourishing mushroom can be as big as our body. The game also promises several hidden playable creatures such as beetles, lizards, and crabs, just to name a few.
A lengthy tutorial slowly introduces you to all the abilities of the sugar glider and how to exploit them using the DualSense controller. Movement is fast and a bit jittery and jumping never feels comfortable unless you are using the targeted jump where you know exactly where you will land. You can also jump and glide which is okay if you’re doing a simple jump and glide action, but if you need to steer or change pitch in mid-flight the overly sensitive controls can cause problems. You’ll need to keep an eye on the health and stamina bars and continually eat to keep them topped off. You also have an instinct vision mode that recolors the world highlighting edible plants, trails, and predators; very handy.
The world map is massive and promises lots of content, not only with the main story missions but a lengthy list of side quests that will unlock the hidden mysteries of this new age. The game mixes up a healthy dose of exploring, platforming, and even some basic combat, and the narrator follows along with a fun and informative script that even documents your failures. I found a few of the tutorials a bit misleading which caused me problems with an early battle with a scorpion and later trying to find food for my hungry mom. I eventually emerged victorious but only after wasting several minutes on these encounters fumbling around.
Sadly, I was only able to endure AWAY for about an hour before I became quite motion sick, and let me be clear; I don’t get motion sick. I play VR in 4-6 hour sessions with no ill effects. I started feeling queasy about 15 minutes into this game and it only got worse until the point I simply had to quit, and frankly I’m not sure if I will be able to continue. I am looking into the PC version of the game to see if I have more control over the visuals. The two big issues with the PS5 version are motion blur and depth of field; both of which are being used to extreme levels. At any given time up to half of the screen will be blurred while anything near the sugar glider is crisp and beautiful. There was one moment where I was climbing a log and the only thing in focus was the bark I was clinging to. The rest of the world was a dizzying blur. The motion blur is horrible, and if you move the camera in the slightest the world quickly loses focus. This is something I turn off whenever possible on the PC; consoles seldom give you a choice, and whether they are using this to maintain a certain frame rate or create a sensation of rapid movement, its only purpose for me is to get sick and stop playing the game.
I love everything about AWAY: The Survival Series, which only makes it that much sadder and disappointing that I can’t continue playing it. The PS5 is certainly powerful enough to deliver this game without all of the post-processing effects, or at least give me the menu options to decide for myself. The game has a wonderful concept, great narration, incredible world design, and some truly stunning graphics in places, but if you are remotely susceptible to motion sickness then steer clear of this otherwise charming educational adventure…at least on the PS5.
You can watch my first 45-minutes of gameplay on the PS5 in my first-look livestream video, which is what this review is entirely based on.
PC UPDATE – October 15, 2021
I wanted to update this review specifically for the PC version, which I did play to much greater extent than the PS5 version. The PC version ran flawlessly with none of the motion blur or depth of field issues that was causing me to get sick. Arguably, my RTX3080 equipped PC is much more powerful than the PS5 but I can’t believe there isn’t some sort of setting for the console that would make the game comfortable to play.
Being able to play more of the game I was able to explore more of this fantastic world and embark on all sorts of main and secondary quests that introduced new gameplay elements in exploration and combat, all accompanied by the same outstanding narration and cinematic presentation. Truly a fantastic experience. As it stands, if you want to play AWAY then I totally recommend you do so on the PC if you have a system that meets the recommended specs. Your eyes and stomach will thank you.
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