There are a huge array of gaming options already available on Xbox, and there are many more to come, but one of the most intriguing is that of AWAY: The Survival Series. Due to hit Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S later this year (along with PlayStation and PC), this has been created by a team who have been inspired by nature documentaries, as they hope to give players an insight into the natural world.
From the Breaking Walls team (a team at veterans who have previously worked on Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia, and Far Cry), AWAY: The Survival Series is the studio’s debut title; a game that is some five years in the making.
Due to arrive on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in 2021, AWAY will let you answer the call of nature in a documentary inspired adventure, one in which you play out your own personal narrative as you take on the role of a tiny sugar glider. It’ll be up to you to navigate the forest, work your way carefully past predators and hunt out prey, all with a narrator describing your every move.
An exploration adventure set in a distant future where nature has reclaimed the planet, AWAY: The Survival Series will give you the chance to soar across misty chasms, leap from tree to tree, and climb to the top of the forest canopy as you embark on a journey to save your family. But as you brave these untamed lands, you will have to hunt down small prey, fight larger enemies, and hide from apex predators. Jumping, climbing, and gliding your way out of trouble is par for the course for this little sugar glider and as you move through your environments, will be found solving navigational puzzles in the process.
But there’s more to it than just flying around. Along the way players will uncover the mysterious remnants of a fallen human civilization. While most of the game is played from the perspective of the sugar glider, there are brief sequences where players can control other animals and insects, such as beetles, lizards, crabs, and more. Breaking Walls promise that the world of AWAY is vast and wild, and there’s something new to discover around every corner.
“We’re proud to bring AWAY: The Survival Series to Xbox where it can discover a whole new audience,” said Breaking Walls Co-Founder and Creative Director Laurent Bernier. “AWAY: The Survival Series is a love letter to the natural world, where danger, beauty, life and death are all wrapped together in a cohesive, awe inspiring whole. Anyone who likes nature documentaries such as Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Life, and Our Planet, or just enjoys a good hike through the woods now and again, will find plenty to like in AWAY.”
If you’re liking what you are reading then you may also be interested to hear that Breaking Walls has also released a set of relaxing nature soundscapes recorded straight out of the game. These will let you immerse yourself in the world of AWAY with the sounds of a dense forest, the gentle call of birds, and the echo of a distant waterfall. They are free to listen to over at the AWAY site. You can get the soundscapes for free at awayseries.com/nature.
For now, ahead of launch make sure you take in the trailer below. And let us know wat you think. Is AWAY: A Survival Series something you’ll be hunting down on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S? It’s also coming to Steam and you should be able to wishlist it over there.
