This 'feel-good' shooter mixes Dragon Quest-inspired 2D art with 3D worlds

You're not saving the world in Away: Journey to the Unexpected. You're just a kid looking for the answer to one of childhood's great mysteries: what are your parents' jobs?

With a clear nod to the Dragon Quest art of Akira Toriyama, Away is definitely one of the most attractive games we've seen at PAX, and it interestingly combines open 3D environments with 2D characters. Structurally, it's about recruiting friends (who you can play as) and exploring an 8-10 hour story that begins in the central hub of your grandparents' house.

At PAX West this weekend, Evan met up with Aurelien Regard, one half of Away's two-person team, who walked him through the basics of the game, showing off some of the early areas. Watch that in the video above, and follow our continuing coverage of PAX West 2017 here.

Evan's a hardcore FPS enthusiast who joined PC Gamer in 2008. After an era spent publishing reviews, news, and cover features, he now oversees editorial operations for PC Gamer worldwide, including setting policy, training, and editing stories written by the wider team. His most-played FPSes are CS:GO, Team Fortress 2, Team Fortress Classic, Rainbow Six Siege, and Arma 2. His first multiplayer FPS was Quake 2, played on serial LAN in his uncle's basement, the ideal conditions for instilling a lifelong fondness for fragging. Evan also leads production of the PC Gaming Show, the annual E3 showcase event dedicated to PC gaming.