Awaysis is a mysterious floating ruin where water flows like rain, nourishing the animals living below—until the water suddenly stops, causing widespread drought and panic. Brave little fox Auro arrives on this sky island to uncover what happened. The high altitude means you can swing your sword to knock enemies off the floating ruins, sending them plummeting to the planet’s surface.
This is the key difference in Awaysis, which developer 17-Bit calls a “dungeon brawler” rather than a “dungeon crawler.” Creative director Jake Kazdal cites inspirations from 16-bit classics like Secret of Mana to Minecraft Dungeons, but unlike those games where upgrading gear boosts damage numbers, Awaysis focuses on advanced physics simulation driving combat, rather than fixed animations and reactions.
“We wanted something with real weight, not preset animations or perfect frame timing,” Kazdal said during an exclusive preview at their Kyoto studio before the Summer Game Fest IGN Live reveal. “It’s a greedy, dirty, physical fight with classic aesthetics.”
The physics system is central, inspired by games like Human: Fall Flat and Gang Beasts, but 17-Bit developed their own tools to combine tight arcade controls with dynamic, unpredictable results. Weapon physics affect animations, so your oversized sword swings realistically, making the weapon the star of the game.
Basic sword attacks include thrusts and slashes, executed with shoulder or trigger buttons and directional inputs. Charged attacks deal more damage and can knock enemies away like a baseball. Dual triggers perform special moves like an uppercut slash or a powerful downward strike that can break objects.
Auro can also block and parry enemy attacks by aiming the weapon with the right stick. Perfect timing can deflect enemy weapons back, stunning foes with cartoonish effects. Sliding on slopes increases movement speed and can knock over enemies or break crates.
Enemy AI is smart and strategic, inspired by Halo’s AI. Enemies avoid edges, push the player unexpectedly, and even retreat to eat food to heal, which players can interrupt. This creates chaotic, engaging battles requiring constant attention.
While there are RPG elements like leveling and randomized gear with upgrades, the core of Awaysis is the moment-to-moment gameplay. Kazdal describes it as having a high “f**ks per second” rate, meaning players must focus intensely on every attack and block, unlike more casual click-heavy RPGs.
Awaysis is coming soon to Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC platforms.
