The Way (video game)

Lore & Background

The Way tells the story of Major Tom, a space explorer who exhumes his deceased wife's body and steals a spaceship from the laboratory where they both worked. He returns to a planet from a past research expedition that supposedly holds the secret to eternal life, hoping to resurrect her. On the planet, he encounters hostile flora and fauna, adopts a cub he names Tincan, and decodes alien artifacts with the help of a local tribe. He must collect three artifacts to reveal a hidden city, but faces numerous obstacles including a bounty hunter, a hostile security program, and an unknown force that both aids and hinders him. The game concludes with a choice: to live in cyberspace with his wife or to help rehabilitate the city.

Reader's Guide

The Way is a 2D cinematic platform game that blends platforming, combat, and puzzles. The player has no health and is instantly killed by any hazard, including fall damage, enemies, and environmental dangers. Early on, the player acquires a laser weapon with limited charges that slowly reloads; later, a sphere grants four powers: interacting with switches, telekinesis, deflecting lasers and projectiles, and placing a teleport marker. The game was funded via a Kickstarter campaign in May 2014, reaching its goal with 1,566 backers and over CA$20,000. Originally planned for iOS, Android, OUYA, PlayStation, and Xbox, it was only released for Windows in 2016, with a Switch version following in May 2019. The Windows version received a Metacritic score of 67 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews based on 14 critic reviews.

Did You Know?

• The protagonist is named Major Tom.
• The game features a post-credits scene with an anthropomorphic dog in a suit with a cane.
• The Kickstarter campaign had 1,566 backers and raised over CA$20,000.