This game is one of my favorite game genres, so I rate it very highly. After all, the plot touches me and the graphics are very nice and I don't mind when there's a bunch of miscellaneous stories because a lot of it is related to the plot helps me understand the story better.
All of that said, denouncing Eastward’s strengths and successes for any of the above would be disingenuous. It is a remarkable game that, while retro in ambition, will paradoxically go on to inspire the drive and uniqueness of future projects. It is clever, vibrant, and unapologetically original, and unless some magnificent twist of fate occurs over the next three months, it will undoubtedly go down as one of the best games of the year.
While the combat isn’t anything special and the puzzles wear out their welcome, Eastward’s characters, setting, and sounds craft an unforgettable experience. If you’re looking for something quirky, captivating, and somewhat surreal, you’ve found it.
Eastward is a marvelous action-adventure game designed in 16-bit pixel-art and set in a future and collapsed cyberpunk world. You play as Sam and John, two characters linked by a mysterious bound that decide to travel around the world to solve the strange things happening in the underworld. The art style is clearly inspired by 16-bit jRPGs and animation of the 90s. The adventure is full of smart puzzles to solve using the powers of the two friends, and will keep you busy and entertained for several hours.
Although its gameplay is a bit flawed and its narrative can feel slow, Eastward is a game that rewards us for sticking with it with unique moments that become memorable.
My favorite game of 2021. Beautiful art with an engaging storyline, charming characters, and well constructed classic adventure game style combat and puzzles.
Initial impressions, after prologue and fair way into chapter 1. The game has unmistakeable charm and has some engaging gameplay elements that are fundamentally robust. So far though, there are several issues that mar the experience. There are enemies that can drop on your head and there seems to be literally zero sign that it's going to happen. I don't find this to be a satisfying 'challenge'. The text sometimes has a tendency to auto advance with very little apparent reason, posing major problems for slower readers. The menu has a very strange arrangement, which can make it confusing to find the item you want to inspect. why aren't the cooking ingredients in the cooking tab for example? why isn't the backpack just on the same tab as quest items? why is the quest screen and the map screen, inbetween the quest items and the backpack? bizarre and nonsensical.
The pacing also seems really slow so far. despite that, the pace at which I'm collecting quest items seems to suggest the game is really short.
Other issues... The stuttering. I'm playing on an R7 with a rtx 2080 and 32gb ram. My system should not be struggling with this game.
when I see electrical cables sparking, I tend to avoid them, yet the game wants you to interact with then, connecting and disconnecting live wires. to say this is irresponsible is an understatement. kids will be playing this.
Eastward can be better.
Firstly, I really like this graphic of the game. It is the most amazing pixel graphic I played. Storytelling is okay but it's so much cutscenes, which makes game boring. And gameplay is so weak, making me more bored.
I hope dev will make more better game in the future.
I was excited to play Eastward. It looked gorgeous. Unfortunately, the rest of the game is boring. After 7 hours it has lost my interested. The combat is rather repetitive and the story is moving at a snails pace.
Date Dropped: 2022-10-12
Playtime: 7h
Enjoyment: 4/10
Recommendation: Nah
SummaryIn the near-future, society is starting to collapse, and the human population is at an all-time low. A deadly toxic presence has spread across the land, destroying and devouring everything in its path.
Those who could escape the miasma flocked to underground villages to start a new life. But for a hardworking miner and a mysterious yo...