![]() Eastward manages to tickle your nostalgia as much as your funny bone, but don’t be ashamed if you shed a tear too.Įastward is available from 16 September on PC and Nintendo Switch.įor more gaming news, follow Gaymeo on Facebook and Twitter. And there’s an entire RPG-within-a-game that parallels the main story. The wistful music – all sci-fi atmosphere and nostalgic tunes – is glorious. But though flawed, the game is just so charming. There’s a cooking mechanic too, complete with jangly food, to recover health.īy the close of Eastward, the narrative feels a little convoluted. Eastward if only it played as good as it looks (pic: Chucklefish) A new indie game tries to combine two of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises, using some of the best 2D graphics ever seen. It’s certainly punishing in later areas too, though boss designs bring welcome challenge. The two characters do share health which can feel unfair during combat, as John switches between his trusty frying pan and a variety of bombs and weapons, Sam following along behind. Eventually you’ll control both John and Sam, their complementary skills allowing for some intricate puzzle design that smartly ramps up in difficulty over the course of the game. The Public Inspection page on offers a preview of documents scheduled to appear in the next days Federal Register issue. Yet there’s joy to be found in the small moments of everyday survival and adventure, in helping support each community you meet. Each individual quest feels like a series of errands with needless padding, the ultimate goal not always in sight. Equally, however, that lack of grandeur means the story lacks some drive and sometimes plods. This isn’t a quest of grandeur to save the world by collecting magic jewels and that’s a refreshing change of pace. ![]() Though it takes some overly bizarre turns along the way, the narrative is episodic and intimate. Uncovering the secrets of the world of Eastward is a surreal and philosophical undertaking – an anxious world of death and sadness. The lovably gruff John must escort Sam on a perilous journey, a young and compassionate girl with special powers. This is a dark, haunting sci-fi world of childhood naivety, corrupt adults, and other unsavoury characters. This is not, however, a story for children – despite its cartoon visuals. ![]() Except it doesn’t, leading to Eastward ’s very own Breath of the Wild moment as you emerge into the sunlight. Going above ground to a land ravaged by the miasma means certain death. We begin in an underground realm of mining equipment, disused railways, retro neon tech, and poverty. It’s a post-apocalyptic steampunk world of mechanical gods and monsters. We witness the world through the eyes of a child: Sam. There’s innuendo in the script too, adding some light-hearted moments to what is an overtly melancholic game. That extends to the memorable side characters that provide plenty of comedy. The colour palette of soft, hazy pastels adds a warm nostalgic glow, like a game that’s emerged directly from your memory, while the sprites are wonderfully animated with tonnes of personality: the way gruff hero John runs with his hands in his pockets, for example, or heroine Sam leaps with joy. Sad tales, surprises, and secrets lurk off Eastward's beaten paths and there's always some kind of reward for being nosy – even if they don't always feel like a pleasant gift.Eastward is beautiful, too. Every place you encounter has little details that also make it unique, encouraging you to dive into every alley and cave to see what you can find. Their designs are so memorable too, with developer Pixpil's stunning art style adding unique elements to every single person you meet, from the jester-like Jasper to the simian robot Daniel. Even if your time with these characters is brief before moving on, there's a depth to their presentation that's unexpected and utterly absorbing. Through meticulously crafted underground dwellings to cities and the countryside between them, you'll meet a whole entourage of loveable rogues that will touch John and Sam's lives in various ways. As you're forcibly evicted from the starting area, you'll keep traveling east, initially – as I mentioned – with no goal beyond finding somewhere to lay your head. The game has a limited crew of permanent fixtures, with the story instead letting you get attached to the oddities and other creatures you'll meet on your travels literally eastward. What carries the game all the way through though are Eastward's characters.
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