‘Eastward’ checks all the indie-RPG boxes
As a ’90s RPG-themed game, it checks all the necessary boxes: pixel art, situational chiptune music, and missions as weird and confusing as a fever dream.
Published: 17th December 2021 07:35 AM | Last Updated: 17th December 2021 07:35 AM | A+A A-
Eastward is a story-driven game, which doesn’t save the big reveal for the end.
Eastward is an optimistic tale of two playable characters with nondescript names: John and Sam. John is a bearded middle-aged man, who loves cooking a meal with his beloved pan. He also wields the same pan to swat slime monsters. John does not talk at all, which is very unlike Sam. Sam is a white-haired, excitable young girl with a “mysterious” past. Like white-haired characters from other fantasy series, Sam also possesses the ability to perform powerful magic. Sam and John’s relationship is most like that of father and daughter. But unlike typical parent-child relationships, Sam and John constantly seek adventure and danger for fun.
As a ’90s RPG-themed game, it checks all the necessary boxes: pixel art, situational chiptune music, and missions as weird and confusing as a fever dream. Eastward is a story-driven game, which doesn’t save the big reveal for the end. You already know what the deal is with this jumbled universe. So Eastward, relies on its rom-com-esque wholesomeness to persuade the player to stick through the entire journey.
Arguably, both the best and worst parts of the game are the non-playable characters. A game in the persuasion of Eastward is dry without its dialogues. In its need to constantly engage us with the story, it presents a variety of bizarre characters. It even rewards us for constantly interacting with them. I was pleasantly surprised by how even prescriptive morals like “eat your veggies” were conveyed subtly. However, as the game progressed, the flavoured dialogue got a bit much. I skipped dialogues, to rush to gameplay.
I’m glad that they left the turn-based element of RPG in the ’90s, where it belongs. It mostly involves bashing monsters with the frying pan, with the occasional bomb for support. The dungeons are filled with environmental puzzles, which require a bit of cooperation between the two playable characters. Gameplay progression also allows for upgrades in combat and items, which is well-matched with the strong creatures that we encounter. The journey to watch the sunrise is long. I rate Eastward an 8 am out of 5 am, because I just couldn’t wake up to the story in time.
Anusha Ganapathi
@quofles
(This economics graduate spends her leisure time preparing for the zombie apocalypse)
