It helps nail down the father and daughter dynamic between her and the other protagonist: John. Sam is, specifically, well done, and sports a clear child-like innocence. There’s straight-up robots, monkey humanoids, and muscle-bound dunces that all radiate charisma. The cast is varied, adding a lived-in and robust feel to the world. The banter too, though, wholesomeness and telling an enthralling tale took precedent above all else. One aspect I was enamoured with was character interactions, as well as their whimsy quirks. If that’s not an indication that Eastward wears its inspiration on its sleeve, then I don’t know what is. There’s even a mini-game that can be played called Earthborn. The overarching narrative is enjoyable and strongly reminiscent of Earthbound. A special shoutout goes to Sam and how she’d bounce to portray her giddiness – it’s so friggin adorable. That was aided further by the excellent animations – they’re so damn smooth. For instance, stutters depict nervousness, while methodical wording showcases excitement, disarray, or other such traits. I was also always able to determine proper emotions behind anything that was being said, thanks to the literary techniques used. Maybe it has to do with the graphical style, but being able to voice everyone myself felt right. Eastward, however, is far better for being text-only, and, quite frankly, it even flourishes as a result. It helps the player to feel immersed and, in some cases, empathize. It does so by injecting cadence into the dialogue, thus pronouncing the tone. So, while it might not be a spectacularly long game, Eastward certainly seems to use its time well.Įastward is out now for Nintendo Switch and PC.I’ve often regurgitated the perception that voice acting can breathe life into an otherwise uninspired script. The game has a lot of dialogue, and many reviews talk about its tense boss fights and many challenging puzzles. Additionally, Eastward is a bit more adult-oriented than something like The Legend of Zelda, with the game’s Steam page showing a content warning for adult humor and themes.Įastward’s 30 to 40 hours of gameplay are also relatively densely packed. Still, the game has its own unique personality, which comes across in Eastward’s quirky characters and art that captures its uniquely cheery take on a post-apocalyptic dystopia. Sure, the game absolutely wears its influences on its sleeves, containing references to the classic JRPGs that it spiritually succeeds. That’s not to say Pixpil didn’t bring its own touches to the pixel-art RPG. Eastward meanwhile, draws from classic RPGs like the before-mentioned EarthBound and the 2D Legend of Zelda games. Stardew Valley drew its inspiration from the early Harvest Moon farming sims. However, both games aim to offer a very different experience. Considering Stardew Valley can take up to 200 hours for 100 percent completion, that seems like a reasonable concern. Many would agree this is a reasonable length for a story-driven game, putting it in the same general ballpark as the classic JRPG EarthBound.Īt least some of the concerns about the game’s runtime seem to come from Eastward sharing a publisher with Stardew Valley. Instead, it should take most players around 30 to 40 hours to complete a playthrough of Eastward. However, neither is it a game that players will hammer out in an afternoon. Fortunately for those with tight schedules, Eastward isn’t a hundred-hour epic that requires months of commitment. The answer to that question is naturally going to vary significantly depending on the player. RELATED: Stardew Valley Fan Points Out How Much Sandy's Shop Looks Like Peppa Pig and You Can't Unsee It How Long Is Eastward? As such, many are wondering how long Eastward takes to beat. However, not everyone has time to dive into a long game, no matter how good it is. So far, the game’s seen an overall positive reception from critics and fans alike, enjoying an 85% on Metacritic and a Very Positive user rating on Steam. The pixel-art RPG adventure follows expert miner John and a mysterious young girl named Sam as they explore the dangerous but verdant world on the surface. The game takes place in a dystopian future where toxic clouds forced most of humanity to flee underground. Indie Developer Pixpil and S tardew Valley Publisher Chucklefish released Eastward on September 16th.

Eastward preview