Eastward

Eastward will be on many shortlists for indie GOTY, and possibly on some main lists as well. If you like what you see, don't hesitate to pick this one up.

It's slow to start, but once Eastward gets going, this handsome post-apocalypse roars to life like nothing else, marrying top-down action with an exquisite cast of characters whose stories really make you care about the world you're trying to save.

A cooking system fresh out of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild feels a little unnecessary at first, but filling a backpack with cooked meals can help the pair brute force through some bosses and dangerous territory. Eventually cooking grows into a charming diversion that also figures into the plot, since John is its central chef. There are a few surprise activities and gameplay twists which also manifest, and it’s impressive just how much Eastward wants to show off, whether it’s a boss ambush, a reflex-based minigame, or a touching tale. Some represent activities which could be missed b...

Very few games are capable of catching my eye and leaving me spellbound. It needs to have that certain flair that grabs me with its hooks and never let’s go. For a decade now, I’ve reviewed several titles, and amongst them, there have only been two cases of a perfect ten. The reason for that is simple: I’m notoriously analytical. It’s why I’m single, but on the bright side, it allows me to dig into the core of an experience. Eastward immediately caught my eye upon its reveal. The go...

Eastward: Octopia may not bring many new ideas to a crowded genre, but this is an impressively well-executed expansion that nicely ticks all the boxes for a satisfying and relaxing farm sim. Although it has some rougher edges, the decent gameplay variety, interesting story, gorgeous visuals, and surprising amount of content all come together to make this one an easy recommendation to any fans of the original Eastward. Even for those of you who fell off your playthrough of the original for one reason or another, we’d encourage you to consider coming back for Octopia—this is a much better-paced ...

Eastward has been in the works for a while. Finally, it’s time to head eastbound across the train tracks to an action adventure game filled with stunning visuals and an endearingly quirky cast.

Everything about Eastward just feels immediately magical and nostalgic, and while my gripes with the combat and stretched out dungeon designs never really went away entirely, Sam's journey is still one I'm glad I went on in the end.

For as gorgeous as Eastward‘s graphics are, and as endearing as some of its characters become, and as much as I need its soundtrack on vinyl as soon as possible, it also falls short in some ways that leave its conclusion feeling a bit off. It’s one of the more promising debuts I’ve seen, and Pixpil has ensured I’ll be incredibly interested in whatever they do next. Eastward is something a fan of pixel art and good music, with a weakness for video game nostalgia, deserves to check out. It’s just also a journey that left me wanting a little more.

Spirited Away.

Sometimes, all you need to sell someone on something is one sentence, or even one phrase. Tell a college kid a meeting has free food? They’ll be there. Tell a

The 2D visuals are absolutely stunning, but the simplistic action and pretentious storytelling undermine what could have been a true neo-retro classic.

Eastward is a great game. It’s beautiful, it’s a story well-told, and it’s very fun to play. But for me, the entire experience was tainted by what I quickly and inescapably perceived as racist and sexually exploitative depictions, which is just such a monumental shame of a thing to tarnish an otherwise incredible experience. I mean, this game has an entire virtual RPG video game built into it that you can play. But I simply can’t rate this experience highly with how tarnished my view of it all is. I love playing it, I recommend playing it, but I also insist you judge for yourself these charact...