Eastward

Usually I like to write up multiple long paragraphs for my reviews, but I want to keep this one simple.

Eastward doesn't do much particularly well either then some charming characters, a catchy soundtrack, and beautiful visuals (seriously this might be some of the best pixel art of all time). The game is pretty enjoyable to play when your solving puzzles or in combat, but it's nothing special and doesn't go in depth with it's mechanics. Sadly it is laughably easy since it gives you an abundance of resources so you never die.

The story is derivative as it feels like some combo of Zelda, Mother, and Gurren Laggan in the least interesting possible way. Sometimes it gives you some of that EarthBound [Mother 2 ギーグの逆襲] quirkiness, but there's no reason to care which means none of the story payoffs have any meaning. I'm supposed to care about characters which have not been developed in a meaningful way (ex. Isabelle/Alva, Uva, Jasper). Due to the nature of the story having you travel from location to location many of the plot elements feel disconnected from each other. All of these issues with the plot are made worse as it constantly meanders, extending scenes and sequences which should be done in seconds into minutes (this game could easily be half of it's length and that's a conservative estimate). I also want to point out that John being a silent protagonist was not a well thought out decision. John is given a personality, he has inner dialogue between chapters, and many of the game's problems would be solved if John just spoke.

Even with the problems I listed, the game's still enjoyable enough. Chapter 3-5 have a well developed area and is generally pretty cozy. Chapter 6 in particular may halt the plot in a way I hate, but it was quirky and had some interesting set pieces. If you love EarthBound [Mother 2 ギーグの逆襲] to death (I just like it) or you just want to look at some great pixel art, give this a go. Otherwise this is not worth the abysmally long 20 hours.

Bonus: The entire roguelike in this game is pretty cool, although nothing special. Might be a selling point for some.

I really wanted to like this game, it's beautiful and the main characters are really relatable and likeable. However after a while it becomes apparent that this game has incredible ideas but bad execution.

The combat is probably the worst thing in the game, it feels fine, however there's no depth to it.

Overall the game is painfully average, the first hour makes you want to play the game more and more but then the payoff never comes. The world has so much potential but it feels like it just keeps dragging you along, not explaining anything and hoping that's fine. It feels like it strings you along on empty promises hoping you forget about the mediocre combat and half baked characters

Eastward contains all the surface-level signifiers that this is a high-end 2D Indie darling: there's tons of beautiful pixel art, a large cast of characters with unique dialogue, and the tone emphasizes a cinematic emotional journey. Unfortunately, the game itself simply lacks excitement and feels like an preamble that lasts far too long. Cutscenes last forever and say nothing, leaving a story that has zero propulsion and weak characters. The gameplay is a simplistic combination of the puzzles of Mario & Luigi GBA games and the combat of Zelda dungeon crawling. You'll spend the time thinking: It's nice, but when does it get good?