Eastward Reviews
Look at “Eastward” as a love letter to EarthBound, Zelda and Japanese RPGs. You can tell a lot of love was poured into this game and years of work. But the game’s art, music and format all work in service of a story that doesn’t actually say much. “Eastward” just doesn’t connect those last few dots.
Eastward proves itself to be a memorable and enjoyable mashup of many beloved classic titles, combining each of their elements together to forge something that feels distinct and engaging. Creative gameplay sequences, a heartwarming and emotional story, and a killer art style all combine to make this one easy to recommend. That being said, we'd also offer a word of caution that this is a slow burn kind of game; if you're not a patient player, Eastward's sometimes lethargic pace may take a lot of enjoyment out of the experience. Wherever you may fall, Eastward is indisputably a game worth checking out, and we'd encourage you to give it a shot.
Match all of the above with a mesmerizing soundtrack of hummable motifs, from cheerily playful ditties to dramatic dirges, and everything in between, and Eastward distinguishes itself handily within its heavily populated genre. While it's not without its shortcomings - in particular, a bit less variety in combat and puzzles than the genre often typifies - where it shines, it does so brightly. For RPG fans, Eastward is the real deal, and it’s an unmissable and impressive feat of indie design that deserves plenty of recognition amongst a sea of bigger releases in 2021.
Eastward is not only the dazzling debut title of a very small development studio in Shanghai, just as it is not just a video game that closely resembles the best Zelda 2D in history. Don't call it Zelda-like: not because it's not a formally correct definition but because Pixpil's creature wants to be something more than the classic declaration of love to a title of the past. Eastward is one of the brightest examples of what are the true qualities of independent development: a real pearl that deserves to be discovered, perfectly able to carve out its space in the niche of instant cult videogames.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Referring to the world above as the “Forbidden Land”, with the threat of being sent to an ambiguous realm as punishment for rebellion, Eastward leans on fantasy to flavor its story, without forgetting about its core, real-world values. Its fluid, well-paced progression, and control movements thankfully allow you to explore and admire the view before continuing because Eastward is all about the journey despite its fascinating destination.
Before I knew it, my initial skepticism and complaints had begun to evaporate. Even as a silent protagonist, John manages to exude so much personality from his non-committal shrugs and sighs, and he and Sam play off each other so well it’s hard not to feel endeared to them. 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.
A true Masterpiece. That's the word that comes after having accomplished this trip in the company of John and Sam. Varied level design, fascinating story, funny and endearing characters, fantastic visual and audio… Eastward has it all. Much more than a pale copy of its illustrious models, Pixpil's neo-retro game ticks all the right boxes to establish itself as a pure 2D action-adventure gem.
Review in French | Read full review
Eastward contains phenomenal art and colorful writing, yet the plot meanders breezily from moment to moment with little care for pacing and an unoriginal core storyline. Factor in average combat and puzzle-solving and a couple bugs that should be addressed, and Eastward is not quite as fun to play as it could be. That being said, a lot of people are going to fall completely in love with it anyway for the things it does right, and you might be one of them.
A surprisingly fun and competent genre-bend from Pixpil that's a must play for fans of Eastward.
Eastward Octopia is a fun little distraction, that doesn't stray too far from the usual farming sim formula. Changes to certain important side jobs like fishing and mining help to elevate it, but the lack of constant progress mid-way really drags the experience down.
Under Eastward's glossy and well-designed exterior, there's a confusing and overlong story that never really satisfies.
I highly encourage lovers of pixel JRPGs to try this game out for yourselves. John and Sam will cook you up a satisfying adventure you will want to devour whole!
It's a good game that takes inspiration from places you might not expect. For its specific blend of genres and its low price point, you can't do much better.
She has an immediate chemistry with Eastward's cavalcade of supporting characters, which are numerous and varied in their importance. I wish the game paid more mind to letting her character breathe, and allowing her to engage with the plot on her own terms. Instead, I'm left feeling like Eastward is a bunch of beautiful puzzle pieces that fail to come together.
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.
Eastward is a beautiful adventure, full of complexity and memorable characters that makes a world full of pixels seem larger than life.
A wonderful homage to classic RPG gaming that takes classic concepts and polishes them up with a level of care that is rare to find.
Excellent pixel wind screen, profound plot and world view shaping, as well as puzzle solving and combat complement each other.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Despite a few limits that stop it from becoming an instant classic, Eastward is a fun and relaxing ride that we believe it's worth taking for every 2D action adventure fan.
Review in Italian | Read full review
For me, this marks a 10 out of 10; it checks off everything that should work in a game, and to an excellent standard. Eastward is made with love and care, and it definitely shows with a perfect final package. I wouldn’t change a thing.