Eastward Reviews
Eastward is an incredibly charming indie gem that’s well worth sinking hours into exploring its detailed post-apocalyptic world and unfolding its intriguing and heartwarming plot.
Eastward absolutely radiates heart, which is why it is tough to be hard on it. So many little things, from random sprite movements, to the cooking, or RPG mini-game, are charming, yet, the core element of the game - the story - takes far, far too long for any payoff. Instead, it drones on and on in meaninglessness that torpedoes the pacing of the game. While the action and exploration are interesting, it's slowed down too much by banality.
Overly beautiful graphics, overly long dialogues.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
An old-school mix of adventure and RPG in the immortal pixel-art 2D style. Only that compared to similar titles, Eastward can pull in completely providing great fun for more than a few evenings.
Review in Polish | Read full review
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.
The fully realized world has its charm, but it hardly breaks the mold anywhere else. While it doesn't do anything necessarily offensive, it does demand more when the rest of the game is so well done. It's clear Pixpil have got the writing chops down, now let's tighten up some of the stuff around it.
Eastward is one of the most carefully crafted games I've played in a while, with a densely detailed world to explore and endlessly charming characters to meet.
When it comes to pixel art action-adventures the normal standard that is compared against would be The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past...
I only recently invested in a gaming laptop. I’d always been console only before then. So when the chance to review Eastward came along, I was all too happy to oblige.
Eastward is a gem of a title bringing wholesome storytelling, clever gameplay, and exceptional visuals that all hold their own even among the exceptional selection of indie titles currently available.
Eastward is a charming RPG with a colourful cast of characters, but unfortunately leaves a lot of questions left unanswered. However that doesn't mean you should skip this one, as up until the ending it is enjoyable.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
An old-school RPG created with a lot of love, charming visuals, and mesmerizing soundtrack.
It’s impressive that something as charming, gorgeous, and lovingly constructed as Eastward even exists; at least when it has the good grace to stop talking for a second.
There’s no denying that the team over at Chucklefish pulled off Eastward’s art direction quite well with the game’s bizarre and retro elements. Eastward is for people who want to bring back their gaming nostalgia in the 80s and 90s era. At the same time, this game also captures an audience who prefer this kind of great storytelling without choking your machine’s specs.
PixPil deserve to have a stellar career ahead of them following the release of this game, and as long as they can keep releasing games that have even half of Eastward’s visual individuality, compelling narrative and satisfying pan-smacking action, then the studio will be without a doubt one to keep an eye on. The apocalypse might be old news now, but Eastward shows other games exactly how it's done when it comes to presenting dystopia in a charming, fascinating light-hearted way.
Eastward is the epitome of a role-playing game that pays homage to retro classics. Not only does it boast gorgeously drawn pixel art and an addicting soundtrack, but it also features a thought-provoking narrative and a world that will have you thinking about it long after you've finished the game.
Eastward requires a lot of patience for a pay-off that will ultimately just leave you scratching your head.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Eastward is a remarkable achievement in a number of ways. Those for whom the world, story and characters really click will likely regard it as a minor masterpiece. A more general audience can revel in the visuals and music, and also get a lot out of the combat, exploration and puzzles, but may find the game frustratingly talky and slow-moving. Ultimately, it is the prospect of the game’s script that will help players determine if a trip Eastward is one worth taking.
Whether you do or don’t recognize these callbacks, though, Eastward feels like a game charting its own course. Rather than the bucolic paradises of Studio Ghibli movies or the sword-swinging fantasy fare of Dragon Quest, the dominant aesthetic of the game is a sort of cutesy calamity. The apocalypse it depicts through gorgeous pixel-art graphics is vibrant, warm, and almost hospitable.