EASTWARD SWITCH RELEASE TIME FULL

Should you die, you respawn at your last save point, and the autosaving is generous so I was never frustrated if I ran into trouble after travelling a fair distance through a dungeon or area. I found Eastward to have an appropriate level of difficulty throughout with no noticeable difficulty spikes. Both John and Sam’s health is shared, so care must be taken when fending off the weird and wacky monsters in the game as well as the bosses. Sam has mystical energy powers that get stronger as you progress, allowing you to solve a huge array of well-crafted puzzles by switching between the two characters when they’re together, as well as when they’re separated and can’t directly rely on one another. The combat is smooth and enjoyable and isn’t held back by the art style at all, with both characters being able to attack and aim in 360 degrees, where some pixel games choose to stick to the four key directions. Though he starts out with just a frying pan he’ll eventually get a gun, flamethrower and more as you progress through the story. John is the brawn and for what he doesn’t say with words he makes up for in combat. The game has a top-down aspect with real-time combat that activates when you transit into an unsafe monster-infested area.

Most of the time Sam and John stick together like glue and you switch between the two so you can utilise whoever is in front. The game is cleverly structured to allow you to discover exactly where the story is going, guiding you subtly enough that you don’t get lost but can still enjoy the ride.Ĭontrolling two characters isn’t new in RPGs, but Eastward does it extremely well. I was struck by the beauty of this game throughout my playthrough, from its bright and vibrant landscapes to the deeper, darker underbelly that lies forgotten below the surface. The world gave me big Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind vibes, albeit in a modern setting.

EASTWARD SWITCH RELEASE TIME FULL

The pixel art visuals of the main game are nothing to sniff at either – it’s some of the most detailed I’ve seen in a long time and all of the environments, buildings and characters are unique and full of personality. It’s beautifully animated and gives you a window into the story you’re about to experience. The first thing that’ll strike you about Eastward is the amazing opening cutscene. John has to save her but by trespassing they are both forced to set out on a journey into the unknown in order to atone for their sins. Sam gets into a spot of trouble when she tries to head to the forbidden surface to prove to some mean kids who don’t believe her that it’s safe. Eastward focuses on an unlikely duo of characters in John, the ever-silent digger, and Sam, a mysterious girl who was found by John in a Death Stranding-esque yellow bubble. The world above is hell, supposedly, and the underground is humanity’s only salvation (so best make sure you don’t do wrong by its Mayor).

Eastward is set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has retreated underground to escape from the Miasma.

Eastward switch release time