Lloyd Bannings, leader of the Crossbell Police Department’s Special Support Section, finds himself fighting for his city's freedom once again after Crossbell's independence celebrations are interrupted by the sudden reappearance of an old threat. While my experiences only exist up to bashing slugs with a pan, it'd be fun to revisit this and see how quirky Sam and John's journies become.Įastward is available on the Nintendo Switch and PCĭetails: The intertwining fates of three figures in Zemuria will be decided in this climactic chapter of The Legend of Heroes series! Follow the footsteps of the war hero Rean Schwarzer, the liberator Lloyd Bannings, and the masked enigma "C", and switch between each of their paths freely with the Crossroads system. Whether it's an eShop or Steam library, or even physical, it remains an underrated classic. With a physical release on the horizon for the Switch, Eastward will be a perfect fit on any collector's shelf. Eastward has a similar modern retro feel where it doesn't try hard to be "a classic," it's just naturally so as it is.Įastward is Pixpil's first title as a small indie developer based in Shanghai and it's easily a hit among many who played the game. While many will compare this to Earthbound, I found it similar to the way SaGa Frontier handled its graphics. The ambiguity of the time of day also meshes well with the aesthetic itself. Street lamps reflect upon the environment, giving the town a warm haze. The graphics are all sprites, yet meshed with amazing lighting that gives it an almost hand-drawn appearance. The characters all speak with the occasional "blips" and "bloops," yet each happens to have a personality that rivals games with voice acting. It's something that's purely optional, but the fact that it's included in Eastward helps tremendously with its world-building. It even comes complete with its own in-game story, an in-universe anime based on the game, and a group of friends who are obsessed with the title. "Earth Born," plays itself like a very early version of Dragon Quest combined with "gacha" games.
There's an "RPG" in the game titled Earth Born, that totally doesn't reference the overall Earthbound or Mother aesthetic of Eastward. Eastward is one of those titles that has a "game-within-a-game," which in itself is a reference to the game it draws inspiration from in-name. While I didn't play enough of the game to explore Sam's powers, stopping short of the end of the first chapter, there was a pleasant surprise that awaited me. Earth Born - The RPG Within The Action RPG There are even bombs that John can use which act the same way as they would in a Legend of Zelda title. It seems after solving a specific challenge, the heart capsule capacity increases.
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There's even a life system in the form of heart capsules, where damage range from half hearts to full hearts. John waves the frying pan like Link with his Master Sword and the longer the player holds the button, the stronger the attack. These are taken as dark humor yet the less the player takes for granted, the more out of place everything seems.īack to the "slug infestation," the gameplay shifts from its Earthbound aesthetic to a Zelda-like experience. This even goes so far as paying them in what's essentially turnips instead of money. The mayor, by comparison, lives in a lavish manor and constantly treats the working miners like crap. Eastward itself is a heaping mass of metal filled with archaic technology and trailer parks. Things quickly become not what they seem in Eastward as there's a distinct caste system between the wealthy and the working class. A Beautiful Sight Even From The Gutters Of The Mines While John is a silent protagonist, Sam becomes both his mouthpiece and Eastward's morality pet. Accompanying him is a young girl named Sam who is under John's care. While everyone is doing everything possible to avoid the problem, John takes matters into his own hands with his wit and trusty pan.
An early example of this is when the mining facility is overrun by slugs. John is a miner who works with his fellow co-workers daily, although it would seem he's the only one remotely serious about the job. The protagonists, John and Sam, are what the game centers around. In most anime and manga, the term "slice-of-life" means something that features a "day in the life of a group of characters." Eastward features a community, located in Eastward, with each having its own stories and quirks. Released during the late summer of 2021, Eastward is an interesting take on a genre that isn't featured enough in gaming. Available as: Digital and Physical (Switch Only) Onward And Eastward
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