It has heartened me to see this varied representation and attention to little details. Robots and humans live together in companionship and even marriage without even so much as a sideways glance. They’re all just going about living their lives freely in the background.
There are NPC’s of all diverse shapes, sizes, races, gender identities, even LGBTQI+ relationships. Some can lean to the more stereotyped or caricature side of designs but are not degraded or made out to be the butt of some cruel “joke”.
Everyone you talk to has their own tangible personality expressed both through their character designs and their dialogue. The things that have captivated me the most about Eastward is its beautifully diverse and lovable cast of characters. (Listen to your therapist folks, the talking fridge isn’t real and can’t hurt you.) This sequence has left me baffled and stuttering at the screen on more than one occasion. Just prepare yourself for an existential crisis or two every time you save your memories in a fridge. Cooking is important both narratively and mechanically so it’s only natural to stick to that theme and use sentient fridges to save your game progress too. A similar heart system for health is present here and there’s even a fun cooking minigame to make healing dishes and provide stat buffs to the duo. You can see where Eastward draws inspiration from RPGs and adventure games like The Legend of Zelda and Mother. It’s set out in this really cool retro-technology style you will see peppered throughout the game, adding to its overall old sci-fi and steampunk vibe. The menu screen and map is also simple to navigate and understand. These controls let you rely on muscle memory as you navigate the duo around together or individually as you will have to do to complete some puzzles and clear objectives. The controls to switch between the two and fight are very easy to pick up whether you’re using a mouse and keyboard or a controller. “There are NPCs of all diverse shapes, sizes, races, gender identities, even LGBTQI+ relationships.” This starts a story-driven journey into the unknown where the mix of sci-fi and 90’s anime-style locations leave you breathless and hungry to find the truth hidden in the ruins above, and below. She is itching with curiosity for the outside world. She just knows there’s life on the surface, but how could that be? Sam has only ever known John since he found her in a tank deep underground. The mysterious young Sam remembers the colour blue. The people of Potcrock Isle have no real knowledge of the world above, believing it to be an unlivable hell-scape where nothing but deathly miasma awaits. A community of miners, merchants, teachers, and children living a simple life away from danger. We’re introduced to our protagonists John and Sam who live in a deep-underground community called Potcrock Isle. You will laugh, you may weep, and you will certainly find a lot of mysteries that need solving. Being also published by the pixel favourite Chucklefish, it’s a clear sign for you to strap in for a marvellous visual and musical ride. Eastward is a beautiful and spirited pixel adventure lovingly developed by indie studio Pixpil, set in a decaying post-apocalyptic world.
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