Eastward

 Switch
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 109 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 109
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 109
  3. Negative: 13 out of 109
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  1. Daisuk
    Oct 21, 2021
    6
    It looks absolutely fantastic, and parts of the game are also a joy to play. The game is however hindered a lot by its stop/start-nature, with cut-scenes intruding on the flow and fun of the game far far too often. Given that the story itself is rather lack-luster, in my opinion, this is a pretty grave miss for the game. I played this game for 5-6 hours, I enjoyed probably 30% of it a lot,It looks absolutely fantastic, and parts of the game are also a joy to play. The game is however hindered a lot by its stop/start-nature, with cut-scenes intruding on the flow and fun of the game far far too often. Given that the story itself is rather lack-luster, in my opinion, this is a pretty grave miss for the game. I played this game for 5-6 hours, I enjoyed probably 30% of it a lot, but just couldn't be bothered with the endless cut-scenes in the end, in a game that ultimately just didn't engage me enough.… Expand
  2. Witchearts
    Sep 19, 2021
    10
    A masterclass on pixel art, fantastic soundtrack, and touching storytelling gives Eastward a 10 from me. A wonderful introduction to Pixpil, well worth the wait, and leaves me excited to see what they have for us next!
  3. btmgov
    Sep 18, 2021
    9
    If you loved Earthbound, you will at the very least like, if not become totally consumed by, this game, it's story, and it's characters. Yet another true indie treasure.
  4. Anderstheguy
    Oct 22, 2021
    4
    This game looks amazing. That’s all it’s got going for it. If pressing the A button to advance boringly written and tedious dialogue is your idea of fun, this game is for you! The story is a drag. You get to walk from point a to point b and MAYBE there will be a short puzzle or some combat, but the bulk of this game is story heavy. And it feels like it was written by a juvenile boy. SoThis game looks amazing. That’s all it’s got going for it. If pressing the A button to advance boringly written and tedious dialogue is your idea of fun, this game is for you! The story is a drag. You get to walk from point a to point b and MAYBE there will be a short puzzle or some combat, but the bulk of this game is story heavy. And it feels like it was written by a juvenile boy. So sad. Really wanted to love this game.… Expand
  5. easturd
    Nov 2, 2021
    0
    If you ever thought that music and art are all you need in a video game, Eastward is here to correct you. The music and the art are well-done. Except that they don't support or enhance the story. They don't elevate or inform the gameplay. The story and gameplay aren't in any way informed by the music and art. The story and gameplay are bottom-shelf product that aren't just half-baked butIf you ever thought that music and art are all you need in a video game, Eastward is here to correct you. The music and the art are well-done. Except that they don't support or enhance the story. They don't elevate or inform the gameplay. The story and gameplay aren't in any way informed by the music and art. The story and gameplay are bottom-shelf product that aren't just half-baked but have never even seen the inside of an oven. Eastward really didn't have to have much of a story or even remotely imaginative gameplay to skate past on the strength of its aesthetic; again, it has decent art and music. But the art communicates nothing about the characters and little about the world they live in. The music elevates nothing because there is absolutely nothing going on with any of these characters and none of the tension is well-managed. To say anything about the gameplay is to give it more thought than was given to its creation.… Expand
  6. rrkwarmonger
    Sep 19, 2021
    10
    I've played this game for 4 hours now and I am so hooked
    Everything -gameplay
    -combat
    -visuals
    -soundtrack
    -world -characters
    -puzzles
    -exploration
    Everything is done so masterfully. It's a complete package and worth the price.
  7. keanex
    Dec 28, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I struggled with giving this a score because I didn't finish the game. I am at 7 hours and am bored out of my gosh darn mind. The game is overloaded with dialogue and none of it has been exciting at all to me. Every time I turn on the game I'm stuck reading text for 5+ minutes and it's not enjoyable. There are some weird oddities too, like when Jon discovers the pods in the first town, why doesn't he alert them? The writing feels juvenile and broken in continuity and logic at times.

    To make matters worse, the puzzles and combat are entirely forgettable. I haven't enjoyed any of them to this point and I'm now in the second city. After 30+ minutes of mashing b through the bad dialogue I'm given a mediocre action puzzle experience.

    It's a shame because the art is gorgeous, but after multiple sessions of trying and trying to enjoy this, I have to admit that focusing on playing this is killing my motivation to game.

    I'm giving it the highest of the negative scores because I have a negative view of it, but think there's potential.    … Expand
  8. Draakisback
    Sep 28, 2021
    10
    Bought this game because of the art and genera, stayed because of the narrative, world, characters and gameplay. This game might end up being my GoTY; it will at least end up a top 5 contender on my list (since axiom verge 2 is a thing and Metroid dread looks like it may live up to the hype).

    Eastward is a bit deceptive in that it looks like your typical 2d Zelda-like game. And while it    Bought this game because of the art and genera, stayed because of the narrative, world, characters and gameplay. This game might end up being my GoTY; it will at least end up a top 5 contender on my list (since axiom verge 2 is a thing and Metroid dread looks like it may live up to the hype).

    Eastward is a bit deceptive in that it looks like your typical 2d Zelda-like game. And while it does certainly have elements of those types of games, it really isn't a Zelda-like because the Narrative is so much an integral part of the game. Most Zelda-likes give you a world to explore and have some minor narrative moments here and there. Eastward is more like Earthbound or Undertale in many respects. It is somewhat linear and the story drives the gameplay forward rather than the other way around.

    Normally this is something that would bug me, especially given that there is no voice acting; but in the case of eastward, the world and characters are so interesting/charming that it hooks you in and you keep playing to see what happens next. In every town, after every event, I took the time to talk to basically every NPC that I could because each of them had their own little arc. You care about these characters, especially Sam and John and many of the side characters also steal the show in their own right.

    I will say that there are some minor rough edges in terms of balance and the fact that you can miss some important things if you don't look hard enough. By the end of the game, I had no cooking components so I had to rely on prefab healing items but this is a minor complaint that could be resolved with slightly higher drop rates and maybe some grinding on my end. The difficulty is also a bit all over the place, many of the normal monster packs can be challenging while bosses are usually fairly average to beat with a few exceptions. The Boss encounters are still very memorable though and the game flows quite well in how it presents these enemies. The other minor complaint I have is that the game is a little bit rushed at the end. The first few chapters are decently long while the last few are more focused and shorter. It works as a story though so, this is the most minor complaint that I could level against this game.

    Honestly, I look forward to seeing what kinds of games these devs make going forward and I really am hoping for a sequel at some point because the characters and world are just that good. I know the devs have some quality of life patches in the works which will be welcome additions to the game.

    Get this game if you want something that is somewhat darker in tone with light hearted and emotionally driven characters, you won't regret it.    … Expand
  9. Chimerah
    Oct 3, 2021
    10
    Beautiful pixel art style. Love the story and dialogue. Reminds me of games when I was younger when they still put lot of love into their games.
  10. Subject98
    Oct 6, 2021
    7
    Was looking forward to this and finished with mixed feelings. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, music, visuals, atmosphere etc, the only strike I'd make against the story is that it's a bit overwritten at times. Stretches of dialogue are not uncommon to last over an hour or even close to 2.

    Where this game lacked for me is the gameplay. Coming from Zelda titles, Alundra, Crosscode etc,    Was looking forward to this and finished with mixed feelings. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, music, visuals, atmosphere etc, the only strike I'd make against the story is that it's a bit overwritten at times. Stretches of dialogue are not uncommon to last over an hour or even close to 2.

    Where this game lacked for me is the gameplay. Coming from Zelda titles, Alundra, Crosscode etc, the dungeons here in Eastward seem to have been designed without much care. Linear, straightforward and require very little thought, finding a key is a minute detour every single time, and the majority of them are over in 20 minutes. I guess if you hate dungeons then you'll like the game more for being that way.

    To highlight a dungeon I liked, one of the first ones 'Ancient Ruins' was probably my favorite. The manner in which it was constructed made it fun to explore. You're not just following a straight line through sewer tunnels, you're exploring the floors of a long abandoned shopping mall. I was hoping this feeling of urban exploration would be expanded upon in future dungeons and I could have forgiven the simplicity of the level design if so, but there were only 1 or 2 others that were interesting. To pluck out one more positive though, there is a dungeon theme they start using later on that's one of the best I've ever heard, called 'industrial'.

    The combat is okay but nothing particularly special. At best it's passable, at worst, being so sluggish can make rooms full of enemies feel like a big mess. Since you have two characters who can both take damage, your partner following you can still take damage even if you successfully avoid an attack as the one you're controlling, which makes it feel pointless to do anything but have a DPS race with the enemies.

    The bad stuff aside, I did really enjoy the boss fights pretty much across the board. Some were better than others but none of them sucked, and for the most part they became crazier and more fun to fight the further I got.

    On the whole I would still recommend this game even if it has some blemishes where gameplay is concerned, because the experience is such a wild emotional rollercoaster ride all the way to the end.    … Expand
  11. SebboBastian
    Dec 28, 2021
    4
    So sad that such a beatiful game with so interesting art direction can be so boring. I really looked forward to this game but stopped playing after chapter 4.
    Wall after wall of text filled with flat boring dialogue and pun humour. Dont know why so many indie games persists to choose the nerdy pun humour to tell their stories.
    The more action filled parts of the game is pretty fun but    So sad that such a beatiful game with so interesting art direction can be so boring. I really looked forward to this game but stopped playing after chapter 4.
    Wall after wall of text filled with flat boring dialogue and pun humour. Dont know why so many indie games persists to choose the nerdy pun humour to tell their stories.
    The more action filled parts of the game is pretty fun but mostely you just run between different characters and talk unintresting dribble.    … Expand
  12. xiekaidream
    Sep 17, 2021
    9
    非常舒服的画风，良好的打击感，简约的UI，到位的指引，活灵活现的NPC，各种忍俊不禁的对话~
    缓缓道来的节奏，没有压着你走的感觉，也没有感觉无聊，很久没有这么舒服的rpg了
  13. Meeleepit
    Sep 30, 2021
    10
    Since the 1st mention of Eastward I was hooked.

    After 2 years of checking weekly for a launch date Eastward finally arrived. The world is magical ,the characters is entertaining and heart warming, exploring is adventurous I am in love with this title and I cant get enough of it. There is a tad to much dialogue but I enjoy it. The pixel art is amazing and the music is a hit.    Since the 1st mention of Eastward I was hooked.

    After 2 years of checking weekly for a launch date Eastward finally arrived.

    The world is magical ,the characters is entertaining and heart warming, exploring is adventurous

    I am in love with this title and I cant get enough of it.

    There is a tad to much dialogue but I enjoy it.

    The pixel art is amazing and the music is a hit.

    It runs flawlessly on the switch.

    Well done to Pixpil, you created one of the best Indie games I have ever played.    … Expand
  14. Tom_Supreme
    Sep 23, 2021
    10
    This game is an absolute serious contender for GOTY. The visuals, the music, the world they created, the story... you can feel that Pixpil gave all of their heart to make this game as good as possible.
  15. bustbaby
    Sep 21, 2021
    9
    Great visuals and music, combat is good but certain hitboxes can be annoying, having the character that follows you able to be damaged means you need to account for both when evading attacks which can be frustrating. Story is really good, I didn't have as much of a problem with too many dialogue boxes but I can understand why people would get frustrated.
  16. ophone
    Feb 13, 2022
    8
    First of all the game's negative aspects:
    - Combat is wobbly.
    - The in-game progress is too linear for the genre, even if there is a lot of tiring back and forth especially in the last city. - Most recipes John can cook don't make sense. Who uses only milk for an omelette? But in the end the positive sides overlap all of the negatives: - The setting is marvellous, I wonder if this    First of all the game's negative aspects:
    - Combat is wobbly.
    - The in-game progress is too linear for the genre, even if there is a lot of tiring back and forth especially in the last city.
    - Most recipes John can cook don't make sense. Who uses only milk for an omelette?

    But in the end the positive sides overlap all of the negatives:
    - The setting is marvellous, I wonder if this is the way Chinese developers imagine the west.
    - The pixel art is top notch with a lot of warm colours.
    - The soundtrack fits the setting.
    - The characters are likeable, especially the two protagonists: Fidgety Sam and taciturn John with his frying pan which serves as cooking tool and as weapon.
    - The game's decelerated pace.

    I wouldn't say this game's a must own for Switch, but it's definitely worth a try foremost for those who like to read in a game.    … Expand
  17. AlohaGamester
    Oct 16, 2021
    10
    If I had to sum it up I would say Eastward plays as if The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past and Earthbound had a baby in the year 2021. This is a Beautifully made Game. The story, and soundtrack will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. I never found myself bored while playing it. The two main character are so perfect for eachother I keep asking myself how did they come up with thisIf I had to sum it up I would say Eastward plays as if The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past and Earthbound had a baby in the year 2021. This is a Beautifully made Game. The story, and soundtrack will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. I never found myself bored while playing it. The two main character are so perfect for eachother I keep asking myself how did they come up with this stuff. There's never a dull moment in Eastward!… Expand
  18. millerbrandon57
    Sep 28, 2021
    3
    I really wanted to like this game, but it just doesn’t respect the player’s time. There are walls upon walls of text and slowly planning cameras every couple minutes. I understand that the game is trying to build the world and the relationships, but it just wasn’t enough to pull me in. The gameplay is kind of fun, but it’s fairly limited and a lot of repetition. If I played for a halfI really wanted to like this game, but it just doesn’t respect the player’s time. There are walls upon walls of text and slowly planning cameras every couple minutes. I understand that the game is trying to build the world and the relationships, but it just wasn’t enough to pull me in. The gameplay is kind of fun, but it’s fairly limited and a lot of repetition. If I played for a half hour, it would probably be 20 minutes of text and cutscenes, 8 minutes of walking, and 2 minutes of puzzles/combat. Also, I’m a huge fan of JRPGs, so the game’s influences aren’t lost on me. It’s just boring.… Expand
  19. joblywobly
    Sep 19, 2021
    3
    This game is done nicely: visuals, music, heroes, occasional gameplay. What ruins it is unskippable minutes and minutes of dialogs. You are being punished for playing Eastward by reading lines and lines of chatting between heroes and npcs. There is no way of skipping, no speed up. You have to constantly press A and B to get through this forrest or sentences to finally be able toThis game is done nicely: visuals, music, heroes, occasional gameplay. What ruins it is unskippable minutes and minutes of dialogs. You are being punished for playing Eastward by reading lines and lines of chatting between heroes and npcs. There is no way of skipping, no speed up. You have to constantly press A and B to get through this forrest or sentences to finally be able to occasionally play the game.
    Playing Eastward felt like playing one of those f2p mobile games: 30 seconds of gameplay followed by 1-2 ads.
    I would not recommend buying this game until developers implement either speed up or skipping cutscenes.    … Expand
  20. NFTLINS
    Sep 30, 2021
    0
    The story has a lot of problems and It was very frustrating... I just left the game.
  21. jameson95
    Oct 20, 2021
    6
    I don't know how any reviewer gave this game a better score than a 6 or 7. This game has weak dialogue, boring combat, repetitive missions and bland plot.

    I would pass on this one. If you like Earthbound and think this game is fun, this game doesn't resemble it.
  22. kitto
    Sep 20, 2021
    10
    eastward is similar to everything you ever played in the 90s (like earthbound, a link to the past, beyond oasis, alundra - to name just a few), and at the same time completely unique, doing its own thing. I'm basically in love with this wonderful game, totally did not expect it to be so good. truly amazing work, pixpil! gameplay, story, visuals, music - 10/10 on all fronts.
  23. gq_foine
    Jun 18, 2022
    10
    Disregard all the low bS scores. This game is absolutely charming, fantastic music, amazing story, characters and gameplay! If people don’t like to read basic story text and details they haven’t read any real books. The world and the mini games are soooo fun. I absolutely love it and so impressed with it that I came on here to write a review!! Back to the amazing game and story!
  24. koala_kid
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    Wow what a charming game!!! It reminds me on Secret of Evermore, Final Fantasy VI and old Zelda games. The music is amazing as well as the likeable characters and sweet world design. The pixel art makes me smile and gives me some unforgettable nostalgic feelings - I absolutely adore this game!!
  25. brodus13
    Oct 2, 2021
    5
    The music, the visuals, the characters, the combat, the story... All AAA+

    If you like top down Zelda, Earthbound, Hotline Miami, Hyper Light Drifter... You'll definitely fall in love with this game like I did.
  26. tom974
    Aug 6, 2022
    7
    A true indie gem here, which would've deserved a little more polish. It would've been a 8 score without the recurrent crashes issue, I couldn't play a single session without it to happen and that quite breaks the flow. Besides, the pixel art is a true master class eventhough I'm not a great fan of the chara design. The story is rather cryptic but naive and dark at the same time. TheA true indie gem here, which would've deserved a little more polish. It would've been a 8 score without the recurrent crashes issue, I couldn't play a single session without it to happen and that quite breaks the flow. Besides, the pixel art is a true master class eventhough I'm not a great fan of the chara design. The story is rather cryptic but naive and dark at the same time. The gameplay picks elements from other 16 bit monuments and manages to create its own feeling. Not often enough are we given the opportunity to play something different, it was well worth the time.… Expand
  27. FabioTG
    Sep 19, 2021
    10
    This game is ABSOLUTELY amazing. I can't stop playing it. The graphics are phenomenal, the soundtrack is perfect and the gameplay is something else. The main characters are incredible well done and their journey kept me from the beginning to end. This is for sure one of the best game I played in my entire lifem
  28. 1cosmos
    Mar 17, 2022
    6
    For a gorgeous game with so much dialogue, the script is poorly written. I love the quirky characters but the conversations don't live up to standards needed to stick this game. I love the art design of this game. The gameplay is somewhat tedious and combat is somewhat clumsy.
  29. Kur0
    Aug 8, 2023
    8
    Uno de esos juegos con alma que te atrapa y te encariñas de cada uno de sus personajes.

    una aventura sencilla con una duración justa y un estilo artístico envidiable.

    a destacar un fallo que tiene al menos la versión de switch es que al rato de estar jugando el juego se cierra solo, no es un fallo catastrófico debido al autoguardado pero es molesto.

    todo lo demás ok.
  30. Rpg89
    Sep 18, 2021
    10
    One of the best indies in a long time.

    If you want to take a roller-coaster ride deep down memory lane of the 90s play this game. It's a well thought-out game with a huge labor of love from chucklefish studio by details popping out of each pixel art drawn. You will take the role of John & sam in their quest to discover the land above by rail, will take you deep down the world of Eastward    One of the best indies in a long time.

    If you want to take a roller-coaster ride deep down memory lane of the 90s play this game. It's a well thought-out game with a huge labor of love from chucklefish studio by details popping out of each pixel art drawn. You will take the role of John & sam in their quest to discover the land above by rail, will take you deep down the world of Eastward where you will find new friends and memorable characters. Highly story driven game. No spoilers.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Best Switch Game of 2021
20
#20 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Hobby Consolas
    Aug 5, 2022
    86
    Eastward pays tribute to the 90s adventures, mixing ideas from different titles, but keeping its own style. A little gem in the visual department that can entertain you for 25 hours or more, that now, thanks to the latest patch with the Spanish and German translation and all the improvements made, makes the adventure more accessible than ever.
    Read full review
  2. XGN
    Jun 16, 2022
    70
    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.
    Read full review
  3. IGN Adria
    Jun 2, 2022
    70
    Eastward is a great time capsule that very authentically follows the mechanics and style that were present in the games from the 90's. Maybe even too much because some mechanics have remained in the past for a reason.
    Read full review
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