Eastward in the test: a journey across the pop culture - but puts the action

1. in the shadow of the big ones

2. A man, a child

3. of pans and magic

4. We have to talk

5. Almost immaculate

The journey goes in the east! And not only within the action of Eastward, but also thematic. The indie adventure is based on large, Japanese game classics, but also generally exposes from the Far Eastern pop culture as an inspirational source. Especially the Ghibli-anime Chihiro s journey into the magic room should have stood in terms of content for road trip with a train through a magical world. But does Eastward create it despite obvious role models to put their own accents? We clarify this question first before we get in plot and gameplay by Eastward.

in the shadow of the big ones

Most bonds that EastWard generously operate are very obviously integrated into the game. The Mother Series, known in this country as Earthbound, is one of these great role models and it is entailed in Eastward, which concerns style, atmosphere and music entertainment. Earthbound is also referenced by a game in the game. Earth Born is called it - even if this again reminds of a rogue-like-final fantasy - and you can play it on stations distributed in the world. On your trip you will know over 100 NPCs. Most of them are more than just a little bit slanted. The world is generally very alive. Source: Computec Media GmbH Eastward is crossed by references, is almost held together by you. Many of them are subtle, many but also very flat and obvious. When reading on the cinema program in a city is that stripes like Cowboy Bebop, Astro Boy, Akira and the like are running, then the pure fan service that makes the world incredible instead of enriching them. If these are very offensive involvement of inspiration sources, Eastward is not the right title for you.

However, despite all this tribute, EastWard exudes its own flair and abduct yourself to a world that you have not seen in this form - although you basically consist of a remix of known movie, game and television settings. This is not unusual or a misconduct of Eastward, most games, books and stories in general exist from known topics or action structures that were recranged or combined. Eastward, however, carries its inspiration sources comparatively prominent and proud of the lapel.

A man, a child

But now in the full: What s up in Eastward? You play two figures: John and Sam. The silent John, estimated in mid-40, is working in the mines of a subterranean settlement. There he someday finds a tank in which a little girl slumes with snow-white hair. He takes her with and on, the little Sam lives now at John and the world seems ok - until it comes to an incident, where the two are banished out of the place. However, the supposed death sentence turns out to be the first stage of a whole journey, because other than the cave dwellers suspected, one can actually live on the earth s surface. However, under constant threat to the Miasma, a kind of black crowd, which regularly devast settlements and ensures that the wilderness is populated by monsters. By tight tunnels like this fits only the little Sam. You can control the characters separately. We have found here the equivalent of a heart section. Source: Computec Media GmbH Now is a narrative element, as old as the story of the video games itself, but it works and is explained in the background story. John and Sam are now looking for a new home, visit various cities, learn a lot of NPCs know and have to find out where Sam actually come from and why the young lady has magical skills.

of pans and magic

Eastward is a typical action adventure with role-playing elements. Although your two characters do not lie up, but John s equipment already and Sam learns additional skills over the adventure. Fights take place in real time: John swings in melee his faithful frying pan, receives three firearms over time and puts bombs. Sam s magic freezes enemies briefly, serves to manipulate the environment, creates a shield or heals the two protagonists. At the push of a button, you change between the two heroes, you can - and should! - So keep an attacker briefly with Sam s magic to take him a tidy with John s frying pan. Occasionally, the Hitboxes do not seem quite comprehensible, but this is usually not climbing.

Sam s magic is harmful to opponents, but it can manipulate the environment in a variety of ways. Source: Computec Media GmbH is angry here that the character not controlled by the player is not self-employed, but is completely passive, which is not only a pity, but also implausible. In addition, hits inactive heroes also cause damage, so you like to lose in hectic moments or tight rooms like more life energy than one love and fair appears. This is offset by automatic SAVES, many manual storage stations, the possibility of healing itself often by food or sleeping and not least the very fair reset points, where most of the time you go back to the point in time, on which you are blessed the time Has.

At certain times you are also traveling alone or you have to divide the duo for puzzles. Only Sam can crawl through tight tunnels, while only John s heavy obstacles move or put courses. Unlike a Zelda, there are not many more items in the course of the adventure, with which one can influence the environment, which is why the degree of complexity of the puzzles remains constant most of the time. At the end, then, at most difficult conditions, such as time limits or stronger opponents, to which you have to deal with you in the dungeons. Exceptions are the optional treasure boxes where you really have to puzzle a bit to achieve them.

The frying pan of John has the advantage of no ammunition needed. That s why we use them very often. Source: Computec Media GmbH Overall, the headnuts are well designed and ensure a variety of struggles, exploring and the story sequences for a pleasant game flow, which is strongly reminiscent of well-known retro classics. Only many recovering in the done of various quests occasionally takes too much room, but it is usually the same again with something entertaining painters. Would have in the face of the different skills of John and Sam in things riddles have been more in it? In any case. But you also have to hold on: what is available, makes a mood and was well implemented.

We need to talk

The main story is basically exciting. In the end, she is guilty of some answers, has a few less convincing moments and is braked in some places by certain narrative measures. We do not want to spoils unnecessarily at this point, but let s fall the keyword time loop. Overall, however, the story knows how to like the story despite all the bonds from other media at the bar and you would like to see the unequal Duo John and Sam happy.

However, you must be clear that in EastWard, in addition to the action, the conversations are equivalent to a lot of space. You will speak for a long time and often with the sloping inhabitants, in English - there are no German texts and no setting. That s not too pleasing to itself, on top of that, the authors have scored the heavy guns. In view of the many colloquial expressions, dialects and highest expressions, pure school glob, in many places in many places. The advantage is: If you follow any unknown term, your own vocabulary is below. The disadvantage: moments of incomprehension and looking up tearing out of the game, and children are sometimes so swollen and stilted in Eastward, which makes it impotted. It is commendable that so much unnecessary dialogues were written and so many superfluous NPCs were designed, but without the corresponding language skills one has little until nothing.

Almost immaculate

Without words understandable, however, sounds and background music are. At this point there is nothing to complain, the sound effect when opening chests is satisfactory as in a Zelda, the melodies of soundtrack go to the right places in the ear, underpinning the mood and in the right moments is just quiet . At the same high level, the optics of Eastward moves. The extremely detailed pixel style is incredibly pretty to look at and a real eye-catcher. Impressive is the sheer mass of backdrops, NPCs and animations, through the variety of different settings, there is hardly any second recycling and every area is riding only with loving details that make the world alive. Whoever has only a little something for pixel art, the heart is certainly the heart in Eastward. Especially in this collectors of the view, the city of New Dam City stands out, the absolute highlight on the journey to the East. New Dam City is one of the optical highlights in Eastward. However, the time on site is unnecessarily stretched by some servicing missions. Source: Computec Media GmbH For the RoadTrip you should take about 20 hours if you only want to insert the most important sightseeing stops. We needed 27 hours, but also every side quest is followed and searched for all hidden chests. Through you Earth Born, the game in the game, come well and like a few hours on top. A decent season, but the rendering value of the linear adventure is in turn small and should only animate those who want to do everything - for example because you want to check Earth Born or because a recipe for cooking is missing. As in old games also goes to Eastward: Who has missed something on the way (about a hidden chest), looks into the tube; You can not return to places you have left. The fact that the numerous dialogues can not skip, the interest in a second round dampens immediately after playing.

You loves Earthbound and games like Terranigma? You still like to play Retro Zelda today? Then Eastward is likely to be your case. Also, if there are obvious inspiration sources, this indie game is more than the sum of its countless offset pieces and in artistic terms exquisite. The biggest problem: the English hurdle. And there is still a technical deficiency: On the switch, Eastward occasionally jerks a little, stronger in some bossfights.

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Eastward In Test: A journey across the pop culture - but does the action adventure also set its own accents? (1) [Source: Computec Media GmbH]

My opinion

Vonkatharina Pache Editorial manager katharina.pache@computec.de

Eastward is more than just pretty to look at.

Actually, I prefer games where weighting is more on the gameplay. Nevertheless, I have addressed any NPC around, because the world has fascinated me. However, I say that my english is well in shot, see most movies and series in original sound, reading English novels and have rarely have problems to follow the action - that only so that you can classify my rating. Eastward showed me the hard tour that there are many English words that I have never read in life. Of course you can open up many of the context, but it turns off to stumble over unknown concepts every few minutes. As far as the amount of references is concerned, I am a double column. Obviously, the makers are raised in my age and with the same media as me. Some hawks were still too direct. Calling all allusions would bless the article, especially since it certainly gives more of it, which I did not recognize or overlook. From Gundams to Yoshi s Story, from Neon Genesis Evangelion about the Ginyu Force from Dragon Ball Z, Eastward Kreuz serves across the pop culture, which is known as the end of 20- and early 30-year-old video players. In the end, however, it is especially a taste question, whether and how strong these tribute dream the enjoyment. Own ideas also offers the indie game and in combination with the gameplay, most of the most is quite consistent.

From Katharina Pache Editorial manager 02.10.2021 at 12:00