One in particular stands out, an enemy knocks away bombs that you try to place at a vulnerable point. I liked them a lot more than the platforming and puzzle bits, and a lot of them really tested my ability to use every tool in my arsenal for a clean victory. The relatively infrequent boss and miniboss fights are an exception there, requiring a bit of finesse and switching between both John's weapons and Sam’s powers. It's fun to bash with a frying pan, not so fun to make sure the characters are both dodging incoming projectiles.

Partially it’s because the single-stick controls feel inadequate for aiming weapons. While parts of the fighting are good in their straightforwardness, others are just basic. The harder puzzles will have a timing element – moving quickly after triggering a switch, or golf-swinging a bomb into a narrow opening from a moving platform. Most often, you'll have to notice something like a wall to blow down with a bomb, a puzzle of which cables to connect, or which obstacles to remove so a raft floats where you want it to. Likewise, it’s a bit of a downer that the puzzles Sam’s instrumental in solving are never too complex, only ever getting difficult when it's a challenge of timing or skill – or to get at a few tricky hidden chests. The only time I felt impatient or bored with Eastward was during the drawn-out dialogues. Dialogue that should pop up in the background – laughter, exclamations – is more often than not in a bubble that requires a button to progress. It uses two sentences when one would do – or, more often, one sentence when none would do. I'm talking about unironic use of lines like 'I've been running my whole life.' Frankly, it's because the writing doesn't know when to step back and let action or movement convey words. Character dialogue is hit or miss, with more than a few cliche lines and real stinkers. It's a relief that the world is so attractive and the characters are so appealing, because Eastward's greatest weakness is its writing. For some, I expect it might even be the highlight of Eastward. Either way, it's a welcome change of pace from Eastward's more sedate stories or fast-paced combat. It's hard to be upset when the bonuses are something you earn in the course of finding secrets in the main game.

I quite liked the tactics available in the turn-based combat, though if it were a real-world game it’d quite honestly be a 'pay-to-win' experience because getting more Pixballs makes it easier and easier each time you start a new run at it. They've all got something unique going on: there’s the Monkey, who helps even when not on the front row during fights, or the Merchant, who doesn't use the action-point system but instead uses accrued gold to do battle. As you explore Earth Born's little branching world you pick up new party members, and a larger party lets you swap through more characters during each combat and start with more characters each run. Knowing when, and against what enemies, to use your skills is the key to progressing. So I guess it's more like the chocolate sauce on Eastward's ice cream sundae.Īs rounds of combat go by, characters accrue action points that they can use to fuel their most powerful skills. It's the icing on top of Eastward's cake, even though it's entirely optional. Earth Born consoles pop up in most of the major settlements alongside token-operated dispensers that spit out Pixballs – toys-to-life doodads that give you reusable boosts while playing – which you use to get further and unlock new party members inside Earth Born. It's a retro throwback to the Final Fantasy 1 or Dragon Quest era of 2D RPGs with a randomized roguelike twist, and it succeeds in invoking that era while still being a modern game. Earth Born Review-in-a-ReviewĮarth Born is Sam's favorite game, and she loves the tie-in cartoon, too. I’ve passed him a dozen times now what is he doing up there? I don't know. A lot of the best Eastward has to offer is just smiling at the guy meditating on a roof as you pass by his part of town. Little fetch quests make you run back and forth across the world, but that's not so bad when that world is pretty. (My favorite robot runs a construction company and has a bad hip.) That's not to mention the circus performers, train conductors, conmen, and funky robots. The style and personality of the people you meet differs wildly, varying from gruff ranch hands to a trio of lively aunties, a sleepy small-town mayor, or a cigar-puffing casino owner. They're a cast of well-designed weirdos who all have something unique going for them, which is an animated style that's become all too rare. The characters of Eastward have great sprites and animation that packs in a ton of personality. It's not just the backgrounds that pop, though.

Eastward rating