Many games have been labeled as Zelda-likes for years, especially compared to either the early Zelda games or Breath of the Wild, and Eastward does have ties with the former. Due to its 2D retro-style graphics, indie developer Pixpil's Eastward is reminiscent of those Zelda games, while also focusing on the hack and slash combat and environmental puzzles solved by using each character's abilities. As a matter of fact, Eastward has two playable characters in the form of John, a digger who finds a capsule that contained Sam, the other playable character, who has psionic powers and becomes a sort of adoptive daughter to John.
Because Eastward is set in a post-apocalyptic world with both fantasy and sci-fi elements, and because of the relationship between John and Sam, many players have compared it to The Last of Us. Of course, the games are very different from one another in terms of actual gameplay, but there is a resemblance between the characters in Eastward and Joel and Ellie on many levels. At its core, Eastward is an RPG that seeks to offer a unique perspective founded on the familiarity players have with its mechanics.
Eastward's Zelda-Like Features, RPG Elements, and Minigames
Eastward tends to have a slow pace when it comes to its story, and it features several cutscenes and dialogues that players need to go through to advance. The game's pace naturally favors a more explorative playstyle, which rewards players with hidden treasures, unique items, and lots of secrets to uncover. Speaking of items, players can unlock many of them, and also several weapons to tackle fights with, ranging from John's trusted frying pan to shotguns and flamethrowers, including Sam's powers to stun enemies and block them inside bubbles.
Since John uses a frying pan as his signature weapon, it's only natural that one of Eastward's RPG elements is cooking. The process and its results are based on classic features from other similar games, as cooking can provide a source of health recovery and grant special buffs. This is where one of Eastward's minigames comes up, greeting players trying to cook a meal with a slot machine where the goal is to match ingredients for great results. This is far from being the only minigame in Eastward, and it even comes with a fully playable 8-bit RPG called Earth Born, which is likely a nod to a game that inspired Pixpil's creation—EarthBound.
Earth Born is a full game on its own, albeit relatively short, that allows players to make a party of heroes and defeat monsters. That's not all though, as by playing Eastward, gamers can come across collectible figurines that have an amiibo-style system, meaning that they can be used in Earth Born to gain different benefits. This makes Eastward a lengthy game for completionists, even though the base game can be finished in 20 to 30 hours. Eastward is also a linear game, meaning that players should be very thorough when talking to all the characters and exploring all areas before moving to the next one, as there is no turning back.
There are interesting boss fights that progress the story and provide players with a more in-depth combat sequence, even though death is not as punishing as some modern games or Souls-like titles, making Eastward a more relaxed game. The Studio Ghibli-esque art style combined with the game's soundtrack enhance the experience of going through Eastward's story, which is one of the game's main focuses. Overall, Eastward is the perfect title to pick up for fans of Zelda games, or something like Legend of Mana and Chrono Trigger.
Eastward is out now for Nintendo Switch and PC.