The small brothel subplot of the game in New Dam City aspired to big Stephen Chow energy-a slapstick approach that fell somewhat flat in execution, as did the vehemently man-hating stereotype of John and Sam’s neighbor in Potcrock Isle. There’s a fair bit of painfully earnest, hackneyed dialogue that more often than not dribbles off into tedium, and some questionable characterisation choices that, in retrospect, I’d cautiously put down to cultural humor the treatment of Greenberg’s top bachelorette Uva, in particular, seems like a vestige of outdated but “well-meaning” Chinese traditions that deepen generational divides between real-life communities. Perhaps if I hadn’t started playing Eastward at a particularly trying time in my life, I’d actually take a page or two from all of this blunt-force positivity. Sam’s infectious enthusiasm often bubbles to the surface with equal doses of naivete (she is, after all, a kid) which played well off my occasional frustration with the game’s wide-eyed approach to altruism. Little bits of flavour text, for the most part, add texture to a world already brimming over with visual details-my favourites were the rambling snippets of dialogue from each fridge which acts as a save point. As a game-within-a-game, Earth Born’s gacha-like system with collectible “Pixballs” sheds some light on the economy of the world-Sam is initially too poor to play because she doesn’t have her own memory card, and over time, collects enough tokens to buy Pixballs that help in battle. Hack, slash and moreĮastward is generous beyond the average hack-and-slash dungeon experience-there are a whole bunch of mini-games, including a slot-machine mechanic for John’s cooking skill and a turn-based 8-bit RPG called Earth Born (hello, EarthBound) that’s clearly a widespread classic. The escape gauntlet from Greenberg, for instance, isn’t especially tough, but a matter of nailing a good rhythmic pace as you evade the encroaching miasma. Nothing about combat is particularly difficult, but depending on your propensity for brute-force button-mashing, certain fight mechanics related to timing or positioning can be challenging. These aren’t tough think triggering weighted blocks, dragging and rearranging obstacles, and occasional sequences where John and Sam are separated and must use their respective abilities to help each other through the level. Most of the time, combat involves going ham with John’s frying pan-the default starting weapon that he also uses to make dinner for Sam and eventually with Sam’s energy-based abilities that help with puzzles (but honestly aren’t often required).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |