![]() Each area is distinct, whether it's colourful and homely, or atmospheric and oppressive. The animations of the 2D characters are delightful (aside from the aforementioned jiggling) and for every dud of an NPC, there’s another who is perfectly charming. It’s all the more disappointing since the presentation is almost faultless. This section goes on for around two hours, which is around two hours too long ![]() ![]() He is nothing more than a blunt instrument, pummelling and smashing his way through the story without comment. John’s inability to talk ended up being a curse since it gave permission for others to make decisions that stretch credulity to breaking point. The ending was so humdrum that I was actually dumbfounded when the credits started to roll. None of the protagonists question the purpose for his vendetta (even after beating him each time), while the repeated appearance of a “dark” Sam is never truly explained in a satisfactory manner. The antagonist who tracks them across their journey appears to have little motivation other than to appear in various boss-form guises. Eastward tries to go big, shuffling multiple timelines, time loops and plots together but the epic facade is just that. It’s all the more bizarre when this is seated alongside a sinister sci-fi plot that drops in seemingly from nowhere. And a Groundhog Day-style sequence at the end which made me repeat the same three fetch quests three times was almost enough to make me throw in the towel. A later area - Monkollywood, where most of the inhabitants are ape actors and end every other sentence with “EEK!” - felt like a massive misstep that reeked of padding. You can collect or buy ingredients and make recipes to store in your backpack, each of which offers different benefits. Secret areas abound containing chests of salt (the game’s currency) or heart pieces which increase your max health when you collect enough. In addition to John’s pan, he picks up more weapons as you progress, including a short-range pistol, a flamethrower, a buzzsaw gun, and bombs that can be placed or whacked across a room. Splitting up the duo is necessary in some puzzles, which provides variety via teamwork as they open up paths for each other. Caves, mines and dungeons offer up cables to be connected, furniture to be dragged, doors to be powered and crates to be blown up. Some enemies need to be frozen to be hit, others are far simpler. Sam is the mage equivalent, blasting enemies with a freeze bubble which John can take advantage of - a simple button press lets you switch characters to mix up the action. John is a slugger armed with a pan to smash the Teflon out of any critter who crawls near. Its Zelda-like action stylings and well-crafted puzzles are a delight. This doesn’t mean the game is a total bust, however. The feeling of bloat pervades Eastward like an uncomfortable meal, except the metaphorical antacid of the Skip button is nowhere to be found. Some of them are fun but at odds with the darker thread of the main story. The pair hop from town to town, fixing problems and uncovering mysteries in true SNES-era fashion, but are hampered by side characters and throwaway quests with inordinate amounts of dialogue in lengthy scenes. Actually, “gets going” is a bit misleading. ![]() The two can end up married with kids.After being kicked out of town to the surface though, the plot properly gets going. Candace is a ShyBlueHairedGirl who likes knitting while Julius is a loud, flamboyant CampStraight ]. * ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons'': In ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonTreeOfTranquility'' '']'' and ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonAnimalParade'', '']'', Candace and Julius form a rival couple. This is most seen in their Japanese dialogue as the ], however it still shines through in the English versions too. Loud and short Inkling Pearl is best friends and music partners with a ], lanky Octarian woman named Marina. ** Pearl and Marina from ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' are an OddFriendship example. * ''Franchise/'': ** Each of the idol groups who host the newscasts in each game consist of an energetic (Callie, Pearl, Frye) with a soft-spoken (Marie, Marina, Shiver).
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