There aren’t too many places you can run off to or activities you can pick up whenever you please, since Eastward is a linear adventure. Eastward is more about the story than anything else-you’ll find long stretches of dialogue in place of complex gameplay or a plethora of side quests and hidden objectives. I recommend it to anyone looking for some video game comfort food: It’s laid-back and simple in nature, but its cute, pixelated exterior hides an unexpectedly dark and engaging game.Įastward is set in a world where the two main characters, John and Sam, live in a subterranean society bound by the fear of Earth’s toxic surface I can’t reveal much more of the game’s narrative without ruining most of the fun. When the dreary days of winter drag on long after they should, and the thought of starting a game with a thousand quests and a map I’ll never finish exploring tires me out, I’ll reach for Eastward again.
EASTWARD VIDEO GAME PC
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC Price: $25 at the time of publication ESRB rating: T An indie adventure with a classic feel: Eastward From the artwork in the game’s menus and posters to the music and sound design, there are 1960s spy-noir touches sprinkled throughout, and it’s one of the coolest settings I’ve played in over the past year.
Deathloop was created by Arkane Studios, the maker of the Dishonored series, so if you have experience with those games, this title might feel pretty familiar.Īlong with gameplay that compelled me to keep going-“Just one more loop, I swear”- Deathloop is downright stylish, too. Although there’s plenty of first-person gunplay, I played almost the entire game in stealth. I’ve also unlocked new supernatural powers that alter my strategy, such as invisibility and the ability to link multiple enemies together before attacking. Every time I restart, I find new clues about the game’s characters and plot lines that help me advance the next time. I haven’t found being sent back to the beginning of the loop to be frustrating. I’ve played for over 20 hours, and I still haven’t broken the loop, but many other reviewers have completed the main story in less time. Failing, on the other hand, restarts the loop and returns you to the moment you wake up on the beach, forfeiting all items, weapons, and abilities you picked up during the last loop-save for those you’ve infused with the power you’ve collected from the weird world of Blackreef. Succeeding requires uncovering clues about enemy characters’ schedules and whereabouts, and then methodically planning when and where to assassinate them without running out of time in the day. And to break the time loop, you need to take out eight key people at four different times of day, across four different zones. You soon learn you’re caught in the same day, repeating itself forever.
In Deathloop, you wake up on a beach on the island of Blackreef, unsure at first of who you are and how you got there. But it’s also unlike anything I’ve ever played. It checks all the boxes for what I want in an action and stealth game: enemies that outnumber the player and encourage sneaky precision, fun combat with a variety of guns and abilities, and challenging scenarios. Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5 Price: usually $60, on sale for PS5 at the time of publication ESRB rating: Mĭeathloop collected a slew of awards last year, receiving accolades for its innovative gameplay and art direction.