I had another one of those days where there’s this gaming Itch (capital because it’s important) I desperately needed to scratch.
Of course, I went browsing through Steam to look for new games to play. (Side-eyes from the unplayed games from my library)
I added a couple of cozy games in my cart and checked them out.
Itch still not scratched.
I added some more on a separate day. Maybe some classics like Final Fantasy IX since Square Enix had a publisher sale.
Nothing. The Itch is still there!
When Steam had their annual Summer Sale, I went ahead and downloaded a bunch of cheap ones.
What do you know? Out of all the games I bought that day, there was ONE that finally did it.
The Itch was scratched!
I didn’t even read the game’s description before adding it to the pile. I just looked at the graphics and gameplay and I was sold. Yes, I am one of those people who literally judge books by their covers and games by how they look.
I lean more towards games with static camera and prefer more 2D visuals. In other words: games that don’t trigger motion sickness.
I once played Genshin Impact almost every day for 3 years. The first few days were brutal: I’d stop after a couple of minutes because I’d start getting cold sweats and my vision would get really contrast-y. The puking comes a few minutes after and I’d swear not to play the game again…
Only to continue after the room stops spinning.
That was then, it’s been almost 3 years since I stopped. I attempted a resurgence earlier this year but the puking was worse and I was miserable the remainder of that day. I uninstalled it then and there.
It’s a pity though since my niece plays this and I could have been that cool aunt that knows all the characters and their moves. Oh well.
Such a long tangent. Anyway, the game I bought was Eastward. It’s 2D and has the static environment I wanted. What’s more, after hearing the chime in the title screen, I knew it was going to be ticking the nostalgia checkbox.
The premise is simple enough: underworld city with their own rules where people are led to believe that the surface is where people go to and never return (i.e. die). You control John, a “digger” working in the mines, and Sam (or Sammy, depending on who’s talking), a kid John found and somewhat adopted. Weapon of choice: a frying pan.
I play a bit after my shift so I’m still a couple of hours in. So far it’s been very relaxing. There are some RPG type puzzles but nothing too complicated. You can fast-forward on the cutscenes which is a godsend especially if you have to repeat some bits. They even have a game you can play within this game!
It’s promising and I do hope Eastward will live up to my expectations.
Leave a Reply