5 Things Everyone Completely Missed In Eastward

Eastward offers plenty of stories and memorable characters, but there are some things you may have missed the first time around.

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The first thing everyone undoubtedly notices about Eastward is its beautiful pixel art graphics. The game is immediately reminiscent of the various 2D action RPGs that once graced consoles like the SNES, with modern visual flourishes in the form of some detailed sprite work and accurate lighting lending to the overall believability of its fully realized world.

Once you get past that first impression though, what you’ll find is a game with a surprisingly deep narrative and a cast of memorable characters. Quite a few of those characters have motives that are not always clear-cut, and the world itself harbors some hidden depths of its own. So what follows are just a few of the extra details most players probably wouldn’t notice during their playthroughs.

Note: Be warned, for there will be spoilers ahead.

5 Its Other Influences

Eastward is a game that is not afraid to wear its influences on its sleeves. The biggest ones include The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, EarthBound, and the art and themes of Studio Ghibli. But not all of those influences are as overt as the ones aforementioned.

For example, the game also bears a strong resemblance to other works of post-apocalyptic fiction like Snowpiercer and The Matrix. One of the more obscure ones is a short story called “Wool” by American writer, Hugh Howey. The book also tells a story of a future where humans are forced to live underground (much like John and Sam at the start of Eastward), after life on the surface becomes inhospitable. It was originally self-published on Amazon in 2011 but would go on to become an international bestseller, with a TV series adaptation in the works.

4 Earth Born’s True Ending

And while we are still on the topic of influences, Eastward takes its JRPG inspirations to the next level by including the aptly named Earth Born, a game within the game that bears striking similarities to EarthBound and early Final Fantasy games.

Players are able to access the game via terminals scattered around the various locales they visit, with its story seeming to run parallel with the one in the main game. In it, a group of adventurers must contend with the Demon King, a malevolent entity seeking to overthrow their land. But while this offers a fun diversion from the main game, few players invested enough time to see it through to its conclusion. Fewer still got to see its true ending, in which they defeat the True Demon King, and the Knight exchanges word with the Princess that go unheard under the noise of an erupting volcano.

3 The Main Currency Is Salt

There are many quirky details about the world of Eastward, but perhaps the quirkiest of them is the game’s focus on food and cooking. Not only is John a culinary expert, but his primary weapon is also a frying pan, the very same one he uses to cook nonetheless.

Throughout their adventure, players are encouraged to cook a number of meals with the ingredients they can get their hands on, some of which offer fairly substantial buffs that would help them get through tougher enemy encounters. And many of those ingredients can be bought at specific shops that can be found in the various places you visit. So it is somewhat ironic then that you buy them using salt, the prevailing currency in this particular post-apocalyptic future. There is even a little salt shaker icon on the game’s HUD to help drive home the idea, a detail that could easily go unnoticed.

2 Dev Room Easter Egg

Easter eggs are one way for a game’s developers to reward their players, and Eastward isn’t without a particularly memorable one. It can be found in a corridor on the second floor of the Eternal Tower, behind a hidden door that is unlocked by freezing two enemies in midair.

Going through the door reveals a room with a strange bed with an “eye” symbol on its headboard. Resting on the strange bed would teleport players to another room where John and Sam appear miniature-sized. The room is basically a recreation of a dev room, with several computers screens arranged on its tables into various workstations. A zombie dev can even be seen under the glow of one of those screens after a power switch is activated, no doubt slaving away to bring their next game to life.

1 The Post-Credits Scene

Eastward is a fairly chunky adventure game, with most playthroughs lasting anywhere between 20 and 30 hours. So it is somewhat understandable why those that do manage to beat it might not be willing to sit through the credits.

But those who are patient enough will be rewarded with a stinger at the very end. The scene takes place in what looks like New Dam City, where we see William reviving what is left of his robot companion, Daniel. It is also revealed that the former now has a son (also named Daniel) and that the three were gearing up to set off on a brand new adventure together. What exact form that new adventure will take is anybody’s guess, but at least the scene did offer some form of closure for that particular pair.

Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/eastward-hidden-secrets-things-you-missed/