Eastward is a beautiful game and has some of the best pixel art I've seen. Every screen is so vividly detailed and the game's design of abandoned urban locations really strike. There was definitively a lot of work put into this aspect.

It's not the best action or exploration game with both limited gameplay and level design, but it's a JRPG full of interactions before anything. It's essentially a travelling game with Mother-like vibes and characters. You move to a place, meet goofy characters and so on. The grand overarching story isn't much but every location offers its own story and I really enjoyed completing the quests and getting to know more about the characters.

Unfortunately, one specific chapter of the game gets the short end of the stick and I wish it had been longer, considering the importance it's supposed to have in the context of the story. The conclusion and overarching story also have quite a bit of plotholes but overall they work and provided an emotional closure to the game.

I'm very satisfied to have played Eastward and it's one of the most enjoyable Mother-like I played.