Chucklefish, the publisher of the incredibly popular Stardew Valley and the upcoming title Witchbrook, recently announced a new partnership with the Shanghai-based company Pixpil to release Eastward.
The pixelated, single player RPG adventure is inspired by Japanese animation from the 1990s, said Chucklefish in the partnership announcement.
It’s practically impossible to look at the announcement trailer and not be reminded of The Legend of Zelda:Â A Link to the Past for the Super Nintendo—not just because of the gorgeous pixel art in the backgrounds, but also the familiar-looking font used in the game’s dialogue bubbles. (It’s not just me, right?)
In addition to the striking pixel art, the chiptune soundtrack harkens back to retro-style titles and promises to be just as memorable as the game itself. Composer Joel Corelitz even shared a preview of the music that will accompany your shopping trips. As anyone who has put hundreds of hours into Final Fantasy games will tell you, shopping is a necessary part of any RPG, so it’s a a good thing you’ll have some jaunty music to listen to while you browse for equipment.
Here's a little music to shop by in @eastwardgame @pixpilgames. #eastward #chiptune #soundtrack #OST pic.twitter.com/TqtY2OGVzz
— Joel Corelitz (@joelcorelitz) November 17, 2017
Eastward is a science fiction role-playing game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic future. Most of the human population is gone (sorry, people, but you never fare well in these kinds of stories) and the world is falling apart. You are John, a digger who discovers a mysterious girl in a secret facility while he’s on the job.
Take the strange girl on an adventure? Check. Meet some kooky characters? Check. Fight monsters? Of course, this is an RPG. Eastward looks like it will have everything RPG players love in a gorgeously retro world.
While no date has been revealed for release yet, the game has been in development since 2015, so keep your eyes out for announcement soon. Eastward will be available for PC and Mac.
Does “post-apocalyptic pixel design” sound like everything you love in life? Tell us about it in the comments.
All Images: Chucklefish / Pixpil
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