E A S T S H A D E – Lux Alkazar

E A S T S H A D E

lux AlKAzAr is seriously considering getting her driver’s licence sometime in the next decade.

My favourite – well, more accurately, my only – end-of-semester tradition is my resubscription to Xbox Game Pass. I set up my couch and coffee table with an array of blankets and snacks, get real comfy, and then groan upon realising that my Xbox needs to update. Every. Damn. Time.

Twenty minutes later, my snacks are depleted and I’m finally perusing the game library. This month I decided to try Eastshade, an indie game released in 2019. I went in blind, and at the start I was pretty sure I wouldn’t enjoy it. The graphics in the opening scene were a little underwhelming and the monkeys… honestly, I could write a whole essay about the emotional turbulence I experienced because of these monkeys. Due to the first-person perspective of the game, you don’t have the privilege of knowing what animal your character is, but I just pray it’s not a monkey. I wouldn’t describe any of the animals in Eastshade as “cute”, but the monkeys are really something else. Upon seeing one, my housemate exclaimed “That is terrifying, what the hell are you playing?”

But if you can move past that initial disturbance, once you arrive at Eastshade it really is quite beautiful. You play as an artist, who has travelled there as a promise to your mother, who in her final moments told you to visit the places she once loved and capture them in your paintings. The knowledge that your mission is to honour your mother’s memory, along with the music and ambience

Images courtesy of Eastshade Studios.

of the game, really sets the tone that this is something genuinely heartfelt. Eastshade is enriched with lore and mysteries, and unique and unexpected delights, such as hallucinogenic teas and lesbian bears.

It may be deceptively simple at first, but there is so much to explore in the world, which is home to a huge collection of zany and whimsical individuals. And they really are individual; everyone you meet feels authentic and fleshed out. Nothing about this game is generic. Eastshade uses an energy system of “inspiration”, which you need in order to paint. It can be gained from books, music, natural wonders, as well as talking to the folks you meet, who give out tasks and share little wisdoms. The game isn’t particularly challenging, and there is no way to fail or die, but your choices do sometimes determine which quests are available to you.

There are a few bugs, and the endless running back and forth across the map can be a tad tedious, but overall, I found Eastshade to be immersive and almost therapeutic. It might just be the latest lockdown affecting me, but I was genuinely moved by several of the storylines, and some of the landscapes truly evoke a feeling of awe. I definitely recommend giving it a go if you’re a fan of the ‘cozy gaming’ genre and are looking for a wonder/land to unwind in, post-exams.