Earthlock

Genre: Turn-Based RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Earthlock, elsewhere subtitled Festival of Magic, is a Turn-Based RPG that evokes the feel of classic JRPGs on the PlayStation 1 and 2. Fans of the likes of Final Fantasy, Grandia, and Skies of Arcadia looking for a return to the silver age of the genre will find this game to be made with them in mind. This game is the first of three in a planned trilogy, and the Nintendo Switch version includes extra options not seen in earlier releases, such as improved camera movement and slightly-improved visuals.

When reviewing a game others have reviewed, I like to get a feel for what others are saying about it, and here I’ve seen some other reviewers claim that Earthlock lacks polish. This absolutely baffles me, since in my experience with the game I found it to be extremely polished, with a solid presentation and well thought-out gameplay.

That said, this is decidedly an old-school experience, and the game bears the hallmarks of that throughout. Dialogue here is largely text-based, the world map is simplistic and unimpressive-looking, environments aren’t very interactive… if this game were released a few generations ago, none of these things would have been noteworthy, but it does seem a bit outdated today.

Aside from the unimpressive overworld, and disappointing pop-up of enemies, the game’s graphics are largely very good, with a clean, slightly-cartoony look, nice little details sprinkled throughout, and a unified sense of style. There are some clunky animations here and there, such as when NPC characters turn or when party member Olia akwardly swings her spear around in her victory animation, but for the most part this game looks very good.

The gameplay also has some interesting things going on here. Rather than using MP, this game has an energy system that has players deciding whether to use their energy for a big attack now, or store it up for later. In addition, every character has two “stances” they can swap between in battle, changing how the character plays. What’s more, players can be placed in pairings that enhance the stats of both characters in the pair in a unique way, giving players more options to mix up their party to make it fit their playstyle.

As for the flaws, while this game looks good and feels polished, it can also feel a bit generic. I can’t say I felt drawn into the game’s story or felt particularly strongly about most of its characters, save for the adorable Gnart, a tusked “hogbunny” who was rather adorable. Also, players who aren’t well-acquainted with old-school JRPGs might find this game’s lack of modern refinements to be more “antiquated” than “quaint”.

Still, if old-school JRPG-style goodness is what you’re looking for, you should be delighted with Earthlock. While it’s lacking in modern refinements and doesn’t have an especially strong personality of its own, it captures the essence of what made this genre so good back in its glory days, and fans of that sort of game should find this a welcome addition to their Switch library.

tl;dr – Earthlock is a Turn-Based RPG that evokes PlayStation 1 & 2-era JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Grandia, with a polished presentation and some really inventive gameplay systems. It’s a little lacking in originality, and players who haven’t played many older JRPGs might find it to be a bit antiquated, but genre fans looking for a well-crafted old-school experience should find this game to be a delight.

Grade: B+

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