Earthlock

Earthlock: Festival of Magic for PC, PS4 and etc. belongs to the cRPG genre and features a turn-based combat system. Among many other cRPGs, Earthlock is distinguished by its colorful visuals and somewhat fairytale atmosphere. The game was both created and released (in three episodes) by Snowcastle Games – an independent, Norwegian developer.

Plot

The game is set in a fairytale, fantasy world – the planet Umbra. One day, the planet ceased to spin for unknown reasons, which resulted in a cataclysm that transformed the entire globe and made a civilization collapse. A large part of Umbra's surface became uninhabitable as an effect of that, because one side of the planet is being scorched by sunlight and the other remains dark and frozen. The survivors are only a shadow of humanity's former glory and they live on the stretch between the two worlds. Nonetheless, some of the survivors keep searching for ruins and remnants of the forgotten technologies - those are in conflict with supporters of magic.

The player takes on the role of Amon - a young but brave, treasure hunter from a small village located somewhere in the desert. One day, the protagonist gets involved in a conflict between the Suvian Empire and its enemies. The player visits many different places on Umbra, which allows to gather a team of characters and visit different locations in both poles of the planet. Also, the player discovers the history of the planet, as well as solves the mystery behind the cataclysm which ruined the civilization.

Mechanics

Earthlock: Festival of Magic for PC, PS4 and etc. offers many hours of gameplay, especially because the game is non-linear, which makes it more repeatable. Interestingly, a young scout called Ive joins the protagonist soon after he sets out for his journey - then the player is allowed to switch between the two characters whenever they like and choose which of the two is given the role of the protagonist. Travelling in the game is done through a three-dimensional map observed from above. Random encounters with enemies were not included – they are marked on the screen. When the player encounters enemies, a different map with a side view is loaded.

Combat is turn-based here and uses successful patterns that already appeared in other cRPGs. However, the game introduces an innovation in the form of linking members of one's team into pairs. One such pair comprises a warrior who uses different offensive abilities, and a protector, who is a mage using healing and protective spells. Combining the abilities of the characters paired and discovering powerful combinations in so doing is the key to success here.

The Plumpet Island is another important element of Earthlock - these areas are the player's headquarters that gradually transform into a village with different vendors and services. The player can develop their characters to their liking here, as well as refill their equipment, brew potions and upgrade weapons. Furthermore, the player cultivates their own garden, which is quite significant, because the protagonist obtains different seeds during their journey and magical herbs can be acquired through planting those seeds. The herbs obtained in so doing can be used mainly as the ammunition in combat.

Technical aspects

As mentioned, Earthlock: Festival of Magic for PC, PS4 and etc. is a three-dimensional game, which utilizes the Unity engine. The visuals are filled with lively colors and seem somewhat fairytale. Umbra is a world inhabited by humans, but also different races, such as humanoid animals.

Last updated on 21 November 2014