Earthlock is now finally available on Nintendo Switch! How does this new version fare on Nintendo’s hybrid hardware at home or on the go? Find out in our Eathlock review!
The version we’re getting for Switch is what the team internally called the ShouldHaveBeenEdition, which is a revamped and improved version that has seen a lot of tweaks implemented, making this a completely reworked game, hence why it is now known as Earthlock, dropping the Festival of Magic part of its name. There have been some revamping of the game’s story, fleshing out some scenes, adding characters, and even giving us side quests to complete. The graphics have also been improved, making this the definitive version.
Earthlock is inspired by the classic JRPGs of the late 1990’s, and is basically a love letter to the games we grew up with. The art design for this one is great, with colorful characters and lush settings that will grab your attention forms start to finish. You will travel through forests and ruins, a mansion that nature has reclaimed, a desert town and more.
The main premise of the game’s story remains unchanged, but there is a lot more depth now, which includes funny dialogue, new events, and comments that make the game better than the original release. There are six playable characters that you will meet during the course of the story, each one with his/her own set of attacks and skills, so you will get o mix and match your party.
The game is set in the world of Umbra that harnessed energy known as Amri in the planet’s core, but when the people began a war, which caused the core to burst, volcanoes began to erupt, full-scale floods and tsunamis, and other natural disasters. By the time the war ended, Umbra was reborn. You begin the game as Ive Lavender, daughter of a general, and you will play as her an her trusty pet companion Taika, who is a Stormdog. This will get you started with a short tutorial that will teach you about battle stances, which you can switch between in battle at the cost of a turn or while in the overworld. You will learn about the flow of battle, how to attack and defend, how to stock energy to use more powerful skills later, and so on.
This is just the start, and after a few minutes, you will change to controlling Amon and his uncle who are exploring some ruins after receiving a tip about some valuable treasure contained within its walls. During this section, you will be able to apply everything you’ve learned during the tutorial, and you will even need to defeat your first boss! As the story progresses, a story I won’t spoil here, you will meet other characters who will join you on your adventure, taking on roles such as a heavy tank character, a healer, a long-range attacker and more.
Like many classic JRPGs, you can save your game at statues which you can discover in every section of the game. Saving is a must since, if you’re not careful, enemies can quickly overwhelm you in battle. As you explore dungeons, you will be tasked with activating artifacts to open the way, activating levers, etc., searching for treasure chests along the way.
Each character has his/her own talent board which you can fill out as you level up by using your points to add cards to the board to unlock new skills and boosts to your stats. The talent board uses different types of cards, with some spots requiring more powerful cards to open the way, so be sure to search everywhere for them, and even create some with the ingredients you find during your journey, thus maximizing your party’s potential.
Earthlock is by far a much better game now that it has been upgraded and revamped, giving us an excellent homage to the classic JRPG of the previous century we can play at home or on the go with ease. The game is much bigger now as well, with side quests to complete along with the main story you will greatly enjoy from start to finish. If you’re in the mood for playing a turn-based RPG, then you definitely need to get this one on Switch today!
Disclaimer
This Earthlock review is based on a Nintendo Switch review provided by Snowcastle Games.
