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Earthlock 2 cover

Snowcastle Games · Role-playing · Strategy

Earthlock 2

Earthlock 2 will be an open-world action RPG with complex interlocking systems that work together to offer players extensive freedom to customise their own experience.

Released
—
Platforms
Nintendo SwitchPlayStation 4PlayStation 5WindowsXbox OneXbox Series X/S
Genres
Role-playingStrategyAdventureIndie
Developers
Snowcastle Games
Publishers
Snowcastle Games
Modes
Co-opMultiplayerSingle-player
Perspective
Third person
Themes
Action
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Age ratings
ESRB RP
Languages
English

About

Earthlock (formerly titled Earthlock: Festival of Magic) is a 2016 role-playing video game developed and published by the Norwegian company Snowcastle Games for Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Wii U. The Xbox One version was launched on September 1, 2016 worldwide. The Windows, OS X, and Linux versions, initially planned for release at the same time as the Xbox One release, were postponed to September 27, 2016. The game is planned to be the first volume of an Earthlock trilogy.

The Wii U version was released on September 7, 2017 in Europe, and on September 14, 2017 in North America. A version for the Nintendo Switch was released on March 8, 2018. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who were heavily divided. Some called it a nostalgic throwback with memorable characters, while others panned its design as dated, and its art style, gameplay and/or story as bland or unoriginal.

›Story

The Earthlock series is set on the planet of Umbra, which has stopped spinning on its axis, meaning half of the world is completely shrouded in darkness, while the other half is constantly baked in sunlight. Along the border in the middle, there is an area that gets the best of both worlds. The game’s story centres around a group of friends who must set out to find and rescue their missing family members.

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The game plays as a non-linear role-playing video game with turn based battles. In combat, characters fight in pairs - a "warrior" and a "protector". The warrior uses consumable items such as ammunition, while the protector can perform spells like healing and shields. When the characters are damaged by enemies, they accumulate support points, which can be used to activate other moves. Pairing different combinations of characters unlocks different moves and tactics, greatly affecting the flow of battle.

Story

The game's story takes place in the world of Umbra, where a cataclysmic event occurs that stops the planet from spinning. This leaves part of the world scorched by constant sunlight, part of it perpetually cold due to lack of sunlight, and a patch of livable land in between. The incident ends up burying much of the past advanced civilization, but humanity survives and society begins anew in the habitable part of the planet. The story follows the adventurer Amon, who, among his usual activities of scavenging ruins, gets entangled in a much larger conflict with the ruling Suvian Empire.

Development

The game is inspired by early Square Japanese role-playing games, though Snowcastle wanted to subvert common genre character stereotypes. Development for the game started as early as 2011, with a pre-alpha build trailer being released in May 2013. The game was originally just known by its subtitle, Festival of Magic.

In November 2013, the game was placed on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter with the aim of securing $250,000 in funding. However, Snowcastle later pulled from the platform, due to it getting lost in the crowd during the holiday season. A fresh Kickstarter campaign was launched in March 2014 with a lowered goal of $150,000. This second campaign was successful, raising $178,000 in April 2014. The game's plot was written by comic book writer Magnus Aspli.

Reception

Prior to its re-release, the game received an aggregate score of 56/100 for its PlayStation 4 version and 66/100 for its Xbox One version, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Its post-revamp Nintendo Switch version received a higher, though still mixed score of 73/100.

Legacy

The game received a more casual spin-off, Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure, a single-player or co-op adventure and crafting game about exploring a mysterious island. It was initially released for PC on November 9, 2023, and, later, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, on March 21, 2024. A sequel, Earthlock 2, was also announced in 2020, and planned for release in 2022, although it was delayed several times. The sequel was re-revealed in 2024, with the plot revolving around exploring and bringing life back to the Desert of Kor using a special "Desert Ship". An additional game is reportedly planned due to a deal between Snowcastle Games and Jagex.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Xbox Series X/SUnreleased
PlayStation 4Unreleased
WindowsUnreleased
Xbox OneUnreleased
PlayStation 5Unreleased

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Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.