April 6, 2014 by

Hey all,

I recently tried an alpha version of an indie turn-based RPG called Earthlock: Festival of Magic. Since I rarely get the chance to do this sort of thing, I thought I'd give it a shot and write about it. Sooooo, yeah... Here we go!!!

Title screen ~Please Note: This is the alpha version of the game, so a lot of in-game stuff will probably be changed in the final product~


Game Setting and Characters

Desert World 2

Earthlock is set in a sort of advanced medieval world, where magic is the norm and talking animals are in no short supply. The game definitely takes full advantage of this with it's gorgeous art design and use of a variety colors. I seriously love the amount of care that seems to have gone into making the world look visually appealing.

Dumbstruck 2 This is one of several conversations between these two that made me cringe a little. 

As far as the characters are concerned, my first impressions weren't really all that positive. The main problem I had was with Amon, the male lead in the game. To put it bluntly, he seems like a bit of smartass. Especially when talking to his little, magic-wielding, hog-bunny (you read that right) friend Gnart, who is really kind to Amon early in the game. I didn't get a chance to play as the lead female character Ive, but I hope that she's a little more... polite at least. There's a point to being witty and clever, and then there's being a douche. I hope the developers rethink Amon's character a little.


In the garden

 Before venturing out on your quest, the game introduces you to one of its most important mechanics: Farming. You heard me right. Basically, you grow your own reserve of magic attacks using seeds from elemental plants. The seeds you can plant range from fire, to ice, to just about any element you can imagine. The fruits of these plants can later be harvested and used in battle when playing as Amon or Ive. As you might imagine, this creates an opportunity for a huge amount customization.

The only real concern I had with the system is how the gardening is setup. When you go to plant the elemental seeds, you can just walk up to a spot and start planting. The ground must first be cleared and tilled, then you have to water all your plants. It's just as tedious as it sounds too. You basically walk up to a spot to plant, open a menu...

Weed Pulling ...and whatever action is listed is performed for you. I know this sounds kinda nit-picky, but when you have to pull weeds, then till, then plant, then water, all by going through menus, it starts to get old really fast. Maybe a small mini-game would help to break up the tedium or something, or possibly refining it to one step. Either way, I hope this section of gameplay is more refined in the final product.

Break Rocks

I'd... rather not...

Now, let's talk about the battle system. After all, what would a turn-based RPG be without a deep battle system?


As I mentioned above, the fruit that you harvest from your garden becomes ammunition for Amon and Ive in battle, so planting enough to sustain and protect yourself on a quest is very important. The game has a very interesting "buddy system" in battle. Basically, the two main fighters, Amon and Ive, have animal companions who can attack or use a spell during a turn instead of the two main fighters. However, if the main fighter dies, then his companion can't be a substitute for them, and is therefore unusable. I personally liked the battle system. Even though it didn't feel too different from other JRPGs I've played, the combat was still deep and fun enough to keep my interest. I can't wait to see how it looks in the final game. For those who are wondering, the game has no random encounters. You see every enemy and boss before you fight them.

Results for battle One more thing about the gameplay that I enjoyed quite a bit was exploring the world itself. During the parts when Amon and Ive are traveling the World, there are puzzles and sometimes survival segments you have get through.

Statue for safety2

About thirty minutes into the demo, I ventured out into a desert area that was littered with these massive statues. During this segment, you have to quickly run behind the statues to take refuge in the shade of their shadows. Stay out in the boiling sun, and you're toast. Planning my approach to the temple in the distance was such a treat. I really hope that the final game has more ideas like this throughout. Statue for safety


Well, that about wraps-up my personal impressions of Earthlock. I was honestly pleased with the game overall. I think it has loads of potential and it's great to hear that it's planned to be a multiplatform game. As a work in progress, this game gets a thumbs up from me.

How does this game look to you? Are you even interested in a game like this? Sound off below.




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