Review: Earthlock (PlayStation 4)

Earthlock is an indie developed, adventure RPG inspired by the classic 3D RPGs of the late 90’s, with a fresh take on turn-based combat and character progression.

Pros:

• Nice graphics.
• 2.07GB Download size.
• Opening tutorial with recap section in the menu.
• Action RPG gameplay.
• Turn-based combat.
• You can see enemies walking around, Possible to sneak up and press a button to surprise attack.
• Turn order shown when in combat.
• Fast loading times.
• On-screen button prompts for attacks which helps keep it accessible and easy to understand.
• Platinum trophy.
• Save points all over the game world.
• Earn EXP, Level up and get a point to put in a skill tree to unlock new abilities, Change up your stats, Powers etc. Your stats will also increase.
• A very streamlined experience.
• Stances- Each character has two default stances which act a lot like loadouts. One stance will typically be ranged whilst the second will be melee. You can change stance with a button press when in combat, Outside of combat you set how you want to start.
• Recruit new party members complete with full team management screens.
• Bestiary of discovered enemies.
• Overworld- How you explore the land, You can see enemies, Towns, Cities, Caves and any other points of interest.
• Battle bond- Fight alongside someone to increase your bond which will allow you to unleash a special third stance when in battle.
• Boss battles.
• Earn bonus EXP in fights for going against more enemies or stronger enemies etc.
• Overall percentage tracker.
• Easy to get into.
• Game time is recorded.
• Full weapon crafting table.
• Each character plays different in the overworld, Some can travel faster whilst others can farm resources and so many more to discover.
• A good RPG starter.
• Fast travel.
• Many unique and gorgeous locations to explore.

Cons:

• No voicework, Just text.
• Uneventful chest opening.
• The whole experience feels muted from flat character personalities to not a lot of music and immersion.
• Little guidance on quests.
• No save anywhere feature.
• Only basic camera control in the overworld and even then it is slow and sometimes jank up.
• No camera control in a lot of the locations.
• Feels slow overall.
• Swapping characters is clunky.
• Combat is very basic and not that fun.
• A lot of backtracking and fetch quests.