Earthlock

An indie adventure with a lush world, fun characters, and enjoyable battles, Earthlock brings the soul of PS1-era JRPGs to the Switch with excellent results. Inconsistent dialogue and notable load times are among its few missteps, but as a package, it captures the appeal of the epoch wonderfully. If you’re looking for a fresh-feeling JRPG that still calls back to the classics, this is a lovely choice.

A beautiful game which features a host of challenging boss battles require tactical thinking, useful characters, and a big world to explore, Earthlock delivers a solid experience which scratches the turn-based RPG itch. Its fourteen hours of game play swells thanks to a ton of side quests, hidden bosses, and lots of things to craft and collect, and is a true indie delight for any fan of the genre.

A loving tribute to classic JRPGs marred by lukewarm combat and audio design

The plot of Earthlock centers around energy in the planet's core, but it's really a story of growing friendships. This RPG puts you in control of six characters

Character development was a major place where the original game struggled, but that isn’t true here. The optional conversations provide new insight into the characters and demonstrate their bonds with one another. They feel like a team, a group of characters I could care about. Between that, adjusted characterization, and altered story beats, Earthlock’s plot works significantly better. It’s still the story of a young man named Amon who becomes the target of a dark conspiracy when he finds an ancient artifact, but this time I wanted to follow his journey through to the end.