Earthlock: Collector’s Edition Bundle

Earthlock: Collector’s Edition Bundle is a special digital edition that includes the base game ‘Earthlock: Festival of Magic’, a turn-based RPG set on the planet Umbra, which has stopped spinning, leaving one half in perpetual daylight and the other in eternal night. Players follow a group of unlikely heroes as they explore this unique world, battling enemies and uncovering ancient secrets to prevent an impending catastrophe. The bundle also includes additional digital content such as the Hero Outfit Pack DLC, a digital soundtrack, and a digital comic book expanding the game’s lore.

Earthlock: Collector’s Edition Bundle: A Love Letter to a Bygone Era, Unpacked

In the vast and ever-evolving landscape of role-playing games, few modern titles wear their inspirations as openly and earnestly as Earthlock. The Collector’s Edition Bundle represents not just a game, but a statement of intent—a deliberate, crowdfunded homage to the Japanese RPG golden age of the late 1990s, packaged for a contemporary audience. This review delves into the heart of this ambitious project, examining whether this digital compendium successfully captures the magic it so reverently seeks to emulate.

Development History & Context

Earthlock: Festival of Magic, the base game contained within this bundle, is the brainchild of Norwegian indie studio Snowcastle Games. Its development is a quintessential tale of the modern indie scene: a passion project fueled by a successful Kickstarter campaign, driven by a team of developers who grew up enchanted by the sprawling narratives and turn-based combat of classics like Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger, and Suikoden.

The gaming landscape at its initial release in 2016 was markedly different from the era it sought to emulate. The mid-2010s were dominated by the rise of open-world action-RPGs, cinematic narratives, and real-time combat systems. Snowcastle Games’ vision was a conscious counterpoint to these trends. They weren’t just making an RPG; they were attempting to resurrect a specific subgenre—the turn-based, party-driven, character-centric JRPG—but with a Western aesthetic and the benefit of modern technology. The “Collector’s Edition Bundle,” released in 2017, was the culmination of this effort, a digital treasure chest designed for the dedicated fan. It bundled the complete experience: the game, its cosmetic DLC, its soundtrack, and crucially, a digital comic book that expanded the lore. This package was a declaration that Earthlock was more than a game; it was the foundation of a fledgling franchise.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Set on the planet Umbra, a world that stopped spinning millennia ago, creating a perpetual divide between a sun-scorched desert and a frozen wasteland, Earthlock introduces a narrative steeped in ecological mystery and classic fantasy tropes. The story follows Amon, a desert scavenger, and a growing ensemble of characters including the enigmatic gnome-like creature Gnart, and the courageous princess Olia.

The plot is a familiar yet comfortable journey: a reluctant hero discovers a world-ending threat and must unite a band of misfits to uncover ancient secrets and save the planet. The narrative’s strength lies in its world-building—the concept of the stalled planet and the resulting “Earth-Lock” phenomenon provides a unique and compelling backdrop. The characters, while archetypal, are designed with clear motivations and personal arcs that unfold through traditional JRPG storytelling devices: town dialogues, optional side quests, and story-driven dungeon crawls.

The included digital comic, Earthlock: The Clay Orchid & The Stormdog, is a significant component of this bundle. It serves as a prequel, delving into the backstories of key characters and factions, enriching the lore of Umbra in a way the game alone could not. This addition demonstrates Snowcastle’s commitment to building a coherent universe, rewarding players who invest in the complete package with a deeper understanding of the world’s history and conflicts. The central themes revolve around environmental responsibility, the consequences of ancient technological abuse, and the power of found family—themes that resonate with both its 90s inspirations and contemporary concerns.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Earthlock’s gameplay is a deliberate and loving recreation of a classic JRPG formula, with several thoughtful twists.

The Combat System is strictly turn-based, a direct rejection of the modern action-RPG trend. It utilizes a unique “Stance” system, where each character can switch between two combat stances, altering their available abilities and stats mid-battle. This adds a layer of strategic depth, encouraging players to adapt to enemy weaknesses and battle conditions dynamically. The combo system, where characters can build up combo points to unleash powerful partnered attacks, is a clear nod to mechanics found in games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI.

Character Progression avoids traditional level grinding. Instead, characters grow in power through a “Talent Board,” a system reminiscent of the Sphere Grid from Final Fantasy X or the Crystarium from Final Fantasy XIII. Players collect resources (Amri) to unlock stat boosts and new abilities on a circular grid, allowing for a degree of customization in how each character develops.

The Core Loop involves exploring the world of Umbra, engaging in turn-based battles, solving environmental puzzles in dungeons, and gathering resources. A notable non-combat feature is the Gardening system. Players can cultivate plants that provide essential crafting materials for potions, bombs, and permanent stat-boosting items. This mechanic encourages exploration and provides a rewarding passive activity, grounding the high-fantasy adventure in a tangible, productive task.

While the UI is functional and clean, it faithfully replicates the menus and systems of its predecessors without significant innovation. The “Hero Outfit Pack” DLC included in the bundle offers purely cosmetic changes, allowing for personalization without impacting the balanced mechanics. The overall feel is one of polished nostalgia; the systems are not broken, but they are consciously retro, which will be a virtue to some and a drawback to others.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Earthlock distinguishes itself visually by opting for a distinct Western fantasy art style. The world of Umbra is rendered in a colourful, painterly style that leans more towards Fable than Final Fantasy. Characters are designed with a chunky, doll-like aesthetic that gives them a unique charm. The environments, from the arid deserts of Zaber to the lush forests, are beautifully crafted, selling the fantasy of a world literally split in two.

The sound design is a critical pillar of the experience. The Digital OST included in the bundle is not merely an extra; it is the soul of the game. The score, composed by renowned video game composer Henning Nugel, is sweeping, orchestral, and perfectly captures the epic scale and emotional beats of the adventure. From serene town themes to tense battle music, the soundtrack is a masterclass in reinforcing the game’s tone and is a highlight of the Collector’s Edition package.

The art and audio work in concert to create an atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and fresh. It doesn’t mimic the anime-inspired visuals of its Japanese influences but instead builds its own identity within the same structural framework. The world feels lived-in, magical, and ripe for exploration, a testament to the cohesive vision of Snowcastle Games.

Reception & Legacy

Upon its initial release as Festival of Magic, Earthlock received a mixed-to-positive reception. Critics and players praised its earnest ambition, beautiful art style, and satisfying combat system, but some noted its narrative pacing could be uneven and that it sometimes hewed too closely to its inspirations without enough unique identity.

The release of the Collector’s Edition Bundle was a strategic move to consolidate the experience and offer greater value. It acknowledged the game’s status as a niche product for a specific audience—the RPG purist, the collector, the nostalgic gamer. Its legacy is not one of massive commercial blockbuster success, but of a respected and appreciated effort within the indie RPG scene. It proved there was a sustained appetite for classic turn-based mechanics, a fact that has only become more evident in the years since with the success of games like Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default.

Earthlock’s true legacy lies in its persistence. The studio continued to support and expand the game, eventually re-releasing a significantly improved and expanded version simply titled Earthlock in 2018. The franchise has even expanded into a different genre with Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure. The Collector’s Edition Bundle serves as the definitive digital time capsule of the project’s ambitious beginnings.

Conclusion

The Earthlock: Collector’s Edition Bundle is more than the sum of its parts. It is a comprehensive package that offers the complete inaugural experience of Snowcastle Games’ franchise. It is an unapologetically nostalgic trip, a well-crafted love letter to the JRPGs of the 32-bit era. While it may not have rewritten the genre’s playbook, it executed a classic formula with competence, heart, and a unique visual identity.

Its value proposition is clear: for the player seeking a traditional, turn-based RPG with a compelling world, a stellar soundtrack, and a tangible sense of earnest passion, this bundle is an easy recommendation. It represents a specific and important thread in the modern gaming tapestry—the indie developer using modern tools to resurrect the cherished mechanics of the past. Earthlock: Collector’s Edition Bundle may not be the most original RPG you’ll ever play, but it is undoubtedly one of the most sincere, and for a certain type of gamer, that sincerity is magic enough. It secures its place not as a revolutionary title, but as a cherished and worthy homage in video game history.