Developer Snowcastle Games has just announced that they will soon be releasing the sequel for their action and adventure role-playing game Earthlock. Earthlock 2, which is expected to take after its predecessor’s open-world and turn-based combat mechanics, is set to launch for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam in 2022.
In an interview with IGN, Snowcastle Games CEO and co-founder Bendik Stang spoke about the developer's decision to use Unreal Engine for their sequel. “We were using Unity for Earthlock 1, and for the team it was a massive decision to leave the eight years invested in that engine behind,” said Stang. He stated that despite the difficult transition period, no one on the dev team regrets the decision to move from the Unity Engine. "Earthlock 2 is a much more ambitious project than Earthlock 1, and we want to make use of the next generation consoles as best we can," he concluded.
For those who don’t know, Earthlock is your typical 90’s RPG set on the planet of Umbra. This planet has stopped spinning on its axis, which means that half of the world is shrouded in darkness while half is constantly in sunlight. This is what makes the game’s plot move forward. Players would guide their band of friends and go on an adventure to rescue their missing family members.
Earthlock is a diamond in the rough, so to speak, and deservedly so. The cutesy JRPG, which was released two years ago, has floated on by mostly unnoticed in the digital marketplace, but it can definitely hold its own with the heavyweights in the genre. Currently, it boasts a Metascore rating of 73 for the Nintendo Switch and holds a Mostly Positive Rating on its Steam store page with critics citing its fluid RPG mechanics and pleasing aesthetics as its strongest suits. It’ll be exciting to see what Snowcastle Games will do with the story moving forward.
Earthlock is currently available to play for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam (and is 80% off as of this writing). Earthlock 2 is set to launch in 2022.
