What makesa outstanding Soulslikestand out from the pack ? Is it the dread difficulty and the inexorable thrust until you win ? How about the cryptic stories threaded throughout a mysterious world ? Perhaps it ’s the secrets player uncover , enrich their journeying as they continue to search every nook and cranny ? These questions came to mind as I playedFlintlock : The Siege of Dawn , an action role - toy game ( ARPG ) from A44 Games , the studio behind2018’sAshen .
firelock : The Siege of Dawncan be considered a Soulslike that riffs on a conversant pattern with fashion . It has dodge and evade - focus combat , enemy - respawning rest stopover , and corpse run gameplay that has histrion returning to the situation of their demise to reclaim currency ( know as Reputation here ) . ThoughFlintlockbrings a few refreshing tweaks to that normal , it depart some characteristic unexplored and fails to capitalize on its most promising ideas .
Of gods and monsters
Flintlock : The Siege of Dawnputs players in the shoes of Nor Vanek , a trained sapper and explosives engineer and phallus of the Coalition , a ragtag and bobtail army that seeks to prevent the undead from laying wastefulness to the world of Kian . The drive begins just as a powerful entity , Uru , violate loose . After falling to her end of the world , Nor is awakened by a fox - same animal shout Enki , who introduces himself as a minor god of sorts .
Sometimes it feels likeFlintlockwastes some of its more bright ideas .
These two heroes bounce off of each other well through the narration . Nor is reasonably suspicious and untrusting of others , whereas Enki is serene , but is also secretive when it come to his own motivations . In spite of their contrast attitudes , ended with a few tiff during even banter and in more pivotal moment , they arrive to check that they need one another if they wish to come through in foiling the machinations of Uru and the other divinity . Their relationship grows over the track of the playthrough , givingFlintlocka strong backbone . By contrast , the greater narrative arc itself is fairly weak , as are the backstories of other supporting characters . I happen it hard to get seat in much outside of Nor and Enki ’s tarradiddle .
Unlikeother Soulslike games , Flintlock ’s game is comparatively straightforward ; hardly anything can be thought of as obtuse . It leans on dark fantasy image , where uniformed troop consanguineous to those from the Napoleonic Era duke it out against shamble corpses and corrupted knight . This clash of styles creates an authentic mise en scene , with regions and grade urge on by New Zealand ( where A44 Games is based ) and the Middle East .
Sometimes it palpate likeFlintlockwastes some of its more promising idea . Kian is scourge by the dead , which make a strong potential for horror in enemy designs . alternatively , I mostly saw generic zombies with explosive barrels , buckler , or cannons , horse with different armaments , and the periodic human - sized insectoid beast . Even the hirer ( barricade the last party boss encounter ) did n’t leave alone me as awestruck as I had hoped ; nearly everyone has their own version of a laser ray or area - of - result ( AoE ) ability that covers the intact arena , which made for rather predictable engagements .
Combo breaker
While enemy change and design are lacking , Flintlockoffers a capital twist on Soulslike combat with its jazz band multiplier organisation . One might recall of such influences as God of War , Darksiders , or Devil May Cry , and they wo n’t be far off . The more unique maneuvers I do without taking equipment casualty , the high the multiplier and likely Reputation currency that I earn .
There are no downsides to have creative with attacks .
I grew to love compound different move and actions as part of a sequence . I ’d slash a foe a yoke of times , dodge at the last second , fuel a pistol , and then sidestep a blow so I could follow up with a annihilating counter . The system is quite forgiving too , as I still trust any repute I ’ve earned from combo when I get score or take damage . There are no downside to getting originative with attempt , makingFlintlocksignificantly more approachablefor newcomers to the Soulslike genre .
There are other ability to make use of , such as Enki ’s curse and priming . build up up an enemy ’s gauge via Enki ’s attacks stuns them and allows me to deal vital damage . I can also learn various skills and get perks by spending Reputation , including superfluous armor synergies , a ground pound that causes a shockwave , and even aBloodborne - esque gas pedal counter . Enki also has Withering ultimates that can be unleash , include a destructive AoE explosion , a buff that cause melee attack to prime a target , and a blacken beam of holy luminousness that live for several seconds .
have a wealthiness of moves at my garbage disposal , in connective with the try - and - tested Soulslike normal of parries and dodges , makes for exciting and frenetic moment . Although its normal trouble is a bit on the easier side of thing , I think that veterans of the musical style will be intrigued by the whimsy of doing no - hit run to rack up a idiotic multiplier note value .
Fly through the air with the greatest of ease
One of the more inventive aspects of Flintlock is its traverse . Nor does n’t just have a dash and a jump , but also a bivalent leap and an melodic phrase dash that are unlocked betimes in the campaign . These maneuvers can also be used in fighting and to avoid combat , and I certainly appreciated the additional mobility .
also , there are rift that let participant glide through the melodic phrase as Enki to reach new locations . The moments when I swim from one rift to another are some of the best in the biz , as they allowed me to see vast expanses and gorgeous venue , even though most literal country are rather small or analog .
These acrobatic moves , along with falling out mechanics and unequalled verticality , remind me of2023’sForspokenand some of the more late Assassin ’s Creed games . It ’s a nice modification of pace from the slow - locomote player characters I ’ve seen in other Soulslike title , and it makesFlintlockstand out in a typically slower - pace genre .
That ’s another area where I find myself feeling likeFlintlock ’s potential drop just is n’t to the full realized . While exploration itself is complemented by a high degree of maneuverability , there ’s no atmosphere of enigma or well - hidden secrets to make it worthwhile . You ’re almost undertake to find something anywhere you go , be it an detail chest or character encouragement , since areas are readily prove on the mapping . equate toLies of phosphorus , Lords of the Fallen , and various Soulsborne offering , discoveries inFlintlockaren’t about as rewarding as there ’s no sense of accomplishment for daring to go off the beaten path .
There ’s an star on many ofFlintlock ’s good features .
I specially feel that recede potency in side substance . Players can free colony by defeating a miniboss , opening up raw characters and sidequests . I was tie in by that concept initially , specially after seeing a rather unusual brute known as a emcee in one town . It become out that Hosts were n’t some opulent mystery ; they be to hand out quests and deal recolored uniforms . crossroads NPC , meanwhile , just survive . At good , some NPCs can be dispute to a secret plan of Sebo , where players move coin on a board to form a Triangulum . I played a few matches to earn extra repute , but it was n’t as engaging in the recollective streamlet . There ’s an star on many ofFlintlock ’s best feature article .
A whole lotta jank
Though underexplored in area , Flintlockdoes have a destiny go for it in its core action - RPG apparatus . unluckily , that electric potential is dragged down by a litany of issue that mar the overall experience . Some are clean underage , like how tooltips and degenerate travel prompts are n’t properly aligned on the mapping . Animations , meanwhile , seem besotted — and at time even jarring . A dear example is how armored knights are supposed to do a wander - up charge , but the movement happens in just a split secondment . likewise , fire vivification miss variety disregardless of the melee weapon I utilise ; maintain a hammer and landing a decisive blow look the same as chopping down a foeman with an ax or a blade .
Even worse is that foeman AI can be effortlessly exploit . I can climb up on a shelf or crateful , and my opponent ca n’t even reach me since there ’s no room for them to mantle . They just mill and shamble around like a clutter of African tea . Some enemies incline to walk back and forth aimlessly , as though their scripting is still think of what they need to do next . At first , I thought it was because Enki was distracting them via a inactive skill , but he was standing decently beside my type .
After a exhaustive 25 hour withFlintlock : The Siege of Dawn , I ’m left torn on what winds up landing place as a run - of - the - mill Soulslike . estimation like its combo arrangement make for a invigorated spin on a well - trodden genre , indicate a discharge of creativity in design . Those are just held back by other underdeveloped ideas that do n’t of necessity stand out in a particular facet . An added stratum of jank certainly does n’t help matters either . Whether you opine ofFlintlockas a rightful Soulslike or a Soulslite , as its developer call it , it ’s still lacking in both departments .
Flintlock : The Siege of Dawnwas essay on PC .
