Flintlock: Dawn Siege - Kotaku's Review
- Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a soulslike game by A44 Games.
- Set in a "Flintlock fantasy" world with magic and firearms.
- Follows Nor Vanek, who battles gods with an ax and pistol.
- Accompanied by Enki, a magical feathered fox granting abilities.
- Offers adjustable difficulty modes, including infinite health.
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Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn - The Streamers Visuals Review
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is the latest game from developer A44 Games, the team behind 2019's Ashen.
A soulslike set in a unique "Flintlock fantasy" where magical fantasy is fused with black powder firearms.
The roughly 10 to 20-hour story follows the struggle of Nor Vanek, a trench digger who finds herself in the middle of a world-changing event.
This event unleashes the power and wrath of ancient gods upon the world, sending it into a state of misery and despair.
Undead roam the land, and human factions find themselves corrupted by twisted ideologies and faith.
With an ax in one hand and a black powder pistol in the other, Nor sets out to take on the gods and right what went wrong.
But she's not alone.
Companionship and Magic
Accompanying her is Enki, a god taking the form of a small, adorable feathered fox.
Enki grants Nor the gift of magic, as well as companionship, as the two set out to make things right in the world.
These magical abilities provide Nor with the ability to deal extra forms of damage and unleash status effects on her enemies.
She can also traverse the world through triangular rift gates to access new areas and speed along on trips through previous routes.
Gameplay and Combat
The core structure is standard soulslike.
You explore the world to take on challenging foes, earning experience to level up your character.
Die, and you drop all the experience you have on you until you return to reclaim it.
Die before reclaiming the experience, and it's lost forever.
Study your enemies' moves carefully, strike when the time is right, block, parry, and dodge to ward off their attacks.
Where Flintlock departs from many of its genre siblings is its more forgiving nature across its three adjustable difficulty modes.
One of these modes allows you to turn on infinite health.
This lower level of difficulty might not be an irresistible siren's call for hardcore Souls fans, but it allows more players to experience the action on offer.
Audio and Presentation Issues
Unfortunately, Flintlock has some presentational issues, particularly with its audio treatment.
It was remarkably difficult to hear what characters were saying at times, even with subtitles on.
The volume levels of sound effects and music were uneven, often erupting in loud and abrasive ways.
Conclusion
Despite its issues, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a fantastic way to experience the thrills and satisfaction of a soulslike without constantly getting sent to "You Died" screens.
It features an approachable difficulty, a unique setting, and great characters.
While it could benefit from a longer runtime and better audio mixing, the game provides a fun and engaging experience.
If you've struggled with the soulslike genre in the past, you might find this game to be a welcoming entry point.
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