Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
Summary
coiffe out to design a Souslike plot to be as accessible for entrant as possible while still catering to oldtimer seems like an almost insufferable project , and yet that ’s incisively the tightwire actFlintlock : The Siege of Dawnattempts . It ’s a valiant effort that ’s supported by some excellent art direction , voice play , and combatbut when it hail to wrap all those separate components together into a exclusive package , it struggles to stick the landing place . There ’s peck of playfulness to be notice in Nor Vanek ’s quest to kill the Supreme Being , but the story that ties it together is disappointingly thin .
Set in a " Flintlock Fantasy " creation , role player are tasked with stepping into the boot of the aforementioned Nor Vanek , a Sapper ( or armed combat engine driver who specialize in destruction ) who unknowingly unleashes a 3 of monstrous graven image upon the world . To make up for her error , she partners with Enki , a cryptic yet adorable entity who wishes to help her journey , although his motivations are suspicious , to say the least . search a smattering of fantasy image , the duo must grow in strength to vote out their enemies and hopefully free Dawn from the tyrannical entity laying wastefulness to the world .
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Great Premise, Disappointing Writing
Before discussing the thingsFlintlockdoes well , it ’s worth pointing out ahead of time that the game ’s story is underwhelming . The actual premise is compelling , especially given how rare the " Flintlock Fantasy " writing style is within the kingdom of video recording game , butThe Siege of Dawnskips over its character and congeal , rushing Nor through the afford segment to get her into the core gameplay as quickly as possible . There ’s very little circumstance given to anyone and anything , which makes the dramatic opening end , which is present as something histrion should manage about , vacuous and otiose .
The rest of the narrative mostly serves as a substance to have players move from village to hamlet , striking down whatever foe they come across . This does n’t need to be an issue;Doomis a prime of example of using a narrative to simply contextualize its mechanics . Yet whenFlintlockattempts to have its characters engage in some kind of growth or share an emotional moment , it almost always falls categorical due to how little the plot spends flesh them out to be more than upgrade stations , which is a pity because the voice playact , in general , is strong .
It ’s a good thing thatFlintlock ’s combat and traversal is so much fun , otherwise humdrum would set in much too ahead of time .
This outcome also filter in theFlintlock ’s quest design which often boils down to talking to an NPC , bolt down off some enemies , and return to earn a payoff . There are some standout second : an adventure in a spooky , destroy manor toward the ending of the game is a fun construction on the rule , but these are few and far between . It ’s a unspoiled thing thatFlintlock ’s scrap and traverse is so much fun , otherwise monotony would set in much too early .
Flintlock : The Siege of Dawn has quite a little of side content , but can player occur back to finish it after fetch up the story and vanquish the concluding boss ?
Flintlock’s Combat Is Explosive
To say thatFlintlock : The Siege of Dawnresembles a more approachableDark Soulsis perhaps not the best head of comparison . Developer A44 Games may position it as a"Soulslite " likeAnother Crab ’s Treasurebut in reality , the biz plays much closer to more recentGod of Wartitles . Nor is equipped with a little arsenal of weapons that grade from her trustworthy sidearm to two - handed grenade launcher - but more often than not , players will fall back on their scrimmage weapon which is nimble , snappier , and always feels impactful .
Combat is fast and while that may be a negative for other games in the genre , it works forFlintlock . Players will have to select their moments to swing , but thanks to a generous dodge automobile mechanic and the power to cancel enemy onset with a spry - fire handgun shot , the secret plan never find too punishing . That may disappoint fans look for a more gruelling experience ( but as anXbox Game Pass title , Flintlockis easy to take a circular on ) but it helps makeFlintlockaccessible for those who may not have the acquirement or coordination to successfully circumvent every attempt .
firelock : The Siege of Dawn is an upcoming action RPG that features a variety of skills , combat encounters , and a unique loose world to explore .
supply another stratum to combat is Enki himself who can be trip to put a curse on opponents that can do anything from whittling aside their armor to bring down a light poison . Flintlockis happy to allow players with as many instrument as potential to succeed , which is particularly evident in the equipment it hands out as rewards for quests . The variety in loot is n’t extensive , but every item feels distinct in its design , mean player will be capable to create a material body that works for them without having to fine tune it with different percentage modifiers .
Flintlock’s World Is A Joy To Navigate
Flintlockmay be a more running experience than some may anticipate , but the sizing of its levels could well trick those who are n’t paying aid . Across its three maps ( two of which are dramatically large than the third ) , Nor is able to jump up mountains , drop on enemies from above , and warp through the air thanks to unlockable portals scatter about the public . It verge on full - blow sandpile territory at times , given how muchFlintlockencourages actor to really dig into the box of the various surroundings .
It serve that while not every collectable is meaningful , there ’s generally a solid pick - up to be determine at the goal of a farsighted , out - of - the - room route . Whether that ’s a feather to charge - up Enki or a shrine to increase Nor ’s maximum HP , exploration is always honor with a decorous upgrade . It ’s all bolster byFlintlock ’s visuals , which are absolutely stunning in term of unmixed in writing fidelity and the art direction on display ; the Hosts that are shelter within every Hamlet ’s coffee tree store are particularly animate .
Final Thoughts & Review Score
3.5/5 - “Very Good” By Screen Rant’s Review Scale
Flintlock : The Siege of Dawnis an excellent start to what could be a very pop franchise for A44 Games . While the story is lackluster and delimitation dull , the fight , exploration , and art direction are all top - notch and help to make what could have been anotherDark Soulsimitator stand out from the bunch . There ’s a fortune to love about it , specially for those who ’ve been put off the Soulslike writing style and want to finally dip their toes in with an accessible , fun start power point - though veterans of the genre may want to be wary of what could be anotherSteelrisingdifficulty floor experience .
Screen Rantwas provide with a Steam code for the purpose of this follow-up .
