Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an action-adventure game. It was delayed multiple times but now it is out. It’s an old-fashioned video game, a single-player adventure that is part souls-like part new God of War- Like. If you can imagine this combination then this is how the combat of the game feels. The generic title makes it seem like a game that won’t stay in memory for long. From the story and main character, it is forgettable. There is some interesting gameplay and one can have fun playing it. I went in without expecting much but the experience turned out to be decent. It is not a game of the year contender or anything but it is good enough.
The developer knows the caliber of the game and does not overstate what it has to offer. From fighting generic enemies to bosses, all can be fun if you are into this kind of game. We have been seeing more and more games adding a pinch of souls-like to the games. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn plays around with that idea and manages to implement it for the most part. All this makes you wonder, is Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn worth it? Let’s find out.
Story and Stuff (Spoiler Free)
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn takes place in a setting that is a mix of The Order 1886 combined with something like a Greedfall and some other fantasy stuff. Gun power is the main resource. Soldiers in strange dresses, zombies, knights fighting with magical weapons, and even Gods. The world was left in ruins when some Gods left. You are a soldier called Nor Vanek who goes out on a quest after your crew is decimated and completely whipped by a God at the start of the game. Then Nor meets up with a friendly God who looks like a little magical fox-like creature known as Enki. He enables you to use special abilities.
Even though it is fun to play the game, the character and story are not as interesting. It’s not like I was expecting a story-driven experience from it but it could have been done better. Nor as a main character don’t leave that big of an impression. Her voice acting is good but it’s just that the game takes too much time to unwrap her character. The quest itself can feel vague like it starts off quickly, and for a while, it feels like you are just going with the flow.
There are some character motivations other than going there and doing that. This stuff is easily forgettable and that’s where Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn struggles with the story. The developers have tried to deliver a good background. There are towns, factions, costumes, and lore that feel kind of cool. All of it is surrounded by visually generic stuff, especially in early areas, clothes, and stuff like that. All of these things are secondary since combat is the main focus of the game.
Combat
The combat and exploration are the game’s strongest points. It’s not innovative, really good, or superfluid. However, it is decent and well-made. There is also some challenge to the game so don’t take it too lightly. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn has a good level and area design which can result in players exploring every part of a level for more secrets and loot. The area design is messed up but at the same time has stuff that you can look at. It is an open-ended world with a less general open-world feel. It’s more like a composite series of levels and sections.
You have a melee weapon which is an Axe and a pistol with a few shots. Melee strikes are the main attack that you will be using to take down the enemies. Landing attacks recharge your shots. Your guns can be used in multiple ways as the game progresses. It’s a good attack that can intercept enemy attacks. There is even a block button but you can only block normal attacks not heavy attacks. You can also parry which opens up the enemy for a good counterattack.
Enemies have a meter that can be weathered down through Enki attacks leaving them vulnerable. There are also ultimate attacks that you can use from time to time. You will discover more of these attacks from time to time.
Arms At Your Disposal
The game is structured similarly to a souls-like. There is a health potion for healing and there is a bonfire system. You can rest at these bonfires and it will spawn all the enemies similar to souls-like games. You can level up there and if you die, you lose souls.
You also have some throwables including a long-range musket which is different than your normal pistol. The further you progress the more will be the weapon you unlock. These weapons need to be used carefully. You can use slow motion or get other benefits through perfect reloads. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn will throw a lot of different stuff at you. The auto lock-on can screw you over from time to time but still manages to be fun.
The currency in the game is called reputation. You gain a reputation by killing stuff and progressing. You can then spend it on the skill tree. This much is simple but the game rewards you when you mix it up in combat. The more varied your attacks are and the more successful you are, the more reputation you will gain.
There is a multiplier at the side of the screen that will multiply your reputation when you engage in varied combat. The multiplier will disappear when you get hit by the enemy. At any point when the multiplier is up, you can press the button to cash in all the scores that you have at that moment. So you can either risk it and not cash it in to gain more reputation or you can just cash it in and play safe. It is a risk-reward mechanic and makes players notice the moment-to-moment changes.
Platforming
There is a lot of platforming in the game with air dashes and the ability to fly to some points. As you play the game, you will be jumping, climbing, and flipping while exploring. Clinging to the ledge is never on the point so yeah there are issues with ledge clinging. It is not that it does not work it is just that it does not feel good. At times, this might not even activate which results in you falling down.
It is always a good idea to access and see the enemies you will be facing when you get into a new area. This will allow you to see what type of enemies you will be facing. It feels good to clear out an area and reveal its secret. Naturally, I wanted more reputation points so I tried to keep the multiplier maxed out. I wanted to earn more reputation points because the skill tree Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is good.
Skill Tree
There are three different sub-trees. These skill trees focus on gunplay, magic, or melee. The majority of the things you get, make a huge difference in combat. You can feel the impact of these attacks on the combat. That’s the sign of a good skill tree.
You have different options available such as counteracting with a pistol instead of melee, a big area-of-effect downward blast, more ways to stun enemies, and stuff like that. It is fun to discover these abilities and use them in combat. The cost of abilities is not cheap and requires lots of reputation points. I found myself doing side missions and getting into combat a lot more just to get more points which makes it a good loop.
The Loop
There is good gear to be found when you venture outside the main paths including a helmet, armor, gutless, cosmetics, and weapons. All of it looks really cool. The gears have important RPG stats or tide-turning features. You might stick to weapons and armor that suit your playstyle throughout Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. I used all the gear pieces that gave my attacks more power and buffs. There is a little bit of customization but if you play like me then you might stick to what works best for you.
Upgrading weapons and gear requires material and that material can be found throughout the world. Additionally, all of it requires reputation currency, and a lot of it. So you would need reputation points for both skill upgrades and gear upgrades. The focus of the game is finding the right material and then sticking to it. Since both skill upgrades and gear upgrades require reputation, they can get in the way of each other. There is a balance and you have to go along with it. Separate currency for the two could have made things a lot better.
One of the major issues with the game is that it can get repetitive quickly. From the tasks, you have to do to progress to the same type of stuff that keeps repeating especially in the first few hours. Going around in circles in caves and fighting zombies can be a tiresome experience in the first few hours of the game. Further in the game, the locations become better and more varied.
Verdict
The game hits you like a double A kind of feeling and it is prevalent throughout the game. It’s not like the game is trying to be a next-gen triple-A open-world experience. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an old style and straight straightforward flawed video game that is aware of its limitations. If you are a fan of Evil West, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden of New Eden, or a game like that then this will feel right at home. It’s all about expectations, if you are expecting too much from it then it might come as a disappointment. On the other hand, if you are coming at it without expecting much then it can be to your liking.
It is a lower-price game that is also available on Xbox Game Pass. If you are into these kinds of games then maybe you should check them out. I had an absolute blast with Evil West which is this kind of game. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn does not take much time to see most of it so it is not that big of a game. It handles a delicate balance and stands right on the cusp of being a soul-like game. It is a comfortable souls-like introduction and can even be called simi-souls-like. If you like these types of games or have time then do give it a go.
Trailer:
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