Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s Unique Gaming DNA – From Souls Games to… Playing?

There’s little doubt that Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn stands as half of a lineage of motion-RPGs – developer A44 has been open about calling its new sport a “Soulslite” for a while. However having spent a number of hours with the sport, even in its early phases, it’s clear that that’s solely a component of the image.

Flintlock introduces an all-new fantasy world with, for need of a greater time period, a ‘gunpowder-punk’ aesthetic . You’ll information the tortured Nor on a quest to reclaim her beleaguered world and precise revenge on vicious gods which have introduced armies of the undead together with them. Accompanied in an uneasy alliance by a lesser God, Enki, Nor makes use of melee axe fight, outdated-long-established gunplay, copious explosives and magic to make her method by way of the world.

And the influences are far from merely popping out of FromSoftware’s Souls collection. Flintlock is a real melting pot of gaming concepts, seamlessly combining acquainted ideas from some actually surprising sources. In the event you suppose you may have a deal with on what type of sport this will likely be, you could be shocked to be taught some of the tips it’s pulling. That can assist you put together, listed here are some of the nods I’ve seen alongside the best way.

Souls Games

We’ll begin with the obvious – the Souls video games are a key textual content for Flintlock. Like these video games, travelling by way of the world is a case of discovering checkpoints (on this case, these may be Campsites or Loadstones), taking up enemies who can take you down in only a few fast hits, and banking forex (right here, it’s Fame) which will likely be misplaced upon loss of life and must be reclaimed while you return.

Like FromSoftware’s video games, Flintlock is exacting, and never afraid to punish you for an absence of focus (though issue ranges are provided right here). And like these video games, it lends a way of pleasure and dread to each new space, each new enemy kind and, most significantly, each boss.

Fashionable Motion Classics

Flintlock’s fight could borrow mechanical concepts from Souls video games, however in apply there’s a flexibility and snappiness which will remind you extra of basic motion collection, from Satan Could Cry to God of Conflict. Combining axe combos, gunplay (which is each a ranged assault and an assault-interrupting parry of types), and magic – Enki can be utilized each for stat debuff assaults and highly effective ‘Ultimates’ – is a sooner, extra frenetic course of than most Souls video games.

There’s additionally a component of reward for skilful play right here too – the sport actively pushes you to chain collectively lengthy combos and make the most of completely different ways, which brings me onto the following part…

Playing

That is the place it begins to get actually surprising. One of Flintlock’s key concepts is in the way you acquire Fame. Virtually each motion you soak up fight will give you a specific amount of Fame, and defeating enemies affords a bit every time. However there’s a twist: for each kill, you acquire a multiplier to the quantity of Fame you’ll take residence. However take a single hit, and all of that’s gone. If you’re completely happy that you just’ve completed in addition to you’ll be able to, simply maintain left on the D-pad and also you’ll financial institution all that Fame.

It successfully provides a side of playing on your self towards the sport – do you belief your self to completely take down one other enemy after a tricky combat, or do you financial institution and begin the method once more?

Open World Conquering

Flintlock’s story revolves round reclaiming the world from its invaders, and that’s mirrored mechanically, too. Other than having a barely extra explorable world than many of the video games it’s drawing on, Flintlock additionally introduces an thought we’re extra acquainted with from the likes of Far Cry or Murderer’s Creed – conquerable enemy outposts.

If you enter an outpost – generally known as Hamlets right here – you’ll be tasked with discovering and dispatching the chief of the enemy faction stationed there. If you lastly do, you’ll unlock that Hamlet, cleansing up harm, returning its inhabitants to the streets, and opening up checkpoints, quick journey, outlets, and facet quests. It lends an actual feeling of development to your journey, seeing Nor bodily taking again misplaced areas as she goes.

Platformers

To associate with that sense of exploration, Flintlock affords Nor a wider moveset for getting round. Within the earliest phases, you acquire the magical capacity to make use of gunpowder for double jumps, or longer dodges, which may be mixed that can assist you attain ledges or cross longer gaps. However quickly, Enki steps in to supply one thing extra uncommon – Rifts.

Rifts are magical warp factors, unlocked by discovering shrines adorned with skulls – get close to a Rift, and press Y, and also you’ll transport to it, subsequently providing you to choice to drop down, enhance out, or soar increased. Quickly, you’ll be flying from one Rift to a different, and the sport will begin providing up puzzles about learn how to attain sure areas by utilizing a community of Rifts. It lends Flintlock an additional string to its bow, to not point out a way of verticality we don’t typically see from this sort of sport.

It’s maybe the clearest marker that A44 are doing issues very in another way right here – I’d advocate you have a look for your self when this distinctive motion-RPG arrives on Thursday, July 18 for Xbox Collection X|S and PC, coming day one with Recreation Go.