In 2018, indie New Zealand studio A44 introduced itself to the world with its debut mission, Ashen, a beautiful expertise set in a desolate and minimalistic world, delivering a conventional, strong Soulslike expertise, albeit with some irritating issue and balancing points. Six years on from its debut, A44 is again with its sophomore outing, and although Flintlock: The Siege of Daybreak nonetheless incorporates plenty of the weather which might be generally related to the Soulslike subgenre, its purpose is to ship a way more approachable motion RPG expertise. It’s, after all, not the primary recreation to have tried to skirt that line- however I can confidently say that few video games have executed it fairly in addition to Flintlock does.
In all the things from the construction of its world, the way it punishes loss of life, its strategy to issue, and the way it handles exploration, Flintlock: The Siege of Daybreak scratches that very particular Soulslike itch- which, after all, is one thing that we all know A44 is able to delivering, courtesy of Ashen. On the identical time, nonetheless, Flintlock can also be a way more forgiving recreation with a a lot decrease barrier for entry, whether or not that’s due to the a number of issue choices out there, due to fight simply typically not being as troublesome as it’s in most conventional Soulslikes, or due to extra granular components, like how beneficiant it’s with checkpoints or quick journey.
“In all the things from the construction of its world, the way it punishes loss of life, its strategy to issue, and the way it handles exploration, Flintlock: The Siege of Daybreak scratches that very particular Soulslike itch- which, after all, is one thing that we all know A44 is able to delivering, courtesy of Ashen. On the identical time, nonetheless, Flintlock can also be a way more forgiving recreation with a a lot decrease barrier for entry.”
However first issues first- let’s discuss what Flintlock precisely is. Set on this planet of Kian, it goes all in on the flintlock fantasy aesthetic, as its title suggests, which implies a mixture of all the normal fantasy components mixed with an early fashionable setting and early traces of know-how. In and of its personal, it’s a powerful aesthetic, and it’s one which the sport makes use of to nice impact, immediately carving out a singular visible id for itself and the world that it’s set in. You play as Nor Vanek, an elite soldier who, accompanied by the mysterious fox-like entity named Enki, is tasked with defeating highly effective beings which have escaped out into the world from the Nice Under and are actually wreaking absolute havoc, to place it mildly.
Flintlock: The Siege of Daybreak doesn’t totally decide to the Soulslike bit within the narrative and storytelling division both. True to the style’s common trappings, it does have cryptic notes and bits and items of textual content scattered about that vaguely allude to new particulars in regards to the lore, like new puzzle items ready to be put collectively, however on the identical time, Flintlock additionally isn’t as averse to traditional storytelling strategies and staples as Soulslikes usually are typically. There’s loads of cutscenes, not all characters that you simply converse to insist on talking in riddles, and there are even cities and settlements on this planet which might be populated with NPCs that you may work together and even play minigames with.
How effectively does it work? Properly, storytelling isn’t the place Flintlock’s strengths lie. As I discussed, I feel it boasts a powerful setting (the place the aesthetic does plenty of the heavy-lifting), however the place the story itself is worried, the sport is serviceable at finest. There are occasions the place I loved the interactions between Nor Vanek and Enki, and studying extra in regards to the world of Kian and its lore was all the time charming, however by and huge, the story was by no means something past passably fascinating, and infrequently was it wherever near being the factor that was holding me taking part in.
“Flintlock boasts a powerful setting (the place the aesthetic does plenty of the heavy-lifting), however the place the story itself is worried, the sport is serviceable at finest.”
There’s, nonetheless, loads else that will maintain you taking part in in Flintlock. The fight, as an illustration, is an absolute blast. Flintlock: The Siege of Daybreak is a way more approachable flavour of Soulslike, which implies even on regular issue, it’s not as troublesome as plenty of different video games within the style, but it surely nonetheless does preserve a good degree of problem, whereas additionally nailing a lot of the fundamentals fairly effectively. Chaining collectively assaults, dodges, and parries feels good on a core, moment-to-moment degree, particularly as the sport begins throwing an growing number of enemies at you, every bringing their very own distinctive challenges. In the meantime, fight additionally feels typically sooner than it does in most Soulslikes, with Nor Vanek’s actions being way more nimble and athletic.
Past that, the sport throws in further mechanics as new wrinkles within the proceedings, like armoured or shielded enemies presenting totally different obstacles, a wide range of firearms to make use of for ranged choices, or utilizing Witherings to unleash highly effective and magical skills throughout fights. Chief amongst Flintlock’s personal twists on acquainted concepts, nonetheless, is the Fame system, which is successfully the sport’s model of Souls, and as such, central to its development programs. At its core, it capabilities precisely the identical way- you earn it by defeating enemies, and then you definately spend it to improve your character- although right here, you’re doing that in a ability tree, which implies your choices are a bit extra guided and restricted than in conventional style choices. And sure, as you’d anticipate from a Soulslike, should you die, you lose your entire unspent Fame, although you may earn it again by returning to the spot of your death- until you die earlier than you do, during which case you’ve misplaced that chunk perpetually.
What makes the Fame system actually sing, nonetheless, is the distinctive threat/reward mechanic it comes with. Flintlock encourages gamers to combine up their actions and combos in fight, as a result of each time you do this, you enhance your Fame multiplier. So if, say, throughout on combat, you mix a wide range of dodges, assaults, parries, firearm assaults, and what have you ever, that combat will possible see your Fame going up. There’s a catch, nonetheless, as a result of as quickly as you get hit, your multiplier will get reset, and also you immediately earn nonetheless a lot Fame you’ve racked up till that time. That’s why the sport provides you handbook management over when to money in- do you belief your expertise and maintain growing your multiplier, hoping for a giant payout, or do you play it protected and maintain cashing in earlier than you get hit? It’s an unbelievable system, as a result of not solely does it encourage you to correctly have interaction with the sport’s full suite of fight mechanics, it additionally feels appropriately rewarding whereas additionally by no means feeling dauntingly punishing.
“Not solely does the Fame system encourage you to correctly have interaction with the sport’s full suite of fight mechanics, it additionally feels appropriately rewarding whereas additionally by no means feeling dauntingly punishing.”
Past that, Flintlock’s development mechanics are moderately easy of their implementation. You need to use the Fame you’ve earned to unlock expertise within the ability tree, slowly increasing your moveset and roster of skills, whereas there’s additionally gear to search out and equip to additional hone up your construct. Exterior of that, there’s new weapons to search out, present weapons to improve, cosmetics to buy, and extra. Soulslike fans may be upset within the lack of emphasis positioned on construct variety right here, however Flintlock’s development mechanics are greater than serviceable should you’re approaching it as extra of an motion RPG on this specific division, particularly because it’s the Fame system that’s the principle draw of Flintlock’s development facet of issues.
The place exploration is worried, Flintlock does a strong job of holding gamers engaged. Designed as a semi-open expertise, its world sees you seamlessly shifting by means of linear and semi-linear areas which might be linked to one another by means of loops and shortcuts in typical Soulslike style. There’s normally of loads of room for exploration, and as a rule, it tends to really feel appropriately rewarding. You’ll discover new companions to recruit on your caravan, optionally available areas to probe for highly effective gear, crafting sources to spend on priceless gear upgrades, hamlets to rescue so you may earn well being flask upgrades, and loads of facet quests to trace down.
Flintlock additionally ensures that the sooner pace of its fight displays in its normal traversal and exploration as effectively. Nor Vanek’s normal motion pace is sort of nimble, whereas she additionally has a repertoire of jumps, double jumps, dashes, vaults, and what have you ever that she is able to stringing collectively. Due to Enki’s skills, she will additionally fly by means of rifts within the sky, which by no means fairly will get boring. Flintlock’s motion and traversal be sure that even when the sport’s choices are somewhat generic or plain of their design – which I generally discovered among the facet content material or areas to be – merely shifting about and exploring environments stays enjoyable. The sport does really feel a bit janky in its actions and animations at instances, nonetheless, which is an issue that may often drag down each fight and traversal. I didn’t discover it to be an enormous challenge in my expertise, however others would possibly discover it extra annoying.
“The place exploration is worried, Flintlock does a strong job of holding gamers engaged.”
Jankiness is one thing that every one of Flintlock suffers from, however actually, technical excellence and top-of-the-line polish wasn’t one thing I used to be anticipating from this recreation anyway. It’s a basic case of a somewhat-technically-rough but vastly pleasurable AA expertise, one that really will shock you with its sights vistas every now and then. As soon as once more, the sport’s setting involves the rescue, permitting the artwork design to flourish and concoct environments and areas which might be usually a pleasure to behold- at the least so long as you’re not zooming into issues an excessive amount of.
Flintlock: The Siege of Daybreak is, in the end, a recreation with greater than sufficient going for it to make it a straightforward advice. Soulslike veterans seeking to proceed scratching the style’s very specific itch discover loads to like right here (particularly should you crank up the problem), whereas newcomers might have what might be the best choice for somebody who’s normally daunted by the style’s conventional strategy to issue. Enjoyable fight, partaking development, an excellent setting, and the wonderful Fame system mix to create what’s a strong, undeniably pleasurable motion RPG Soulslike that you simply positively shouldn’t skip.
This recreation was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
