Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn features an exciting blend of fantasy, guns, and chaos | Hands-off preview
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn looks awesome. Although I didn’t get to play through what I saw, the mechanics at play all flow so well together, from the range of combat options to movement, it’s fast becoming one of my most anticipated releases. While dark magic can be used to teleport from place to place or attack the undead army you find yourself fighting against, firepower is also something you’ll get to play with. It’s refreshing to see the mix of artillery and magic in a fantasy world, but how it all works together has great potential for some satisfying battles. Oh yeah, and it kind of feels like a Soulslike, too.
The premise follows the return of the Gods after being abandoned by them. In the time they were away, humanity were left to fend for themselves, inventing gunpowder and crafting weapons of all kinds. Now the Gods have returned, bringing with them an army of the undead and unleashing them on the world. Flintlock features a fantasy world that takes inspiration from everywhere. While there is a high fantasy element, the main location in the gameplay presentation I saw looked like something from the American west of the late 19th century.
You’ll play as a fierce warrior known as Nor Vanek, a member of the Coalition army. Accompanying her on her mission to defeat the undead is Enki, a telepathic fox with horns and talons that will aid her on her journey. Straight away, I got to see just how movement and combat worked in harmony with one another. Nor can jump across wide gaps, firing her fancy pistol beneath her to keep her in the air. She can also teleport across areas, making traversal look both cool and fun to do. What really stood out was the combat, and boy, did it look awesome.
Nor can fight the undead with her axe, getting in close to deliver some devastating blows, but she can also fire her pistol from a distance. Enki can also get involved, and multiple times they would do a teleport attack where they would appear next to a distant enemy and rip through them with their claws. When all these attacks are chained together, serious damage can be done, giving you plenty of options to dispatch the various creatures you’ll face. While the standard fodder doesn’t take too long to dispatch, the tougher enemies are where Nor’s skills will be pushed to the limit.
One of the first tougher enemies she faced took time to defeat. Parrying plays a big role in Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. When trying to get a perfect parry to deliver extra damage, along with using all the abilities on offer, you have more of a chance to defeat them, but this creature was tough. This was when the Soulslike elements started to show, and how pinpoint attacks and agility will play a big role. Of course, dodging is vitally important, too. Some of the enemies in the presentation took a lot of skill to defeat, but I feel this is where most of the enjoyment is going to come from.
Perhaps the coolest thing I saw was Nor Vanek’s fight with the God of Knowledge. It was the first and only proper boss I saw, but the encounter was enough to cement Flintlock a valid alternative to FromSoft titles. This fantasy creature was covered in armour, and at first it took a while to deplete its energy despite a consistent barrage of attacks. Nor used multiple teleport attacks from Enki, but it was the perfect parries and tactical strikes that benefitted her more. The God of Knowledge used this huge blast of energy that fired in her direction, but by dodging and getting in close, she was able to chip away at its health.
The God also used its huge sword to chain attacks together, fly into the air and drive its blade into the ground, and fire waves of white energy directly at Nor. The battle was intense, but thanks to some unique abilities, dark magic, and her sword, she was able to finally defeat the God. I can’t wait to see more from the enemies, especially some of the other bosses because the God of Knowledge was wonderfully designed. The choreography in the fight was exceptional, and looks like one hell of a challenge.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn looks great. From its similarities to other Soulslike titles with how combat works in regards to parrying, dodging and attacking, to the variety in Nor’s weapons and attacks, battles are going to be enjoyable. Movement also looks like a blast, and Enki is a companion that’ll be a great help the further you progress through the story. I’ve only seen a glimpse of Flintlock, but I’m already counting down the days until it releases.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is set to release in early 2023 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
