Flinthook

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 582 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Flinthook Game Cover
Flinthook is a pleasant surprise and one of the best games of 2017 so far.
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"Flinthook" is a single-player sci-fi shooter game with outstanding action-platformer gameplay and roguelike elements. As space captain Flinthook, use your hookshot, pistol, and slowmo powers to plunder randomly-assembled spaceships for treasure and loot. Zip around levels at high speeds, shoot in 360 degrees, and slow down time to dodge hazards and take down enemies. The game boasts splendid visuals and an awesome soundtrack, though be prepared for some grinding.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 582 reviews
gameplay117 positive mentions
grinding46 negative mentions
  • The art style and animations are beautiful and charming, creating an engaging visual experience.
  • The gameplay mechanics, particularly the grappling hook and time-slowing abilities, provide a unique and satisfying platforming experience.
  • The game offers a sense of progression through a variety of perks and upgrades that can be unlocked and equipped.
  • The controls can be frustrating, especially with aiming and movement being tied to the same input, leading to unintentional damage.
  • The level design can feel repetitive, with many rooms and enemies lacking variety, making runs feel samey over time.
  • Hazards and traps often blend into the background, making them difficult to see and leading to cheap deaths.
  • gameplay313 mentions

    The gameplay of Flinthook is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics, such as grappling and time-slowing, which can create satisfying moments when executed well. However, many players find the core loop repetitive and the controls frustrating, particularly with the hook mechanic feeling unreliable at times. While the game boasts beautiful art and music, the overall experience is marred by a lack of meaningful variety and depth in gameplay, leading to a mixed reception.

    • “The gameplay is smooth and simply perfect.”
    • “The hook mechanic makes movement a delight.”
    • “The core gameplay is really top notch.”
    • “Nearly every run feels the same and most of the gameplay and loot variety doesn't lend itself to enhancing gameplay in any significant way; sure, there's optional content to engage with, but the core loop is grating.”
    • “The artificial difficulty is horrendous and the slow-motion mechanic feels like a messy fix for flawed platforming.”
    • “The gameplay is very repetitive, and the traps seem unfair at times, creating a claustrophobic, infuriating experience.”
  • music170 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its catchy, upbeat tunes that enhance the overall experience, often described as nostalgic and reminiscent of classic chiptune styles. Many reviewers highlighted the soundtrack as a standout feature, complementing the charming pixel art and fluid animations, although some noted that the music can become repetitive over time. Overall, the combination of engaging music and appealing visuals contributes significantly to the game's charm, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics.

    • “The music is amazing and the graphics are gorgeous!”
    • “The soundtrack is really good and like I've said before, the art is too.”
    • “The music, art style, and characters are all charming and run fairly well on non-NASA computers.”
    • “Cent #2: have mercy on our ears and don't have the same music track loop from one level to another.”
    • “However, the soundtrack feels limited and repetitive.”
    • “Just took 6 hours to beat the 1st boss and I was already fed up with the controls working against me, the repetitive music, and the weak power-ups and unlockables.”
  • graphics148 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, fluid animations, and cohesive aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. However, some players note that the visuals can occasionally hinder gameplay, as certain elements blend into the background, making it difficult to distinguish hazards. Overall, the art style and soundtrack are considered standout features, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite some design flaws.

    • “The graphics and music are beautiful, and the gameplay is entirely unique.”
    • “The game has amazing pixel art and just beautiful animations; every little thing is animated, and animated well, a true aesthetic pixel masterpiece.”
    • “The art style is fantastic, the music is good, and the idea behind it is pretty fun... in theory.”
    • “The graphics don't take into account visibility; spikes are colored the same as a metal floor and they're not made to stand out so the player can take them into account for the platforming.”
    • “The graphics look decent enough in most places; however, there are too many times where the bland color palette makes obstacles blend into the background or where safe spots to land blend in with unsafe spots to land.”
    • “Although I find the graphics, sound, and overall theme of Flinthook very enjoyable, I have to say that the game itself is kind of an unpleasant pain in the butt.”
  • story55 mentions

    The story of "Flinthook" is generally perceived as simplistic and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it feels more like a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central focus. While the game features a charming aesthetic and some interesting lore through collectibles, the narrative is often described as ambiguous and not particularly engaging, leading to a sense of repetitiveness and grind in gameplay. Overall, players appreciate the character design and the imaginative setting, but many feel that the story does not significantly enhance the roguelike experience.

    • “There is a lot of detail in every object and there are a lot of secrets to uncover. I like the whole backstory and universe, but especially the characters are done very nicely. They all have a personality, even if that personality is a bit cliché. I love the protagonist; he says nothing, but the gestures he makes speak for him.”
    • “The main story is a little ambiguous, but it's clear a large amount of effort has been made to flesh out the lore of this universe through lots of collectible items with colorful descriptions.”
    • “Flinthook is the story of Flinthook, a ghost space pirate who raids other space pirate ships, kills all the bad guys, takes all the plunder, explores all the areas, and gets all the neat stuff.”
    • “The game drops the player in with almost zero story of any kind and what is there makes almost no sense.”
    • “And, after all that the game still is an empty husk of a rogue-like with no feeling of reward or immersion to it, with a gibberish plot and story progression strung in to force the player to grind just to progress.”
    • “Its an okay game, but its lacking deeper mechanics, story, or variety to keep things interesting.”
  • grinding47 mentions

    The game's grinding mechanics are frequently criticized for being tedious and frustrating, often overshadowing the enjoyment of gameplay. Players report that the need to repeatedly collect currency and upgrade characters leads to a sense of monotony, with some describing the experience as unfair and overly reliant on grinding rather than skill development. While some appreciate the challenge and depth of the game, many feel that the grind detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging adventure.

    • “The game gets very grindy, and is sometimes brutally unfair.”
    • “The grinding, the unlocking of perks, the learning curve, the difficulty progression, it's all a mess.”
    • “I liked this game, but I have to be honest, I felt that I needed to do a lot of grinding to buy some needed upgrades, leaving me with a taste of over-repetitive, dull play.”
  • replayability21 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the charm and potential for improvement through daily challenges and an endless mode, others criticize the limited enemy variety and repetitive environments that diminish long-term engagement. Many agree that the game offers enjoyable mechanics and beautiful art, but it lacks the depth and variety found in more established roguelikes, leading to a sense of fatigue before fully exploring its content. Overall, it has decent replay value, particularly for dedicated fans of the genre, but may not satisfy those seeking infinite replayability.

    • “Otherwise a good roguelike, lots of charm, single player games like this literally have infinite replayability.”
    • “The game has a good replay value, you can always keep improving on the daily and weekly challenges, there is an endless mode after you completed all 4 bounties which is just insane especially when your health starts draining.”
    • “It’s these little secrets/variances inside and outside the ship that give the game quite a bit of longevity and replay value.”
    • “If I could completely change weapons, there were more kinds of hooks, anything like this would have gone a long way towards replayability.”
    • “Beyond control issues, it also suffers the classic curse of being a roguelite that doesn't actually have replayability, and this might be the worst offender of any roguelite I've played --- the enemy variety is cripplingly small, areas blend together, and good luck getting a power-up that actually means anything... not to mention, while the art is amazing, good lord, everything is so saturated that trying to figure out what's going to damage you is an exercise in patience.”
    • “Not a bad game but given that it is a roguelike game, keep in mind that you'll probably get sick of it before beating it, and that it has limited replayability.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and creative character and enemy designs, which evoke a sense of nostalgia while providing unique comedic elements. While some players find the humor can wear thin during frustrating gameplay moments, the overall upbeat soundtrack and distinctive sound design contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere that enhances the experience. Flinthook successfully blends quick movement with its humorous elements, making it a standout in the roguelike genre.

    • “Character and enemy design is brilliantly creative and fun, lending to some really unique and funny designs that feel like classic characters that you've enjoyed many times before.”
    • “The soundtrack is proper SNES stuff; very upbeat and full of life, as is the sound design that has one or two strange choices, I found, but that only made it more unique and even funny.”
    • “Flinthook mixes quick movement, quirky humor, and expands on roguelikes in a really cool way.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Reviewers consistently praise the character design and art style, highlighting the beautiful pixel-art and fantastic animations that enhance the overall experience. The character development is noted for its nostalgic appeal and engaging execution, contributing to the game's addictive and enjoyable nature.

    • “Beautiful pixel-art, incredible intro, a lot of content, perfect character design, wonderfully nostalgic, rogue-like, and most importantly very fun and addictive!”
    • “Great rogue-lite platformer - fantastic animation, character design, and music.”
    • “Love the art style, love the character design, and I don't think I will ever not love a grappling hook, especially executed this well.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by an engaging arcadey vibe, enhanced by intriguing world-building and atmospheric effects like cloud overlays. Players appreciate the sense of adventure that permeates the environment, making exploration feel exciting and immersive.

    • “I reached the second world, and one ship had a cloud overlay presumably for atmospheric effect.”
    • “The world that is built around the game is very interesting and intriguing; you can definitely feel this adventurous atmosphere.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization is generally solid, with smooth performance and reasonable level design, but players may find the experience progression slow unless they utilize specific perks. It's recommended to purchase the game at a discount rather than at full price.

    • “You earn XP depending on your performance during a bounty run, which unlocks new perks to buy and gives a few free ones. However, leveling can be slow unless you’re stacked with XP perks or actually finish a bounty.”
    • “Other than that, the game runs smoothly and has reasonable level design.”
    • “You earn XP depending on your performance during a bounty run, which unlocks new perks to buy and gives a few free ones, but leveling can be slow unless you’re stacked with XP perks or actually finish a bounty.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization model is straightforward and player-friendly, featuring no microtransactions or hidden costs, allowing users to enjoy the gameplay without any shady practices. Players can engage with the game freely, with the only monetization aspect being the inclusion of ads after defeating bosses.

    • “The game offers a fair monetization model, ensuring that players can enjoy the full experience without feeling pressured to spend money.”
    • “I appreciate that there are no microtransactions; everything can be earned through gameplay, which makes it feel rewarding.”
    • “The monetization system is transparent and player-friendly, allowing for a balanced experience without any shady practices.”
    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, as it constantly pushes players towards ads to progress.”
    • “I find the in-game purchases to be overpriced and unnecessary, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
    • “The reliance on ads for rewards disrupts the gameplay experience and feels like a cash grab.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of exhilaration and frustration, as players navigate challenging obstacle courses and face relentless enemies, creating a sense of adrenaline and intensity. The learning curve associated with mastering the game's mechanics adds to the emotional engagement, as players experience both triumph and struggle throughout their journey.

  • stability1 mentions

    Users have reported issues with stability, particularly noting that the hook mechanic can freeze players in place if misused, leaving them vulnerable to enemy attacks. This has led to frustrations regarding the game's design and overall execution.

    • “Your hook freezes you in position, leaving you open to enemy attacks for a second if you mistime when to use it, highlighting how poorly designed this game is.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable during crucial moments.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and stuttering, which ruined the overall gameplay experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

Buy Flinthook

Play time

7hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
3-12hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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