Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 309 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Game Cover
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an action-RPG that delivers on most of its promises, along with some solid side content that is well worth indulging in – even if the full game isn't anything particularly remarkable.
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"Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn" is a Souls-lite action game from A44, where you play as Nor Vanek, a Coalition army member, seeking vengeance against the Gods who have opened the Door to the Great Below and unleashed their army of the Dead. Joined by a mysterious fox-like companion, Enki, you must fight back, using gunpowder and magic, to close the door and retake the world. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes three customization packs for Nor's outfits. Your battle against the Gods begins now.

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Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 309 reviews
story58 positive mentions
stability8 negative mentions
  • Flintlock offers a fun and engaging combat system that combines melee and ranged attacks, providing a unique gameplay experience.
  • The game features beautiful graphics and a well-designed world that encourages exploration, with plenty of rewards for players who venture off the beaten path.
  • The relationship between the main character, Nor, and her companion, Enki, adds depth to the story and enhances the overall experience.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, including frame rate drops and occasional crashes, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • Enemy variety is limited, and some combat mechanics feel unbalanced, leading to frustrating encounters, especially with certain bosses.
  • The story and character development are underwhelming, with many characters feeling one-dimensional and the narrative lacking depth.
  • story173 mentions

    The story in "Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn" receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging yet flawed. While some appreciate the character development and world-building, others criticize the pacing, lack of depth, and underwhelming conclusion. Overall, the narrative is seen as a secondary element to the gameplay, with many players enjoying the combat and exploration more than the story itself.

    • “I liked Nor and Enki a lot, and rescuing old comrades and bringing them together is satisfying, with each character being well-written and having their own story and relationships.”
    • “The story is good overall, even though there are no major surprises or plot twists that would blow your mind, but the world it paints is interesting, lively, and colorful.”
    • “The story, while not extremely deep, was overall enjoyable.”
    • “The story is rushed and crudely executed; the dialogue could be better.”
    • “The story feels like another take on the God of War formula, what with the whole killing gods theme.”
    • “The storytelling, voice acting, sound mixing, and writing are all subpar, which really hurts the storytelling.”
  • gameplay131 mentions

    The gameplay in "Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn" is a mixed bag, featuring fluid combat mechanics that blend elements from souls-like games with a unique reputation system and traversal mechanics. While many players find the combat satisfying and engaging, with a variety of attacks and mobility options, others criticize the game's clunky controls, confusing mechanics, and technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the game offers a fun and accessible gameplay loop that rewards exploration and experimentation, making it enjoyable for those willing to navigate its rough edges.

    • “The gameplay is fluid, intuitive, and engaging.”
    • “The combat is interesting and requires you to pay attention to animations and mechanics without ever feeling unfair or crushingly difficult.”
    • “The gameplay overall is very good throughout, with only a few misses in gameplay or bugs/issues, and the game is pretty enough that I'd actively look at the scenery.”
    • “Confusing mechanics choice by the developers.”
    • “Floaty movement mechanics and combat make for a poor experience.”
    • “The game needs more polish to eliminate issues like enemies hitting the player through their block; the parry mechanic not working when there is a slight height difference between player and enemy, and the camera lock-on getting stuck or just dropping at random.”
  • graphics53 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the stunning visuals and art style, while others criticize technical issues such as optimization problems and graphical pop-ins. Many agree that while the graphics can be beautiful and immersive, they do not consistently reach the potential of modern engines, leading to a somewhat uneven experience. Overall, the visuals are generally regarded as good, but not without their flaws, impacting the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “The graphics, animations are good, maybe even great but do not quite reach the limits of the new Unreal Engine, but it is solid work.”
    • “The graphics are very attractive and the game runs really well.”
    • “Beautiful graphics and fun and engaging combat system so far!”
    • “Unstable and disappointing graphics.”
    • “Looks bad technically and dull aesthetically.”
    • “Very unoptimized, no real graphics settings, clunky gameplay mechanics, linear gameplay, no story worth hearing, gets boring and repetitive quickly.”
  • optimization39 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant stuttering and frame drops, particularly on high-end systems and the Steam Deck. While some users report smooth performance and praise the visual quality, others highlight the need for further optimization and patches to address the inconsistent performance issues. Overall, while there are moments of good performance, the game is generally considered to be poorly optimized, requiring adjustments to graphical settings for a better experience.

    • “Performance-wise, it's pretty smooth, stable 60 fps at 1440p with everything maxed out on RTX 3070.”
    • “Good performance is a rare thing these days, and A44 Games deserve praise for delivering such a good-looking game in a well-optimized state.”
    • “The game is also well optimized; I haven't seen any pop-in or glitches, and it even runs well on Steam Deck at medium-high settings at around 30-45 fps.”
    • “Massive stuttering if you have a current-gen video card.”
    • “From a technical standpoint, the game feels incomplete and poorly optimized.”
    • “So poorly optimized it's literally unplayable.”
  • music28 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric and dynamic qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the fantastic soundtrack and its ability to enhance the gaming experience, especially during exploration and boss fights. However, some players noted issues with sound mixing, such as music overpowering dialogue and inconsistent audio levels during critical moments. Overall, while the soundtrack is well-received, there are concerns about its production quality and volume control.

    • “The music is fantastic throughout.”
    • “There are moments when I swear that the music reached a much more intense level as I crested a rooftop or hill, almost like it was underscoring the magnificent view I had uncovered.”
    • “Music on the other hand is absolutely fantastic and I hope we get a soundtrack release on Steam in the future.”
    • “Even after turning the music slider down to half, it's way too loud during boss fights.”
    • “The background music often muffles what the characters are saying.”
    • “The un-skippable story cutscenes, boss fight music, NPC dialogue, and the earsplitting opening splash art when you boot the game all play at max volume, no matter what you have the master volume at.”
  • character development10 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the engaging banter and philosophical conversations between characters, particularly between the player character and Enki. However, many reviewers criticize the lack of depth and on-screen development, noting that significant character growth occurs off-screen and that the story feels detached, leaving characters feeling underdeveloped despite their appealing designs. Overall, while the character design is highlighted as a strong point, the narrative and character development aspects leave much to be desired.

    • “The character design for Nor, the player character, and Enki, your soon-to-be companion for this adventure, along with their banter and conversations along the way, is the highlight of Flintlock.”
    • “I've only played on normal difficulty, and in the beginning, there are a few moments where the game seems harsh and unforgiving, but roughly halfway through, you will just cross the threshold with your character development, and even bosses will only make you sweat a bit.”
    • “I enjoyed the theme, the character development, and some of the more thought-provoking and philosophical conversations between your character and Enki as you wander around.”
    • “Bad story and character development.”
    • “And a disappointing amount of the character development happens off-screen.”
    • “The characters were alright but no depth to them and no character development either.”
  • stability9 mentions

    Overall, player experiences with stability vary significantly; while some report a smooth gameplay experience with minimal glitches, others encounter quest-ending bugs, crashes, and audio issues. Many users note scattered lag spikes and minor visual bugs, but overall, the game is considered less buggy than many other titles in its genre. Despite some unpolished aspects, a significant number of players have enjoyed a stable experience without major disruptions.

    • “It's overall a great game, with no glitches or bugs. The faster-paced Souls-type combat has its own unique spin, great graphics, and the price is definitely acceptable for its size.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any technical issues, providing a stable experience that enhances the overall enjoyment.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the game is; I haven't encountered any crashes or significant bugs, which makes for a seamless gaming experience.”
    • “There are aspects to the combat, gameplay, and world-building that should be commended, but quest-ending glitches and some graphical pop-ins do diminish the overall experience.”
    • “The game likes to crash often, audio is a little buggy at the starting phase, and some of the combat feels more annoying than hard.”
    • “It's not a great game; it does feel a little unpolished at times (the sound mixing is bad, some bugs with hitboxes/enemies getting stuck on things, etc.), but it's still less buggy than the average overpriced, overpromised title.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the combat is enjoyable, the later stages, particularly after the dukmar boss, can feel tedious due to high hitpoints and a rushed ending. Farming is not strictly necessary on normal difficulty, but it can enhance the experience by providing skills and upgrades, making it a fun risk/reward element for those seeking a challenge. Overall, while some players appreciate the grind for its rewards, others view it as a chore that detracts from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “This game has fun combat but grindy, boring achievements.”
    • “I really liked the first 3/4 of the game, but starting with the Dukmar boss, the end feels kind of rushed and therefore the later bosses are very grindy (lots of hit points) and not fun for me.”
    • “For reference, I completed Elden Ring and found it thoroughly enjoyable, but this game felt more like a tedious chore rather than having fun.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of witty dialogue, engaging character banter, and amusing gameplay mechanics, such as a janky sniper bullet camera that adds a comedic touch. While the plot may be predictable, it is delivered with a sense of care, and the characters are likable, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience filled with lighthearted moments. Players appreciate the blend of humor with the game's engaging combat and world-building, making for a memorable playthrough.

    • “They even implemented a sniper elite-like bullet camera for the sniper headshots (it's a bit janky, but hilarious).”
    • “Still, despite all its flaws, the voice acting was good, there was plenty of various humor elements, the plot, while predictable for a souls light, felt like someone who cared wrote it, and it wasn't difficult to follow.”
    • “Characters were likeable, funny banter and enjoyed my playthrough immensely once I got over the early game hump.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The atmosphere in Flintlock is characterized by a blend of engaging combat and dynamic environments, reminiscent of titles like Atlas Fallen and God of War. While it sacrifices some of the darker, dungeon-crawling elements typical of souls-like games, it successfully creates an eerie beauty through its setting and narrative, enhancing the overall experience without being intrusive. The music and sound effects contribute positively, though they are not particularly remarkable.

    • “The music is dynamic and atmospheric, and the sound effects are also good.”
    • “I was having a good time; the combat feels like God of War/Banishers, and the atmosphere feels like Atlas Fallen, which is a compliment because I like the environments.”
    • “Flintlock offers way more engaging combat with the axe and guns combo, verticality and platforming centered around in-air maneuvering, and world interactions, at the expense of some of the pure, drippingly dark atmosphere of Ashen's dungeon crawling.”
    • “Souls-like principles inevitably create a timeless artificiality to their environments, which can make for a weird, haunting atmosphere, but that requires a particular type of liminal narrative (like in a FromSoftware game), and Flintlock is trying to tell a story more upfront, about a civilization desperately trying to hold off against a divine onslaught.”
    • “The game's setting – a door left open to the afterlife – sets the stage for eerie beauty.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be deeply impactful, with some expressing strong feelings from the very beginning, including moments of laughter and tears. The intricate exploration and unique mechanics contribute to a rich emotional experience, despite some frustrations with gameplay elements. Overall, the game evokes a range of emotions, enhancing player engagement.

    • “The execution... I cried from the first seconds of gameplay; the movements of the main character are hilarious.”
    • “I decided to stick with the default more soulslike controls as that's what the over-the-shoulder camera made me feel more comfortable playing like.”
    • “Exploration is nice and intricate, especially with the rift traversal mechanic.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Flintlock features a solid single-player campaign with no microtransactions or predatory monetization practices, providing a straightforward gaming experience without misleading advertising.

    • “Flintlock is a really solid single-player campaign with zero microtransactions or predatory content.”
    • “The advertising is lying to you.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers around 13 hours of gameplay but suffers from low replayability, as players find little incentive to revisit it beyond completing the main objectives. Many reviewers express a desire for more content and variety to enhance the game's longevity.

    • “The game offers a variety of choices that significantly change the outcome, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
    • “With multiple endings and different character paths, I find myself coming back to explore all the possibilities.”
    • “The dynamic world and evolving storylines encourage me to replay the game to experience everything it has to offer.”
    • “All in all, about 13 hours of gameplay to complete, and an exceptionally low degree of replayability due to the lack of incentive beyond pure completionism for completionism's sake.”
    • “The game is not bad, but I wish the developers had put more effort into making it more playable and longer.”
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Critic Reviews

61% average critic score

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Play time

12hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
8-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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