Flintlock, the latest action RPG from A44 Games, embarks players on an ambitious adventure filled with combat, exploration, and a touch of the supernatural. Set in a richly detailed yet often underwhelming world. Players assume the role of Nor Vanek a Blackstream Sapper and a warrior who is thrust into this adventure to save the world after her team opened a portal that let legions of undead onto their world. On her adventure, Nor will look to reassemble her team of warriors and become strong enough to avenge her friends and push back the old Gods.
Guns, Gods, and Loot is the premise
While Flintlock aims to deliver a compelling experience, it struggles with the ability to pull all of its ambitious ideas together into a cohesive and satisfying video game experience. This review delves into the game’s strengths and weaknesses, exploring its combat systems, upgrade mechanics, visual and sound design, and overall narrative to provide a comprehensive look at whether or not Flintlock is worth your time or money.
But first, if you haven’t played Flintlock yet, I would like you to take a minute to lower your expectations. This game has been loosely compared to some of the best games on the planet, and frankly, it doesn’t deserve this comparison. While it shares gameplay features with the likes of Bloodborne, God of War, Assassin’s Creed and other high profile gaming stalwarts, it doesn’t quite have the fit and finish of these titles. Flintlock is a “B” game, a game that often looks the part of AAA release, but doesn’t quite get there for one reason or another. And while the game has been described as a “souls-lite” a brand new genre which would seemingly suggest it’s an easier brand of souls game, it feels way more similar to something like the recent releases in the God of War series. If you purchase or play this game with that in mind, it’s actually a more redeemable, but no less mediocre title.
This quasi open world often lacks character
As a quasi open world game, Flintlock offers players a decent amount of freedom and exploration but you’re ultimately on a linear path. A sparsely populated and lightly flavored path, which often looks more inviting than it actually is. The main story follows Nor’s journey, with narrative beats that are slowly unveiled as players progress. While the pacing is appropriate for the game’s length, the story lacks engaging characters and compelling lore. Side quests and interactions with NPCs do little to enhance the lore or depth of the game world, often feeling like missed opportunities for richer storytelling. Where gameplay aspects of Flintlock feel more ambitious, on the narrative and world-building front, the game lacks the same. With so much controversy regarding the diversity consulting surrounding this game, you’d think that it would have more interesting undertones, or more interesting characters, or vibrant cultures within the game. Sadly, it doesn’t and A44 plays it close to chest narratively, even if they’ve met their quota to represent people from all walks of life in the game.
All of that is redeemable or even secondary when it comes to games. Generally, good gameplay trumps bad story most of the time. In Flintlock’s case, it is almost redeemable by that regard. There’s a deep combat and traversal system, but it also struggles to deliver a cohesive and impactful experience. Both combat and traversal feel floaty and loose in a way that feels like a detriment to all the systems at play. Reminiscent of Bloodborne with its combination of melee and ranged combat, throw in a magical companion and you’ve got a three-pronged combat system that does have its moments. Those moments are overwhelmed by the overarching impact-less combat system. The core combat is structured in such a way where enemies big and small have standard and unblockable attacks. When the attacks are standard you can parry and counter. When they’re unblockable you need to use the dodging mechanics or flintlock to stun them. There’s a good rhythm to the combat for the most part, but for a game named flintlock, a primary combat mechanic in the game, it feels underwhelming.
Good gameplay can trump bad story
The game attempts to blend traditional platforming with innovative mechanics like rifts and black powder jumps. While these elements provide moments of excitement, the overall traversal experience feels floaty and imprecise. The combination of loose controls and ambitious platforming segments creates a disjointed feel, detracting from the immersion. However, the traversal mechanics do occasionally shine in puzzle-solving scenarios, adding a layer of complexity to quests. That said, so much of Flintlock in this regard feels like its there to utilize a system rather than having a good in-world reason.
The progression system in Flintlock draws inspiration from the Souls-like genre, with players earning reputation points for defeating enemies and completing tasks. These points can be used to unlock various upgrades and skills, enhancing ranged damage, melee combat, and companion abilities. The skill tree is straightforward and effectively doles out power as players advance. Additionally, the game features a variety of weapons, each with unique attributes and upgrade paths, allowing for some degree of customization. The souls comparisons are thin here, but the one core mechanic at play is that you can lose all of the reputation that you’ve earned in the game if you happen to die and can’t make it back to the spot you perished.
Despite these systems, Flintlock struggles to fully embrace its action RPG identity. The reputation point mechanic, while adding a layer of challenge, doesn’t quite capture the penalizing yet rewarding feel of true Souls-like games. Instead, Flintlock leans more towards the recent God of War series in terms of gameplay style, but without the same level of polish and refinement. The game’s loot system is somewhat underwhelming, with most rewards coming from treasure chests guarded by enemies rather than drops from defeated foes which feels like a missed opportunity for something bigger to sink your teeth into offering things like more character builds or weapon loadouts. It just simply doesn’t have the depth that you might expect from a bigger game.
A mixed-bag across the board
Flintlock’s visuals are also a mixed bag. On one hand, the game features sharp graphics and technically sound design, making it visually comparable to modern AAA titles. On the other hand, the world and character designs often lack personality, giving the game a generic feel. The environments, while detailed, don’t quite capture the distinctiveness seen in other top-tier action RPGs. There were many times where you’d have a hard time distinguishing this between a God of War or Assassin’s Creed game. That’s not a bad thing, but in the case of the latter it kind of means that the game has a generic feel to it. And that’s from the world itself to the enemy designs, animations, characters, it all lacks some personality. Sound design in Flintlock also leaves much to be desired. The soundtrack sets a somber tone that fits the game’s atmosphere, but the sound effects are inconsistent and at times distracting. Certain effects feel out of place or overly loud, which can break immersion and detract from the overall experience. While the sound design isn’t a deal-breaker, it’s another area where Flintlock just doesn’t quite hit the mark.
And that’s the common theme of this review. Flintlock is a decent/mediocre action adventure game the likes of which we just don’t see anymore. While these games were common place in the early aughts they just aren’t made that often any more. Perhaps that’s a symptom of Gamepass in itself, a built-in audience that is only out a few hours of their time if they don’t get hooked. And it’s reflected in the price of the game. Flintlock is $35 on Steam for the moment and that’s a comfortable price point for a game of this quality. $35 is a pretty good deal for 15 hours of entertainment, whether you enjoy it or not.
Flintlock is a game that aims high but falls short in several key areas. Its combat and traversal mechanics show promise but lack the refinement needed to truly shine. The upgrade system and progression mechanics provide some depth, but not enough to elevate the overall experience. Visual and sound design are adequate but not exceptional, contributing to a game that feels passable but not memorable.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Flintlock offers a mixed experience that may appeal to some players, especially those with access to Game Pass. However, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the franchises it’s often compared to. While there’s potential here, Flintlock struggles to stand out in a crowded genre, delivering an experience that’s decent but far from great.
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