Summary
The Soulslike genre has come a long way since the early 2010s. Back in the early days of the genre, many Soulslikes were branded as shamelessclones ofDark Souls, with many failing to understand what worked so well about FromSoftware’s now-beloved formula, and instead simply delivering overly difficult action games with lackluster combat mechanics. But the Soulslike genre has grown exponentially since then, andFlintlock: The Siege of Dawnis a testament to that.
WhileFlintlock: The Siege of Dawnis far from a perfect game, it’s still a good showcase of just how far the Soulslike genre has come in the last 10+ years. From some creative boss design to engaging level layouts to a slew of unique features,Flintlock: The Siege of Dawnis far from being a shameless copy. In fact, there’s one particular set of features that helpsFlintlockstand out from all of its contemporaries.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Was Smart to Focus on Traversal
Platforming Isn’t Usually a Major Part of Soulslikes
When it comes to level design, bothDemon’s SoulsandDark Soulsare fairly linear affairs. ThoughDark Soulshas some unmatched interconnected level design, most of its locales function similarly toDemon’s Souls' Worlds, encouraging the player to move forward, defeat enemies, reach a final boss, and kill it to move on to the next area. Platforming doesn’t really play a role in these FromSoftware games, with the jump button being used so rarely that it’s tacked onto the sprint input command.
Essentially borrowing the groundwork ofDemon’s SoulsandDark Souls, a lot of early Soulslikes carried over these games' mechanics and level design. This means that many early Soulslike games didn’t have any dedicated platforming mechanics or sequences, and certainly no special traversal abilities. But asthe Soulslike genrecontinued to grow, and more sub-genres were encompassed under the same umbrella, platforming and traversal started to become a more prominent feature of some Soulslikes.
That being said, platforming is still mostly relegated to Soulslikes which have a more action-adventure-focused approach. A good example of this isStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, which is anaction-adventure gamefirst and foremost that takes inspiration from Soulslikes with its combat and RPG elements. But these types of Soulslikes are still quite rare. EvenElden Ring, which finally has a dedicated jump button and a mount, tries to keep its platforming to a minimum. This is whereFlintlock: The Siege of Dawnfinds its niche.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Stands Out Due to its Platforming
From the get-go,Flintlock: The Siege of Dawnputs its platforming mechanics front and center of the experience. As soon as players unlock their talkingfox companion Enki,they’ll have immediate access to a double jump, air dash, and teleport mechanic, all of which allow the player to traverse the environment in explosive style.
Though much ofFlintlockcan feel a little janky, the game’s traversal mechanics help to make up for those shortcomings. Many of the game’s best animations appear while traversing, with the player-character stylishly throwing Black Powder grenades at their feet to dodge in mid-air. Embracing its traversal mechanics also helpsFlintlock: The Siege of Dawnto stand out from the rest of its Soulslike competition, which is necessary in such a crowded market.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
WHERE TO PLAY
From games studio A44, makers of Ashen, comes an explosive Souls-lite, where Gods and guns collide in a battle for the future of humanity.The Door to the Great Below has been opened unleashing the Gods and their armies of the Dead. The lands of Kian are besieged, the city of Dawn is on the brink of destruction. It’s time for the Coalition army to fight back. Embrace vengeance, gunpowder and magic as you embark on an epic journey to defeat the Gods, close the door and retake the world.Kill all gods.Your battle begins now.
