In the subgenres of gaslamp and flintlock fantasy, which are growing thanks to titles likeFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn, a defining characteristic of the setting isthe existence of both magic and early firearms. Games have balanced this dynamic differently as they’ve started to explore the genre, andFlintlockis no exception.
Game Rant askedFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s creative director Simon Dasan how the new Souls-lite approaches its balance between magic and firearms. Dasan took cues from flintlock fantasy novels like thePowder Magetrilogy, but how that translates to gameplay is a delicate balancing act to ensure guns and magic are equally significant.
Casting Spells and Counting Shells
ForFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn, the game’s lore made the needs for its balancing clear to Dasan. Magic and gunpowder are equally potent inFlintlock’s story, which meant striking a satisfying balance in gameplay had to be a precise act.Flintlockcouldn’t allow either guns or magic to feel like a situational boost supporting the other or have one completely outclass the other. Dasan outlined the goals of the game’s balance during our conversation:
Ultimately you need to satisfy two goals: To have the guns feel powerful and impactful without disrupting the balance of the game, and to satisfy the narrative needs of the gunpowder being a turning point in the war against the Gods. I think we’ve ended up in a really good place, where your vast array ofFlintlockweaponry helps you in various situations, but you’re still able to bring the fight to everything in a considered way.
Having access to human gunpowder and the god magic is core to what makesprotagonist Nor Vanekcapable of rising to the occasion inFlintlock, but aren’t the only factors in her potency in combat. Her backstory also includes a decade of training with the Coalition Army in their mission to hold the realm of the afterlife at bay in the City of Dawn. That training and her introduction to Enki all play into that balancing act, but it also allows Nor and Enki to utilize their powers in different ways. As Dasan explained,
Firearms and magic have different strengths. For example, Nor can use her firearms to pick enemies off at range, or her pistol can interrupt enemy attacks that would be deadly otherwise. On the other hand, Enki’s magic can inflict curses on the enemy and weaken them, leaving them vulnerable to powerful critical hits that can do huge damage and turn the tide of battle against even the deadliest of foes.
In this way, magic and guns synergize to open up opportunities for massive damage with firearms, or to buy time to cast spells with interrupts, making the two options equally important and necessary formastering the souls-lite combatpresent in the game.
Magical and Firearm Options
That isn’t to say there’s only one way to play with these elements, however. Dasan and the team at A44 Games want players to be able to experiment with different builds, including ones that focus on more on one thing or another, or experiment with a variety of builds that keep both at the fore. Speaking about players relying on one element more than another, Dasan explained,
We want people to be able to play their way and have it be fully viable. There aren’t really many pros and cons from a gameplay perspective, just what suits a player’s playstyle. We really encourage people to explore different weapons, armors, Witherings, and skill builds!
He gave an example of members of the development team that rely very heavily on the Witherings provided by Enki’s magic. One tactic some members of the team was a skill that saw defeated enemies explode and prime other enemies for further magical challenges, and while this magic sounds powerful,the best Soulslike buildspull from multiple sources. Joining the core magic, melee, and firearm options are select gear, the entire skill tree, and much, much more.
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.
