The source of conflict is the Door to the Great Below. It’s opened, potentially due to Nor’s mysterious companion Enki causing the undead and Gods to enter the world. Thus, the duo hacks and slashes through all kinds of foes to close it and perhaps restore some order to the world. Of course, the Gods won’t let them do so without a fight.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn features some Souls-lite elements, with Nor utilizing a hatchet and various firearms to lay waste to enemies. Enki aids in exploration and movement, but you can also discover gear with effects like increased melee attack range. There are three skill trees to specialize in close quarters combat, magic or ranged damage. Head here for more details.

As Nor Vanek, players fight with the Coalition army to close the Door to the Great Below from which the Gods and the undead armies have poured out. Joined by Enki, who has his own history with the Gods (and may be responsible for their freedom), you’ll encounter Rammuha, who wields three swords; the previously revealed Dukmar; and Inaya, a compassionate goddess that’s now twisted.

The trailer ends with Enki ominously not wanting Nor to die alongside him, while the latter doesn’t want him to die alone. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn launches on July 18th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. You can check out our feature for more details, including impressions of the recent demo from Steam Next Fest.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s newest trailer offers fresh glimpses of various facets of its gameplay experience, with the bulk of the focus being on the combat. On top of employing Soulslike elements, Flintlock will also introduce its own gameplay wrinkles in the form of an emphasis on mobility of flashy movement, which is also on full display in the trailer.

On top of that, we get another look at the game’s gear system, its progression mechanics and skill tree upgrades, and more. For players looking forward to the game, it’s another meaty look at it before its approaching release.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn launches on July 18 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

From the Makers of Ashen

Ashen rode the inaugural wave of soulslikes when it released at the tail-end of 2018. That game took a more minimalistic approach to the sub-genre with its basic moveset and an unassuming clay-like art style. Oh yeah, and the entirety of Ashen could be played with a partner via co-op. Because of A44’s history developing Ashen, they have the experience necessary to craft a larger souls-lite game. It would be really cool to see Flintlock eventually get the dedicated co-op treatment that Ashen had, but it’s an entirely solo affair for now.

Is a ‘Souls-lite’, Not Quite a ‘Soulslike’

Flintlock aims to be less punishing than its FromSoftware inspiration. For one, the gun combat really makes getting out of a tough situation more feasible with the ability to quickly get out of harm’s way using the numerous mobility options afforded to you. Flintlock makes the experience more approachable with three difficulty settings: ‘story’, ‘normal’, and ‘hard’. The most striking difference from its Souls counterpart is the way the story is told. Flintlock isn’t afraid to throw in cinematics and dialogue that actually makes total sense the first time you come across it. As such, the story and combat are more welcoming in Flintolock: Siege of Dawn than typical soulslikes.

Has familiar Souls ‘Bonfire’ System

The devs don’t shy away from Flintlock’s FromSoft inspiration, and nowhere is that seen so strongly as its checkpoints. Checkpoints reset enemy encounters on the map and dying ejects your currency called ‘Reputation’, requiring you to return and defeat the enemy again to reclaim them again. This bonfire infrastructure isn’t deviating much at all from what initially inspired it, managing to provide satisfying risk/reward within the gun/axe gameplay found in Flintlock.

Pre-determined Build Similar to Sekiro and Bloodborne

Want to break the game using a crazy build the devs didn’t originally intend? Well, that probably isn’t possible in Flintlock. You control a pre-established main character named Nor, along with her magical fox companion Enki. Nor only uses her axe, flintlock pistol, and musket to dispatch foes. To help keep your tool kit fresh, there’s a skill tree for your weapons and Enki’s magical powers. Think of a more clunky combo of Bloodborne’s gun-countering abilities and Sekiro’s stance meter and you have the right picture of Flintlock’s gun/axe combat.

Movement is Quick, but Floaty

Speaking of clunky, the movement aims to be graceful, yet ends up feeling floaty instead. The game prides itself on its dance-like parkour maneuverability with abilities such as a double jump and aerial dash. In addition, the fox companion Enki allows you to take flight and teleport between long distances. That said, movement feels somewhat imprecise at the moment, with floaty jumps filled with animation fluff getting in the way of seeing where you land. There’s no reliable way to block attacks in Flintlock, so dodging and ‘dancing’ around your enemy is the core method of defense; I hope it’s just me settling into the feel of the game’s groove and this imprecision isn’t something that keeps people from enjoying it. That being said, this game is heavy on parrying, so you can always go that route to avoid getting hit if evasive maneuvers prove too janky to rely on.

Demo Has a Number of Bugs

Flintlock isn’t out yet, but the playable demo on Steam has seen its fair share of bugs. Thankfully, a lot of the bugs can be ignored and fall within the range of humorous backward-flying dragons seen in Skyrim. Other bugs, however, leave tutorial characters stuck in the terrain halting your progress forward. Hopefully, the team can squash the larger bugs plaguing the demo before Flintlock’s release on July 18th.

Semi-Open World Environments

Flintlock gives you plenty of freedom to explore and play in a non-linear way, but these open areas aren’t seamlessly connected in games like Elden Ring. There are three large zones in Flintlock that we know about, each separated by a loading screen. This division of areas may appeal to gamers overwhelmed by huge open-world games. It can be nice having bite-sized chunks to complete rather than a huge landmass with an endless amount of seamless content.

Unique Setting With Some Myth Thrown In

Flintlock’s fusion of historical and fantastical myth, with a pinch of New Zealand thrown in, is quite unique. This fusion of styles permeates every aspect of the game, from its gameplay using guns and magical abilities, to the lore embedded in the names ‘Enki’ and factions like the Coalition army. There’s not a lot of games inspired by the New Zealand landscapes, so Flintlock hits a pretty unique niche that sets it apart.

Flintlock’s Lore is Straightforward and Plentiful

The story and lore of Flintlock’s world isn’t told to you through item descriptions and puzzle pieces. Instead, A44 Studios took a more straightforward, cinematic approach. Cutscenes outlining key events are interspersed throughout, and characters talk to you with the intention of being understood, a far cry from the more obscure storytelling of FromSoft games.

Plot Is Rushed at Times

The story may be straightforward, but I found it to be rushed at times. The beginning portions of the narrative sweep you off from one plot point to another without any time for the characters to develop in between. Still, there’s some juicy story implications here that can turn around for the better in the mid and late-game plot reveals.

Your Fox Companion Enki Is Always by Your Side

First off, Enki isn’t annoying in the slightest; what a relief. I can’t be the only one getting fatigued by quippy companion characters like the talking cuff from Forspoken interjecting smart remarks every time you take a breath. Enki helps the main character Nor to set the land straight again. I really like Enki’s magical abilities and enhancements to your more grounded attacks, and I’m thankful his dialogue isn’t cringe-inducing.

Character and Enemy Designs Are More Unique Than Trailers Suggest

The preview footage for Flintlock shows a large dosage of undead enemies, but my time in the demo surprised me with even more outlandish character design. The bosses look very striking, taking inspiration from real-world myth and legends from various cultures. And then there’s your multi-limbed barista casually hoisting its scarlet mask away from its strange body in the coffee shops. There’s still a lot of undead enemies though, however, their uniformity is offset by the faction system at play throughout the game.

Formulaic Settlement System

The usual tropes of open-world games encroaches upon Flintlock with zone settlement liberations. Each settlement has its own boss that, upon defeating, re-populates the area with services such as coffee shops and NPC quests. The side quests are generic ‘fetch item A and bring it back’ fare and the stories accompanying them aren’t much better. Such a formulaic pattern is sure to be a pain point for some gamers, but it may be less painful in Flintlock due to its more involved gameplay systems and interesting setting.

Tabletop Card Game Offers a Nice Diversion

And of course, what better setting to have a card game in than Flintlock’s mythical fusion? Yes, there’s a fully-fledged card game within the coffee shops of Flintlock, and they’re quite fun. While not as involved as The Witcher 3’s Gwent, it offers a fun diversion from the usual action-oriented gameplay. The Blackjack-based game has some issues with AI making poor decisions on turns, so hopefully this minigame gets patched at launch to provide a more balanced experience.

Is a Single-Player Only Game and Not a Live-Service

Last but not least, we can’t end this list without mentioning what a relief it is to see Flintlock releasing as a standalone single-player experience with no live-service stuff. The base price is $39.99, with a promotion on Steam for $35.99 until the game’s release. Flintlock may be worth checking out if you want a straightforward action game with no strings attached.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

After a short conversation with the armorer and other NPCs in the Sybil’s Teeth camp, Nor sets out into the Grasslands, occasionally clashing with foes. Upon arriving in Wisdom’s Edge, she must defeat the enemy leader and liberate the town. A short jump later, the City of Sybil is finally in view, though Dukmar’s forces have it occupied, necessitating more combat.

With the help of the fox-like Enki, Nor ventures further towards Dukmar, entering through the Pavilion and battling through the Forum and Enlightened Halls before confronting him at the seat of power. As for what happens next, we’ll need to play the game to find out.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn launches on July 18th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Check out some more gameplay here, and stay tuned for further information.

The new release date for Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn comes after a series of delays, with the game originally being slated for release back in 2022. After first being pushed back to an early 2023 release window, the game was eventually pushed to Summer 2024.

Developed by the studio behind Ashen, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn put players in the world of Kian, where protagonist Nor Vanek sets off on a quest to take on the rampaging gods that have invaded the world. Similar to Ashen, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn will feature combat inspired by Soulslike titles.

Players will have access to ta variety of weapons, being able to freely switch between three distinct types of weapons at all times. Throughout their progress, players will be able to set up caravans, which serve as the rest stops where players can take a break from the game’s brutal enemies.

A demo will launch on June 10.

As part of the Steam Next Fest, it will likely be available until June 17th. While the combat has some fundamental Souls-like mechanics, like dodging and parrying, players must also “prime” enemies to deal critical damage. You also have a companion named Enki, who assists in combat but also allows for traversing the world.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn launches on July 18th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. It’s also available on day one for Game Pass. Check out some more extensive gameplay with creative director Simon Dasan and associate art director Dale Pugh, and stay tuned for more details before its release next month.

The trailer, clocking in at almost 3 minutes long, gives us a look at what playing Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn actually looks like. Along with regular combat, the trailer also showcases the title’s exploration aspects, as well as some of the abilities that players can use in fights.

The trailer caps things off by showing us a short montage of various fights that will be present in the full game when it hits PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One in Summer 2024.

The game got a gameplay trailer back in December 2023, showing off some of the title’s combat and traversal. Players are put in the shoes of Nor Vaneck who, along with her companion Enki, is trying to take on the old God. Players will make use of their flintlock pistol alongside and axe as well as magical abilities to destroy enemies with cool-looking combos.

A44 Games’ intriguing Souls-like Ashen is now available for Xbox One and PC (albeit exclusive to the Epic Games Store). While it’s garnered praise for its world-building, aesthetic, and combat, Ashen has seen a few issues with multiplayer. PC players have been primarily dealing with the issue, but it appears to have been fixed.

According to the developer on Twitter, a new update has the issued. The developer also released an FAQ for those who want to understand multiplayer better. The game itself actually relies quite a bit on teaming with other players. They appear as random wanderers in your world and can complete quests alongside you.

It’s worth noting that PC players need to launch Ashen from the Epic Games Store. The FAQ states that matchmaking is tied closely to to its server tech. Hopefully other issues don’t crop up in the future as a result of the same. Stay tuned for more information on Ashen – GamingBolt should have an official review of it soon.

Multiplayer issues PC players were experiencing have been resolved in the latest update to Ashen on the Epic Games Store. The fix is now live!

We have also just put out a multiplayer FAQ, which you can find here – https://t.co/SEDnfD5zsj pic.twitter.com/5m46xeg881

— A44 Games – Flintlock (@A44games) December 12, 2018