The Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase gave fans a look at the upcoming action RPG,Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. The gameplay reveal showcased combat and movement mechanics, a fantasy world setting, powerful bosses, adorable friends, and dangerous monsters for the players to experience. Everything about theFlintlockreveal makes it out to be the perfect rival for the upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive title from Square Enix,Forspoken.
Forspokenhas already built up a lot of hype thanks to its explosive, magic-intensive combat, and its stunning visual designs. However,Flintlock’sapproach appears to be slightly different. Offering a larger emphasis on a heavier and slower style of melee combat paired with the use of a gun and special magical abilities, the game does not give fans quick-paced combat, but rather something closer to 2018’s God of War. With a fantasy world to discover as well as multiple types of enemies to fight,Flintlock: The Siege of Dawnis different fromForspokenin a number of ways, but there are still some reasons why fans are making comparisons to Luminous Productions' upcoming release.
RELATED:Watch Every Forspoken Trailer Revealed So Far
Flintlock’s Combat
There are a few key differences between the combat ofFlintlockandForspoken, namely the primary means of attack, variety in attacks, and the range of attacks the protagonists have.Forspokenis a game that focuses on magic-based combat, giving the protagonist, Frey, the ability to solely rely on spells as the primary means of attack. The spells that Frey can use also differ from rapid-fire spells, huge area of effect spells, and a magical blade that acts as a melee weapon, giving her more of a long to mid-range approach to battles.
Flintlock, on the other hand, provides its protagonist Nor with three means of attack, the hatchet that acts as the primary melee weapon, the flintlock pistol that gives her range, and certain magical abilities for higher damage numbers. While this does giveFrey the edge in speed and attack potency, Nor’s variety in weapons allows her to deal a lot more damage and focus on close-quarter encounters. The reliance on a melee weapon significantly slows down attack speed but forces players to chain together attacks from different weapons to create lethal combos.
Flintlock’s Movement and Traversal
When the first gameplay reveal ofForspokenwas released, fans were stunned at the visual complexity of some spells, but the aspect that probably excited them the most was the way Frey moves, both in and out of combat. Her magical abilities give her more than just powerful attacks, but greatly improve her movement and traversal capabilities, allowing her to quickly move on the battlefield and glide over large distances of the open world. Using this movement boost in battle gives her a much-needed speed boost as many of her enemies are usually fast-moving characters, such asthe Tanta, the primary antagonists.
Flintlock’sapproach to movement and traversal is a bit different as it offers players slower movement speed, but provides them with Nor’s magical companion, Enki, who can help players traverse the world. Using Enki to reach places that otherwise would be unreachable gives a slight boost to Nor’s movement, but the melee-focused combat requires lesser speed and more power. This means that Nor will probably not havemagically powered movement boosts like Frey, and may instead have a more realistic movement speed.
RELATED:Forspoken Should Get Its Own Presentation After E3’s Cancellation
Similarities Between Flintlock and Forspoken
While both combat and movement are extremely different in the two games, there is a reason why there are many comparisons being drawn.BothForspokenandFlintlocktake place in a once peaceful fantasy worldthat is now plagued by dark magic. InForspoken, this magic is causing people and animals to become corrupted and is the main driving force for the game’s story, whileFlintlock’sworries come in the form of the Old Gods who unleash dark forces against the inhabitants of the world.
Another key similarity in the games is in the enemies that come in the form of fantasy beasts or corrupted humans. InForspoken,the corruption has polluted the minds of the inhabitants of Athia, and this unleashes deadly hordes of corrupted humans and mythical creatures that Frey will need to fight. InFlintlock, the Old Gods have unleashed hordes of undead through the world and Nor will combat them as well as the creatures that inhabit her world. Further, both seem to feature magically-powered boss enemies via the Tantas inForspokenand the Old Gods inFlintlock.
With all the slight differences and key similarities, bothFlintlockandForspokenare set to compete for gamers’ attention when they launch.SinceForspokenwill release first, it will be up to the Flintlock developers to ensure that the game does not simply feel like a slowerForspoken. However,Flintlock’sreliance on a combination of the hatchet and the pistol could help set the game apart from its competitor. Both games continue to be highly anticipated throughout the gaming community and only time will tell if they are able to forge their own unique play styles.
Flintlockis set to release in early 2023 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.Forspokenis set to release on June 26, 2025, for PC and PS5.
MORE:Forspoken Could Help Inform a Game About The Lord of the Rings' Wizards
