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Yahtzee reviews Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, discussing its open-world elements, combat mechanics, and overall focus problems. Read the full transcript here.

This page contains the transcript for Yahtzee's review of Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn.

Review:

1. The game is set in an alternative world where Napoleonic-era fashion and technology coexist with a horde of undead from Hell. Players take on the role of a soldier tasked with closing the gate to the underworld, but things go wrong, leading to a Souls-like experience. The protagonist teams up with a supernatural being from the underworld to fight other supernatural entities.
2. The protagonist's dynamic with her supernatural companion is compared to that of the leads in Forspoken, with similar races, genders, and accents, but with a less engaging character dynamic. The plot reveals that the companion is responsible for the undead horde's rise, leading to token anger from the protagonist, which is quickly forgotten.
3. The game's world design is criticized for being vaguely open-world, with linear environments that allow for some side-quests. However, the player can backtrack to completed areas. The game's verticality is enhanced by double-jumps, but progression can be gated by specific triggers in certain areas.
4. Combat features both melee attacks and flintlock guns. Guns are used for interrupting enemy attacks in a Bloodborne-style manner, while parrying is done with melee weapons. The parry mechanic is described as inconsistent, and the effectiveness of gun interrupts often negates the need for challenging combat.
5. Additional mechanics include a magic system where the fox companion nibbles enemies to build up a special attack bar, and a side-minigame involving collecting Pogs. The game is criticized for having too few unique boss fights, with one boss awkwardly placed due to plot requirements.
6. The reviewer suggests the game's ambition led to it being overstuffed and ultimately cut down due to looming deadlines.

Addenda:

• Saltpeter? I hardly know him: Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw
• The last siege of dawn the reviewer experienced was during the pandemic due to a shortage of washing up liquid.