Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Dev Talks All Things Gameplay

Following up the stylized SoulslikeAshen, A44 Games is back in full force with the gun-wielding, god-killing, acrobatic Souls-liteFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn. With an emphasis on approachability, movement, and surprisingly diverse character builds,Flintlockappears to have taken many lessons fromAshento heart.

Game Rant spoke withFlintlock: The Siege of Dawncreative director Simon Dasan about all things gameplay including gear progression, builds, side quests, minigames, and its endgame. Dasan shed light on much of what players can expect, and he also offered some insight into the team’s approach to some of the genre’s staples, like open-world exploration and challenging boss fights.This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Tag Page Cover Art

How Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Handles Magic, Gunpowder, and Boss Fights

Q: Flintlock appears to be more cinematic and narrative-focused than most contemporarySouls-related games. How did this factor into overarching design and gameplay?

Dasan:It really does completely change how you go about development. The story, as well as Nor and Enki’s relationship, is something that is ever-present in the world. Every moment, every fight, every item placement needs to be considered alongside any script moments that might be happening between Nor and Enki, or with any story moment in the game to ensure the entire experience feels seamless and complete for the player.

This narrative focus also helped us as game designers when making the world ofFlintlock—it helped direct our map design and quests to ensure things felt structured and on target. As a relatively small development team, this was important for us too, making sure everything we added to the game was also there for a reason within the game’s wider story and narrative, making sure we didn’t over-stretch ourselves and include features that didn’t really serve the wider gameplay, story, or setting.

Q: How does firearms and magic being “equal” in power lore-wise translate to gameplay?

Dasan: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.

In practical terms also, firearms and magic have different strengths. For example,Nor can use her firearmsto 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.

Q: Can you discuss what the rating/reputation system adds toFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s combat?

Dasan:Reputation is your currency inFlintlock. You’ll gain it from doing things like defeating enemies, completing quests, and discovering new areas. However, the main unique feature of it is the Reputation Multiplier. For every unique move you perform within combat, you’ll build your multiplier, and this increases the reputation you’ll receive.

This multiplier will continue to increase, but if you get hit by an enemy, you’ll lose the multiplier, and any currently banked reputation will be added to your total. You can also manually bank this reputation at any point and reset your multiplier progress, so don’t worry, you don’t get too punished for being hit!

This extra layer adds an incentive to keep using different skills and your full arsenal to get the highest multiplier. I guess some fans might even compare it tosomething likeTony Hawk’s Pro Skatertoo—mixing up all the different abilities and moves to make an ultra-long combo as you fight your way through an area. It’s a rewarding system that really helps make the combat shine with a unique risk/reward element.

Q: Could you also discuss how Reputation works with player progress and doubling as a currency?

Dasan:Reputation can be used predominantly for three main things: upgrading weapons/armor, purchasing skills, and of course, purchasing new clothing for Nor. The first two are linked with player progression, but as well as this, Reputation will tie into some weapons. For example, we have a weapon that deals more damage the higher your Reputation multiplier is, which introduces a fun extra motivation for players wanting to dish out as much damage as possible.

Q: Can you elaborate on the Possessed Mode difficulty and how it compares to other difficulties in the game?

Dasan:Our goal forFlintlockwas tocreate a Souls-lite experience, but we don’t want to alienate people who really enjoy a tougher, more traditional ‘Souls’ experience. Possessed mode is primarily aimed at those who want a real challenge, as enemies can dish out a lot more damage, so mastering your blocks, parries, and pistol interruptions will be imperative to victory. Of course, as with all of our difficulty levels (Story, Normal, and Possessed), you can switch through them as you please.

Q: Gameplay-wise, what’s the philosophy with boss design inFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn? Are there certain things you try to focus on or avoid when designing a boss encounter?

Dasan:Our primary goal was to make you feel like you were trapped with an ancient, magical being. Each boss is quite different in play style to one another, so we’re keen to see how different people tackle them! For example, one might have additional armor that you’ll have to remove before you can unleash damage, while another might use more ranged attacks that can make them challenging to get up close with.

Q: Are there any key differences between dungeons and bosses for the main story or those that are tied to side quests?

Dasan:Each area leading up to a boss is quite different, as it’s also tied to the zone you’re in. They aren’t necessarily your typical dungeons that you might find in other titles, but they do have side quests, and hidden items to find which are always worth your while to discover. There are also many areas that are completely separate from the main story path, so we’d encourage players to explore and let their curiosity lead them around the map—who knows what they might find!

How Flintlock’s Gear and Skill Choices Shake Up Build Variety

Q: What are the pros and cons attached to perhaps choosing to rely more heavily on melee, ranged weapons, or magic abilities? Is that possible?

Dasan: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, armor, Witherings, and skill builds. A player’s choice of gear and their associated perks will really help them lean into their preferred playstyle—like finding gear that gives you more gunpowder charges quickly, or some that lets you unleash Enki’s magic more often.

For example, some members of the development team leaned all the way in on Enki’s magic, with enemies exploding in magical energy when defeated which then primes other enemies to explode, too. It’s a really satisfying character build to lean into if that’s how you want to play.

Q: What are some interesting ways various abilities may interact during combat? Are there some unique combos that stand out to you?

Dasan:Personally, ‘Poised Shot’ is one of those skills that stands out as it can really change the momentum in the fight to be in your favor. After you unlock the skill, you’re able to perform an interrupt attack on an enemy by using your firearm right before they attack (instead of using your melee weapon). Not only does it do increased Powder damage, and let you use any Powder-based perks that your gear might be specced for, but you get a counterattack against the enemy as well to do even more damage.

Another cool example would be using pieces from the ‘Irregular’ gear set. Equipping a couple of items from that set unlocks a skill called ‘Bloodrage’ which releases a powerful knockback effect when you get to low health.

Combine that with the Irregular Gauntlet’s main skill (which increases your melee range) and it can be really helpful in saving your skin when it seems like the enemy has the upper hand. The Irregular gear set is just one example of equipment that can really change thefeel ofFlintlock’s combat, and being able to mix and match gear to make cool combos should be really fun for fans.

Q:How did you approach gear progression inFlintlock?

Dasan:The focus of the equipmentprogression inFlintlockis based on when you gain a new piece of equipment and how that opens up new gameplay options. We wanted the player to be able to explore different playstyles when playing the game, but we didn’t want to overwhelm the player too early with those options. New styles are introduced slowly to allow the player the chance to gain some mastery over the basic toolkit in the game before expanding into a more unique way of building their character.

It was important to us that the player had the opportunity to explore the early parts of the skill tree before they started gaining more unique equipment pieces. As the player gains more equipment, the way they can play the game opens up more and more. There is also an upgrade system for equipment by talking to comrades in your Caravan base, which means even the starting equipment can be valuable right till the end of the game if they’re what you prefer to play with.

Players should read through the gear descriptions and perks when building up Nor’s gear and decide what suits them best. Additionally, if you equip multiple pieces of gear from the same set you gain an Armor Synergy Bonus, which is usually a passive skill that elevates all the individual perks of your gear. Finding the perfect combination of gear, Synergy Bonuses, and abilities will be really rewarding for players as they find the exact one that fits their playstyle.

Q: How do equipment choices factor into gameplay? Will players be choosing between lighter and faster or heavier and slower gear?

Dasan:Luckily for players, the armor pieces you equip don’t influence your movement speed around the world. Instead, most of them offer the player boosts to other equipment or base abilities. For instance, there is a piece of equipment that will split your grenade into two so depending on the grenade you have equipped this could be great for overcoming hordes of the Dead. Personally, I prefer to mix and match the grenades I have equipped, so being able to unleash a couple of Wildfire Bombs and Shock Grenades across the battlefield really helps thin out large groups of enemies.

However, your melee weapon does affect your attack animations and speed, so that’s definitely something to consider. Choosing between heavy hammers that can damage enemy armor to quick hand axe strikes will be a decision players have to make regularly, which is why we let players equip two melee weapons at a time and switch between them with a simple button press.

Q: What was the philosophy and approach toFlintlock’s semi-open world?

Dasan:Freedom of movement was the biggest driving factor for us. We give the player powder-infused mobility very early in the game, so we were able to build the entire world around it. These abilities let Nor essentially double-jump or dodge within midair, and really open up the environment’s verticality.

Alongside this, we wanted to ensure we had a large enough world that you could feel the impact of the Gods’ presence, and feel the depth of the world-building, but not so large that the world felt empty. We prioritized density of content rather than overall landmass size, which is especially important considering our team size and not overstretching the game to create an overall worse experience for our players.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s Side Quests, Minigames, and Challenge Run Opportunities

Q: Can you discuss how some of the side activities inFlintlockoperate and are tied to the overarching game?

Dasan:The majority of our side quests are tied to our coffee shop locations, and they usually offer up very unique rewards to give the player an edge over potential new foes. We do also have some quests called Sapper quests that are tied to our friends who join us along the way of Nor’s journey. These will further progress your knowledge of your relationship with them and uncover their pasts as to who they are and their motivations, and we hope players will take the time toexperience these optional queststo really flesh out the world of Kian and its people.

Q: There’s also a table game similar toWitcher’s Gwent orAssassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Orlog. Can you discuss its design and how it also fits into the overarching world?

Dasan:Sebo is ourin-game mini-gamewhere you face opponents around the world of Kian. You play two rounds where you have a certain amount of turns to move coins around a small board and make a triangle or stop your opponents from making a triangle. Players should definitely try their hand at Sebo a few times—it can be an excellent source of bonus Reputation, and there are dozens of players to be found around the world (plus Baz always has time for a quick game or two!).

Sometimes you encounter opponents with new coins that have advantages over a normal coin but only one of these can be played per person, per round. These special coins can be found across the world of Kian in wells, so we encourage players to explore and be adventurous to get the upper hand in Sebo.

Q: How would you describeFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s endgame content? What can players do after they defeat the final boss?

Dasan:You’ll be able to go back and finish off any side quests you may have missed along the way, and of course, we’ve got plenty of equipment for you to find as well. Even though you visit new locations and areas through the game, you can return to your Caravan and speak to Baz to return to other areas, as there’s usually something to go back to (or even some Sebo players you want to challenge to a rematch!).

We intentionally wanted to reward players whoexplored the full mapand undertook a lot of the side activities, with a lot of our Achievements and Trophies guiding players towards those side objectives, so hopefully, those are all things players will find rewarding to go back and attempt to finish off. Beyond that, we’d also recommend players take all their learnings and knowledge about the game and take on a harder difficulty in Possessed mode if they feel up to the challenge.

Q:Challenge Runs are popular among the Soulslike fanbase. Are there any kind of challenge runs the team is really itching to see the community take on?

Dasan:We do offer a difficulty mode called Possessed which may fit closer to their liking, but if that’s still too easy for them, then we’d egg them on to try a self-imposed no skills or upgrade run on Possessed mode. We’d love to see the community come up with some really fun and challenging ways to enjoy the game.

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