Flintlock: The Siege of Dawnis a Souls-lite action RPG defined by offering a range of options not traditionally available in the genre. Likewise,Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s setting adventures beyond the typical limitations of fantasy by embracing a Flintlock Fantasy approach.
At its core, Flintlock Fantasy is the idea of gods and guns coexisting, with supernatural and magical aspects pitted against more technologically grounded ones on an even playing field.Flintlock’s inciting incident occurred ten years before the start of the game’s story when the undead poured out from the Below and invaded the lands of Kian. Lead narrative designer Daniel Baider recently spoke with Game Rant about how this supernatural event set the stage for the dire situation thatprotagonist Nor Vanekfinds herself in at the start of the game.
How the Door to the Great Below Forms Flintlock’s Conflict
Flintlock’s Gods Were Almost Myth Before the Door Opened
It’s usually not in humanity’s best interest in any setting whenpowerful entities from beyond the normal realm of realityare set loose, and such is the case withFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn.As Baider explained, humanity was moving well past reliance on deities and more toward an Industrial era when the disaster first began.
“Before the Door opened, Kian was on its way to a new age fueled by the recent discovery of black powder. As technology and trade pushed nations closer together, old superstitions faded. Gods became nothing more than exotic creatures from old legends, in whom few still believed.”
Everything changed whenarmies of the dead, controlled by the half-forgotten Gods, began a siege of Dawn - Nor’s hometown. Humanity quickly became locked in an increasingly desperate contest, and the struggle to decide the fate of Kian has been ongoing since. As Baider noted,
“The opening of the Door forced the people of Kian to rethink everything. There was no logical explanation for why the Dead themselves would suddenly walk back into the world of the living, and events only took a darker turn once the Sapper’s mission revealed that the Gods themselves had also walked through the Door.”
Nor’s past and present are greatly shaped by the Opening. She survived the initial devastation it wrought and was taken under the wing of a mentor, rising through the ranks of the Coalition forces dedicated to eradicating the hordes flooding Kian. By the time players meet her, Nor is an expert in the use and application of gunpowder and firearms, but just likeany good fantasy game, there’s more to the events than meets the eye. Nor will continue to grow as a Sapper as players embark upon their quest.
Why and how the Door itself was unsealed in the first place remains a mystery, though fans will likely learn more throughout the adventure.Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s upcoming releasewill pit players against these undead, against the catastrophe, against the gods, and it’ll be interesting to see how the world continues to develop.
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.
