Flintlock: The Siege Of Dawn - What We Know So Far

It's always exciting when small studios release games that stand out among big titles on offer from AAA developers. "Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn" is a new open-world action RPG that appears to have some truly jaw-dropping visuals. It comes from A44 Games, a New Zealand-based studio founded in 2013. A44 also made "Ashen," another action RPG known for pushing the Xbox One X's capabilities with its dynamic use of lighting. This earned the developer its reputation and is one of the reasons why many fans are excited to see what comes next.

"Flintlock" will be the second project from A44. It was announced back in March, with more information following at the 2022 Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase. Gamers were instantly enamored with the impressive graphical fidelity that this small studio managed to achieve. The title is set in a fantasy world where guns and the magic of the gods are both powerful forces battling for supremacy. The player will have to navigate this environment and challenge the gods themselves as armies of undead rise up to wipe humanity from existence. Here's everything we know about "Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn" so far.

The first thing gamers interested in "Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn" will likely want to know is when they can actually play it. The bad news is that it seems to have been delayed, as the original announcement stated that A44 planned to have the game out sometime in 2022 and that no longer appears to be the case. The good news is that it doesn't seem to have been pushed back too far. The official "Flintlock" website states that the title will be available sometime in early 2023. There isn't a specific release date as of yet, but it is encouraging to know that A44's current timeline suggests "Flintlock" will come out in a matter of months rather than years.

The site also states that players who want the game can add it to their Wishlist now. "Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn" will come to Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, and PS5. That's excellent news for players who haven't been able to get their hands on a newer console yet, as more and more entries have transitioned to next-gen only.

Players who want to learn more about "Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn" will be pleased to discover that there is not one, but two trailers for the game. The announcement trailer is a short cinematic that opens on a panning shot of birds flying over a smoky battlefield. Viewers then see the footsteps of the protagonist, Nor, in the mud, followed by those of a mysterious creature. Nor and her companion, which appears to be some sort of foxlike chimera named Enki, wind through the fortifications until they encounter an undead creature that Enki neutralizes with magic as Nor shoots it.

The gameplay reveal trailer tells fans a little more about the story and mechanics. The first shot reveals a camp below a mountain that seems to emanate an ephemeral smoke. A voiceover from Nor states: "When the gods first emerged from the great below, we saw them as saviors. Instead, they unleashed a pestilence on our world. No one yet knows if you can kill a god. I, for one, intend to find out." She and Enki then engage in battle, fighting their way through numerous bosses, monsters, and undead creatures.

"Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn" is a third-person action RPG that aims to combine Napoleonic historical technology with fantasy. In this world, humans have developed gunpowder and rifles while the gods wield dark magics – Nor uses both.

Derek Bradley, the CEO of A44 Games and creative director for "Flintlock," narrated the gameplay overview trailer. He states, "although the gods have the undead and magic at their side, you in particular have dark magics that you find along the way and companions that might work with magic."

The combat system seems fairly intricate as well. In the trailers, the protagonist wields firearms and her axe in synchronized attacks, performing interesting maneuvers like hooking an enemy's ankle to trip them. They also show her using several forms of magic, usually in tandem with Enki. The two of them join together and dash through an ornate window in one scene, while she dives off a cliff to perform an explosive drop attack in another.

RPGs tend to put a heavy emphasis on narrative. The website lays out the premise of "Flintlock," saying, "The Door to the Afterlife has been opened, allowing the old God's army of the undead to escape from within. The living are on the brink of extinction. It's time for the coalition army to retake their world. Embrace vengeance, gunpowder and magic and embark on an epic journey to lead mankind's final siege against the tide of the dead."

Nor is a member of the coalition that stands against the gods, and her partnership with the mysterious Enki seems to have given her a rare ability to fight magic with magic — a feat which may turn the tide in this war. The website also describes a quest to reassemble a team of explosives and weapons experts known as the Blackstream Sappers so they can contribute their skills to the final battle. This seems to be the main goal for the campaign, a journey that will take Nor and Enki across deserts, ruins, and a place called the City of Dawn.