Of all the demos available in the 2024 Steam Next Fest, one commanded my attention long after I put down the controller. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn <\/em>immediately caught my interest\u2014and now, after a 40-hour playthrough, it\u2019s one I\u2019ll be thinking about for months to come.<\/p>
In Flintlock,<\/em> you play as Nor, a pistol-wielding, axe-swinging soldier accompanied by Enki, a fox-like creature who fights with magical attacks. You explore the world of Kian, a \u201cflintlock fantasy\u201d realm where gods rule, but humans fight back with the power of gunpowder. In this world, humanity has been in a 10-year war with the dead, and now the gods have wriggled their way out from the Great Below to wreak havoc on the world.<\/p>
Together, Enki and Nor fight undead foes and godly bosses through \u201crhythmic combat,\u201d as developer A44 Games describes it, in an experience that combines action-adventure, Soulslike, and even 3D-platforming elements. Flintlock<\/em>, although far from perfect, pulls it all off with fluid movement, customizable combat, and gorgeous environments full of secrets to uncover.<\/p>
