Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, the new "souls-lite" RPG out this summer, has a new dev diary video teasing the systems and mechanics behind the game's frenetic combat and fluid animation, released as part of the Future Games Show.
In this video from developer A44, "Igniting Combat: Behind the Scenes," Animation Director Matthew Wood takes us through special details of Flintlock's combat, and how our protagonist's moveset and animation informs the way audiences will play the game. Gun-wielding, axe-swinging protagonist Nor Vanek has a big emphasis on mobility - we see her soaring through the air more than once, which wood explains will make it both more dynamic and accessible. Perhaps more surprising is the emphasis on rhythm - a rare thing in soulsy games, but certainly not an unwelcome change after some great rhythm action games in recent years like Hi-fi Rush. Wood explains the logic thusly:
"The combat in Flintlock is all rhythm-based, which means you'll actually be able to feel the rhythm through the animation - so every nine frames is, like, a beat. So you'll be able to make sure that the player can understand when the next attack's going to come and react accordingly."
It's a cool idea that evokes a sense of flow, similar to games like those the Batman Arkham series. Wood speaks about a lot of factors that have gone into the game that'll interest anybody excited for Flintlock or just who's interested in animation generally, including the nuance of animation Nor's fox-like little companion, Enki, who constantly follows you around and informs a lot of your abilities.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is scheduled to release in Summer 2024, and will be out on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S.
If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
