I'm kinda here for Flintlock: Siege of Dawn's 'approachable Soulslike' sell.
Despite being enamoured by what Souls games offer, I've never been one to dedicate the time and effort required to learn their intricacies. For Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn's development team over at A44, they want to capture the fun and grit of a Soulslike while also trying to make it approachable for people like me.
During my brief look at the game, I'm told that it lies somewhere between the Souls series and modern-day God of War and while that wasn't immediately obvious to me, I start to see it. Flintlock blends theatrical, twirling attacks and grand cinematics with strategic fights that require spacial awareness and trial-and-error to nail.
It's not just Nor who can attack, either. While she partakes in more traditional methods of combat, Enki provides the dash of fun fantasy magic. They can attack and charge up abilities to support Nor, tripping enemies and causing mischief. It's a nice juxtaposition between the two, though at the point in the story I'm seeing the two are still relatively unfamiliar with each other. Nor does have minimal access to magic for traversal, but the two largely serve different purposes.
Outside of combat, Nor can help to rebuild towns similar to Ashen's Vagrant's Rest. Camps contain NPCs that have certain quests to complete, all contributing towards redevelopment. These camps are a sort of hybrid between Ashen's town and bonfires of the Souls series. They're where Nor can recuperate, spend influence , and eventually build up a tidy following. Whenever she finds a new camp, that following will set up with her, moving around as she darts from place to place.
I really like the look of Flintlock, despite it being pretty far from my usual game of choice. A44 has done a lovely job of making the game look rhythmic and flowing, and the concept of taking a Soulslike and making it accessible across difficulty options is massively appealing to me. While I'm unsure if the narrative will hook me in, the combat alone looks satisfying enough to lure me into this strange fantasy world.