Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is Worth its Weight In Gold With Build Variety

Though there are a few exceptions, the vast majority of Soulslike games tend to be set in some kind of fantasy world, and as such, most Soulslikes tend to feature the same typical fantasy RPG build types. While a few Soulslikes throw one or two unique builds in there for good measure, melee, ranged, and magic are the three most common build types across the genre, and Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is no exception.

Set in a hybrid world that merges fantasy, Napoleonic warfare, and mythology, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is able to embrace all of the typical Soulslike builds while also putting a few fresh spins on them. But there's one key feature of Flintlock's builds that sets them apart from those found in other Soulslikes.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn's Approach to Build Variety is Refreshing

Most Soulslikes Encourage Players to Stick to One Build

In many Soulslikes, players are presented with a choice at the start of the game that often ends up funneling them down a very specific path. That choice is what the player's starting build is going to be. This starting build informs the player's starting stats and initial weapons, and naturally, players are encouraged to keep feeding their XP into the groundwork already laid by this starting build and keep using weapons that synergize well with these stats. And with the requirements for an alternate build often being quite high, players are encouraged to stick with their initially chosen build for the duration of the game.

FromSoftware's Dark Souls series is a good example of this Soulslike pattern. While players can technically use melee, ranged, and magic weapons all at once, they'll be locked out of using any of the strongest tools in the game if they don't have high enough stats in specific areas. For instance, while all builds can use a simple short sword, only strength builds can wield a Zweihander properly. Being a jack of all trades in Dark Souls means that players will find the game's toughest areas and bosses much more challenging, meaning it's much easier to just pump all of their points into the stats related to the specific weapons or armor they want to use for that run.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Gives Players a Taste of Every Soulsike Build at Once

But unlike other Soulslikes, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn gives players a little sprinkling of every typical Soulslike build at once. The player's main form of attack in Flintlock is a one-handed axe, imitating the more fast-paced builds of previous Soulslikes. The player also gets a Bloodborne-like pistol that can be used to interrupt enemy attacks. Just an hour or so into Flintlock, players will also unlock a rifle that allows them to snipe enemies from afar like a typical Soulslike ranged build. And after meeting their companion Enki, players have access to a range of magic attacks that evolve throughout the game.

All of these weapons and abilities can be used simultaneously in Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, and thanks to a pretty robust loot system and skill tree, there's quite a bit of variation in the types of different melee, ranged, and magic attacks the player can perform. Flintlock might not be able to offer players a dedicated mage build or sniper build due to its limited charges and ammo, but having the taste of multiple Soulslike builds at once keeps the game feeling fresh and engaging.