Summary
A44 Games, known for their soulslikeAshen, has just releasedFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn, a game that was in development for almost six years. Unlike their previous work,Flintlockisn’t quite a soulslike. The developers describe it as a “soulslite,” which is a tricky categorization. The new gamelacks many elements of a true soulslike, even more so than expected. Essentially,Flintlock: The Siege of Dawnis an action-adventure game that mixes combat with exploration and platforming sections, with just a few soulslike elements sprinkled in.
Therefore, recommending other soulslike games to players who enjoyedFlintlock: The Siege of Dawnmight not be accurate. With its simplified combat system that lacks stamina management, limited weapon and build variety, and traditional storytelling with plenty of character dialogue and NPC interactions, fans of the game might be better off trying otheraction games from the past few years. These games below might borrow some soulslike elements but aren’t overly devoted to the genre’s hardcore staples.
While the first two entries in the series are traditional action-adventure games,Darksiders 3by Gunfire Games was one of the first to borrow some soulslike elements, such as a checkpoint system and respawning enemies. This experiment received mixed reception at launch, primarily due to notable changes to the established series, but as an action game,Darksiders 3won’t disappoint.
Playing as Fury, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, players embark on a quest to locate and kill the Seven Deadly Sins, portrayed as enormous bosses. With a cast of intriguing characters, a compelling story, and a robust combat system that mixes melee and ranged weapons with magical powers similar toFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn, the game offers exciting exploration with plenty of hidden secrets and treasures, as well as decent platforming sections.
Kena: Bridge of Spiritswas the debut project for Ember Lab Studios, and the developers nailed it. The game features breathtakingly beautiful visuals, a charming atmosphere and characters, combined with surprisingly deep and tough fast-paced combat and deadly bosses. Thisaction-adventure title is often overlookedby players seeking a great action game that will keep them engaged for hours, so don’t miss out on it.
Despite not incorporating soulslike elements,Kena: Bridge of Spiritscan be quite challenging. However, with the help of adorable Rot companions and some powerful magic abilities, a young Spirit Guide named Kena might succeed in restoring the once-majestic world now lying in corruption. LikeFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn,Kenaoffers enough exploration and platforming to balance out the plentiful action and boss encounters.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Edenis the latest adventure game by Don’t Nod. Unfortunately, it went rather unnoticed, which is a shame because it is a rare breed of single-player, cinematic, story-driven action adventures that players don’t get enough of nowadays. LikeFlintlock,Banishersmight attract players with its unique setting alone, delivering a ghost story set in the 1695 American frontier. This setting is as beautiful as it is tragic and dangerous for its people struggling to survive.
Inspired by the modernGod of Wargames,Banishers: Ghosts of New Edenfeatures a dynamic combat system blending melee and ranged weapons with spiritual abilities, offering powerful synergies between two playable characters, Red and Antea. Withplenty of skills to unlock and master, gear to obtain and upgrade, and choices to make, fans ofFlintlock: The Siege of Dawnwon’t want to miss this one.
The only pureblooded soulslike here,Lies of Pby Neowiz, inspired by Carlo Collodi’sPinocchio, stands out from many other soulslikes due to its traditional narrative, which is quite easy to follow and make sense of. This is just one of the game’s many strengths, which also include stellar visuals and music, a great combat systemwith a variety of weaponsand possible builds, interesting boss fights, and a unique robopocalypse setting for immersion.
Additionally,Lies of P, likeFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn, is a fairly linear game with a straightforward progression that doesn’t waste players' time exploring huge empty spaces. The game is tough as nails, with no difficulty options, but fans ofFlintlockwho don’t mind a challenge will likely be satisfied with what it has to offer.
If players likedFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn, they will most likely feel right at home with bothStar Wars Jedi: SurvivorandStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. These action-adventure games by Respawn Entertainment incorporate several soulslike elements to spice things up, but with adjustable difficulty settings, players can tweak the intensity of the experience to their liking.
One ofStar Wars Jedi: Survivor’s major advantages is its exciting story and characters, complemented by plenty of puzzles, great platforming, and exploration. The game features memorable and vast levels on different planets with numerous ways to navigate them in search of hidden chests. This comes second only to the refined combat system with several stances, including one that allows players to wield a blaster and lightsaber simultaneously (akin toFlintlock), andtruly intense boss fights.
Games that probably need little introduction, the latestGod of Warand its sequel,Ragnarok, by Santa Monica Studio, are considered pinnacles of cinematic action-adventure today. Emotional and exciting, packed with content that can easily take about 50 hours each, the latest journey of Kratos and Atreus is a worthy addition to the iconic series, bringing it to new heights.
Mixing narrative, exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat in nearly perfect proportion,God of War: Ragnarokis an easy game to recommend to anyone who enjoyedFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn. Especially when the latter seems to have been created withGod of Warin mind, given how many of its elements feel directly inspired by it.
