Few conflicts in gaming are as epic as mere mortals taking on all-powerful gods. Action RPGFlintlock: The Siege of Dawnjoins this grand tradition, introducing a pantheon of gods and an underworld inspired by Mesopotamian lore. Taking on the role of Sapper Nor Vanek,Flintlock: The Siege of Dawnplayers will go toe-to-toe with these gods as they fight to protect humanity from the threats lurking beyond the Door to the Great Below. While gods in games are nothing new, Mesopotamian gods are not a common sight; the relative rarity of Mesopotamian influences in video games contributed to A44 Games' decision to feature them inFlintlock’sworld of Kian.
In a conversation with Game Rant,Flintlock’slead narrative designer Daniel Baider discussed why the team chose to center Mesopotamian mythology. He also discussed elements of the Great Below (the game’s underworld) and revealed how the team established each god and monster as a distinctive, memorable boss for players to face, similar to other games in theSoulslike genre.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s Mesopotamian Underworld Inspirations
The underworld plays a key role in the story ofFlintlock: The Siege of Dawn.Both gods and the souls of the dead reside in a realm known as theGreat Below. Once, that realm was kept separate from the surface of Kian by the sealed Door to the Great Below. 10 years before the events of the game, the Door was opened, and it still has not been shut. Humanity is forced to use its new knowledge of black powder and guns to fight the monsters and Dead coming through the door. When designing the Great Below, Baider and his team were inspired by the Mesopotamian underworld:
“The Mesopotamian understanding of the underworld as a dark and foreboding place where souls face similar challenges as they did in life felt like a unique setting to ground many ofFlintlock’s characters—the Gods especially.”
TheFlintlockteam was drawn toMesopotamian mythologybecause they felt it was “underrepresented in a medium that freely borrows from many others” and that it could serve as an “untapped source of inspiration” forFlintlock.The result is a group of gods who resemble existing Mesopotamian deities in themes and/or visual design, but are also fully unique and original characters with distinct stories and unique encounters with Nor and Enki throughout the game.
Enki, Nor’s companion, is named after a god considered to be humanity’s benefactor, with a great association with magic and wisdom, and he’s the only one to directly take a name. However, there’s also Dukmar, whose name closely resembles the Mesopotamian Marduk. It remains to be seen how much Dukmar resembles Marduk, butFlintlock’sEnki has a few similarities with his namesake, such as his “sympathy for humankind.” He alsowields magic powersthat Nor can utilize in battle, pairing with Nor’s own pistol skills.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’sunique use of Mesopotamian mythology will help it stand out from other Soulslike/Souls-lite games, as well as aDay One Xbox Game Pass title. Plus, it will be interesting to see how Nor and Enki’s adventure progresses as the pair explores the wide world of Kian and comes into conflict with undead, monsters, and a pantheon of deadly and powerful gods.
