Flinthook, or why Switch is great for indies
Originally, I was going to write a piece about how Flinthook is exactly the kind of game that deserves a second chance on the Nintendo Switch. But in between my first draft and finally publishing this piece, Tribute Games went ahead and confirmed a Switch port.
I guess I’ll take that as a sign of my good judgement?
So instead of making an argument as to why Flinthook deserves a Switch port, I’ll be telling you why you should buy Flinthook for your Switch.
But how do I already know that Flinthook is a great game for portable play? Well, thanks to my recent purchase of a GPD WIN, for the past few months I’ve been able to take the PC gaming experience with me on the go. That included playing Flinthook on my commute to and from work for hours on end. And oh boy is Flinthook amazing on a portable system.
The game itself is a procedurally generated rogue-like with a focus on platforming - you traverse these platforms by flinging yourself around levels with a grappling hook.
Given that flinging yourself around levels accounts for roughly 75% of the gameplay here, it’s thankful that Flinkhook controls beautifully.
Speaking of beauty, this game is absolutely stunning in motion. Made by the same team behind the equally beautiful Mercenary Kings, Flinthook combines fluid animation with spot-on pixel art to create a game that is a true joy to look upon. I can only imagine how crisp this game would look on a Switch screen.
For gameplay, you use your grappling hook to pull yourself towards any of the grapple-able rings that are littered throughout the rooms of the pirate ships you board. Using the grappling hook feels natural, and the physics that determine your speed and direction feel suitably weighty. Within hours I was flinging myself through tough platforming challenges, able to anticipate exactly where I was going to land next.
Your primary method of attack is with your ‘blasma pistol’ which can be upgraded with different perks. These perks are all fairly basic, meaning your method of attack never really changes that drastically (compared to something like Binding of Isaac, where your attack changes dramatically every run).
And at any point, you can press the right trigger to activate a limited slow-mo meter (which refills very quickly). This allows you to slow down the action enough to line up shots on enemies, grapple at just the right time in order to get out of tricky situations and dodge incoming bullets.
This mechanic is great for giving you precise control exactly when you need it - and the limited usage before a recharge means you can’t overly rely on it either.
Once you combine all these mechanics together, you’ll be flipping around levels pulling off slow-mo shots that make you feel super cool. At least, they made me feel super cool.
In terms of progression, Flinthook has two systems it employs to make sure you always feel like you’re moving forwards. The first are ‘Black Market Coins’ you earn by beating bosses. You can exchange these for various items and permanent upgrades through a shop in the main menu. These include health upgrades, experience boosts and hardcore versions of levels.
The other way you progress through the game is via slowly unlocked perks, which you can equip before each run begins. Not only does this keep the game interesting, as you constantly unlock new tools to play with, it also allows you to remove some of the ‘bad RNG’ that roguelikes commonly suffer from.
...But if you’re a ran of rolling the RNG dice like me, you’ll pick the perk that gives you a random selection of perks each time you play.
By allowing you control over the perks they can choose before a run, you can tailor your perks to fit your playstyle. You can also buy buy further perks during a run, so that even if you find a set-up you want to stick with, it’ll still feel different every time you play thanks to bonus perks you pick up while playing.
The fact that each run feels different adds a lot to what makes this a great portable game. You’re guaranteed a new experience every time you boot it up, even if it’s only for 20 minutes.
This perk system is actually one of the few criticisms I have of Flinthook - compared to other games in the genre, these perks all feel relatively tame. It’s tough to get excited about 20 different perks that all boil down to ‘You have more health’ for example.
Jim Sterling recently talked about the Nintendo Switch being a haven for indies, and how the console allowed them to shine in a new spotlight away from the crowded Steam marketplace - and Flinthook exemplifies the need for this perfectly.
Flinthook is a game that deserved to be played by a lot more people than it has - Steam Spy reports that just over 60,000 people own Flinthook, with just over half of those people playing the game.
Bear in mind that this game was included in a Humble Bundle a few months ago, which no doubt boosted the number of owners dramatically.
So that’s why I’m incredibly happy for Tribute Games that they’re getting another shot at success with this upcoming Switch port. It’s one of my favourite games to come out of 2017, and I hope many more people get a chance to play it.
To conclude, Flinthook is a game I can’t recommend strongly enough. If you’re at all a fan of rogue-likes, or just want another game you can play in great 15 minute bursts on the go, Flinthook will make a great addition to your Switch library.