Flint: Treasure of Oblivion Details
Publisher Microids
Developer Savage Level
Format PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 (reviewed)
Platform Unreal Engine 5
Release date 17 December 2024
The trend for pouncing upon out of copyright art, books and fiction continues apace with Flint: Treasure of Oblivion, a role-playing game that riffs on Robert Louis Stevenson’s world as described in Treasure Island. But this is no Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey shakedown, as developer Savage Level has gone to great lengths to craft a world of its own within Stevenson’s imagination.
Flint: Treasure of Oblivion has comic appeal
The adventure begins in the dungeons of French city Saint-Malo, where Captain Flint and second-in-command Billy Bones stumble upon a treasure map and the tease of adventure, gifted by an old pirate who may be more than he seems.
The game is complex, detailed, and tactical
Upon escaping, gathering a crew and taking over a ship, the adventure begins in earnest and Flint: Treasure of Oblivion opens up and falls into a pattern of exploration to find fresh leads on that treasure island as well as new game cards – used to unlock unique abilities, obtain new skills, improve dice chances and more – and then battles, resulting in needed booty that can be used to upgrade your crew (neatly, a pirate’s ‘XP’ is measured in wealth).
Pirate Morale dictates a successful dice roll
Much of the game is absorbed in the battle system. For good and bad, Flint is complex, detailed and tactical. It’s a battle system built on hexagonal tiles with a points system that dictates movement and attacks, each pirate has a range of attribute cards to play that can affect statuses or directly influence the battle. Dice rolls dictate attack damage and can influence weapon effects, as well as movement (two dice are rolled, one for a pirate’s profession and one for their weapon; pirates can stumble, push or tackle enemies, and it’s not uncommon for dice to end in a fail state, ruining any carefully laid plans.
Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is complex to a fault
When exploring the game’s world for loot and new card abilities to aid future fights, Flint is great fun. The small-scale skirmishes work wonderfully and that sense of experimentation bubbles to the fore. However, when the larger battles ensue, with up to 15 characters on either side, Flint’s battles can become unwieldy, slow and its system a pain to muddle through. It can be hard to work out friend from foe against the detailed backgrounds and simply selecting hexagons, swapping between characters and managing the battle lags (on PS5 at least).
Conclusion
There’s a lot to enjoy in Flint: Treasure of Oblivion, and when it hits the mark this is a wonderfully involved tactical RPG set within a detailed world you’ll enjoy exploring. But sadly, the sheer complexity and pacing, in some moments, can overwhelm the enjoyment, leaving Flint (the game) struggling to keep its head above the rising waters while Flint (the character) optimistically convinces you there’s treasures ahead, if only you can just survive another dice roll.
FAQs
Q: What is the game about?
A: Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is a role-playing game that riffs on Robert Louis Stevenson’s world as described in Treasure Island.
Q: What is the gameplay like?
A: The game is complex, detailed, and tactical, with a battle system built on hexagonal tiles, points, and dice rolls.
Q: Is the game fun?
A: Yes, when exploring the game’s world for loot and new card abilities to aid future fights, Flint is great fun. However, larger battles can become unwieldy and slow.
Q: Is the game worth playing?
A: Yes, despite its complexity and pacing issues, there’s a lot to enjoy in Flint: Treasure of Oblivion.
