Flinthook – Review (Switch)

By Ben Smith Last updated May 5, 2018

Flinthook is a roguelike platformer centered around a single object… a grappling hook. Although you can walk around as you would in any normal platformer, the key to success in Flinthook is effectively using your grappling hook to quickly maneuver from side to side of the bright and colorful levels. Your hook also helps you take down some enemies, which feels really cool at times.

Unlike many other roguelike games, Flinthook’s main mechanic allows you to choose which way to combat enemies and move around. You can jump, ride a guided platform, zip-line, shoot your gun, toss a bomb, or even cause enemies to damage each other all by using your hook. Captain Flinthook can even control time to an extent, which makes the maneuvers and combat even more impressive.

Along with the ability to mix things up so much comes some issues. Although Flinthook has a tutorial and introduces new abilities one at a time, it does so too quickly. There are a ton of different button combinations and ways to do things, and you are presented with them after only having used the previous skill a single time in most instances. The title could certainly benefit from an upgrade system where you receive new weapons or abilities based on progression or using in-game currency that would allow you to become better acquainted with the controls of what you already have obtained first. Regardless, with a little trial and error you’ll nail the controls within an hour or so of gameplay.

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That isn’t to say that Flinthook has zero progression or upgrade abilities. There is a shop, dubbed The Black Market, where you can make upgrades to your health, speed, damage, and various other things throughout the game. Collecting the currency after defeating an enemy matters, and busting every box and container you see in a room does as well. Along with these upgrades come curses, which will affect Captain Flinthook in negative ways. They never kill the progression, but may take away some of the fun.

Flinthook has a sense of variety when it comes to the procedurally generated levels. You’ll never play the same layout twice, and the enemies are often different as well. On the flip side, you do often see the same style of room throughout gameplay and, even if the enemies are varied, there is still some monotony. The repeated encounters with the same enemies in the same rooms does let you learn pretty well which ones you should avoid and which ones you should engage, which makes the repetitiveness worth the struggle.

Grappling points are plentiful, making it incredibly easy to traverse throughout a room without touching the floor. This is a good thing, because many of the rooms have a variety of traps and hazards that will mess you up royally. The multitude of such points makes for some really cool gameplay and, at times, you’ll feel like a bit of a ninja moving and shooting so quickly. Captain Flinthook’s ability to slow time can also create some very neat moments.

The game’s sound is also downright delightful, and the mixture of the sound effects with the background tracks coupled with the art style will send you into retro heaven.

While Flinthook does have a story element, it isn’t the highlight of the game by any means. Focus more on the mechanics and fun of the game, and you’ll have a blast. If you’re the type of gamer who needs a deep immersive storytelling experience, you should probably skip this one for now. There are some pieces of lore that enrich the experience, but are by no means the focus.

In addition to the main story mode, there are several other aspects to Flinthook. You can, as previously mentioned, continually upgrade your character. You’ll receive card packs throughout gameplay that will enable you to upgrade as well. If you’re a completionist, you will most definitely be interested in collecting all of the relics that can be found. Last, there are lots and lots of secrets in the game. Some of these are Easter eggs and others are just hidden objects, but they add a nice variety to the gameplay.

Recommendation; If you are a fan of procedurally generated platformers and are dying for some additional mechanics, Flinthook is certainly the game for you. Though it’s hampered a bit by it’s rushed gameplay mechanics and plentiful character actions, the speed of the game is also one of its biggest assets. With this new release on the Nintendo Switch, there’s never been a better time to dig into Flinthook.