The newest adventure from pixel-art masters Tribute Games places you in the tiny boots of the galaxy's greatest space pirate.
We all feel a bit tiny sometimes. Flinthook, the short hero of our game of the same name, has a smaller stature than the action heroes we’re used to. However, our masked hero isn’t intimidated at all — Flinthook is, after all, the greatest space pirate in the galaxy, armed with a trio of impressive gadgets that would make gods of war jealous. Equipped with the mighty Quickhook, the Blasma Pistol and the ChronoBelt, Flinthook has a unstoppable desire for treasure and is ready for adventure!
A lot of games play with different ways to make their hero move vertically, with double jumps, jetpacks, and air-dash mechanics. My favorite has always been the grappling hook, as there’s a solid connection between the hero and the hook — a physical action that’s easy to grasp. Inspired by many of the hookshots from games I’ve played through the years, Flinthook’s iconic Quickhook is, in my opinion, the best hookshot ever!
It’s just so simple and direct — attaching to a ring propels you towards it, and launches you forward with momentum afterwards. Since rings abound in space pirate ships, this straightforward gadget gives you a fantastic freedom of movement in an intuitive way. In seconds, you’ll be flying from ring to ring in quick succession, traversing hazard-filled rooms with great ease. And for once, being tiny is actually helpful as you can zip between bullets, spiked balls and lasers with a swift throw of the anchor.
So with the hook you’ll be able to dodge obstacles, but you’ll need to dispatch enemies too. Luckily, Flinthook is equipped with a Blasma Pistol, a small but powerful tool of destruction! With the same 360 degree aiming freedom as the hook, the blaster is an efficient match with the hookshot — zip over an enemy as it shoots, drop quickly behind them, shoot a few Blasma bolts, and up you go again. Or just stay in the air the whole time — hook, shoot, hook, shoot! Alternating between moving and shooting is the true rhythm of this game, and it’s a tune I sure don’t get tired of.
Over the course of the game, enemies and hazards become more complex, as the Cluster Clan attempts to stop Flinthook from reaching their overlords and stealing all their treasure. As you make progress through the campaign, you’ll realize how much you need the third part of our arsenal — the infamous Chronobelt. This powerful artifact lets our space pirate slow down time for a few seconds! Combined with such amazing movement and firepower abilities, it’s pretty much overkill!
You can zip above a group of enemies, activate the belt, adjust your aim and shoot below in slow motion, turn back to another ring and hook away as the time manipulation ends. You can, and should, use it all the time, as it recharges by itself within just a couple of seconds – dodging bullets, timing a jump through lasers, lining up a perfect shot, looking cool – all much easier thanks to good old time manipulation!
There is, however, a caveat to all this power in your (tiny) hands. As the game designer behind Flinthook, I was very well aware of the might I was giving to players, so… let’s just say I had a lot of fun creating herculean challenges for you. Expect rooms full of killer traps, puzzling arrays of obstacles, relentless waves of mighty enemies… and formidable bosses that will thoroughly test your abilities!
In Flinthook you’ll be tiny, sure, but you’ll have marvelous dexterity and power, matched with a proper Goliath of a challenge. I hope you’ll buy the game on April 18, take on Flinthook’s quest for treasure, and enjoy being the tiniest, but greatest, space pirate in the galaxy!
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