Flint: Treasure of Oblivion turns Treasure Island into a tactical RPG

digitaltrends.com:

It’s shaping up to be a surprisingly busy year for pirate video games. Ubisoft finally released its long-delayed Skull & Bones (to middling reviews), while Sea of Thieves is setting its sails for PlayStation later this month. Both of those games are fine options for those looking to do some swashbuckling, but they’re also multiplayer-focused titles that are best enjoyed with a full crew. What options exist for solo players looking for a more story-driven single-player experience?

Thankfully, a new option is on the horizon. Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is a tactical pirate RPG set to launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC this year. I got a close look at it during this year’s Game Developers Conference, where I saw its turn-based combat and graphic novel influence in action. The great news for pirate history nerds is that Flint looks to offer a story-rich campaign that draws on some iconic source material.

In Flint, players control a crew of pirates traveling the seas in search of treasure. While developer Savage Level didn’t share the exact story with me, it did give me a good idea of what to expect. For one, it tells an original tale set entirely in the Treasure Island universe, thanks to the power of the public domain. That means that it’ll feature some very recognizable pirates alongside Captain Flint and his mates. The full game will feature 15 recruitable pirates in all.

Savage Level has an especially creative way of getting its story across, too. The studio is utilizing hand-illustrated comic panels crafted by French artists that pop up during dialogue. Those stylistic splashes make Flint feel like a playable graphic novel that can be more dynamic in how it tells its story. It doesn’t look like those are used sparingly either; while not every single piece of dialogue gets its own illustration, it seems like a big chunk of them do. I’d also see some additional drawings pop up when the crew opened a chest, bringing an illustrated version of the rum they’d just