Flashback, commonly considered a spiritual successor to Another World, was a video-game that originally came out back in 1992; veteran gamers will no doubt remember.
In 2013, Ubisoft and VectorCell are hoping to reintroduce new players to the franchise with an upcoming remake. Will this prove successful in gaining new fans, whilst also bringing back fond memories for those who played the original?
Obviously this is a remake but the new version of Flashback still very much has an old school vibe. The game is a 2D platform adventure that will remind players of a time when this was the standard way to play. It’s nice to see VectorCell haven’t fundamentally tried to change this as it fits the genre so well.
The perspective a 2D view offers makes it possible for the player to get a glimpse of what lies ahead. This is especially handy for spotting some of the deadly traps introduced later on.
Sadly, there were some mild control issues that somewhat spoiled the demonstration. For instance, it was difficult to jump up to higher platforms, especially since the character often moved forward. An issue many people will likely remember from the ‘good ol’ days’. The reason is that it’s necessary to hold ‘up’ for a few seconds before the character will register the grabbing action. Sadly, this didn’t feel particularly natural since it’s easy to accidentally move the character forward instead.
There are also some issues jumping from one platform to another. The reason for this is that the camera focused too much on one area, making it somewhat difficult to time the jump correctly in order to land on the other platform.
Combat works out a lot better, though. The character has a gun that he can aim with right stick and shoot by pressing the right trigger. It’s a clever use of the 2D setting and makes aiming very easy.
Enemies faced early on aren’t particularly challenging, but they do provide the player with an opportunity to get acquainted with how the shooting mechanics work.
There are plenty of gadgets to use too, such as high-tech glasses that help find nearby threats. While I only saw one in action, I’m imagining some other potentially exciting opportunities that will inherantly determine how the game plays out.
The demonstration only showed a fairly small introductory area, but it became quite obvious that the player will have a lot of room to explore. Fortunately, the grid-like map system makes it enjoyable, especially since all aspects of the user interface are quick, easy and simple to understand.
The game introduces a few helpful items as the player progresses. A health machine makes sure that the probability of dying and restarting from the nearest checkpoint is low. This will be particularly useful when players are confronted with the traps and pitfalls later on. Health is devoured quickly if Conrad is caught by a trap and he doesn’t have a large base of health to begin with. For instance, electronic traps will deal a large amount of damage and all-but kill a player in one hit.
It’s not just items players will encounter, either. Peculiar people were found throughout the demonstration. These strangers offered to help Conrad in exchange for his assistance. One of them asked Conrad to fetch some explosive fruits. Later on, Conrad can make use of them to blow up his enemies.
The story itself is also very detailed and interesting, and, of course, fans of the original will have a good idea of what is going on. Flashback is a classic case of amnesia, and throughout play, the main character must recover some important memories. In terms of narrative pacing, it’s perfect since the player will get to learn just what’s going on at the same time as the character.
The section I played was set in a jungle with a few different areas to explore. The vibrant colours used definitely made the level stand out. However, it’s the brief look at the New Washington location that gives a promising glimpse at what lies ahead and has me excited for the full release.
It’s worth noting that the the map format could receive more sections being added as downloadable content. This gives the developers a great opportunity to potentially explore the character’s past even further.
From my brief hands-on, I can tell you that Flashback is definitely a good update on a classic, There are some issues with the control mechanics that will hopefully improve in time for release. However, VectorCell’s re-imagining is looking very promising indeed.
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