Flashback remake in the works

[Ruldra]

Reveal trailer

Gameplay video

This feels nothing like the original, but I still hope it turns out a good game. Coming for XBLA and PSN.

[Udderdude]

It seems less stiff than the original, which is probably a good thing.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Looks nothing like the original and plays nothing like it either. Good thing there`s still Another World, Abe`s Oddysee, Abe`s Exoddus, Heart of Darkness and of course the original Flashback for the fans of this particular sub-genre of action/adventure games.

About a decade ago a Hungarian developer Invictus released an Amiga CD game(do not confuse with Amiga CD32) called onEscapee that was very heavily inspired by Flashback. Here`s a video. A PC version was released in 2004 as freeware, but I never tried that one.

[Udderdude]

The stiff controls didn't define the genre, they hampered it. :p

[Ghegs]

No way, I loved the controls in the original Flashback. I wish it'd come to GOG.

[Obiwanshinobi]

The original Flashback stood the test of time better than Another World.
Does Ico have easier puzzles and execution than Another World? I would say so. Does it make the puzzles of Another World better? Not for my money. At least the Anniversary Edition I purchased is bundled with an audio CD sountrack.
Cool story is, Éric Chahi took part in development of the Another World GBA port (good job, if still that same old game of "argh!")

[brokenhalo]

As somebody that played the hell out of the snes port, neither video really grabbed me at all. I think it looks more like a "shadow complex" sequal than a flashback reimagining.

[Mortificator]

Flashback started out good and got better... until leaving Titan. If these developers have the balls to totally redo the second half of the game, I'll give it a shot, but using the same design there as the original is an automatic skip.

And FUCK ME is the interviewer for that gameplay video terrible.

[louisg]

Flashback started out good and got better... until leaving Titan. If these developers have the balls to totally redo the second half of the game, I'll give it a shot, but using the same design there as the original is an automatic skip.

And FUCK ME is the interviewer for that gameplay video terrible.

Yeah, I felt like the adventure game bits were the height of Flashback. I started losing interest somewhere around the game show part. Did it continue to get worse?

[Specineff]

No love for the Sega CD version? The CGI scenes look grainy as usual, but the soundtrack enhances the atmosphere greatly, IMHO.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'm not sure how much of Flashback I played, but surely the hero wasn't another PMC bloke with a laser aiming device.

Maybe related, maybe not:
http://www.destructoid.com/a-small-favo ... 1269.phtml

[Edmond Dantes]

I'm most familiar with the PC CD-ROM edition (which supposedly is like the Sega CD one, but no background music, higher-quality video resolution, and I had to do some tricks to make it work right on my old PC. Nowadays DOSbox probably would take the challenge out of it).

I'm probably the only guy who loved it from beginning to end. Although I wouldn't mind getting the Sega Genesis version someday.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I started losing interest somewhere around the game show part.

I liked Death Tower. Check out REminiscence. The PS2 version seems broken (practically unplayable without memory card and crashing on my unit shortly after Death Tower), but then there's PC, Dreamcast...

[cj iwakura]

I think the aesthetics look great, aside from the cutscenes. Love how Death Tower looks.

One of my favorite games(I own the Sega CD version), so I'll judge it for myself.

[Ruldra]

Game is out today for PC and 360.

Review

1-hour playthrough

Original mode is in, but apparently you play it on a small cabinet screen.

Didn't really like it to be honest

[railslave]

No no no , desecration

Ill take these vines anyday of the week, seminal influence on me









*calms down, watches the station sequence *

Actualy thats pretty awesome, just not liking the complete neglect of the originals style in stage 1.

[spadgy]

So it's out today, and the few reviews posted are middling. I heard today from another games journalist that for many publications they've set the review embargo for after release; never a good sign (though could be bollocks).

[Ghegs]

I played through the trial and wasn't exactly impressed.

The controls are switched around a bit, and you aim with the right analog stick and shoot with right trigger, FPS style. Kind of gives the game a whole different feeling right there. Also, Conrad now gets experience from killing enemies, does Level Ups and can spend points on some stuff and improve his stats in other ways as well. The original game didn't need these so I'm not sure why they decided to implement them here. I guess the developers think every modern game must have some RPG-esque elements to it.

The voice acting sounds pretty amateurish. I spotted some funny animation bugs as well, if you walk down a ledge while aiming, you stay in the walking/aiming animation the whole way down. The trial is pretty short and ends when you meet the guy who'll supply you with the anti-grav belt. Some of the puzzles have been changed, there are no rocks laying round, so instead of throwing one to fool the elevator to come down, you shoot down a fruit that does the trick. And it's an explosive fruit you can then pick up and use in other ways.

Don't think I'll be buying it, at least not until it's on sale. I was thinking it might be worth the price of admission for the original game alone, but if you're forced to play in some small cabinet screen...no. C'mon GOG, just get Flashback and make this all simpler.

[Obiwanshinobi]

For what it's worth, A Shadow's Tale/Lost in Shadow has got levelling up too, but also Metroid-ish searching for life upgrades. It's a cinematic platformer done right if terms of controls and physics. Feels pretty human.

[shmuppyLove]

Original mode is in, but apparently you play it on a small cabinet screen.

LOLWTFBBQ

Someone needs to tell them this was never an arcade game.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

The view distance seems unusually small in the game demo. When he's dropping to a lower level in the forest, you can't even see the ground below, someone needs to remind them that platformers generally work best when you have a fairly large view distance of anything that's ahead.

[Ganelon]

Which version is the original included here? Or is it an amalgam of versions?

[Ruldra]

Here's how the original version is like:




You have rain and stuff happening in the background while you play so it's kinda distracting. "1993 edition" means it's either the Mega-Drive or SNES version.

[BIL]

What the fuck. I get the RETRO GAMING / PLAY JUST 4 FUN rationale behind the cab, even if I find it repulsive, but stuff happening in the peripheral view during gameplay?

Oh, fair enough. Rain's a start, but for the real arcade feel, it needs more crazy homeless people bumming for change and renegade seagulls stealing your chips. Blackpool North Pier reprazent yo.

*nb that's "bumming" as in US vernacular ("begging," not engaging in buggery) and "chips" ala UK ("freedom fries," not crisps).

[cj iwakura]

That cabinet has to be optional, or at least let you zoom in for full screen. Standard protocol for retro games, unless they're nuts(highly probable).

[Obiwanshinobi]

For some reason I'm listening to this and that title screen looks like a prefect illustration.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

That cabinet has to be optional, or at least let you zoom in for full screen. Standard protocol for retro games, unless they're nuts(highly probable).

Why the fuck did they make it standing outside in some dingy alleyway of all places? YES BECAUSE THAT'S HOW ALL ARCADES ARE, BRILLIANT

ignoring that, y'know, it wasn't an arcade game

The zoom function is probably halfassed like the XBLA port of Gunstar Heroes and doesn't even let you see the actual % zoom or let you stretch hori+vert at the same time to maintain aspect ration.

[Ed Oscuro]

*nb that's "bumming" as in US vernacular ("begging," not engaging in buggery) and "chips" ala UK ("freedom fries," not crisps).

Nota Bene: I've never seen n.b. in lowercase, but I guess it can be done. Also, bums engage in bumming? How was I supposed to guess that?! Get outta here, inconsistent Inglez, you klazey.

All that 3D street scene does is make me want to play some urban skating game, or more Beetle Adventure Racing! Did you know that in 1999 people played the Nintendo 64* in giant underwater aquariums?

*There can only be one. The Xbox took up all the rest of the space.

[BIL]

Also, bums engage in bumming? How was I supposed to guess that?! Get outta here, inconsistent Inglez, you klazey.

In rainy Britlandshire, "bum" means "ass" and "tramp" means "bum," and "bumming" was outlawed until 1967!

[cj iwakura]

I own a perfectly good Genesis version, so unless the remake is actually good(highly suspect), no reason to get it here.