Flashback

 PC
Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 1 Critic Review

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Riot Pixels
    Oct 31, 2013
    54
    By packaging the original Flashback: The Quest for Identity, the developers made a huge mistake – because it makes the remake look even worse than it is.

User Reviews

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User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 54 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 54
  3. Negative: 20 out of 54
  1. Weilard
    Oct 1, 2013
    4
    Strange but reviewers with high rates of game do not talking about some facts like:
    - Game FB (2013) and FB (1992) used principally different    Strange but reviewers with high rates of game do not talking about some facts like:
    - Game FB (2013) and FB (1992) used principally different game-mechanics. That is why old FB looks like adventure with a tactical battles, and FB of 2013 looks like a simple arcade where always working "my life bigger that yours". In all other cases working "anyway i saw here med-block". This is normal for arcade, but this not enough for shoot-title like Flashback.
    - Game have no memorable Art Style. You can remember how many of gamers day by day told each other about beautiful images of levels and about gorgeous cut-scenes of original game. Here we can see good image of game, but is not enough to say "It's true! He's back! This is FB but in HD!"
    - Game have no more smooth movements of hero (that is why in old times this type of games have a name cinematic platformers). Animation looks raw, have many bugs, including the moments which can be fatal for the player (dead, freeze). Many twitches, no smooth transactions between base movements.
    - Game have a very casual balance even on hard-mode, and also game love to explain all that you will see in the game via text (even if you turn off help messages). You not need eyes, you can read. "Warning! It's electricity you can make yourself hurt!" or "Warning! This is a bird! This is no danger for you!". Messages of this type is normal for this game. Of course you can't understand that sparks can be dangerous. Sure.
    - Instead "man-in-problem" we receive daft-headed-gull which happy commented each action. This is good for comedy game, or for game with specific sense of humor, for Nathan Drake for example, but not for Conrad B. Hart.
    Maybe this game looks more fashionable than old Flashback. Maybe this type of hero with a face of Commando and brick-humor be better for sales (I don't know what think people who did this). Action of game can be explained with short "bam-boom-bam" slogan.

    But, serious, in what piece of game this is return of the legend? If game was a different name... you can recall her tomorrow, like a legend? And some people have insolence to confirm that this "our old love, but in HD"? This is a good market name. And this is just a speculation. On your love. On my love. On our feelings.

    Nevertheless. The game has some positive points. For example, moving the leaves in the jungle. And also... more honestly. I try to find positive things. But I can't. It's just a game. And in any case, not a continuation Flashback. Probably somebody made mistake and confused game boxes?

    You not need to believe me on my word. Check videos. Read hundred reviews. Hear gamers. If you not play in Flashback before... play in old game before play this game. Because otherwise you may misinterpret the term a legend.    … Full Review »
  2. evild4ve
    Nov 9, 2013
    1
    20 minutes was enough to see it's nothing like the original. It had already upset me loads by the point where you get a teleporter on the20 minutes was enough to see it's nothing like the original. It had already upset me loads by the point where you get a teleporter on the first level. The original was divided into screens, and you had to spend a few seconds at the start of each screen planning your route, and sometimes timing it so that you'd be on a certain platform when a certain guard was turned the other way. All of that is gone in the remake, as the camera follows you (in an uncomfortably close close-up) and the levels are continuous. Some new mechanics have been added for the sake of it, such as an aimable gun. Sounds like a good idea doesn't it? A little laser sight instead of automatically hitting anything at the same height on the same platform but, it's less fun.

    The atmosphere is gone too, everything feels extremely chirpy for some reason the character modelling and voiceovers feel like a 2002 remake, not in terms of actual graphical quality but in terms of the design aesthetic. I can't believe they got rid of the old intro, which was one of the best intros of its day.

    And it's a console port (not a port exactly, but the menus and everything else are clearly designed for them). Well of course, the original played on consoles didn't it? But differences have emerged an OLD console could port quite happily to PC with W,A,S,D and three buttons, and a logical options menu at the start. New consoles have been evolving in a different direction for 20+ years, and the Flashback remake is for a new console.

    Having shelled out $15 on this, I like to think of the developers, who are largely the ones from the original game, going out and having one last hurrah before they all die of Alzheimer's. This thought consoles me.    … Full Review »
  3. AuldWolf
    Oct 2, 2013
    10
    I don't get what the issue is with some of the reviewers, whether they're hipsters or racists. This is developed by the original FlashbackI don't get what the issue is with some of the reviewers, whether they're hipsters or racists. This is developed by the original Flashback development team, and they did a really good job of modernising it. It's meant to be the kind of game you can sit a kid down with, who's used to contemporary game mechanics, and show them why you liked this game as much as you did.

    The story, the setting, and everything important is still the same. I can't understand why people would hate the graphics unless, again, they're being racist about how admittedly French Conrad looks and sounds, but this was a game developed in France, so big surprise there. The graphics serve their purpose they're colourful, vibrant, and the enemies stand out.

    Maybe people were expecting the original Flashback in its exact form but with higher resolutions and anti-aliasing? Sort of like Another World's (Out of this World's) Anniversary Edition? Personally, I prefer the updated look of Flashback because, once again, it's a great way to introduce a younger generation to a great game, a game which feels every bit as rotoscoped and well animated as it ever did, as fun as it ever did.

    Maybe it's because they have memories of Flashback being hardcore or whatever? Well, I recently played the original Flashback and I can tell you that it's as easy as I remember it being, I guess I'm just not terrible at games. This Flashback and the old Flashback have a very similar difficulty curve, and there are difficulty settings you can choose from. I'm baffled by people who believe that Flashback was a hard game you can even pick to play the original game from the title menu. It really wasn't a hard game.

    I am inclined to call both hipster and racist though on the people who hated this. Take a look at the negative review by Weilard and tell me you don't see it.

    It's upsetting that racism and hipster angst will actually see this game hurting when it comes to reviews, and I'm not sure whether the critics themselves are immune to this, either. Yes, it's a French game with a French hero. So? It's not elite and hardcore. So? Neither was the original Flashback! Rose-tinted glasses much?

    So yeah. Please don't take the negative reviews at face value.    … Full Review »
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