Flashback

A well-executed modern remake of an Amiga classic.

At the end of the day, if you're an old school gamer that loved Flashback when it was first released in the 90s then you're going to adore what VectorCell and Ubisoft have brought to you in the HD version. They've done a helluva job keeping the memory and core gameplay of the original intact, while still delivering a competent game that is fun and engaging in a new way.

An enjoyable adventure with a few niggles - only has replay value for completionists. [Nov 2013, p.69]

Doesn't totally transport us back. [Oct 2013, p.89]

The story could have done with a little bit more fine-tuning and the actor playing Conrad would have done a bit better if he hadn’t been channelling every single cheesy 80′s movie star simultaneously, but the gameplay, the bit that’s most important when it comes to an actual game, is enjoyable from beginning to end.

It's difficult to evaluate the remake of Flashback: old fans will gather in front of a title that remembers the original, but had lost that unique style. Who will approach the game for the first time will find instead a well made title but not so addictive.

While its gameplay and visuals are better than they were in 1992, what was groundbreaking back then feels merely average 20 years later.

Flashback isn’t a particularly long game, clocking in at around 4-5 hours with limited replayability beyond collectibles for completionists. For $12.95 though, that’s a decent amount of playtime; it’s just a shame that it runs out of steam so early and leaves you wanting flashbacks of the first few levels.

Not without some issues not found in the original production, this new installment of Flashback deserves a "regular" consideration. Besides, this DLC includes the original game.

Flashback has resurfaced and is now upgraded for a new generation of gamers, but it's weighted down heavily with shortcomings.

Unfortunately, whilst competent in execution and steeped in nostalgia, this remake of the 1992 classic Flashback doesn’t quite have the firepower or ingenuity to measure up in its own right against the current standard in platformers.

The problem with Flashback is that despite having faults that can be overlooked, the remaining execution feels flat and average. There is absolutely nothing special about Flashback. And that in itself is one of the worst sins that a game can commit.

Flashback is proof that you can't simply take a '90s classic and make a new game out of it without redesigning its mechanics and structure.

The bugs overshadow what is a generally poor update of a classic game. [Issue#103, p.86]

The one thing that New Flashback has going for it is that it comes bundled with Better Flashback, which you can access via the main menu. [Nov 2013, p.66]

Flashback on the Sega Genesis is a beloved title from the past that could have been a groundbreaking experience when updated for today’s consoles. Unfortunately, what we received is a bargain priced Xbox Live Arcade title that never quite delivers on any of the expectations fans have had over the years.

An half-developed remake, Flashback manages to conjure memories of the original 1992 game wasting them with lots of shortcomings and not-well-implemented ideas.

It doesn't really work as a remake, but it doesn't work as an action platformer either. A quite simple experience where there's very little to highlight.

With this weak remake Ubisoft has ruined an awesome game which still looks and plays good despise of its age. Too many changes have been made to the original gameplay and none of them is good enough to improve the game.

With beautiful environments and intelligent level design, VectorCell did most of the work of making a memorable puzzle-platformer. But awkward controls and frustrating bugs keep Flashback far away from the classic status its 1993 forebear earned.

Time may not have been particularly kind to Flashback, but 20 years on, it hasn't been forgotten. It's unlikely we'll be able to say the same for this remake in 20 days.

For those who loved the original (which is included), it might worth the price of admission, but anyone else will do well to stay away.

It's a shame the buggy controls make fighting through it a chore. [Issue#139, p.115]

While nostalgic, Flashback doesn’t necessarily pay tribute to its predecessor. Superfluous content mixed with poor level design and frustrating bugs should be enough to keep you from playing this more than once, no matter how much you loved the original.

A great-looking remake of a classic game, but playing it is an exercise in confusion and frustration.

Remaking a 20-year-old hit is a difficult challenge, and we must admit that in the case of "Flashback", the result is far from convincing. Not that the game is bad in all areas, there are some enjoyable moments, but each element of the game, whether it's story, gameplay, narrative, art direction or new additions are not relevant. Disappointing.

This is exactly the wrong way of making an homage to a classic. The original was stylish, mysterious and tense, this version just can be described as bland in every possible way.

If you’re dying for something similar to Flashback, and don’t mind wrestling with some control issues, an inferior story and a generic art-style, then this may be what you’re looking for. Otherwise, you’d best just sit tight and hope that someone decides to make a version of the original game with a slightly higher resolution.

In this modern remake, the original vision is lost in favor of trying to reach a new generation of potential fans with some half-baked ideas on what would make A Cool Sci-Fi Game™. And in the process of doing that, Flashback has lost its identity entirely.

Flashback was never an arcade game, so I have no idea why this is featured. It's a shame that such a revered classic has received such a soulless re-imagining, especially considering the people involved. It's never awful, but its lack of personality is almost worse than being all-out dire.

Stripped of its namesake, Flashback is a middling action game rife with bugs and small annoyances that add up to an experience that is perhaps best wiped from any player's memory.

A disappointing game with little to offer. The original had its eyes toward the future, very deliberately trying to do things differently. Great remakes are able to adapt, modifying and expanding upon the previous game’s ideas. Here there’s hardly more than recycled concepts and a total failure to capitalize on the first game’s potential. Improvements are few, and many of the updates make things worse instead of better.

Updating an old game is always something of a balancing act as developers work to maintain what made the original game great, while bringing it up to speed with modern conventions. Unfortunately, Flashback HD fails on both accounts.

As much as it was an enjoyable exercise in nostalgia, compared to the standards set by today’s games Flashback falls short. The bottom line is this game borders on being technically flawed. Story doesn’t make up for this or the shortcomings of elementary gameplay.

While Flashback HD isn’t completely broken, it’s the fact that they remade such a classic and screwed the pooch with it.