Tweet
Flashback's title screen allows you to play through the original 1992 game in its entirety. A generous move on the part VectorCell, developer of this remake, you might think, but the message is obvious: Look how far we've come. The idea is that we have a quick play of the original and then find out what a difference two decades' worth of improvements in game design and technology can make.The move backfires. The juxtaposition only serves to highlight the failings of this update - and, perhaps, the folly in trying to remake a game like Flashback in the first place. It does, however, make for an interesting case study in how game design has changed over the years - for better and worse.
Let's start with the good stuff, then. New Flashback is certainly a more accessible game than its predecessor. Its difficulty curve is gentler and its controls aren't nearly so fussy. You can clear gaps without having to wait an agonising split second for a gorgeous rotoscoped jump animation to kick in, and you no longer need to press a button simply to unholster your weapon before firing; here, it's just a case of holding the right analogue stick in the direction of an enemy and squeezing the trigger.
Read more…
More...