Flashback: 25th Anniversary scores 8/10 in the verdict of The Games Market editorial team.
Once Upon a Time
Flashback 25th Anniversary
by Simon Larocca·December 11, 2023
Un leap through time dense with emotions, with many memories mixed together in the cauldron of memory: Flashback, and never as in this occasion is the title so apt, brings with it a river of reminiscences and afternoons in front of the TV, armed with an Amiga and a lot of patience.
Developed by a team belonging to Delphine Software (the ones behind Shaq Fu!), led by Paul Cuisset, who was destined to tie his name to the two most successful titles from the French company, Flashback is the spiritual sequel to Another World, another timeless classic that redefined the platform genre by demonstrating that it was possible to write a solid story with an intricate plot even within a genre that, notoriously, lent itself to much lighter games aimed at a less mature audience.
Flashback stands out right from the opening moments for its sci-fi style and the most beautiful cutscenes one could admire at the time, handled by a careful direction that provides just the right pathos to plunge straight into the heart of the story: the difficulty is notable from the very beginning, I won’t hide that from you so you’ll be properly prepared when you take on the game, with what I call the Zelda Formula: no indication of how or where to move, because the gameplay experience is determined above all by the factor "learn on your own and try not to die badly too many times".
Tradotto: for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the video game, it was decided to include the rewind mode so as to be able to repeat the extremely difficult sections, those that, incidentally, old-guard players like me repeated continuously, with determination, until they triumphed. Or to turn off the console and go do something else, before trying again the next day.
Flashback presents itself in a two-dimensional side-scrolling format, with the possibility, or rather the necessity, of changing scenery by running, jumping, and shooting, all with exceptional fluidity: rotoscope, a technique widely used in the fields of cinema and animation, allowed the programmers to focus on digitizing the protagonist, making him effectively one of the most beautiful things to see on screen.
Fun Fact: the rotoscopic technique, even if it never really took off in the video game field, gave us some graphic adventures and especially some pretty good laser games!
The collector's edition of the twenty-fifth anniversary doesn't just include in-game features, of course: inside we will find the splendid soundtrack, some collectible, rigid postcards that reproduce promotional images that have become legendary (my favorite is the one showing Conrad hiding behind a corner wall, gun in hand, James Dean-style hair and a vague Bond-like flavor) and a whole series of extras that will delight nostalgia fans of the Amiga school (but the game was later released on other consoles) and perhaps bring closer to the genre those who had only vaguely heard of this title, in the depths of old arcade archives on some specialized site, who knows.
8
Pro
The rotoscope technique is fascinating and has always characterized the game
High-quality direction and wonderful cutscenes, capable of immersing the player in a compelling story
Splendid and atmospheric sound design
Contro
No tutorials as they are understood in modern times: we will have to learn everything on our own
It requires a level of manual skill and precision that might deter the casual gamer
Tricky from the very beginning, it will take a while to get the hang of the controls
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
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