14 DAY TRIAL // 
Flashback was a great game when it was first launched in 1992 and players loved it for its innovative gameplay, its unique look and its interesting story.
21 years have passed since then and the game has been remade by developer VectorCell and published by Ubisoft, with much of the core experience unchanged, and with Paul Cuisset, the designer of the original, involved with the creation process.
Unfortunately, what might have seemed impressive so long ago no longer resonates and Flashback is just another platformer with an unappealing story and mediocre mechanics.
The game world is inspired by then recent and now old science fiction action movies and the plot twists and the weird characters seem obsolete at the moment.
Most players will probably quickly loose interest in the narrative, which is a shame given that it was such a draw for the original version of the game.
Sadly, that means they will have more time to focus on the actual gameplay of Flashback, which has also aged rather badly.
Players basically have to navigate screens in order to find the objects they need to progress, eliminate obstacles and take out enemies.
The game also focuses quite a lot on tracking back in order to get the items you need and it feels tiring to always take one step back in order to solve a puzzle before being allowed to progress a little.
Shooting is also more prominent than in the original Flashback, but the aiming mechanic is not solid enough and frustration can quickly set in once more powerful enemies start showing up.
The puzzles tend to be simpler than they should be and there’s rarely a sense of satisfaction when solving one of them.
The new special glasses that gamers quickly gain access to also make it a little too easy to look for important objects and areas in the environment, further reducing the challenge level.
Flashback has morphed from a primarily adventure game that had occasional action sequences to an arcade title with some limited puzzle solving.
There’s also a lot of travel that feels entirely superfluous now that we are all accustomed to future cities.
Re-launching a game 21 years after it originally came out does men that the graphics offer a very different experience, with crisp lines, beautiful colors and clear visual identity for all the areas that the player visits.
The animations are a little weird at times, especially when jumping is involved, but other than that, the control scheme is solid and allows the player to quickly traverse the world after a rhythm develops.
Fans of the original Flashback, those who played it obsessively in their childhood, will probably be very happy to get the remake, but I suspect that most of their enjoyment will be linked to their own memories rather than the quality of the modern-day experience.
Those who have no connection to the first installment are probably better off keeping their money and using it for other High Definition remakes that appeal to their own memories.
Flashback is a good example of how remakes of older games can backfire because they rely too much on nostalgia in order to generate interest and sales and they can end up damaging the very memories they are trying to stir.
It would have probably been a better idea to simply upgrade the visuals, release the game and then tweak the familiar formula for a possible sequel than deliver Flashback as it is now.
