Flashback
| Developer: Delphine Software | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: US Gold | Sound: |
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| Year: 1992 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Action-platformer | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
9/10 | |
In the 21st century, humanity has colonised the solar system. It has built cities inside massive domes, oxygenated by artificial jungles. It’s in the midst of one of these that you’ve just crash-landed. The laser marks on your anti-gravity bike leave little doubt about the cause of the accident. Someone tried to kill you, and you have no idea why! In fact, you can’t remember anything. Your memory’s been wiped.
A worthy successor to Another World, Flashback is a futuristic platformer with a storyline that would make Ridley Scott green with envy.
The controls are reminiscent of Prince of Persia: I run, I jump, I miss, I grab hold of a ledge at the last second, and haul myself up with my impressively brawny arms…
The backgrounds are exquisitely detailed, the adventure is interspersed with stunning cinematic sequences (back when “CGI” wasn’t a buzzword), but the game’s true strength lies in the character animation, which is so good it’ll knock you off your feet (and I grab hold of the ledge again…).
[Buzzword wasn’t a buzzword either. – Ed.]
The success of Flashback would inspire other titles such as Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee (PlayStation, 1997), Oddworld: Abe’s Exodus (PlayStation, 1998), and Heart of Darkness (PC and PlayStation, 1998). Then came 3D and a sequel that, in my opinion, is utterly unworthy of Flashback: Fade to Black (PlayStation, 1995). I take issue with its frustrating controls, hideous graphics, and empty, depressing environments.
There are more recent successors too: The Way (2016) and Lunark (2023).
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