Flashback 're-imagined' for 20th anniversary, coming to PS3 and Xbox 360
More than twenty years after the game's original release, Flashback's coming back in a HD "re-imagining" for PS3 and Xbox 360.
Gamers old enough to have an Amiga probably remember Flashback quite fondly. Released in 1992, the game is considered a platforming classic, an early precursor to the Metroidvania genre. It was also noteworthy for its story--an interesting tale of an amnesiac that discovers a conspiracy involving shape-shifting aliens disguised as humans.
More than 20 years after the game's original release, it's coming back in a HD "re-imagining" for PS3 and Xbox 360.
In an official QA provided by Ubisoft, developer Vectorcell says that the updated game was inspired by the 20th anniversary of the original. "We thought we could both honor our fans who have been asking us for the return of Conrad for a long time and also allow a younger audience to discover the universe of Flashback."
Because the upcoming downloadable game isn't a "reboot," the game will stay true to the original in many ways. For example, the story is intact, as is the general feel of the map layout. (Look at the image above to see how similar the two games are.) However, many other elements of the game have been "beefed up" or modernized.
"Some characters that were sort of in the background in the first version were developed and have taken on more importance," the dev explained. "We also went back and took a longer look at some of the blurry spots in the first Flashback and the fans will hopefully discover certain aspects of the world that might have been overlooked."
Perhaps one of the biggest changes to the current-gen version of the game is the addition of a XP-based progression system. You'll be able to unlock new upgrades for your character, increasing his vitality, or enhancing the various tools he comes across in his adventures.
"Accessibility was brought up to current standards as was the level design," the developer explained, pointing out that it would seem "rather punishing through today's lenses if we had kept it exactly as it was." For example, there's a mini-map on the top right corner of the screen that provides constant pathing information, making sure you never get too lost.
Flashback should be on PS3 and Xbox 360 later this year.
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Shacknews
replyAndrew Yoon posted a new article, Flashback 're-imagined' for 20th anniversary, coming to PS3 and Xbox 360.
More than twenty years after the game's original release, Flashback's coming back in a HD "re-imagining" for PS3 and Xbox 360.-
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We replaced the video with the right one. Thanks for pointing out.
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Doesn't sound like Flashback though :/
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It was an okay game, excellent for its time. The controls were interesting, but heavy on the latency. So you'd be queuing up your controls and the game would execute them as the animations completed.
Besides that it was an astounding game for its time. Now days it's a bit... dated. The remake is an interesting idea, if they had not made the graphics so obnoxious in this update I'd be very happy. The worst part is the animations though, it does not have the beautiful animations of the original.-
Yeah, all I wanted was the original game at a higher res and better controls. The look of the new one is kind of awful :(
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Calling Flashback a Metroidvania is stretching the definition a little too far. It was more like a side scrolling adventure game with action combat. Much of the gameplay involved going places, picking up objects, and using them elsewhere, interspersed with gunfights.
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Another World has already been redone. Look on Steam or GOG.com
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Hideous! Hideous! Hideous!
If you're not gonna do it right (which is to say, hand drawn animation) then why do it at all? Just give us the original Flashback, it looks better than your polygonal abomination anyway. -
It's a rarity to see Amiga games mentioned on the shack, I loved all of those amiga games. Unfortunately I never got around to playing more than the beginning of flashback. I loved out of this world though (which by the way was recently re-released on android). If anything i'd want to play the original before the remake.
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I wanted to be excited about this - I really did. But then I saw the video and thought more about the 'new' art style and... eh.
Even that lone screen-shot shows the problem with the direction - the original had all sorts of colorful environments that were eager to show you just how different the world was. Look at the fauna - it's strange and awesome. Now look at the 'new' shot of the same environment - it's any jungle ever. It looks like they're downplaying what made the environments in Flashback so unique so it would appeal to those who couldn't fathom the suspension of disbelief to consider what an alien world could look like.
I don't even mind the XP thing, whatever. If I could turn it off, all the better. Still, that doesn't offend me nearly as much as (what appears to be) an attempt at sanitizing the environments to appeal to the lowest common denominator of demographics - which are, of course, Call of Duty players. -
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