Flashback

Name: Flashback

Platform: PC

Developer: Delphine Software

Release Year: 1992

Basic plot

You play as agent Conrad B Hart. Awaking in a jungle having had your memories erased you must regain your past and thwart an intergalactic alien conspiracy.

What's its deal?

It's sci-fi Prince of Persia with a gun.

Level 1 - techno jungle

Gameplay

Like I said, PoP with a gun. It's a platform action game with some puzzles thrown into the mix. You move from screen to screen like in PoP climbing, leaping, hanging and blasting baddies. 

The graphics were nice for the time (especially the backgrounds), the story was a little bit “huh? Whatever” but what was awesome though was the feel of being an action hero. 

The act of simply drawing your gun, having it at the ready, aiming, shooting, readying and finally holstering looked so cool you wanted to slow down and enjoy every battle, not just power through the game. 

Combining human-realistic athleticism and slick, secret agent style movements led to lots of Jason Bourne style kills and level navigation - “I'll leap over this chasm, go into a dive roll whilst simultaneously drawing my piece and smoke this sucka”. I'd find myself humming the Mission Impossible theme whilst clearing screens and even restarting from save points just so I could take out guys and a cooler way.

Memorable moments

Spending way too much time on interesting screens practicing ninja style, gun-fu moves long after I'd killed everyone.

Death Tower had a very 'Total Recall' feel to it

Positives

• Futuristic sci-fi setting is interesting with quirky little details (the subway system on level 2 taking you to 'continents')
• One of the most satisfying games to fire your gun (gun sfx were gritty and loud too)
• Nice mix of action and puzzle.
• You feel like a FBI space ninja.

Negatives

• Too short, only 7 levels.
• Not enough enemies to kill, could have used a climactic fire fight.
• It's French.

Extra comments

This was a really fun and satisfying game. Unfortunately it is tainted by its less successful (lame) sequel 'Fade to Black' where they tried to make Flashback 3D. This ambitious makeover took out all the fluidity of Conrad's movement and slickness. It was clunky and NOT FUN. Urgh.