Flashback 2 Hands-On: Move Over, Monkey Island! Another 30+ Year-Old Game is Finally Getting a Sequel

ign.com:

I don’t know if there’s something in the water causing developers to dust off franchises that were around when I was still in diapers and start developing sequels, but if last year’s Return to Monkey Island is anything to go by, I’m thankful for whatever mysterious powers are at work. And just like Ron Gilbert’s return to the helm of his old brainchild, Paul Cuisset, creator of the original Flashback, has also come back to head up the upcoming sequel to a retro classic. From the hour-long section I was able to play, it’s shocking just how much Flashback 2 seems like it will stick to its roots. That comes with all the potential pros and cons you might imagine.

If you never played 1992’s Flashback, or any of the re-releases or remasters since, it’s a retro platformer and adventure game where you jump and roll around, solve puzzles, and shoot mutants in a dystopian cyberpunk future. Despite a pretty enormous 30-year gap, this sequel very much follows in the footsteps of its predecessor and put me back into the righteous boots of Conrad for an all-new science fiction adventure that has me blasting underworld thugs, running away from creepy tentacled aliens, and exploring the neon-soaked streets of New Washington. There was even a part where I got into a giant robot mech to partake in an illegal cage match against some villainous ne’er-do-well – they’re definitely going all-out with the usual adventure game shenanigans and minigames.

It definitely struck me just how much developer Microids is sticking to the original’s roots after three decades, but as you’d expect some pretty significant improvements have been made in some obvious areas like graphics, which still pay homage to the original while seriously upping their game.