OK so it seems like when people talk about cinematic platformers, the two games they always trace them back to are Another World and Flashback. It's hard to find one mentioned without the other, and they seem to be implied to be very similar. But I actually found them to be really different from each other!
They do have some things in common. They both have a pixelated but surprisingly realistic rotoscoped cool dude with a gun. They both have a combination of action and puzzles, although I would say Another World leans toward the puzzles and Flashback leans toward the action. They're both sci-fi with escape themes, and an open but hopeful ending. And of course, they were both put out by the same game company, Delphine.
Minimalism vs. More Interface Stuff
But the gameplay felt quite different to me. Another World took the minimalist approach of just a couple basic controls, and no inventory, dialogue, or HUD at all. Flashback had a lot more moves the character could do, which required a bit more learning, but so were so cool and beautifully animated to be worth it. It also had a simple inventory, occasional dialogue, and apparently a score (which I didn't pay attention to at all). But the thing that made the most difference in gameplay was the presence of shield charges, which essentially functioned as a health meter. In other words, you could take multiple hits before death, in stark contrast to Another World's instadeath system.
Instadeath vs. Health Meter
I might write another post later about why instadeath and trial-and-error don't bother me the way they seem to bother a lot of players. But for now, I'll just note that instadeath seems to pair well with puzzles, whereas a health meter seems to pair well with action. Personally, I'm more of a puzzle fan, but when I saw those shield charges, I knew there were going to be more action sequences that I would have to drill until I could pass them with minimal hits (rather than the main challenge being to figure out what to do).
Which leads me to another point: Flashback is HARD. I initially started the game on easy mode only because I wanted the full rewind capability, but right at the beginning I got disappointed when I realized that easy mode actually erases a lot of the enemies entirely. I wanted the full experience, so I started over in normal mode, and played that way through the first and second stages. However, once I got to the third stage, the enemy combat sequences got so hard, and the save points far enough apart, that I knew I was going to have to drill the same sections for hours if I was going to beat them. While some people love that, I frankly don't find it fun. I got frustrated enough that I started the game over again so I could switch back to easy mode, and I had to replay stages one and two, but I knew that was the only way I would have the patience to get through the rest of the game. And even on easy mode, there were some sequences in the last stages of the game that I had to drill to the point of being bored with them in order to beat. (Of course, this is a matter of preference. A player who enjoys tough action sequences and perfecting their timing skills would probably love this stuff.)
Also, a lot more of Flashback felt like standard platforming to me: recurring enemies and familiar challenges rearranged in different patterns. Another World, on the other hand, felt like almost the whole game was comprised of interactive setpieces and unique situations. The "cinematic" nature of Another World was woven throughout the gameplay, whereas in Flashback it felt like it was mostly confined to cutscenes and a few occasional setpieces. (Well, except for the second stage. The second stage incorporated the most story and character interaction, and was easily the most fun, in my opinion.)
OK, I'm done complaining now! If it's starting to sound like I hated Flashback, that's actually not true at all! I just didn't love it as much as Another World. That being said, there was a lot I liked about this game, the main thing being:
The 80s-90s neon techno futuristic over-the-top sci-fi vibe was just . . . so perfect. The whole opening sequence with ray guns and a space jet-ski. The message recorded via holograph for no apparent reason. The cyberpunk moon base city. The slime blob alien planet. The casual teleportation. The explosions. The MUSIC.
And that's another contrast I must point out: Another World had hardly any music. It had ambient sounds that were so well done and added to the immersion so effectively, and that was one of the things I loved about it. Flashback, on the other hand, I loved for not only having great old sci-fi music but for using it so blatantly. Pull out your gun? Hear sneaky gun music! Look at your map? Hear snazzy map music! See a cutscene? Hear awesome cutscene music! Maybe it's just because it was made in 1992, but this game is so self-aware of its own coolness that it doesn't even try to be subtle about it, and the result is delightful. Even picking up an object gives you a classic ta-da sound (which starts to get hilarious once you acquire an object that you can set down and pick back up at will).
Another thing I'd like to mention is that I would really love to see this game made into a movie. It definitely has a story, although we only get the bare bones of it through a handful of cutscenes, without much in the way of character development. But what story there is is quite fun (although didn't always make total sense, but that could be easily remedied with a bit of writing). I would love to see it fleshed out. All the classic sci-fi stuff is tied together with the classic drama of captures and escapes, old friends, imposters, amnesia, death games, and a secret mission to literally save the human race. If it were taken too seriously it would spoil it, but a Flashback movie made in awareness of its tropey retro-futuristic fun factor would be an absolute blast.
Flashback. Vibe: excellent. Character animations: excellent. Story: fun, but I want more of it. Gameplay: in my opinion just ok, but if you're more action-oriented than I am you'll probably love it.
Up next on my to-play list is Full Void, a new but classic-inspired game from just last year. It looks like it's gonna be great in a lot of ways and I'm super excited to play it!
