The Back to the Future franchise is certainly a cultural mainstay; now (finally) fans of the movie series have a decent game to sink their teeth into. In the words of Doctor Emmett Brown himself, “Great Scott! I can’t believe they finally made a decent Back to the Future game!” That’s right people, this game pays homage to the characters and settings that we have all come to know and love, and is actually worth your time (unlike some of the past B2TF titles that we have seen). Does this mean that the game is without faults? Of course not; while there are redeemable features that make “Back to the Future – the Game” worth playing, it is far from being considered a revolutionary experience.
Taking place after the timeline of the original movie series, “Back to the Future – the Game” is presented in five installments, or episodes. Each episode features a completely independent storyline with its own locations, goals, and objectives. This is a game that was designed to please fans, and not much else.
Gameplay
Back to the Future – the Game is in essence, a point-and-click adventure game. For gamers that are already familiar with the point-and-click genre, this title should be a welcome addition to the fray. This game has a very old school type of feel which is in sharp contrast to many of today’s ultra-modern, visually spectacular spectacles. All in all however, this game is quite enjoyable as long as you aren’t expecting an incredible amount of interactivity. Framerate drop-offs are a fairly common occurrence while playing; some players might find that this makes the game unplayable, while others won’t be bothered at all.
Visuals
This title features a very cartoonish art style which helps to draw interest from the audience while keeping things fun and light-hearted. Some gamers have noted that the synching between character’s lips and audio dialogue seems to be slightly off in places, but this is really a minor annoyance at best. As previously mentioned, framerate issues do occasionally crop up, which distorts the visual presentation; whether or not this will ruin the game for you is really dependent on your own level of tolerance to these kinds of glitches.
Verdict
On its face, Back to the Future – the Game is a loving tribute to a fantastic movie series, die-hard fans will likely be ecstatic, but the average gamer probably won’t be take an extraordinary interest in this title. If you’ve never played a point-and-click game before, this might actually be a good game to start off with. This title features great dialogue and (of course) characters, if however, you’re expecting a rousing action-packed, bullet-slinging blockbuster, you will be disappointed. Back to the Future – the Game is altogether a very silly experience, but it is enjoyable nonetheless, especially if you are really into the movies. Will this game be one of your all-time favorites? Doubtful; but as previously stated, you should certainly enjoy the quirkiness of it, and perhaps even relish the opportunity to assume the role of the franchise’s central character.