Gameplay for Flashback 2 has been revealed at Summer Game Fest 2022, with the footage showing fans' 30-year wait for a sequel may have paid off. The title was announced in 2021 by Blacksad: Under the Skin and Syberia developer Microids and Flashback director Paul Cuisset, but very little was offered in the way of what the story or gameplay would entail.
The original Flashback, or Flashback: The Quest for Identity as it was known in the US, is a science-fiction platform game released 30 years ago in 1992. The story follows intelligence agent Conrad B. Hart who discovers that shapeshifting aliens known as Morphs have infiltrated human society, promptly has his memory wiped, and has to fight off the Morphs whilst uncovering the truth again. The title was revolutionary for its time, bringing impressive graphics to consoles of its day, leading it to be marketed as the first CD-ROM game in a cartridge. Flashback was highly acclaimed by critics and fans, and was a huge success to the point it received a Guinness World Record for being the best-selling French game of all time.
During the main event of Summer Game Fest 2022, Microids revealed the first gameplay footage for Flashback 2. Fans of the original will be happy to see that the gameplay and visuals appear to be similar to the 1992 sci-fi classic, with plenty of action-packed platforming in a futuristic world. However, one big upgrade is that Flashback 2 seems to have more 2.5D elements, whereas the original was a purely 2D side-scroller. Although the original Flashback was praised for its visuals in its time, Flashback 2's trailer shows how far modern graphics have come since the original, featuring a highly detailed and visually stunning neon-lit futuristic world, full of mechs, gravity-defying motorbike races, and more that is sure to please sci-fi fans.
Although not much is known about the return to the classic gaming franchise, Flashback 2 director Paul Cuisset had previously confirmed it would follow Flashback's original protagonist Conrad B. Hart, which was reaffirmed with his appearance in the trailer. Cuisset also previously stated that the idea for Flashback 2 is one he's had for a very long time, and is one he hopes will please the fans of the original title whilst also appealing to fans of the genre in general.
If the initial gameplay is anything to by, Flashback 2 looks to be the sequel fans have been waiting 30 years for. Until then, fans who want to revisit, or catch up on the original title's story before Flashback 2's 2023 release, can do so on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and PC.
Source: Microids/YouTube