Last year, developer Microids Studio Lyon announced that Flashback 2, a sequel to the 1992 PC classic, is in development. The team has also enlisted Paul Cuisset, the creator of the original game, and his studio to develop the title. This isn’t the first sequel in the series, but it is a continuation of the events which took place in the first Flashback.
The original Flashback was created by French video game developer Delphine Software International and released for the Amiga before making its way to the Sega Genesis, MS DOS, and Super NES in the early 90s. The game took place in a grim future where alien shape-shifters had infiltrated a futuristic world and it was up to the player to investigate this invasion. Gameplay took place in large areas and was compared to the likes of Prince of Persia. A sequel titled Fade to Black was released in 1995, but the series hasn't had a new entry in nearly thirty years, largely due to Delphine becoming defunct in 2004.
At today’s Summer Game Fest, Microids released the first look at how Flashback 2 is shaping up. MSL, who recently released a remake of the arcade classic, The House of the Dead, has shown that the 2D action-adventure game retains the same feel as the original. From the trailer, players can see the main protagonist Conrad B. Hart jumping, grabbing onto ledges, and climbing through a grimy, alien-infested world. The game is scheduled to launch across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4, and Xbox One and has been given a tentative Winter 2022 release window. A Nintendo Switch version is also planned, but this will release in 2023.
Flashback 2 will once again put players in the shoes of Conrad. As well as going up against the Morphs, gamers are tasked with investigating the protagonist's best friend. The adventure will take place across familiar places such as Neo Washington and the Jungle. New locations Neo Tokyo and a mysterious space station will feature. Unlike the recently announced Aliens: Dark Decent, Flashback 2 will be more focused on investigating what the alien invaders have been plotting rather than preventing an all-out assault.
Players who are excited about Flashback 2 will be pleased to know that Paul Cuisset has also brought back some team members who worked on the original 1992 title. Game designer Thierry Perreau and the composer of the famous Amiga soundtrack, Raphaël Gesqua, are back onboard for the next entry in the series.
With Flashback 2 releasing at the end of the year, the game will be facing off against some heavy hitters, such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Fans, however, will no doubt be excited to learn that they will be returning to the world of Conrad B. Hart this year, especially as the 25th-anniversary edition of the original game that was released across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch is approaching its fifth birthday.
Flashback 2 will be coming this Winter to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A Switch version will follow in 2023.
