Flashback: The Quest for Identity

I am a big fan of Flashback game. I thank you very much. I am enjoying this game all over again :-)

This was my absolute favorite Sega CD game. Sure there are other really good ones, but this is the one I have the best memories playing. It is definitely a superior version of the game compared to the original Genesis and Super Nintendo ones with better gameplay graphics, better cut scenes and awesome music. All in all if you have a Sega CD system you owe it to yourself to add this game to your collection.No matter which version of the game they all have the same storyline. You play Conrad Hart, and man who has no memory of who he is. In the game you learn who you are and the reason why you lost your memory and identity. In the end you uncover a nefarious alien plot and single handedly save the day... provided you finish the game.Flashback looks and plays very similar to the classic Prince of Persia games. The characters are rotoscoped to 24 frames per second, which makes movements and actions very fluid and dynamic. Might not be that impressive now that motion capture is all the rage, but back in the day with this game and the original PoP it was awesome to behold. Like Prince of Persia there are jump puzzles and some problem solving involved, but the animation is faster and more exciting. You not only do you jump, but you also run and climb and sneak and shoot. You can also do things like trick your enemies by throwing rocks to lead them away from you.The game is very story driven and each level of play progresses you through the storyline. This game, like many others from this era, lend a lot of their setting to the movie Blade Runner. This one goes even further with replicant enemies in one of the worlds you're in. While many Blade Runner-esque games fail to really get past looks Flashback backs up the sci-fi setting with a good story.Another cool feature for the Sega CD version is the cut scenes. While the other versions of the game had cut scenes they usually weren't animated and were limited to the graphics capabilites of the systems they were in. This version had full CG animated cut scenes that, at the time, looked awesome. The cutscenes are definitely dated by today's standards, but they looked really good back then (plus they included voice acting and music) and they really helped flesh out the story of the game in a positive way without distracting from the game.Another really great aspect of this version of Flashback is the soundtrack. The music is really good and help put real life into the game. You can even put the game on a regular CD player and play the five or six tracks of music (might sound sparse, but wait until you play the game before passing judgement) for the game on your stereo. The song for the opening credits is so nice I have it on my mp3 player.Flashback: The Quest for Identity on the Sega CD is truly a great game. Game designers Delphine Software also made Out of This World, which was another critically acclaimed game for the SNES. If you want a truly engaging, side scrolling, shoot 'em up, classic Prince of Persia-style sci-fi game then not only have you found it you have found it in spades. I can't say enough good things about this game.