All five episodes are out right now, and if you're still on the fence whether or not you want to buy them, then the first episode is free, and you can find it on telltale's website. That's really enough to help you figure out whether you want to get the games or not, but since were here, I'm going to voice my unwanted opinion anyway!
I'm not really sure what to say about these games, I really liked them. I've always had a soft spot for the point and click adventure games, and these did not disappoint....at all. The story is good, the gameplay is solid, and it's just a fun experience! So, if your a fan of point and click adventure games, yea, I would definitely recommend it! Back to the Future fans? Go for it man! This game pretty much is a love letter to any one who's enjoyed the movies.
With that said, then you've probably guessed that this game is reliant on nostalgia, and yea, this game pretty much brings up everything people might have remembered about the movies. So, let's go down a check list of what this game does to make BttF fans cry out in joy.
1. BttF Theme
2. Power of Love by Huey Luis and the News
3. The scale model that the Doc built in the first movie
4. The huge amp that would knock you back if played loudly enough
5. Back in Time by Huey Luis and the News
6. Similar plot and structure
7. Christopher Lloyd as Emmet Brown
8. Michael J. Fox's cameo appearance
9. Family history of Marty and Biff
10. Paradoxes
11. Johny B. Goode
12. Hover Board
13. The first Back to the Future's ending
Ok, maybe I should stop right there, but it's clear that if any of these things seem remotely familiar to you, then you pretty much know what to expect from the story and what not.
Now, it does kind of have a similar plot and structure, but it's not too much to where it is a fresh a brand new story without making it feel like you're treading familiar ground. Well, it is familiar, but not too much so. Actually, the story here has a lot in common with the stories from the movies. Mostly from the second one. Even if it is familiar, it still gets really intense, and it's fun and exciting, and there's always a really cool cliff hanger at the end of each episode to keep you on the edge of your seat and what ever.
Now, if you've played any of the point and click adventure games with in the past 200 years, then you pretty much know what to expect in this game. Picking up items, combining the items to make some sort grappling hook made from a piece of string and a hair comb. Ok, maybe nothing that complicated, but it does involve a lot of problem solving and combining items with things to advance the plot. Also, the dialogue system. You talk to characters, and most of them will give you hints on what to do next. Also, most of the dialogue can be pretty funny as well. I guess I should mention at some point that the voice acting in this game is really good. The person who voices Marty does a really good impression of him!
Now, the one thing I don't like about this game is what seems like what most adventure games have been falling into. You see, back then, during the prime to of adventure games and the early times of their revival, to control your character, you just point and click. Now, you have to hold down your mouse button and drag your mouse to make your character move in the direction you move your mouse. Seriously, what kind of asshole thought this was a good idea? And furthermore.....who were the assholes that just followed along with it. Was there seriously no one there to say "Uhhh, guys? These controls feel as intuitive as a cow" Ok, not as bad as that, but still, did they feel that pointing and clicking didn't work well enough that they had to try something completely different even if one of them gets the job done a little more easily?
It also scares me that it has stuck well enough in order to make it in pretty much every adventure game I've played. Sam & Max, Monkey Island, and now this one. I mean, I've read up that reviews don't seem to really like this way of controlling. Telltale has the impression that it makes the experience more "engaging", so I guess that's the policy now-a-days. Make experiences more engaging by making the controls really shitty. You can use the keyboard to move your character which works a little better, but still I really want the older controls back. I don't see them making a change any time soon since all of their games have taken on this kind of control scheme for a while now.
Not only is it awkward to use, but it seems like the camera has to compensate for this to, and most of the time, the camera can be a little weird. When you're in the main part of the town(Hill Valley that is), you have to walk down the road and sometimes, all the way across the area, and the camera will just switch all of a suddenly to an area that isn't really relevant to anything. I think they wanted these controls so your character can be closer to the screen, which is why there are so many camera switches, but it does bother me. In the earlier Sam & Max games, the camera was zoomed out so you can see most of the area, and the camera worked well with the player, as it moved when it needed to.
Pictured above, Doc talking about the horrible controls in this game!
I may be over reacting on these issues, but it wouldn't hurt to fix these issues, wouldn't it? Especially since these are pretty much my main complaints for the game. There was also a plot hole I noticed in the game, but it wasn't too bad, since if they just did one thing, they could have fixed it, but I guess they really needed it for that one puzzle. There was also another one, and they both took place in the same episode. But then again, the first BttF movie got away with a really big plot hole, actually, two of them, and the plot holes in this game are really small. In fact, I'm surprised I notice the ones I did, because usually I don't even notice stuff like that.
All in all, they are really good games, and some of the better games this year. So, try these games out. The first one is free, so, that one can help you decide whether or not you like them, which pretty much makes this review pointless. Just, go ahead and try it out though!
I'm not really sure what to say about these games, I really liked them. I've always had a soft spot for the point and click adventure games, and these did not disappoint....at all. The story is good, the gameplay is solid, and it's just a fun experience! So, if your a fan of point and click adventure games, yea, I would definitely recommend it! Back to the Future fans? Go for it man! This game pretty much is a love letter to any one who's enjoyed the movies.
With that said, then you've probably guessed that this game is reliant on nostalgia, and yea, this game pretty much brings up everything people might have remembered about the movies. So, let's go down a check list of what this game does to make BttF fans cry out in joy.
1. BttF Theme
2. Power of Love by Huey Luis and the News
3. The scale model that the Doc built in the first movie
4. The huge amp that would knock you back if played loudly enough
5. Back in Time by Huey Luis and the News
6. Similar plot and structure
7. Christopher Lloyd as Emmet Brown
8. Michael J. Fox's cameo appearance
9. Family history of Marty and Biff
10. Paradoxes
11. Johny B. Goode
12. Hover Board
13. The first Back to the Future's ending
Ok, maybe I should stop right there, but it's clear that if any of these things seem remotely familiar to you, then you pretty much know what to expect from the story and what not.
Now, it does kind of have a similar plot and structure, but it's not too much to where it is a fresh a brand new story without making it feel like you're treading familiar ground. Well, it is familiar, but not too much so. Actually, the story here has a lot in common with the stories from the movies. Mostly from the second one. Even if it is familiar, it still gets really intense, and it's fun and exciting, and there's always a really cool cliff hanger at the end of each episode to keep you on the edge of your seat and what ever.
Now, if you've played any of the point and click adventure games with in the past 200 years, then you pretty much know what to expect in this game. Picking up items, combining the items to make some sort grappling hook made from a piece of string and a hair comb. Ok, maybe nothing that complicated, but it does involve a lot of problem solving and combining items with things to advance the plot. Also, the dialogue system. You talk to characters, and most of them will give you hints on what to do next. Also, most of the dialogue can be pretty funny as well. I guess I should mention at some point that the voice acting in this game is really good. The person who voices Marty does a really good impression of him!
Now, the one thing I don't like about this game is what seems like what most adventure games have been falling into. You see, back then, during the prime to of adventure games and the early times of their revival, to control your character, you just point and click. Now, you have to hold down your mouse button and drag your mouse to make your character move in the direction you move your mouse. Seriously, what kind of asshole thought this was a good idea? And furthermore.....who were the assholes that just followed along with it. Was there seriously no one there to say "Uhhh, guys? These controls feel as intuitive as a cow" Ok, not as bad as that, but still, did they feel that pointing and clicking didn't work well enough that they had to try something completely different even if one of them gets the job done a little more easily?
It also scares me that it has stuck well enough in order to make it in pretty much every adventure game I've played. Sam & Max, Monkey Island, and now this one. I mean, I've read up that reviews don't seem to really like this way of controlling. Telltale has the impression that it makes the experience more "engaging", so I guess that's the policy now-a-days. Make experiences more engaging by making the controls really shitty. You can use the keyboard to move your character which works a little better, but still I really want the older controls back. I don't see them making a change any time soon since all of their games have taken on this kind of control scheme for a while now.
Not only is it awkward to use, but it seems like the camera has to compensate for this to, and most of the time, the camera can be a little weird. When you're in the main part of the town(Hill Valley that is), you have to walk down the road and sometimes, all the way across the area, and the camera will just switch all of a suddenly to an area that isn't really relevant to anything. I think they wanted these controls so your character can be closer to the screen, which is why there are so many camera switches, but it does bother me. In the earlier Sam & Max games, the camera was zoomed out so you can see most of the area, and the camera worked well with the player, as it moved when it needed to.
Pictured above, Doc talking about the horrible controls in this game!
I may be over reacting on these issues, but it wouldn't hurt to fix these issues, wouldn't it? Especially since these are pretty much my main complaints for the game. There was also a plot hole I noticed in the game, but it wasn't too bad, since if they just did one thing, they could have fixed it, but I guess they really needed it for that one puzzle. There was also another one, and they both took place in the same episode. But then again, the first BttF movie got away with a really big plot hole, actually, two of them, and the plot holes in this game are really small. In fact, I'm surprised I notice the ones I did, because usually I don't even notice stuff like that.
All in all, they are really good games, and some of the better games this year. So, try these games out. The first one is free, so, that one can help you decide whether or not you like them, which pretty much makes this review pointless. Just, go ahead and try it out though!