I recently subscribed to PSN Plus and downloaded all the freebies that come with it. Among them is the unsuspecting quantilogy "Back to the Future: The Game". I didn't think much of it before booting it up, but after a few minutes found myself thoroughly engaged in the latest exploits of Doc Brown and Marty McFly.
Telltale Games let no IP go to waste, and it really helps sell the experience. The likenesses of both Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox are preserved, with Lloyd doing voice work for Doc Brown and AJ LoCascio pulling off a believable Marty McFly. Original music from the motion picture is also included -both the theatrical orchestra theme and Huey Lewis' "Back in Time".
Episode 1 begins with a scene ripped straight from the first movie where Doc and Marty test their decked out Delorian in a mall parking lot, this time with different results. Doc begins to disappear - the result of a mistake he made in the past. In the next scene, Marty wakes up and realizes it was just a dream, but, indeed, Doc Brown is missing and has been for months. Later, while Marty helps his father and Biff Tannen sort through Doc's possessions for an impending estate sale, Marty insists that Doc will return and finds a clue pertaining to his whereabouts. Shortly thereafter, the Delorian reappears in Doc's driveway with only his dog, Einstein, and other clues inside. From there, Marty ventures forth deciphering the past, intent on restoring the timeline and Doc's presence in it.
The story takes numerous twists and turns as Marty travels to the past, to the present, and back again, correcting previous mistakes and ones made along the way. Innuendos to iconic moments from the 3 films are made throughout the journey and help connect the game experience to the movie experience rather seamlessly.
The game is presented as a cartoonish, dialogue-driven point-and-click adventure with a well-conceived interface that never becomes cumbersome. Pressing R1 or L1 (PS3) visualizes every point of interest to be interacted with, minimizing oversight and keeping the game moving. For puzzles that don't offer an obvious solution, an unpunishing hint system offers advice that, if requested, gives the correct course of action. Even a novice player should be able to complete all 5 episodes without ever becoming completely stuck or frustrated.
The only fault I found in the game is that when Marty walks (as dictated by the player) between scenes and the camera angle changes, his direction of movement does not instantly calibrate to the new perspective, retaining that of the old perspective, and requires the player to stop moving and start again to properly realign directions (up, down, left, right) for the movement axis. It's not really a big deal, but it's present in all 5 episodes and took a moment for me to adjust.
I recommend BttF:TG to anyone who enjoyed the films and is interested in experiencing new alternate timelines in the BttF series, and especially to those who already have PSN Plus and can download it for free.
What I liked:
Respectable story that acts as an extension to a classic movie trilogy.
Likable characters who've been masterfully replicated.
Numerous innuendos reminiscent of the movies' memorable moments.
What I didn't like:
Having to recalibrate movement direction when moving into a new camera perspective.
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