Plot: What’s it about?
The story of Marty McFly continues, as Telltale Games picks up where the films left off in Back to the Future: The Game. As with most of their adventure games, Back to the Future was first released as individual episodes, but this disc houses the entire run in one place. So you’ll be able to experience the entire adventure and well, what an adventure it is. The game picks up six months after the close of the third film, when the DeLorean returns to Hill Valley…with no driver. You play as Marty, who has to figure out what is going on and ensure the past, present, and future remain in balance. Telltale Games has mastered the adventure game, so you’ll find creative puzzles, great dialogue, and remarkable attention to detail. For Back to the Future devotees, these episodes are a goldmine of nostalgia and fun. Telltale has brought Hill Valley back to life down to the tiniest touches, so this looks, feels, and even sounds like the Back to the Future we know and love.
The game has you control Marty and guide him around various locations, seeking out clues and what not. You’ll need to solve puzzles, talk to people to uncover information, and search for crucial items. If you’ve played a Telltale game before, then you know about what to expect. But this isn’t a standard adventure game with Back to the Future elements, this is a faithful, loving walk through the films’ world. Christopher Lloyd returns as Doc Brown, which really helps the game immerse you in the familiar setting, while the voice of Marty is simply uncanny. You’ll also be treated to special appearances from Claudia Wells and yes folks, even Michael J. Fox himself. The game was also developed in cooperation with Bob Gale, who produced the films, so Telltale really went the extra mile to make this feel authentic. The story is well written and is a blast to experience, especially for those of us who have wanted a return to Hill Valley for years. Back to the Future: The Game is a fans’ dream come true, a faithful take on a beloved film series that lets players be an integral part of the experience. And for such a low price, of course Back to the Future: The Game earns a high recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
The visuals have a cartoon slant, but looks terrific. Telltale has a signature visual style in most of their games and while the visuals are faithful to the films, you can tell Telltale is involved. That is good news though, as the character designs are spot on and quite fun. The cartoon approach is just plain fun to watch and in truth, I think more realistic designs wouldn’t have worked nearly as well as these. The locations are rich with detail, with all kinds of little touches from the films you’ll probably scout out. From a visual point of view, the game is pure Back to the Future, so fans should be quite thrilled.
Audio: How does it sound?
The most important element of the soundtrack in this case had to be the voice work. After all, if the voices didn’t mesh with the characters we remember, the entire experience would seem off. But thanks to having several key cast members back, including Christopher Lloyd, the voices match up quite well. The voice actor for Marty is just eerie, as the voice is so close to Michael J. Fox’s, you forget that it isn’t him. The music and sound effects also sound terrific, but for me the defining audio ingredient is the voice work, so I am glad it was handled so well.
Supplements: What are the extras?
N/A
